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JPEX brings Japanese culture, entertainment to Dubai
29 Aug 2026 05:08:25 GMT9
29 Aug 2026 05:08:25 GMT9
DUBAI: The second edition of Dubai’s Japanese-themed festival JPEX was held from Aug. 20 to 23 at World Trade Centre, highlighting various Japanese cultural activities for four consecutive days.
Yoshi Nakatani, founder and owner of Yoshi’s Passion Curry restaurant, shared exclusively with Arab News Japan about his participation in the event: “One of the main highlights of our participation at JPEX was the opportunity to introduce Halal Japanese curry and share our concept with people from many different backgrounds. For us, it was not simply about serving food. It was about showing how Japanese cuisine can be enjoyed by Muslim consumers while respecting halal requirements and how food can become a bridge between different cultures.”
“JPEX was also a wonderful opportunity to meet visitors, exchange ideas, and learn more about the needs and expectations of the local market. We were very happy to see so much interest in Japanese food and culture. Overall, it was a very positive and valuable experience for us,” he added.
Nakatani mentioned that the response from the visitors who visited his booth at JPEX was very positive. “Many visitors were interested in our Halal Japanese curry, and we were very happy to see people from different countries and cultures stopping by our booth. What impressed us most was their curiosity not only about the food itself but also about the story and idea behind it. We received many positive comments and had meaningful conversations with visitors about halal food, Japanese culture, and the connection between Japan and the Middle East.”
“For us, JPEX was more than just an opportunity to introduce our products. It was a valuable chance to communicate directly with people and to experience how food can bring people and cultures together,” he shared.
Nakatani said his next major project will be the “IRO’S DELIVERY” movie. “The film is inspired by our real experiences with halal food and tells a story that connects Japan and the Middle East through food, culture, and human relationships. Just as we introduced Halal Japanese curry at JPEX, IRO’S DELIVERY takes this idea one step further. It is not only about delivering food, but also about delivering friendship, hope, and a message of peace across borders.”
“We are now preparing to introduce the film to international audiences, particularly in the Middle East. Through IRO’S DELIVERY, we hope to continue what we experienced at JPEX and create another bridge between Japan and the Middle East—this time through cinema,” he added.
Ramy Enab, Founder of Shohin Bonsai Dubai, shared exclusively with Arab News Japan about his participation at the event: “Taking part in JPEX 2026 was a privilege and an honor. The exhibition was created by four Emirati nationals who love Japan, and it brought exhibitors and visitors of many nationalities together. The organizers were kind and warm with us, the staff were wonderful, and the exhibitors around us were generous neighbors. We enjoyed every day of it.”
“The eighteen bonsai in Hall 6 were trees I have wired, shaped, cared for, and trained to live indoors in the UAE over years using a Japanese method. Each is one of a kind: no two are alike and none will be repeated. Several show techniques of my own invention. There is the Gold Inlay, in which I trace a tree’s healed scars in 24-carat gold in the spirit of kintsugi, and the Elevated Repotting, in which the tree appears to float above its pot. The newest is the Root Gateway, a root tunneling technique I launched at JPEX: the roots are trained to form an open passage beneath the trunk, so the tree stands on an arch of its own roots. Beside the living trees, my wife Alina presented her own invention, the first bonsai diffuser in the world: a bonsai that has completed its life, preserved, with fine channels through the trunk that carry a perfume she blends by hand so the wood itself releases the scent. JPEX was its world premiere,” he added.
Enab mentioned that the response from the visitors who visited his booth at JPEX was wonderfully positive. “The visitors were the best part, where most of them did not know much about bonsai. They wanted to know how it is done and what it means in Japanese culture. The funny part came when they found out that the person explaining Japanese art to them was an Egyptian, and that made it all the more interesting.”
JPEX was founded by four Emiratis, driven by a shared passion for Japanese entertainment and a mission to bring world-class cultural experiences to the UAE.
This event highlighted both the global influence of Japanese pop culture and the growing fanbase across the Middle East.
JPEX’s mascot, Suhil, is a guardian of creativity, a seeker of connections, and a symbol of the limitless imagination that defines JPEX.
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