Japan’s Festival Spirit Comes to Takanawa! GP-Sponsored “MATSURI JAPAN 2026,” Hosted by Happo-en

“MATSURI JAPAN 2026,” hosted by Happo-en, was held over two days on August 8 and 9, 2026, at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY.

Created around the idea of “sharing the appeal of Japan’s traditional cultures and regional food with the world from Takanawa,” the event offered visitors a journey through Japanese festivals using all five senses, with festival performances from across Japan, regional food and drinks, traditional festival games, and more.

GLOBAL PRODUCE also supported “MATSURI JAPAN 2026” as an official sponsor.

As an event production company, we are usually on the side that creates and delivers events. This time, however, we explored the venue as participants ourselves, experiencing firsthand the energy of Japanese festivals and the power of events to connect people with different regions and cultures.

“MATSURI STAGE”: Bringing Together the Energy of Festivals from Across Japan

At the heart of the venue was the “MATSURI STAGE,” where festival performers from across Japan came together.

Visitors could experience traditional dances, taiko drumming, and performing arts that have been passed down through generations in different regions of Japan—all up close.

One performance I had personally been looking forward to was by the YOSAKOI Soran team “天嵩～Amata～.”

In fact, GP member Shigeta also took the stage as part of 天嵩～Amata～.

Because the stage was so close to the audience, the performers’ energy came across directly. Before we knew it, there was a sense that the entire venue had become one.

It was a powerful reminder of the unique impact of a “live experience”—something that can only be created when people share the same physical space.

Exploring Japan’s Regions Through Food

Of course, no Japanese festival would be complete without food stalls.

At “THE YATAI,” visitors could enjoy exclusive MATSURI JAPAN dishes that added Happo-en’s own touch to classic Japanese festival food.

Meanwhile, “Ichigo Ichie” featured craft beers from across Japan, along with drinks loved by local communities in different regions.

I made sure to try some of the food and drinks myself—and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Discovering a region’s culture through a stage performance, then tasting food and drinks connected to that same place.

Even if you have never visited the region itself, a single dish or drink can spark your curiosity and make you want to learn more. That is one of the unique things an event can offer.

Rather than experiencing each piece of content separately, the combination of “seeing,” “hearing,” and “tasting” made each region feel a little closer.

We Found GP at the Venue!

As we walked around the venue, we spotted a serving robot hard at work. I instinctively thought, “Wow!”—and then noticed the GLOBAL PRODUCE logo on its side!

GLOBAL PRODUCE supported this event as a sponsor, but actually coming across the GP logo inside the venue made us feel our connection to the event all over again.

What Festivals and Events Have in Common: The Power to Connect People

One thing that stood out after experiencing “MATSURI JAPAN 2026” firsthand was that this was much more than an event that simply brought festivals from across Japan together in one place.

Visitors discovered regional cultures through stage performances, experienced different parts of Japan through food and drinks, and became even more curious through games and interactive experiences.

Throughout the event created by Happo-en, there were countless opportunities for visitors to discover and connect with cultures from different regions of Japan.

Festivals have the power to bring people together across generations and regions, create shared excitement, and carry culture forward to the next generation.

And that connects closely with the value that we at GLOBAL PRODUCE believe events can create.

Connecting people with one another.
Creating opportunities to discover something new.
Creating emotions and memories that can only be experienced in that particular place and moment.

GLOBAL PRODUCE supported “MATSURI JAPAN 2026” as an official sponsor.

Going forward, we will continue to create connections between people, between people and regions, and with new cultures through events—delivering experiences that move people and stay with them.