*Both the I Love Ireland Festival and the 27th Annual Emerald Ball have been cancelled to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
2020 will mark the 28th year of Tokyo’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is said to have banished all of the country’s snakes into the sea. While the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was actually held by Irish immigrants in New York to celebrate their heritage, the history of the holiday in Japan is a unique one, having steadily grown through grassroots efforts in a country with a limited number of Irish expats. Still, the Tokyo St. Patrick’s Day parade is the largest of its kind in Asia and has grown into quite the celebration.
This year’s parade will be held at the usual location along Omotesando road between Omotesando station and the Chanel store on Sunday, March 15th at 1:00pm. The parade will feature music, dance, and other performances. In addition to the parade itself, the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce (IJCC) will be hosting the I Love Ireland Festival again this year at Yoyogi Park from 10:00am to 6:00pm on both Saturday (the 14th) and Sunday (the 15th). There will be several performances on the main stage as well as a number of vendors selling some traditional (and some not-so-traditional) food, drink, and other goods.
In addition to these lively public events, The Ireland Funds will also be holding the 27th Annual Emerald Ball, a charity gala ball and dinner, on March 14th at 6:30pm. This ‘green tie’ gala celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Japan is held in support of non-profit community organizations in both Ireland and Japan. While the tickets are pricey, it’s sure to be an incredible event and a great place to network and get involved with the Ireland-Japan community.
Be sure to wear something green and join in the St. Patrick’s Day fun in Tokyo this March!
