Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC)

For a country thousands of kilometres away, Japan has never felt so close. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Thailand’s most elaborate Japan-themed festival – a sprawling celebration of connection, curiosity and cultural exchange. Held under the theme ‘The more you know, the more you love Japan’, the event sprawls across more than 12 major zones and over 400 booths, each one a small portal into a different facet of Japanese life. From sake-tasting rituals to study-abroad advice, J-pop performances to regional food stalls, the festival moves seamlessly between the everyday and the extraordinary. There’s anime, cosmetics, job fairs, travel deals and cooking ingredients – but what lingers is the sense that Japan isn’t being packaged, it’s being shared. Less a spectacle, more an invitation – to taste, to learn, to feel at home somewhere else. August 29-31. Free. Pre-register here. Hall 5-6, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, 10am-8pm