Japanese Festival

9 am - 9 pm: Labor Day Weekend

Experience the thunderous pounding rhythms of the taiko drums, sumo wrestling, and more at this three-day cultural adventure right here at the Garden

For more than 40 years, the Missouri Botanical Garden has produced the annual Japanese Festival in conjunction with the Japanese Activities Committee, a coalition of several Japanese-American organizations that provide art, dance, food and entertainment for thousands of visitors each year

Teahouse Island Tours

Tours depart hourly on the hour from 10 am–5 pm Saturday

Japanese Festival is your rare opportunity to visit the enchanting Teahouse Island in the heart of the Japanese Garden lake These intimate guided tours will lead you to the secluded island home of an authentic soan, or farm hut-style teahouse, gifted to the Garden by Missouri's sister state of Nagano, Japan

Schedule:

9:30am - 10:30am: Festival Procession and Opening Ceremony at Spink to Yagura Stage in Japanese Garden

10am - 8pm: Calligraphy Display at Spink

10am - 4pm: Origami Display at Sachs 1 st floor

10am - 5pm: Balloon Art at Kemper Center for Home Gardening, Teahouse Island Tours at Hourly Plum Viewing Arbor

10am - 7pm: Ikebana and Bonsai Display at Farr Auditorium

10:30am - 11:30am: Bonsai Demonstration at Jack C Taylor Visitor Center Meeting Rooms

11am - 12pm: Eisa Yui at Yagura Stage, Shodo Demonstration at Bayer Event Center

11am - 12:30pm: Cooking Demonstration at Kemper Kitchen

12pm - 12:30pm: Cosplay Showcase at Cohen Amphitheater

12pm - 1pm: Rakuugo Featured Performer at Plant Lab, Ikebana Demonstration at Jack C Taylor

Visitor Center Meeting Rooms

12:30pm - 1pm: Kimono Show at Bayer Event Center

12:30pm - 1:30pm: Kendo at Bottlebrush East

1pm - 1:30pm: Yasu at Yagura Stage

1pm - 2pm: Eisa Yui at Cohen Amphitheater

1:30pm - 2pm: Kimono Show at Bayer Event Center

1:30pm - 3pm: Cooking Demonstration at Kemper Kitchen

2pm - 2:30pm: Ice Sculpture at Cohen Amphitheater, Wagashi Workshop at Jack C Taylor Visitor

Center Meeting Rooms

2pm - 3pm: Koryu Bugei at Yagura Stage, Gaku Traditional at Plant Lab

2:30pm - 3:30pm: Way of Tea Demonstration at Bayer Event Center, Karate at Bottlebrush East

3pm - 3:30pm: Wagashi Workshop at Jack C Taylor Visitor Center Meeting Rooms

3pm - 4pm: Eisa Yui at Yagura Stage, Sumo at Cohen Amphitheater

3:30pm - 5pm: Cooking Demonstration at Kemper Kitchen

4pm - 5pm: Wagashi Demonstration at Bayer Event Center

4:30pm - 5pm: Introduction to Zen at Plant Lab

4:30pm - 5:30pm: Ikebana Demonstration at Jack C Taylor Visitor Center Meeting Rooms, Judo

(Bottlebrush East

5pm - 6pm: Bon Odori at Yagura Stage, Sumo at Cohen Amphitheater

5:30pm - 6:30pm: Rakuugo Featured Performer at Bayer Event Center

6pm - 7pm: Gaku Traditional at Plant Lab

7pm - 7:30pm: Yasu at Bayer Event Center

7pm - 8pm: St. Louis Osuwa Taiko at Cohen Amphitheater

7:30pm - 9pm: Toro Nagashi at Japanese Garden

8pm - 10pm: Candlelight Walk at Plum Viewing Arbor, Anime Movie at Bayer Event Center