Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: A joyful family weekend full of wonderful Japanese activities was held in the “Festival in the Park” event from April 12 to 13 at Abu Dhabi’s Umm Al Emarat Park.

The two-day event was part of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2025. It featured Japanese cultural activities, workshops, interactive games, and captivating stage performances.

Families immersed themselves in Japanese-inspired activity pavilions, featuring hands-on sessions in origami, Japanese calligraphy, and anime character drawing workshops by Emirati artists.

“The main highlights of the event were the kimono tryout run by Al Dahlia Kimono, the Japanese tea ceremony by the Urasenke group, and various Japanese cultural activities with additions to children’s activities that caught the attention and created memories for both adults and kids,” Ahmed Al Mazmi, founder of HalaCultures, said about the event.

The event witnessed wonderful performances by Taiko drummers Shoten Taiko, flute player Kyle, Koto player Mai, and VR artist Aimi Sekiguchi. 

“The challenges faced were managing the huge crowd that visited during the first day, including the crowd control, and tending to every family and every visitor. However, with the great effort of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, the Abu Dhabi Festival, and the HalaCultures staff, these challenges were overcome,” he said.

Al Mazmi mentioned that the response and feedback from the visitors of the event was overwhelmingly positive, as adults were able to experience the Japanese experience whilst making memories with the children.

Al Mazmi said that HalaCultures will be part of MEFCC 2025 this month, where they will focus on traditional Japanese culture, featuring a Japanese seating area for a euphoric and relaxing environment as well as interactive activities, including selling Japanese-related merchandise.

‘Festival in the Park’ highlights Abu Dhabi Festival’s mission to foster cultural exchange in a city that is home to more than 200 nationalities. By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, the festival creates a space for exploring traditions while making art and culture accessible to all.