Ties have been strengthened and new partnerships forged as Mancunians turned out in their tens of thousands to immerse themselves in Japanese culture as part of Japan Week 2025 after Manchester was ch
Chosen by the International Friendship Foundation to host this year’s Japan Week event on its behalf, Manchester has done so in what is a special year in the history of the event as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, coming half a century on from the first ever Japan Week held in Florence in 1975.
Fifty years later and a hugely successful week has seen Manchester play host to Japanese dignitaries, artisans, performers and others, in a Japanese takeover of the city – a takeover that has provided unique and unforgettable opportunities for people to immerse themselves in Japanese culture, whilst at the same also strengthening existing partnerships between the two places and helping create new ones.
Cultural organisations and venues in Manchester worked closely with counterparts in Japan to deliver a fantastic free festival celebrating every aspect of Japanese culture from traditional dance, dress, music, sport, calligraphy, and food, through to K-pop, Samuri, and even sake – with the official opening event including a traditional kagami biraki ceremony that saw guests use wooden mallets to hammer open a barrel of sake to symbolise the release of good fortune, harmony, and new beginnings.
With events happening across the city centre and beyond – and all of them free to attend – the response from local people and visitors to the city has been phenomenal, with venues reporting being inundated with visitors, all leaping at the chance to find out more about both traditional and contemporary Japanese traditions and culture.
Figures in from cultural venues and organisations show that over 25,000 people took part in and enjoyed the different activities on offer, with many thousands more also going along to a special Japanese food market held in St Ann’s Square on Saturday.
The wide-ranging festival programme included theatre and stage performances at HOME, traditional tea ceremonies at Manchester Museum, workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations at Aviva Studios and Manchester Central Library, plus a full day of activity with the Hallé showcasing the Hallé Youth Orchestra, Japan Archives, and Japanese instruments.
The week also saw the first UK performance of BLOOM – a brand-new production fusing music, fashion and dance in a unique celebration of Greater Manchester’s contemporary creative scene. Created by composer and DJ Afrodeutsche, dance company Company Chameleon, and queer-led fashion brand Belladonis, the live performance also featured a string ensemble from the world-renowned Hallé orchestra, including virtuosa violinist Roberto Ruisi.
Away from central Manchester local community venues in the north and south of the city including Gorton Hub, Wythenshawe Forum and Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre also hosted Japan Week activity.
Manchester’s connections with Japan go back a long way, with the two places having a long-standing relationship dating back to the 1800s, when in 1865 a group of Japanese students from the Satsuma region travelled to the North West of England to take home the lessons of industry – forging a connection between the two places that continues today.
The city’s bid to host Japan Week came off the back of a successful Greater Manchester trade mission to Osaka and Tokyo in December 2023, led by GMCA Mayor Andy Burnham and Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig.
The city region’s relationship with Japan has continued to go from strength to strength since then, with a further delegation from Greater Manchester having recently undertaken a follow-up trade mission with partners in Tokyo and Osaka, which included a visit to World Expo in Osaka.
Last week also saw the signing of a formal Sister City Agreement between Greater Manchester and Osaka. Such agreements are highly regarded in Japan and the agreement with Greater Manchester is the first new partnership signed by Osaka in 20 years. It aims to open up more opportunities for trade and investment, and foster closer ties on innovation, education, tourism, culture and sport.
It’s hoped that the cultural collaborations and connections made through the Japan Week 2025 hugely successful cultural festival hosted by Manchester will help further cement the bond between the two places and help pave the way for future collaborations between Manchester and partners in Japan.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “As a proudly diverse and international city it has been an absolute honour for us to have hosted Japan Week for its 50th anniversary year and it’s been brilliant to see our communities across the city embracing the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese culture.
“The connections made between cultural partners in Manchester and in Japan have been a vital part of the week’s success.
“Cultural collaboration is part of the fabric here in Manchester and in today’s world cultural exchange is more important than ever. It fosters understanding, builds bridges across borders, and reminds us or our shared humanity.
“Culture and the arts already play a massive part in the life of our city, contributing significantly to Manchester’s economy and bringing millions of visitors into the city every year, and we’re very much looking forward to further developing our links with partners in Japan and to all the opportunities this newly strengthened relationship will bring.”
The Japan Week cultural festival in Manchester was delivered through a partnership between the city council and cultural partners HOME, Aviva Studios, Manchester Museum, Central Library, ESEA Contemporary and the Hallé. It was sponsored by Calbee, Mikan, Manchester Airport Group, First Street and Ask Real Estate and KAJI.
