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, matsuri 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.
	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.
	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.
	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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