A complete guide to the 4th Ichiban Festival happening in Siargao this weekend

Celebrate Japanese and Filipino cultures through music, art, and wellness

Take advantage of the upcoming long weekend and experience one of the biggest cultural festivals in the country, Ichiban. This celebration of Japanese and Filipino cultures through music, art, and wellness will be held for the first time ever on Siargao Island on April 22, 2023.

Presented by Hiragana, an event production company based in Osaka, Japan, and B-Side Productions, a music, arts, and subculture company based in Manila, Philippines, the fourth edition of the festival will be celebrated outside the metro. Ichiban Festival 2023 will take place at Harana Surf Club, the home of Siargao’s busiest Saturday party, “Harana Sabado Nights.”

The DJ lineup includes international artists DJ HI-C, Senoh, and MOMO from Osaka, 8Man and Ruffles from Melbourne, Jase from Ho Chi Minh, Free the Robots from LA, and Manila-based acts Mulan, JayRu, and Butta B.

In addition to the music, Japanese artists Sense of Wonder (Lazer Technical Crew) and Moya (Kunihiko Harada) will provide entrancing visual effects throughout the event. The musical and visual artists will perform across two stages, including the Main Stage and the Beach Stage, making it a multi-sensory experience.

Festival-goers should also look forward to “chochins,” Japanese lanterns that will be hung around Harana’s garden, each of which is designed by critically-acclaimed Filipino and Japanese artists, including Garapata, Avggs, Anton Belardo, Vernon Perez, Tyang, Raizel Go, Doctor Karayum, Kiko Escora, Itoyo, Hana, Casper, Naoki, Baki Baki, and Mon.

An outreach program will also be conducted during the festivities in collaboration with Siargao’s very own Lokal Lab, a grassroots NGO that aims to support and empower the local community of Siargao through sustainable projects inspired by island cultures. The outreach will tackle cross-cultural understanding and appreciation by teaching Japanese arts and crafts to local children, as well as bringing the visiting international artists to Lokal Lab’s farm to learn more about Siargao’s environmental practices and challenges.

For more information, check out the festival’s official Instagram accounts @hiraga_naa and @bsideprod.ph.