Bunka Hashi Festival

Bunka Hashi Festival

September 27, 2025
Agri-Food Hub and Trade Center
101 Exhibition Wy S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4R3
Cost for entry $5 Tickets purchased at the door

About us

The Bunka Hashi Festival is back for 2025

The Bunka Hashi Festival is an all inclusive multi-fandom convention that is a mix of contemporary/pop Asian and traditional Japanese Canadian culture. There is a little bit of everything and you are sure to find something new and interesting. 

Workshops and Panels

We will holding hands-on workshop activities and panels on a range of topics from history of furries, cosplay and bonseki.
Below are examples of panels we held in 2024

If you are interested in running a panel please contact: chair@bunkahashi.com
Bonseki is the art of creating landscapes using white sand, rocks and figures. Though the date of Bonseki’s origin is unknown, the collective thought is it came about in the 7th Century CE. The idea was it was initially used as a way of blueprinting for the creation of Japanese gardens. The art of Bonseki today is a dying art, with its very unique equipment and rare pieces. A very meditational practice, Bonseki offers the creator an outlet for pure imagination and a peaceful mind.
The Lethbridge Foam Combat Group is looking to establish a local chapter of the Live Action Roleplaying game Amtgard in Lethbridge. The game uses padded weapons to create fantasy battlegames, with padded swords, spears and arrows. Dungeons and Dragons brought to life, different classes have access to unique abilities, weapons and armours in games like capture the flag, kill the queen and capture the castle The Lethbridge Foam Combat Group will be holding a demonstration panel.
Cosplay Workshop: Finishing Props Come join us as we look at different methods and materials to help finish up props for cosplay. We will cover prepping your prop, shaping, textures, painting, and finishing details. We will cover a variety of tools and materials you can use to spark your imagination with your own props. Participants will be given the opportunity to take their choice of starter prop; mask or dagger; home to finish and to bring back to the next cosplay get together to show off. Presenter: Desert Turtle Armory
Furries: What the fluff? Maybe you've heard of furries but don't really know what it's all about. Be sure to check out our main stage and you can learn all about it. Presenter: Haylee M aka Minty

Performances

We are pleased to showcase performances from taiko drumming to traditional and contemporary dancing
Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. The NCS Taiko Drummers have been drumming for more than 10 years. Most of the songs they perform are based on traditional pieces from various regions in Japan. They practice all year except August. Special beginner classes are held, usually in September and January.
Yosoca is a community of dancers from CJCA, supported by cultural group Kaede. They dance a Japanese traditional dance called Yosakoi Soran, which gained popularity in the last 30 years, and is performed at many festival in Japan. Yosoca dancers are as young as 5 years old and is open to any age. Please enjoy their performance!
Minyo dancing is folk dancing, which is a casual, fun dance for folks of all ages and genders. Started in 2011, the NCS Minyo Dancers began learning and practicing Minyo odori together in 2011 for the pure enjoyment, exercise and comradery as retired seniors. NCS Minyo Dancers have been invited by various organizations to share what we practice and in the past 3 years have become regulars at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.

Exhibitors

Our exhibitor area features many local artists and vendors
2025 will be our largest exhibitor area ever!

Applications are now open. For information contact: chair@bunkahashi.com


Below are examples from 2024

I am a crochet artist, cross stitcher, patch maker, illustrator, writer and sculptor, and I grew up as the “artsy kid” since early childhood. Very early on, kids were bribing me to do their art projects. I happily did. I grew up on Goosebumps, Are you afraid of the dark?, Buffy, Lord of the Rings, and any horror movie my 16 year old sister was watching in her bedroom that I snuck in to watch. So naturally, I couldn’t help but find my art always kept returning to horror, and I felt like I should just embrace it. I found my love for these things spoke to other people like me and it just attracted my favourite kinds of weirdos. Thanks @eerieauraportal for joining us!
StarkDice is a Lethbridge based artisan dice maker. Thanks @starkdice for joining us!
Magical Sloth Friend creates anime inspired original watercolor paintings, art prints, stickers, acrylic pins, sticky notepads, as well as crochet plushies and keychains. Thanks @magicalslothfriend for joining us!
I will paint your favorite scenes/characters from the shows that make all our hearts swell. Anything from One Piece to Haikyu!!
Star Cast Anime sells licensed figurines and collectibles. We are local to Regina, Sk. and attend conventions from Edmonton to Winnipeg. Open at the Centennial Market on Broad Street Thursday to Sunday. Thanks to Star Cast Anime for joining us!
Cryleighart showcases favourite anime, game and TV show characters in a cutesy and evergetic style! They offer prints, charms, stickers and other stationery. I hope you like pink-there's Lots of pink! Thanks to @Cryleighart for joining us! See you there!

Join our fun events!