HIKARI Japan Festival Berlin

Premiere in Berlin

The HIKARI Japan Festival is a comparatively young format from the Berlin production company Dreamlight Experiences, which bundles Japanese culture and Japanese diaspora communities into an immersive one-day festival. After stops in other cities, the festival is coming to Berlin for the first time in 2026, utilizing the Wilhelm Studios at Kopenhagener Straße 60–68 in the Reinickendorf district — an industrial hall with event spaces that spatially separates the different festival components.

Program Components

The festival is clearly designed as a holistic day experience. The street food mile features ramen stands, taiyaki (fish-shaped filled waffles), onigiri, bento variations, mochi, and Japanese bars with sake, matcha, and yuzu cocktails. The market areas showcase arts and crafts, fashion, and Japanese design products. Throughout the day, there are live performances — taiko drummers, J-pop acts, cosplay competitions, anime dance performances. A dedicated anime merchandise area connects the festival with the Berlin anime and manga community.

Workshops and Finale Concert

Parallel to the market and performances, workshops on tea ceremony, origami, the Japanese language, and other topics are held — mostly in 30- to 60-minute formats, sometimes requiring advance registration. The evening concludes with a concert. Admission is €29 for adults, €15 for children. The festival is accessible for people with disabilities.