From 16-25 October, OTOTO JAPANESE FEST | Craft & Culture unfolds across all OTOTO locations in Bucharest: a ten-day celebration of contemporary Japanese craft, culture and everyday rituals, created in collaboration with JETRO.

We bring together on OTOTO shelves a curated selection of small, independent craft Japanese brands around food, tea & matcha, craft & design and lifestyle. Also, beyond the shelves, the fest continues through a series of in-store events and workshops, food experiences, tasting sessions and cultural encounters exploring the Japanese craft, rituals and lifestyle, aiming to reunite the community around shared passion and interests.

Find all event details and registration below:


ROJW FOCUS ON CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY POP-UP
16-25 OCTOBER | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

Straight from Romanian Jewelry Week, three Japanese jewelry designers arrive at OTOTO Victoriei with a selection dedicated to Japan’s contemporary jewelry scene, presented as part of the festival.
The selection brings together Manami Aoki, winner of the Grand Award at Romanian Jewelry Week 2025; Misaki Nomoto, who received a Special Mention at the 2026 edition of ROJW; and Yuka Ishikawa, awarded 2nd Place at the Florence Biennale 2025. From wood transformed into a flexible, “combable” material, to recycled paper and shopping receipts turned into jewelry and silver, stones and enamels whose surfaces are allowed to evolve over time, the selection explores sustainability and the unexpected potential of materials.


ONIGIRI POP-UP BY BERRIES & SPICE X SEMFMASTER3000
16 OCTOBER | 18:00-21:00 | OTOTO AMZEI

At this pop-up you can look forward to the classic Japanese onigiri but seen through Johannes’ lenses - a Vienna based chef and fermentation specialist. Expect the real thing, done with respect for the craft but with a twist. Familiar in form, unexpected on the inside - rice, salt, time, and a good dose of umami.

>> No Registration


SAKE TASTING WITH DRAGOȘ, TOKYO STYLE
16 OCTOBER | 18:00-21:00 | OTOTO AMZEI

Join the journey of sake tasting through contrasting styles and unexpected flavors: from a classic Junmai, to an elegant and aromatic Daiginjo, followed by a vibrant sparkling sake or a rich unfiltered plum sake. Each type reveals a completely different side of sake - and usually brings a few surprised “wow” moments along the way.

>>No Registration

SHOWA BOOGIE NIGHT WITH DJ NAMI @SAYAMONAMIMO
16 OCTOBER | 18:00-21:00 | OTOTO AMZEI

Get ready to travel seamlessly through eras and genres into a timeless Showa Boogie Disco session with Japanese DJ Nami @sayamonamimo at OTOTO Amzei, accompanying the Onigiri Pop-up and Sake tasting session.

>>No Registration

THE OPENING OF THE JAPANESE FEST EXHIBITION 
17 OCTOBER | GALERIA PE SCARA BLOCULUI, OTOTO VICTORIEI

You'll get to witness the concept installations signed by ArsAna and REwildSCAPE inspired by the Japanese culture, along artworks by the local artists Iulia Groves and Alexandra Baranyi. 

MISO TALK & TASTING WITH SEMFMASTER3000
17 OCTOBER | 10:30-11:30 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

Join an introductory talk on modern miso making, get an insight on how to DIY at home and taste different miso special varieties with chef Johannes from Vienna. 


TEA & MATCHA BAR TAKEOVER WITH @SAYAMONAMIMO |
SPECIAL CHEESECAKE WITH MISO & BLACK SESAME BY LOCAL RESTAURAN RYU
17 OCTOBER | 12:00-15:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

You’re invited to a tea and matcha bar with Saya, featuring matcha and hojicha lattes, followed by a Chakabuki Game - a traditional Japanese tea-guessing ritual. Saya will introduce three types of Sencha, guiding you in observing the dried leaves to tasting each freshly brewed tea.


DJ SESSION WITH @SAYAMONAMIMO
17 OCTOBER | 15:00-18:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

The afternoon continues with a DJ session by Saya, featuring a curated selection of Japanese vinyls.


FROM SENCHA TO GYOKURO: 
MASTERING JAPAN'S PRIZED GREEN TEAS WITH MIRCEA MUREȘAN 18 OCTOBER | 10:00-11:20 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

You’ll discover the art of premium Japanese green tea in an immersive tasting workshop. Explore rare, single-origin teas, learn how cultivation and processing techniques shape their unique flavors, and master the essentials of brewing the perfect cup.


