The Japan Juggling Festival (JJF) is Japan’s largest juggling competition,
hosted by the Japan Juggling Association.
The festival is a once a year event in which jugglers from professionals to complete beginners can gather in one place to enjoy juggling as art, sport, or simply as a recreational activity.
It is a festival made by jugglers, for jugglers.
The first JJF was held in 1999 in Fuchu, and since then has been held in a different location each year.
The number of participants and level of interest in the festival increases every year, and this year’s festival in Koriyama marks the 17th anniversary.
The intention behind the JJF is listed below.
To convey the fun of juggling to a wide audience
There are still few opportunities to see juggling in Japan,
and there is little in place for those who wish to learn to juggle in order to help them proceed.
For that reason, the festival offers opportunities to experience juggling first-hand,
through a range of workshops aimed at beginners, as well as stage shows which showcase world class juggling.
Through this, we aim to spread the enjoyment and knowledge of juggling to a wider audience.
To create an opportunity for Japanese jugglers and the rest of the world to meet and interact in one place
The number of jugglers practicing either on their own or with juggling clubs is increasing every year.
The JJF offers a fantastic opportunity for these people to gather in one place and share ideas and
information with each other.
There are also workshops aimed at intermediate to advanced jugglers, games, and
also opportunities to perform on the free performance stage.
To improve the level of juggling in Japan
There is a national championship held every year as part of the JJF.
The contestants perform and show their originality and skill within a fixed time period.
This championship aims to provide an opportunity to promote and cultivate Japanese performers,
and also contribute to the improvement of juggling as a whole.