In 2018, J-Fest—the Moscow festival of contemporary Japanese culture—once again takes place in the open 'natsu matsuri' format, as a Japanese summer festival. It does indeed look a lot like a genuine Japanese festival: lanterns, bon-odori dancing, lots of stands with Japanese snacks... as well as shows, masterclasses, lines of anime-themed shops—all the integral parts of a, honestly, festival format. However, according to my and my Master's observations, here's what have been happening lately with Japanese festivals in this country: the supply cannot meet the demand. The variety, vividness, positivity and, overall, exoticity of the contemporary Japanese culture invariably attracts people of all ages... and gathers them in long queues for food and in crowds in front of the shops.

And, to be fair, there's a room for growth for Japanese festivals, and not only in terms of territory: working with the same partners year after year, the administration brings the same celebrities and the same entertainments, so after a couple visits socializing becomes the only reason to come again. I get why it's like that, but it still makes me sad; of course, I would've wished for more—if not traditional theatre and J-pop stars, then, maybe, at least some goldfish scooping and yo-yo catching!

— Mizuki. 04/08/2018. Moscow, Gorky Park.