With the sound of the Taiko drums echoing through the air, hundreds of Sudburians found their way to the Japan Festival, held on July 22 at the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Bell Park.
There were plenty of vendors, great food choices, as well as a bit of education and information about Japan and its culture.
And at the heart of it, the woman who started it all: Takako Shoji Boyle.
Originally from Tokyo, Boyle told Sudbury.com is one of only 20 people of Japanese descent in Sudbury.
In 2019, her passion for Japanese culture, and sharing it with Canada, turned into the inaugural festival of art and culture. Boyle paid for it herself, out of her own pocket, and organized it all.
But then COVID-19 got in the way, and her hopes for an annual festival were momentarily dashed.
But many people in this community know, once Boyle gets started, there is no stopping her.
“We started with word of mouth, just friends in the community. Now it is growing so much, and I’m so happy to see so many local people here.”
She also said there are people coming from as far as Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa for the festival, especially to see her favourite part, the Taiko drumming.
Hopefully she got to see the performances, as the lineup at all three booths featuring food from Boyle’s Japanese restaurant, Kako’s Kitchen, lined just about every inch of the amphitheatre.
And though she was barely through this year, Boyle said she’s just as excited for the now-annual festival next year.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com.
