Festival offers a taste of Japan

Those with a yen for all things Japanese are in for a local treat with this month’s Wakaba Japanese Festival at Bona Vista Primary School on Saturday. November 14.

The third Wakaba festival is offered free and features the A.YA taiko drumming band and rakugo puppet comedy by Showko, who has performed at the Mel- bourne Comedy Festival.

It’s organised by the Wakaba Japanese playgroup, which used to meet at the primary school.

Organiser Michelle Lewry, whose husband is Japanese, said there were a growing number of families with Japanese links in West Gippsland.

Visitors to the festival can enjoy a manga workshop, bonsai display, ikebana flower arrangement workshop, Japanese kimonos, doll and old tools displays and Japanese food and market stalls.

Entry is free with the festival to run from 10am to 3pm.