Harrison Japanse Festival
Our 2023/24
Leaders
The festival was managed by executives from eight departments: games, culture, public relations, sponsors, events, stage, website, and overall representatives, each of whom did a wonderful job in making the festival such a success. I would like to once again express my gratitude and respect to all the executive members who put their hearts and souls into their preparations.
President / Senior
Kosuke Ejiri
Behind the success of the Harrison Japanese Festival 2024 is the establishment of an organization called “Ichishibu,” which serves as the foundation for the festival. This organization, which he founded as the representative, started as a new attempt to spread Japanese culture in the community. Although there have been many difficulties since its establishment, as the representative, I have taken responsibility and led the members toward our goal.
Sponser / Senior
Tetta Murakami
The team sent out a steady stream of emails to more than 200 businesses and organizations to secure funds to operate the festival, and as a result, raised more than $7,000.
While their efforts were not outstanding, they played an important role in laying the very foundation that would support the festival.
Public Relations / Junior
Kaya Ito
The PR team engaged in both digital and analog activities to increase visibility. The team posted more than 500 flyers around town and posted daily reels on Instagram to attract visitors in multiple ways.
We had many visitors from inside and outside the community and played an important role in making the festival a great success.
Stage/ Senior
Hikari Fujino
The stage team was in charge of emceeing the event on stage and managing the event in close cooperation with the event team, including prior contact with the groups performing on stage on the day of the event.
As a result, the area in front of the stage was always crowded with visitors, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the day. The stage team's precise preparation and flexible response further enhanced the excitement of the festival and provided an enjoyable time for all visitors.
Game/ Senior
Kanata Tsunashima
The website team created a site that would allow visitors to access all the necessary information, from festival announcements to the day's schedule to information about the various booths.
The website was an important platform for communicating details of the festival to the local community, especially for the first time this year. We pursued a visually appealing design and easy-to-understand navigation, and were able to attract many visitors to the site.
Rino Fujimura
Mei Maehara
Rion Yoshimura
Public Relations / Junior
Public Relations / Freshman
Sponser / Senior
Public Relations/ Sophomore
Reporter
Website / Senior
Designer
Chiharu Sato
Keisuke Kaneko
Sei Shinozaki
Event / Sophomore
Kanta Oka
Public Relations / Freshman
Reporter
Kento Koyama
Event / Freshman
Kyojiro Yamada
Public Relations / Junior
Eren Yoshimura
Dance / Freshman
Game/ Senior
Kento Honda
The Games Team provided many Japanese games at the Harrison Japanese Festival 2024. Among them, “Whack-a-Mole” proved especially popular and was enjoyed by people of all ages, so much so that other groups requested it. Other games also brought smiles and fun to the faces of visitors, as the lines for the other games did not break throughout the event.
The game corner was the most memorable part of the festival for the children and one of the main attractions of the festival.
Satge / Role
Arata Yamazaki
The event team was in charge of planning and organizing the task rally, which included on-stage rock-paper-scissors and quiz competitions, as well as the entire festival. We prepared prizes such as Hideki Matsui's autographed ball, Amazon gift cards, and other luxury items to create an event that everyone, from adults to children, could get involved in. The event brought many smiles and moments of surprise to all visitors and contributed greatly to the overall excitement of the festival.
Position / Role
Naho Nakayamada
The cultural team decorated the festival with many booths under the theme of Japanese culture. From a photo booth with a torii gate in the background to an origami experience booth, there were many ways to make visitors feel familiar with Japanese traditions. The calligraphy booth was particularly popular. Local visitors who were unfamiliar with kanji enjoyed the experience of learning Japanese calligraphy with careful support from the staff. Many visitors also painted their faces, and it was impressive to see all visitors, regardless of race or background, having a good time while experiencing the charms of Japanese culture.