The OMATSURI – Calgary Japanese Festival was established in August 2011 by members from the Calgary Japanese Community Association with assistance from members of the Calgary Buddhist Temple, Calgary Japanese Gospel Church, New Japanese Community Association and the many groups within the CJCA such as the Kotobuki Seniors club & Japanese Youth Association. Our volunteer Committee is supported by over 400 volunteers and performers from all over Alberta who work tirelessly throughout the year to host this one day celebration of Japanese heritage, culture and traditions.
2024 Committee Members
Ken Richardson – Chair
- Kim Aban
- Maureen Coleman
- Rada Hachmi
- Maureen McElhinney
- Cindy Nagata-McMillan
- Chelsea Miske
- Kristin Muraki
- Joanne Terakita Planidin
- Kiyomi Planidin
- Ken Seno
- Chris Shukuda
- Katy Takaoka
- Roger Teshima
- Andrew Uyeno
- Yasuhiro Washiyama
- Yayoi Woods
- Julia Yamaguichi
- Karen Yip
- Tetsuro Yokoyama
Thank you to everyone who supports this festival from year to year, we could not put on this event without the hard work & dedication of our volunteers and the generosity of our sponsors. If you would like to get involved in our event, please contact us at Omatsuri.Volunteer@calgaryjca.com.
Omatsuri History
Omatsuri – meaning a “festival” in Japanese – is a traditional community celebration giving thanks for a rich harvest, good health, community harmony and respect for their ancestors. It is an important cultural festival that originates back several hundred years and continues to this day in Japan.
Our first event was held in August 2011, although it was a modest festival held at the Bridgeland – Riverside Community Centre, it attracted over 1200 guests and was a huge success. Interest in the Omatsuri Festival continued to grow in each of the following years and in 2014 we moved to the Bowness Community Association to accommodate our growth. Due to renovations in 2016, we were forced to find a new venue for our festival and moved to Max Bell Centre in 2017 and will be our home for the next few years. Due to Covid-19, our festival was cancelled in 2020 and went virtual in 2021, we are excited to announce the return to our live event for 2022.
Our event continues to grow in size each year and has grown to entertain nearly 7500 guests, being supported by over 400 volunteers and performers from all over Alberta. Omatsuri offers something for all ages; traditional Japanese food, a wide variety of entertainment & cultural demonstrations, a children’s area & martial arts demonstrations. We have a market where over 25 vendors showcase their traditional and unique crafts, products and gifts as well as a beer & sake garden to sample some of the most popular brands.
The “Omikoshi” is a shrine that is carried by a team of people and paraded around a “Red Torii” (mini shrine gate) to the beat of the taiko drummers, this fun and inspiring parade is a traditional and unique feature of Omatsuri that you do not want to miss.
We are extremely pleased to bring this Festival to the City of Calgary on an annual basis and invite you to join us for this one day celebration of our Japanese heritage, culture and traditions.
Please check out our past events by clicking on any of the links below: