Janett Avalos/Houston Public Media
Pictured is the NRG Center in Houston.
The Tokyo X Festival celebrates Japanese culture and traditions with a vibrant array of events, including tea ceremonies, martial arts and kimono workshops, live music, a maid café, and ramen-eating and cosplay contests. The festival runs on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the NRG Center.
According to Tam Lo, the festival’s co-founder and entertainment director, this year’s event will host more than 400 booths spanning a 200,000 square-foot venue. She expects about 20,000 attendees. Last year, there were around 16,000 people, including visitors, vendors, and volunteers.
Lo said the festival strives to highlight both traditional and modern Japanese culture. She hopes to encourage continued appreciation of long-standing traditions as there is “beauty of what stays and remains the same.”
At the same time, as generations grow with different interests, she hopes to leave space for Japanese culture to change and develop.
“With that evolvement, you want to be able to embrace it,” she expressed.
The festival not only bridges time but also distance—bringing cultural experiences to Houstonians that might otherwise require a trip across the globe.
“Wouldn’t it be crazy if we did something together to put on a show? Or like an event where people could learn about it and basically get a chance to experience it without ever having to spend thousands of dollars to leave?” Lo said.
Food is one of the festival’s highlights. According to Lo, renowned chefs, including MasterChef winner Christina Ha and Chef Gabriel Medina, will serve specialty dishes like Japanese sandos and wagyu hot dogs. Several vendors will also be flying in from Japan, including takoyaki chain Gindaco and pastry shop Press Butter Sand. Houstonians will have the chance to enjoy these authentic treats without leaving the city.
Guests from around the world will be joining the festival. Atsumi, a tea host from Japan, will lead traditional tea ceremonies. Japanese voice actors from popular animes like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Demon Slayer will host meet-and-greets. Voice actors from the award-winning game Baldur’s Gate, including Devora Wilde, Dave Jones, and Emma Gregory, are flying in from the U.K.
Even with its international draw, Lo said the festival remains committed to supporting local organizations. Many local Houston vendors will take part, including Saigon Arts Matcha Cafe, which is sponsoring the matcha for the tea ceremony. The Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival (HAAPIFEST) will host screenings. The Houston Public Library will bring its mobile technology RV to demo its digital services.
The festival also features a variety of interactive contests for attendees. This includes a car show in partnership with Hot Import Nights and a cosplay contest, each offering a $1,000 best-of-show prize. The cosplay judges include famous cosplayers Yaya Han, Akrcos, Svattii, and last year’s winner, Princess TeaAnn.
Returning visitors will find plenty of new experiences at this year’s festival. New events include speed dating for guests 18 and older, claw machines run by local vendor Bobo Claw, live calligraphy painting by Japanese artist Takumi, and an origami workshop. While kimono demonstrations have been featured in the past, this year introduces a hands-on workshop where guests can try on kimonos. Tokyo X will also host a merchandise booth for the first time.
The festival was co-founded by Lo and local chef Naoki Yoshida, former owner of Shun Japanese Kitchen and whose family ran Nippon, the oldest Japanese-owned restaurant in Houston, until its closure in 2024.
Lo said she was inspired to start the festival by her own search for belonging growing up.
“There’s always like a certain level of otherness you feel in your identity if you’re a child of immigrants,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to put together an event where the community can always come together and have a place where they feel like they belong.”
She added that her team has worked tirelessly to create a memorable event this weekend.
“I would just like to see smiling faces here and just enjoyment—that’s the only thing I look forward to.”
Tickets to the festival can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the door for an additional charge. Online ticket sales will continue throughout the event. On Sunday, as a Father’s Day special, children 10 and under can enter free. A separately ticketed after-party featuring EDM DJ Hoang will be held Saturday night at Warehouse Live.
AloJapan.com