Japan arena returns to Shillong's Cherry Blossom Festival with art, anime, cosplay, and cuisine

The Japan Arena opened on November 14 at Ward’s Lake as one of the major attractions of the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival 2025, marking its second straight year as a centrepiece of the celebration. The showcase builds on the growing cultural ties between Japan and Meghalaya, where Sakura traditions find an autumn-season parallel. The arena will run till today.

The space has been crafted as a full Japanese cultural immersion. Visitors stepped into the calm world of Sumi-e, watching traditional ink painting unfold on Washi paper, alongside Shodo calligraphy displays and interactive Origami sessions that remained busy throughout the day.

The Japan Foundation added a pop-culture spin with an immersive “Learn Japanese with Anime” workshop, helping festival-goers pick up language basics through familiar animated characters. Cosplay Theatre Plays by Team Blood Eagle and CLOUD7 Duo brought a burst of colour and performance energy as they portrayed beloved characters onstage.

A major highlight of Day 1 was the culinary section led by Chef Santosh, a certified Japanese cuisine specialist from Bengaluru’s Suku restaurant. From 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, he served authentic Japanese dishes that quickly became a crowd favourite.

The musical spotlight featured Tura-born singer-songwriter Amo Daring, whose set of “healing music” blended warm vocals with indie pop/rock influences. Drawing inspiration from artists such as One Ok Rock, Lana Del Rey and Paramore, her performance offered a serene yet powerful close to the cultural segment before the CM-MGMP artists took over for the evening.

The lineup for the arena also included energetic J-Pop dance numbers and conversations on “Building Creative Economy” and “The Art of Visual Storytelling,” adding depth to the day’s programming.

Set against the blooming landscape of the festival, the Japan Arena opened Day 1 as a lively cultural bridge — offering visitors a blend of tradition, creativity and modern Japanese culture as the Cherry Blossom celebrations got underway.