Let's Go - Winter Japandult in Munich

At the beginning of December the Winter Japandult took place in Munich and of course I went to it. The great thing about the event is that it brings together creative ideas from Japan and Bavaria . A great mix, not just for Japan fans!

Unfortunately, I can't introduce every single exhibitor, that would be too utopian for a blog post. That's why I'll tell you about my favorites.

An event invites you to participate

I learned something new right in the first room. Several children were sitting on tatami mats in a circle with cards in it. In front of them stood a reciter who kept reading something out loud. It was the traditional card game Karutaかるた. There are many different versions of the game, but the main goal is always the same: to find the card you are looking for faster than your fellow players. Kyogi-Karuta競技かるた was organized by the Karuta Club Munich at the Winter Japandult . Unfortunately, I didn't dare to take part, but maybe I'll attend the training sessions that take place every Saturday at some point. When I improve my Japanese again...

We didn't just watch another workshop shyly from afar, but joined in straight away! The origami workshop was organized by Kristina Müller from kdesign and was great fun! Together with a few children, we folded hearts and the classic crane . The latter wasn't as easy as I thought, but it was also my first and now it sits proudly in my display cabinet.

A wide range of shopping options

I'm a big fan of Sunday shopping and that was really possible at the Japandult! Whether it was Furoshiki風呂敷 or Japanese cookbooks , or jewelry or DIY , creative hearts beat faster with the Bavarian and Japanese offerings!

Our first stop was at the stand of Mahoroba Publishing . Here, the author and illustrator Momo Nishimura was personally selling her picture book Kumanoko Raion Pu-suくまのこライオンプース. They were also selling a great cookbook, which I immediately bought: Japanese Cooking in Germany by Hiroshi Toyoda and Yuki Shirono . I've been looking for a book like this for a long time, as it's not always easy to get all the ingredients for a Japanese dish here in Germany.

After a successful book purchase, we went on to the artist and designer Yelena Vakker from kreaschief . At her stand she sold illustrations , prints and miniatures . The latter were either small bags and backpacks as brooches or paradises in boxes. Have I already mentioned that I have a soft spot for miniatures?!

Our last stop - before our well-deserved dinner - was at Miin Cosmetics . The company Miin stands for high-quality Korean cosmetics and only has the best products from the Asian region in its range. This naturally caught my attention because I have been looking for good Korean cosmetics with competent advice for some time. One of their shops can be found in Munich at Westenriederstrasse 8 .

After the tour, eat first

Man, I was hungry after the whole tour of the Japandult ! Whether you wanted something sweet, like mochi from the Japanese delicatessen Mikado, or something more savory, like Japanese curry . While my companion opted for the latter, I chose takoyaki – たこ焼き and tempuraてんぷら, which was really delicious. As a little souvenir for later, I also had a strawberry mochi .

A great Sunday at the Winter Japandult

I really liked the Winter Japandult ! The offerings were varied and diverse. You could eat and shop and be creative yourself. Unfortunately, I couldn't show you the full range of exhibitors, such as the interesting discussions with the German-Japanese Society in Bavaria or the beautiful concert with the Animanga choir . But you can take a look at the Japandult website , where they are all listed again.

So, with that in mind, I wish you a wonderful Christmas season and see you in the next blog post!
Francy