Early August heralds the Powell Street Festival which bills itself as the largest Japanese festival in Canada. Both traditional and contemporary Japanese Canadian performances take the stage during a weekend of celebration. You can hear the throbbing taiko drums and thrill to the technique of folk and modern dance. For martial arts fans, demonstrations are held as well sumo wrestling matches. There is also a mix of music, visual arts and films to see, crafts to make and plentiful offerings of Japanese food.