What is the Matsuri?

Japan is known for its colourful and exuberant festivals known as Matsuri. Originally the word matsuri was a generic name for all Japanese Shinto ceremonies to honour and thank the gods.

In Japanese, matsuru means “to honour” and “to celebrate the gods”. In modern Japan, matsuri means both “festival” and “celebration”.

Usually sponsored and hosted by local shrines, these festivals celebrate various important events throughout the year, hosting spectacular parades, delicious food stalls and exciting games. Many famous Japanese events, like the Sapporo Snow Festival and the Nango Summer Jazz Festival, are considered to be matsuri.

At Tokonatsu, we want to honour these celebrations with our own regional matsuri. In years past we’ve hosted all kinds of events, and this year will be no different. We’re uniquely placed to offer a glimpse into what a true matsuri looks like, giving you a chance to explore the culture in your backyard!

If you have any questions or would like to enquire about the matsuri, please feel free to email The Matsuri Team and we will try to answer as many questions as possible.

Event Attractions

	Daruma Otoshi Daruma Otoshi is a traditional Japanese game played with a daruma doll made out of wood in five pieces, usually in bright colours such as blue, green, yellow, red. The game is played by using a small hammer to hit each of the coloured pieces, from bottom to the top, without letting the other pieces fall during the game.
	Eevee o sagase! Eevee o sagase!? Where could Eevee be hiding? Like your old school treasure hunt, let us know where you think Eevee might be hiding in the world of Pokémon. Put your name on a sticker and attach it to the board. If you succeed in finding Eevee, you'll be able to add them to your PokéDex.
	Garapon Garapon is a Japanese Lottery Machine. 'Gara' refers to the sound the machine makes while you are turning the handle, and 'Pon' describes a lottery ball coming out. Come and try your luck and see what prizes you can win. We will have prizes ranging from house points to sweets, plush and much more.
	Kakigori At the Toko Kakigori stall we will be selling the Japanese shaved ice dessert. It will consist of finely shaved ice topped with a flavoured syrup or condensed milk. This is a popular summer treat in Japan, dating back centuries, which we thought we would being to you.
	Katanuki Katanuki literally means die cutting. It’s a common activity seen at Japanese festivals. (Very similar to the sugar cutting game you might have seen in the Squid Games series). We have some difficult Katanuki for you to get your hands on. They are coloured candy rectangles which you will need to carve using a toothpick. Images are already slightly carved out, in the shapes of an animal, star, a cherry blossom, etc., it’s your job to carve them out completely without breaking them.
	Kendama Kendama is the ultimate Japanese game to test your skills. It consists of a handle (ken), a pair of cups (sarado), and a ball (tama) that are all connected together by a string. There are many combinations for playing with the Kendama but the most traditional is played by tossing the ball into the air and attempting to catch it in the cups then on the stick point.
	Kingyo Sukui Using a scooper with a thin piece of paper as a net, you try to catch as many goldfish as you can before the thin paper breaks. House points are awarded for the amount of fishes scooped.
	Kotatsu Lounge On Saturday night; want a space to go and just sit and chill with friends? Then, the Kotatsu Lounge is the place for you. Unfortunately, no real kotatsu's will be available but we can provide tables and chairs, you might even get a blanket (if it's not too warm!). Like in previous years, Kokushu Sake Company will move from the main food court to the Kotatsu Lounge to provide some extra warmth and company. Games from the Matsuri will also be available to play.
	Omen Mask Stall Omen is a type of mask in Japan which can take so many different forms from animal's faces to the ugly men, and the long-nosed goblin. In modern Japan these Omen masks can also include anime characters, kitsune, cats, rabbits and much much more. We would like to give you the opportunity to come along and buy some masks. We will have a variety ranging from normal kitsune, omen and kabuki masks to some funky LED versions. These will look epic against bonfire and at night. This year we will be opening the Omen Mask stall on the Friday to allow you time to show them off at other events. Also this year, a limited number of LED fans to go with your masks.
	Omikuji Small pieces of paper with a fortune written on them. These fortunes describe a blessing for a curse and just general life advice. You can keep your fortune or even tie it to the wish tree if you desire.
	Pachinko An authentic traditional Pachinko machine will be making its appearance at Toko this year. Come and have a go at a piece of Japanese history and culture.
	Purikura Want to make some lasting memories with your friends at Toko, why not try out our Purikura machine. Come take some photos, be as silly or as serious as you like, decorate them and print them for epic memories. Small charges for prints will apply.
	Senbonbiki Senbonbiki offers the chance to win various items such as snacks, toys, or sometimes house points. Prizes are attached to one end of a string while the other end is collected into bundles. You choose one string to pull. The item that moves at the other end is yours to keep. Like a lottery, senbonbiki is based on luck.
	Somen Slider Somen slider, also known as a nagashi somen slider 'flowing somen', is a traditional Japanese way to eat thin, cold somen noodles, served by letting them flow down a water-filled slide. Here at Toko we have our own somen slider; so come along and try to grab the items we put down the slide with chopstick before they reach the bottom. How would you rate your chopstick skills?
	Superball Sukui Just like Kingyo Sukui suki but with balls. Using a scooper with a thin piece of paper as a net, you try to catch as many rubber balls as you can before the paper breaks. House points are awarded for the balls you scoop.
	Wish Tree You must have heard of a wishing well... well the wish tree is the Japanese alternative. Collect your fortune and make your wishes. Take them home or tie them to the tree. We sincerely wish you happiness and great fortune.
	Yo-yo Tsuri Yo-Yo Tsuri is a water balloon attached to a rubber string with a loop on the end, allowing it to be bounced like a yo-yo. The balloons and house points can be won by fishing them out of the water using a hook on a piece of paper.

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