The Indo-Japan Friendship Association, Gujarat (IJFA), will launch Japan Goldfest 2026 on Saturday, marking a five-day cultural celebration to commemorate 50 years of the association’s efforts in strengthening Indo-Japan ties.
This year’s festival also celebrates the first anniversary of the Shizuoka–Gujarat Sister State Partnership and the Hamamatsu–Ahmedabad Sister City relationship.
The festival, to be held at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), will open with the inauguration of “Patang-O-Dori”, a grand Japanese kite exhibition. The opening ceremony will be led by Megumi Shimada, Consul for Cultural Affairs at the Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai, along with Honorary Consul of Japan Mukesh Patel and other dignitaries.
The exhibition will display traditional Japanese lanterns and kites gifted by Hamamatsu, showcasing a unique blend of Hamamatsu’s kite-flying heritage with Ahmedabad’s Uttarayan culture. As part of the celebrations, a live Japanese kite-flying demonstration will be held at the Shreyas Foundation on January 14.