Reporting on the Social Activity × Entertainment Festival ‘JAPAN DORAKU 2025 at Nijo-jo’

Go
二条城

Preserving tangible and intangible Japanese traditional culture, the theme was ‘Creating a Bright Future Through the Circulation of People and Money’. Held over two days, 14th and 15th September 2025, at Kyoto’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the former imperial villa Nijo Castle, the ‘JAPAN DORAKU’ feast featured crafts, traditional Japanese attire, music, sake, and hospitality.

Revaluing Traditional Crafts and Future Collaborations Born from Cross-Disciplinary Exchange

In mid-September 2025, amidst lingering sweltering heat, the venue was Kyoto’s Nijo Castle. Constructed in the 8th year of Keicho (1603) by Tokugawa Ieyasu, it served as an imperial villa. Featuring this historic location as a backdrop, ‘JAPAN DORAKU’ (hereafter JD)—advocating the revaluation of Japanese tradition and the entertainmentisation of social activities—brought together a curated selection of traditional crafts and innovative ‘experiences, objects, and techniques’ from Japan and abroad, embodying the spirit of learning from the past to innovate for the future.

The two-day event featured a rich variety of content, including exhibitions, workshops, fashion, art, DJs and live performances, food and bars, with participation from a distinguished line-up of government bodies, companies, brands, manufacturers, labels and performers who share JD’s philosophy. The atmosphere remained friendly with the audience throughout. The total number of visitors, including VIPs, reached approximately 15,000.

The venue was Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in Kyoto.
In front of the kitchen of the Ninomaru Palace, the main venue.
The event opened with a solemn performance by Makoto Yamamoto, a master of the Suwa Taiko drum.
The Royal Orchestra of Yogyakarta, which plays traditional Indonesian music, also performed a session with Horikawa Music High School.
DJ DANTZ got the crowd going.
A collaborative stage performance by classical guitarist Kaori Muraji and jazz pianist Takeshi Obayashi.
Singer Chris Hart showcased his beautiful voice at the kimono show.
The Excellence Award went to Mito Tokushige (centre) for her batik kimono, while the Runner-up Awards went to Chie Nakanishi (left) for her indigo-dyed hand-woven yuzen phoenix kimono and Kazue Kurita (right) for her batik kimono.

Meanwhile, JD positions itself as a hub connecting artisans, techniques, and production of Japan’s venerable traditional crafts with brands, companies, and locations, promoting business responses as one of its core concepts. The venue’s approachable atmosphere fostered not only interactions between visitors and individual booths, but also vibrant communication between guests, artists, and corporations! New encounters and creative connections emerged across previously unlinked genres, raising expectations for future innovative collaborations and schemes.

At a time when ‘good circulation’ of CSR activities is being advocated in various categories, this event served to reaffirm the significance of JD in rediscovering a culture that blends the old and the new, originating from the succession of traditions.

Experience corner for natural ash-fermented indigo dyeing.
Scented pouch workshop.
RE BONSAI™ exhibition of cherry blossoms by Yoshio Suzuki.
Upcycled art by LESS, BUT BETTER.
SEILIN ＆ COi’s ‘RE WORK’ collection.
Egan’s Irish whiskey bar.
JTB Royal Road Ginza booth.
Cadillac’s first EV, the LYRIQ, on display.
Mitsubishi Estate Residence special site on asset value.

Photograph＝Shoya Kitano

PREVIOUS ARTICLE
Post
Shere

RELATED ARTICLE