participating in Manga Barcelona

From December 5 to 8, we had the honor of participating in 31 Manga Barcelona., the largest Japan-related event in Spain, held in Barcelona. The expo which is celebrating the 31st birthday this year attracts over 160,000 people from Spain and surrounding countries.
For our association, this marked a milestone—our very first overseas event. A team of seven members traveled from Japan to introduce and promote the beauty of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, to an international audience.

A Celebration of Japanese Culture Beyond Manga and Anime
While Manga Barcelona is widely known as a manga and anime event, it also attracts thousands of Spanish visitors who have a deep love for Japan. Within the venue, the Nagomi Pavilion, dedicated to traditional Japanese culture, brought together booths showcasing a wide range of Japanese craftsmanship, arts, and cultural practices.
We were proud to be part of this pavilion, representing wagashi alongside other traditional techniques and cultural expressions from Japan.

Our Booth: Wagashi Goods & Magnet Workshops
At our booth, we focused on:Selling wagashi-themed goods and accessories
We also hosted a wagashi magnet workshop, where participants could create wagashi-inspired pieces using traditional tools. Although we were unable to handle real food inside the booth due to venue regulations, the magnet workshop proved to be a big success—especially with children and families, who enthusiastically joined and enjoyed the hands-on experience.

Live Wagashi Workshops on Stage
To showcase real wagashi making, the event organizers provided a dedicated stage for workshops introducing Japanese food culture.
On this stage, we conducted wagashi workshops approximately twice a day, alongside Michelin-starred chefs.
Each session attracted over 100 participants, and for the five on-stage participant slots, we received far more applications than available spaces—demonstrating the strong interest in wagashi.

Some of our enthusiastic guests joined every session! (In different cos-plays!)

Thank you for coming to every workshop!

After each workshop:Wagashi tastings were offered to the audience. Many Spanish visitors had their first opportunity to taste authentic wagashi.

Nerikiri wagashi tasting

Dango tasting

Unfortunately, this time we could not hold an actual wagashi-making workshop inside our booth. However, through the stage workshops, tastings, and wagashi magnet activities, we were able to connect with a wide audience and share the charm of wagashi in multiple ways.
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We sincerely hope to participate in similar international events again in the future and continue introducing wagashi to people around the world. Sharing this delicate and meaningful part of Japanese culture beyond Japan remains one of our greatest aspirations.