Paris gets Japan Fes

JAPAN Fes was founded and is run by Okayama-born entrepreneur Dragon Yamamoto, who launched the brand after moving to New York and building Jforward Inc. to promote Japanese culture abroad. (secretnyc.co) Organizers say JAPAN Fes will stage more than 80 events worldwide in 2026 as part of an international expansion push. (japanfes.com) The festival’s own site advertises annual attendance figures in the hundreds of thousands and lists more than a thousand vendors across its global program. (japanfes.com) Paris-specific listings show a dense local program, with 26 Japan Fes events planned across 13 weekends in 2026 on multiple Parisian sites. (lejapon.paris) Past and upcoming Paris editions have been held around the Arc de Triomphe/Place Charles de Gaulle and at other central venues such as Hôtel de Ville and the parvis de la Madeleine. (lebonbon.fr) The festival runs competitive showcases — including a ramen contest and a KONAMON (okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba) contest — and booked Jiro Anma, a two‑time JAPAN Fes ramen contest winner from Kagoshima, for Paris programming. (japanfes.com) Past JAPAN Fes editions advertise affordable price points for street dishes (around $10 on average at NYC events) and a mix of food and non‑food vendors, a model the organizers say they replicate in international editions. (secretnyc.co)