WATCH BEFORE YOU GO
Six short films about Japan's school festivals, about four minutes each, one a day from 17 September. Everything on this site, told out loud in English, with the photos. New episodes appear here as they go live.
EPISODE 01 · 4 MIN
Every anime has a school festival episode. It is not a fantasy: almost every school in Japan really does throw one, and the students build the whole thing themselves.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Thu 17 SepFirst-time guide →
EPISODE 02 · 4 MIN
University festivals are open to everyone, free, with no ticket and no reservation. Most high school festivals are not. Here is the difference, and how to walk in.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Fri 18 SepFirst-time guide →
EPISODE 03 · 4 MIN
We read the official programmes of eighteen Tokyo university festivals and counted: food stalls, live stages, celebrity guests, and open research labs you can walk into.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Sat 19 SepWhat’s on →
EPISODE 04 · 4 MIN
Four rules that keep you welcome: ask before you photograph a person, sort your trash at the eco-station, don't bring your own alcohol, and no smoking or drones.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Sun 20 SepEtiquette →
EPISODE 05 · 4 MIN
You may have already seen some of these campuses on screen. Which filming locations the universities confirm themselves, and which ones only fans report.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Mon 21 SepCampus stories →
EPISODE 06 · 4 MIN
Ten minutes' walk from Shinagawa Station there is a university for the sea. At its festival, a whole tuna is cut up on stage.
Watch on YouTube ↗ New episode Tue 22 SepUmitakasai festival guide →
