More than 40,000 people gathered to celebrate the annual Bon Odori held at Kompleks Sukan Negara Shah Alam (Panasonic) on July 22, 2023.
Many people of all ages were dressed in Japanese clothing such as yukata and joined in the Bon Odori folk dance accompanied by songs and drum beats.
Students from The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur dressed up in the Japanese traditional attire, danced on the Yagura, a high wooden platform, in the center of the stadium, and led the crowd dancing around the raised platform.
Besides these activities, there were a variety of Japanese street foods such as teppanyaki, onigiri and Takoyaki being sold at the food bazaar which was the biggest this year with 57 stalls.
Present were the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Takahashi Katsuhiko, Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Azrul Shah Mohamad and Bon Odori Festival 2023 organizing committee chairman Kenichi Shoji.
The event is supported by the Selangor state government, Invest Selangor Berhad and Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia.
Azrul Shah said the tourism sector in Selangor performed favourably as the state had recorded an increase in the number of Japanese tourist arrivals.
“We are confident that this festival will support our mission to further penetrate the Japanese market through the state’s international tourism campaign, Splendid Selangor, Take Me Anywhere,” he said.
In conjunction with the festival, the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur (JCKL) is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, while the ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The Bon Odori festival attracts over 35,000 participants annually and aims promote cultural exchange between Malaysia and Japan.
The 47th Kuala Lumpur Bon Odori Festival is organised by The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur, The Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur and the Embassy of Japan, in cooperation with the Alumni Look East Policy Society (ALEPS), Japan Graduates’ Association of Malaysia (JAGAM), The Japanese Chamber of Trade & Industry Malaysia (JACTIM) and Tourism Selangor.
 on July 22, 2023.){kind=link}