Q8. Are the 10 Japanese host cities planning to hold any events to introduce their culture and traditions to foreign visitors?

A8. The city of Fukuroi in Shizuoka Prefecture is planning tastings of green tea, melon, and other famous Shizuoka products, as well as performances of traditional dance.

	The Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo. (Sapporo City)

In Sapporo, the Sapporo Festival will be held from June 14 to 16. At this annual festival of Hokkaido Shrine, visitors can watch floats being paraded through the city accompanied by music. Soon afterwards there is the Yosakoi Soran Festival, in which dancers throng Odori Park in the center of Sapporo. During the World Cup there will also be a "Korean village" in the bustling streets of Susukino, featuring shops selling goods related to Korea, the co-host of the World Cup.

In the city of Niigata, on the Japan Sea coast, visitors will be able to enjoy a concert by the Kodo group of Japanese taiko drummers and performances of the traditional art of noh. In Oita Prefecture, a host-city park will be set up in Funai Castle Ruins Park to welcome fans from abroad and provide a forum for exchange. In this park, local authorities will each set up a stall showcasing a product from their area, and there will be booths introducing traditional culture from the region.

A performance by the Kodo drummers. (Kosei Yoshida)

In Yokohama, about 1,000 Yokohama citizens will participate in dancing, marching bands, and other performances on the pitch before the first match there kicks off on June 9 to welcome spectators from around the world. Other venues are also planning pre-first-match events. In Saitama there will be a demonstration of kemari, a game played by aristocrats in the Heian period (794-1185) that resembles the skill of keeping a soccer ball off the ground. In Kobe, meanwhile, there will be a joint performance of orchestras from Seoul and Kobe to mark both the World Cup and the Year of Japan-Korea National Exchange.