Picture letters weave bonds, the 23rd Japan Festival in Melbourne is coming on May 25

This year's Japan Festival at the Box Hill Town Hall will take place on 25 May and is expected to be a lively community festival with 80 stalls and performances by 33 groups. One of the popular programs is Etegami (picture letters) contest.

Etegami (picture letter) contest at the Japan Festival in Melbourne. Credit: Japan Festival Organising Committee of Japan Club of Victoria Inc.

The venue for the annual Japanese festival is Box Hill Town Hall in Whitehorse. The city of Whitehorse and Matsudo city in Chiba, Japan have been sister cities for more than 50 years. And since 2023, the festival's picture-letters contest has been part of the two cities exchange.

We spoke to Takako Nakagawa of the Japan Festival Organising Committee of Japan Club of Victoria.

Japan Festival at Box Hill Town Hall Credit: Japan Festival Organising Committee of Japan Club of Victoria Inc.

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