[Press Release] St Patrick’s Day Events in Japan 2019

Press release

Planning for Saint Patrick’s Day 2019 celebrations in Japan is going full steam ahead. Events include 15 Parades and festivals around Japan, from Matsue and Fukuoka in western Japan to events in Tokyo and Yokohama. This year will also see new events in Sapporo and Fukuroi in Shizuoka.

In Tokyo, the 6th annual I Love Ireland Festival in Yoyogi Park organised by the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce, will run over two days on 16 & 17 March. It will bring a wide offering of Irish culture, sports, traditional Irish food & drink, to visitors of all ages.

Asia’s oldest and biggest St Patricks Day Parade, the Irish Network Japan (INJ) Tokyo Parade, will take place on nearby Omotesando Avenue, on Sunday 17 March kicking off at 1pm. Visitors will find marching bands, musicians and dancers, led by the Parade Grand Marshal and invited Irish and Japanese VIP guests, including of course, Saint Patrick himself!

Many events will be organised with a special focus on rugby to mark the occasion of the Rugby World Cup, where Ireland and Japan will be playing in the same group. Ecopa Stadium, in Fukuroi Shizuoka, will be the venue for the Ireland Japan game on 28 September.

Fukuroi will celebrate St Patrick’s Day for the first time this year, marking this landmark game as well as significant new Irish connections following its designation as Ireland’s pre-games training camp for the 2020 Olympics.

Hokkaido meanwhile, has longstanding connections with Ireland, through business links, and ties in the horsebreeding and racing industry. Organisers will present the first Sapporo St Patrick’s Day event on 23 March.

Welcoming the increasing number of Saint Patrick’s Day events, Ambassador Paul Kavanagh said:

“These exciting events marking Saint Patrick’s Day in Japan express the wonderful friendship between our peoples and a love of celebration and fun which is shared by Japanese and Irish people”. “The Rugby World Cup will be a key sporting moment for Ireland and I am delighted that we will have opportunities to mark our connections with Japan even further in this special year of sport”.

ENDS:

NOTE Ireland’s national day, St Patrick’s Day, takes place on 17 March, and is named after the fifth-century saint who introduced Christianity to Ireland. St Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Ireland for nearly 1,200 years, and in the United States for more than 250 years. Japan’s first St Patrick’s Day parade was held in Tokyo in 1992. Every year, millions of people around the world join the parades and parties and wear green to celebrate this special day. In addition, iconic landmarks and buildings’ go green’ for Saint Patrick’s Day in Japan. 2019 light-up events will be announced soon.

Related Websites:

• Embassy of Ireland
• Twitter
• Facebook 
• Irish Network Japan 
• I Love Ireland Festival 
• Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce

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