Cosplayers pose in character in front of the Tori Gate in MTC at Japan festival 2025. Photo by Mckenzie Hollinshed

If you’re even a little curious about Japanese culture and traditions, don’t miss the upcoming Greater Kansas City Japan Festival hosted right here on campus next month.  

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, celebrate this year’s theme of Sumo traditions with demonstrations by the Shogeki Sumo Team, as well as various arts and crafts workshops, Japanese food, performances and shopping scattered around several buildings on campus.  

Tickets are on sale now. You can purchase them online or at box offices located in the Midwest Trust Center (MTC) lobby or the Satellite in the Student Center.  

• With proper ID, admission for JCCC students: $8. 

• Adults: $25  

• Youth (Ages 6–18): $18 

• Children ages 5 and under receive free admission.  

Make sure to pick up your wristbands at one of several box office locations:  

• MTC 

• Student Center (SC)  

• Regnier Center (RC)  

• Office and Classroom Building, just outside the CoLab.  

KC Japan Fest hosted its first event at JCCC in 2004, departing from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, where it began in 1997. This year marks the 21st festival here on campus.  

 Dr. Kotoko Grass is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Foreign Language Department as well as the primary faculty supervisor for the Nihongo Club, which celebrates Japanese culture year-round.  

 Members meet biweekly on Fridays at 3:00 p.m. at the CoLab and practice Japanese with their peers.  

 “It is a wonderful community for JCCC alumni to return to and share their experience, wisdom, and encouragement with fellow members. Our goal is to have fun, learn, connect, and grow as a JCCC community that brings cultural diversity to the college,” Grass said.  

 For years, the group has met consistently every other week, providing a community for new and returning members. 

 We have fun in ways that differ from the classroom setting, and it provides a warm, welcoming space for many students to find a sense of belonging at the college,” Grass said.  

 Although not directly affiliated with KC Japan Fest, Nihongo Club hosted a fundraising table last year and will continue to showcase its highlights at the upcoming event with a booth.  

 Dr. Grass notes that KC Japan Fest, in conjunction with the JCCC Japanese Program, plays a significant role in sharing Japanese culture with the local community.  

 “It is amazing for the JCCC Japanese Program and the Nihongo Club to have the Japan Festival on the JCCC campus every year. This event brings so much attention to the college and lets community members know what we have to offer. We don’t have a large Japanese population in this area, so being able to share our culture with the community means a lot to me. Many students in the JCCC Japanese Program participate and volunteer at the festival every year. They are proud to be a part of it, and it brings them joy to participate not just as audience members, but as active contributors who help promote cultural diversity and highlight Japanese culture,” Grass said.   

For more information about the festival and Nihongo Club, check out their websites and information pages.