Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Hordes of Japanese visitors attended a festival entitled the “Arabian Festival” which was co-organized by Earth Garden and Bohemia Coffee in partnership with G8 countries that showcased the charm of Arab culture on the sidelines of Yoyogi Park in Tokyo.

During the Arabian Festival, dance performances were held, belly dancing was performed on stage, and a competition for the best hookah in Tokyo took place.

Many young Japanese people came to taste the flavors offered by a culture deemed “exotic” including a law professor who came to smoke hookah wearing traditional Arab dress.

Several NPO booths, such as Ibra Wa Khayt and the Campaign for the Children of Palestine, featured items made by Syrian women who have suffered in the war and by Palestinians living in refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria.

A Jordanian presented olive oil produced in Jordan while a booth for the Yoyogi mosque served Turkish coffee.  

The Arabian festival in Tokyo promoted clothing, accessories, food and tobacco shops that have contributed to the promotion and popularization of Middle Eastern culture.