Raaz Mostafa:

The country’s most unique Japanese cultural festival, ‘Yuki Matsuri 2025’, was held on Friday (November 14, 2025) last at the Mirpur Convention Center in Dhaka.
Inspired by Japan’s famous Sapporo Snow Festival, this winter festival was organized in Bangladesh with the initiative of Mirai Entertainment and sponsored by Star Cineplex.

The day’s events began with the opening of the gates at 11:00 AM. The first segment included an open stage and anime music.

The main attractions of the event started after the prayer and lunch break at 1:00 PM. It was from this time that the audience’s crowd began to swell, bringing the entire convention center to life.

Photo: Raaz Mostafa

Participation in this year’s Yuki Matsuri was remarkable for the Bangladeshi history. Among the approximately 1200+ participants, the attendance of Japanese was particularly noteworthy.

Photo: Raaz Mostafa

Many of them did light cosplay (costume play), and special attention was drawn to a senior Japanese guest who appeared as ‘Toad’, the popular character from the Super Mario series.

The Japanese food stalls offered various types of Daigaku Imo (Japanese-style sweet potatoes), Mochi, and some other light snacks. Visitors showed great interest in these foods throughout the day.

The stage performances were also incredibly vibrant. Although the stage activities were scheduled to start at 2:10 PM, they began a little late, followed by consecutive Karaoke performances, cosplay shows, dance and the open stage performances.

In the evening, the STAR Cineplex Giveaway session and photo session were also held. As the night progressed, the festival reached its peak excitement, with the participation of young attendees in the DJ party creating the colorful fervor of the celebration.

Furthermore, the entire environment of the Mirpur Convention Center was decorated with a Japan-themed aesthetic. Visitors enjoyed various activities including Thematic Photo Booths, Anime Music, Games, Quizzes, Kanji Calligraphy, Art and a Meme Contest.

The local merchandise stalls also received a great response from the audience.
Regularly organized since 2022, Yuki Matsuri proved again this year that interest in Japanese culture in Bangladesh is higher than ever before. Anime lovers, cosplayers, Japanese culture enthusiasts and general visitors including families, collectively turned the day-long festival into a memorable winter celebration.

Of them, popular youtuber Shishir Ahmed (Pokexel), Syed Yeamin and Millennial Sinthia, cosplayer of Daredevil Md Ahanaf Sadip, cosplayer of Giyu Tomioka Irfan M Ahmed, cosplayer of Nami from One Piece Mahi Afrose, cosplayer of john Wick Raaz Mostafa (MARX RMZ) and Al Nahiyan Nabil (Yuta & Gojo Hybrid) were also present there.

PHOTO CREDIT: Raaz Mostafa