Attending San Antonio Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival)
2025/10/7
From left: Consul General Naganuma, Mayor Jones, Ms. Kawabe (President of JASSA), Ms. Dorsey (Vice President of JASSA), Judge Sakai.
On October 4, 2025, Consul General Zentaro Naganuma attended the Aki Matsuri Fall Festival held in San Antonio.
The Aki Matsuri is a Japanese cultural event organized by the Japan America Society of San Antonio (JASSA) with the support of the San Antonio Japanese Companies Association and the City of San Antonio. This year’s event marked the 40th anniversary of JASSA’s founding. In celebration of this milestone, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai were in attendance, along with former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (former San Antonio Mayor) Henry Cisneros.
The Aki Matsuri is a Japanese cultural event organized by the Japan America Society of San Antonio (JASSA) with the support of the San Antonio Japanese Companies Association and the City of San Antonio. This year’s event marked the 40th anniversary of JASSA’s founding. In celebration of this milestone, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai were in attendance, along with former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (former San Antonio Mayor) Henry Cisneros.
Dr. Cisneros and Consul General Naganuma
JASSA volunteers
At the festival, the San Antonio Japanese Companies Association hosted a booth offering free activities such as uchiwa (Japanese fan) making, ring toss, and water balloon fishing, which were enjoyed by many families and young children. Other booths featured displays of bonsai and ikebana, kimono dress-up experiences, and the sale of Japanese foods including curry, yakisoba, onigiri, miso soup, and takoyaki. All of this provided visitors with the valuable opportunity to experience Japanese culture firsthand.
Bonsai display
Kimono dress-up experience
The Consulate-General of Japan in Houston will continue to work closely with JASSA, the San Antonio Japanese Companies Association, and the City of San Antonio to actively promote the appeal of Japanese culture.