The two-day Taiwan-Japan Fruit Festival came to a successful conclusion yesterday (25th) evening. The festival attracted a total of 100,000 visitors to the Sea Breeze Plaza to participate in the annual grand event held by Taiwan and Japan. With a constant influx of visitors eager to savor fresh fruits and seasonal dishes from Taiwan and Japan, many vendors found themselves restocking their stalls frequently but still unable to keep up with the rapid pace of purchases. Some vendors, who had to close their stalls earlier than scheduled, expressed their amazement at the unexpected enthusiasm from the public. As the highlight of the event, the Japanese Bon Odori on the evening of the 25th saw participation from both Japanese and Taiwanese visitors, further enhancing the festive atmosphere of the summer festival. Director-General Chang Yen-Ching of the Department of Administrative and International Affairs of the Kaohsiung City Government expressed her delight in collaborating with the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association to host the joyful festival at the Sea Breeze Plaza, noting that it was the largest Taiwan-Japan Fruit Festival to date in terms of scale and visitor attendance. She specifically thanked the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Association of Chinese Culture for their support in promoting quality produce from Taiwan and Japan, as well as fostering cultural exchange and strengthening the friendly relationship between the two sides.
This was the first time that the Taiwan-Japan Fruit Festival was held in Kaohsiung. On the first day of the event, approximately 45,000 visitors attended, and word of mouth from the first day helped that number grow to around 55,000 on the second day. Over the two-day festival, a total of 100,000 participants from both Taiwan and Japan gathered at the Sea Breeze Plaza to experience the summer bliss. One hundred Taiwanese and Japanese produce brands set up stalls during the festival to offer event-limited fruit items at favorable prices. Driven by the high visitor attendance, the sales of peaches, Muscat grapes, and frozen mandarin oranges transported by air from Japan saw a significant increase. Despite having plenty of stock, many vendors found that the produce they had prepared sold out rapidly due to the high volume of public purchases and had to close their stalls earlier than expected. They promised to bring more stock for sale the next time they participate in the event.
The festival was well-received for its diverse interactive activities. For example, the festival-exclusive KOL pop-up shop featured both the cuddly and popular cat station master “Mikan” from Kaohsiung MRT and the “Shimanekko” cat, who served as shop managers for the day. The duo attracted fans to line up under the scorching sun just to receive a number plate for the chance to interact with them. Equally popular were actress Tanaka Chie, who introduced Japanese fruits to the public, and entertainer Abe Maria, who promoted Akita tomato juice and white peach juice, bringing the rich and flavorful tastes to the visitors. MASA, a renowned chef known for his approachable cooking style, spent the two days demonstrating to visitors how to incorporate fruits into various dishes. He was amazed by the vibrant atmosphere at the festival and appreciated the organizers’ thoughtfulness in every detail, from the venue decoration to the activity planning. Fans were excited to discover the creative dishes MASA had designed for the festival, recognizing it as both an entertaining and educational experience!
The Japanese Bon Odori on the evening of the 25th marked the highlight of the festival with Japanese matsuri atmosphere. Drawn to the lively sounds of Taiko drums, both adults and children on-site danced along with the performers on stage, elevating the atmosphere of the event to new heights! Many Japanese citizens living in Taiwan also brought their families, dressed in yukata, to attend the festival. They expressed how deeply moved they were, as the event reminded them of the summer festivals back home in Japan!
With several international exchange activities recently held in Kaohsiung for the first time and receiving positive recognition, Director-General Chang affirmed that the city’s bureaus and departments will continue to collaborate with representative offices in Taiwan to foster further friendly cooperation. She acknowledged that this festival not only successfully promoted Taiwanese and Japanese produce but also deepened cultural exchange and strengthened the friendship between the two sides.