Houston’s beloved Japan Festival is back the weekend of September 6-7, with this year’s event honoring both a major diplomatic milestone and the legacy of its late founder, Glen Yoshiaki Gondo. In addition to honoring the centuries-old traditions and contemporary creativity of Japan, this year the festival commemorates the thirty-fifth anniversary of the 1990 G7 Summit in Houston, during which the then-Prime Minister of Japan, Toshiki Kaifu, announced a gift that would become one of the city’s crown jewels: the Japanese Garden in Memorial Hermann Park, which officially opened in 1992.
The Japanese Garden remains a centerpiece of Hermann Park and a reminder of that international gesture. Its design is rooted in the concept of harmony with nature, mirroring the spirit of mutual understanding that the gift represented.
This year, the festival is also paying tribute to its founder: Glen Yoshiaki Gondo, who passed away in July 2024. Gondo was a restaurateur, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate who founded the festival. Then serving as the president of the Japan-America Society of Houston, Gondo envisioned a way to celebrate both the opening of the Japanese Garden and Houston’s growing ties with Japan. He successfully lobbied Mayor Bob Lanier for city support, and the festival was born, debuting in 1993. His vision turned a single weekend into one of the largest Japanese cultural festivals in the country.
Now in its thirty-second year, the festival continues to honor Gondo’s mission: to foster appreciation for Japanese traditions while creating space for community connection. Gondo was a driving force in promoting Japanese culture in Houston for decades. His contributions extended far beyond a single event. He helped popularize Japanese cuisine through his company, Tokyo Gardens Catering, which supplies Sushiya-brand sushi to more than 290 H-E-B stores across Texas. In 2013, the government of Japan awarded Gondo the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for promoting Japanese culture in the United States.
“Glen was the ultimate citizen diplomat with a true ‘wa-gokoro,’ or ‘Japanese heart,’” said a statement from the Japan-America Society on the Japan Festival’s official site.
In keeping with Gondo’s vision, this year’s Japan Festival will expand its cultural offerings and community partnerships. Highlights include live performances, Japanese cuisine, craft vendors, calligraphy, and historical exhibits honoring the G7 Summit and the Japanese Garden’s origins.
