As a foretaste of the Main Matsuri Festival, which will be celebrated for the first time in Offenbach in August, Main Matsuri Event organized a Japanese cherry blossom festival for the first time in the Büsingpalais.
Offenbach – If it was rainy and gray at the weekend, the picture in the Büsingpalais and the courtyard in front of it looks all the more colourful. The festival attracted around 1,000 visitors. “We were already sold out yesterday,” says organizer Norman Seidel. Many young people appeared in colorful costumes. “It’s called cosplay and is part of Japanese pop culture,” explains Alexander Pankow from the organizing team. Many would sew their own costumes. The best cosplay outfit will be chosen at a cosplay competition in the afternoon. It’s not just about the costume, it’s also about how the character is presented on stage. The target group are young people who are interested in Japanese pop culture.
Jane, Sarah and Yasmin are from Frankfurt. The 16 to 18-year-old girls bought their costumes and didn’t sew them themselves. But they know exactly which characters they represent. “I love manga, it’s easy to read and it makes things easier to imagine,” says Yasmin.
Workshops are held in the adjoining rooms, for example on the Japanese sword fight kendo or the traditional paper folding origami, of course there is also the drawing of manga comics. In the room of the sponsor “Brother” there are sewing tips. In this country, the Japanese manufacturer is best known for printers, but it also operates a division for computer-controlled embroidery and sewing machines.
There are stalls all over the foyer. Sabrina Fries sells high-quality kimonos at the booth of organizer Seidel. “People are interested in that from their mid-20s, when they earn their own money and appreciate the quality,” says Seidel.
In the evening, the event ends with dancing to House, Japanese City Pop, J-Pop and already makes you want to go to the Main Matsuri Festival.
By Peter Klein
