site.btaBulgarian Cultural Festival Held for Fourth Year in Yokohama

A Bulgarian festival featuring a folk programme, exhibitions and a presentation of traditional products was held on April 28-29 at the Yokohama English Garden, the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo said on its Facebook page. The event was organized for the fourth consecutive year at the initiative and with the active support of the Bulgarian Embassy in cooperation with TV Kanagawa.

The diplomatic mission said that the initiative aims to present Bulgaria as a tourist destination with a rich culture and traditions, as well as to promote Bulgarian products available on the Japanese market.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan Marieta Arabadjieva and Embassy staff took part in the event on April 28. Attending the event was also TV Kanagawa President Yoshikazu Kumagai. The programme included performances of Bulgarian folk dances by the Koga folklore group, a workshop on Bulgarian embroidery led by Iren Yamami, as well as opportunities for visitors to write their names in Cyrillic and take photos with Bulgaria’s "Lacto-Chan", which won first prize in the Best Mascot competition at World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Embassy translator Iliana Kostova delivered a lecture on Bulgaria, presenting the country's tourism and innovation potential. A highlight of this year's edition was an exhibition of panels dedicated to Bulgarian-Japanese relations from the late 19th century to the present day.

The festival was held in the rose garden of the Yokohama English Garden, which features more than 1,800 roses of 1,300 varieties. In 2023, a Bulgarian Damask rose was planted there, donated by the Embassy. Ambassador Arabadjieva and Yoshikazu Kumagai took part in a ceremony planting a new rose variety, Marieta, bred as a symbol of friendship between Bulgaria and Japan.

Bulgarian products presented at the festival included wine, rakia, tea, rose jam, rose water, ice cream and sweets with roses, Troyan pottery, and a travel guide to Bulgaria in Japanese. Visitors also had the opportunity to taste a Bulgarian lunch bento featuring traditional dishes.