BEYOND GREEN: OXIDATION VS. FERMENTATION WITH MIRCEA MUREȘAN  
18 OCTOBER | 11:45-13:05 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

Step beyond Sencha, Gyokuro, and Matcha to explore Japan’s lesser-known world of oxidized and fermented teas. Through guided tastings, discover the difference between oxidation and fermentation, the sweet and floral complexity of Japanese Oolongs and Black teas, and rare heritage specialties like Awa-Bancha, Goishicha, and Mimasaka Bancha, crafted using centuries-old traditions.


UPCYCLED ORIGAMI WORKSHOP & JAPANESE ALPHABET GAME WITH KOUJU
18 OCTOBER | 11:45-13:45 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

A hands-on workshop introducing you to the art of Origami, exploring how recycled paper can be upcycled through folding into creative shapes and unexpected objects. In the second part of the workshop you’ll get an introduction to the Japanese alphabet through an interactive game featuring characters and everyday words.

>> REGISTER HERE

 
MATCHA BAR TAKEOVER WITH INFLUENCER ANDREEA SUCIU
*All matcha sales go to Centrul FILIA. 
18 OCTOBER | 13:30-17:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

>>No Registration


KINTSUGI WORKSHOP WITH NICOLETA NEGHINA & ADRIAN HODOBAZ
23 OCTOBER | 18:00-19:30 | OTOTO STATION 

Whether you're drawn to the art of intentionally breaking things and putting them back together, or you just want to work with your hands and get out of your head for a while, or you have a complicated relationship with perfectionism and "it's not ready yet," this workshop is for you. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold powder, and it embodies the philosophy that what has been broken can become more beautiful than before. In 90 minutes you'll discover the technique, the story behind it, and go home with a unique piece you made.

>> REGISTER HERE


BONSAI WORKSHOP WITH BUCHAREST BONSAI ASSOCIATION 
23 OCTOBER | 18:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

By joining this live presentation by Bucharest Bonsai Association, you’ll learn the basics and hands-on autumn pruning and bonsai styling techniques on three iconic Japanese species: Shimpaku Juniper, Zelkova, Japanese Maple. Also, you’ll learn about suitable ceramics pots for growing the different species of bonsais in your own home.

>>No Registration

JAPANESE MINDFULNESS & IKEBANA WORKSHOP WITH RAMONA SIMA & ANDREEA GEORGESCU 
24 OCTOBER | 11:00-14:00 | OTOTO STATION

Some things are beautiful precisely because they don't last. Three hours spent with that idea, through mindfulness and the Japanese art of ikebana. Together, ZEN-ISH and Age of Flowers look at a few Japanese concepts about presence and impermanence, and put them into practice rather than only talk about them.You will get to practice zazen - a seated ZEN meditation - and make your own ikebana arrangement.

*No previous experience with mindfulness or ikebana is needed.

>> REGISTER HERE


SHODO CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP WITH MASTER CALLIGRAPHER CRISTIAN OZON KARYU
24 OCTOBER | 15:00-17:00 | OTOTO STATION

At the Shodo Calligraphy Workshop with Master Calligrapher Cristian Ozon Karyu オゾン火龍, you’ll learn the fundamentals of posture, brush handling, line work, and traditional stroke techniques, while being introduced to three essential calligraphy styles and their characteristics. Guided by Master Ozon Karyu, you’ll then create your own piece on Japanese paper, writing your name, a favorite word, or another meaningful phrase in kanji, hiragana, or katakana.


MATCHA BAR TAKEOVER WITH DAIA
24 OCTOBER | 12:00-16:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI

>>No registration


RARE MATCHA TASTING & MAKING WITH FLORDEMATCHA
25 OCTOBER | 10:30-12:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

Throughout this workshop, you’ll get to taste 5 different matcha powders from Wazuka, Sonogi, Kagoshima, Nishio and Miyazaki, and also special teas brought directly from the land of the rising sun, harvested by Flor the Matcha herself. Also, you’ll get to understand and learn about cultivars and traditional processing methods and also get tips for your next trip to Japan.

>> REGISTER HERE


MATCHA BAR TAKEOVER WITH FLORDEMATCHA
25 OCTOBER | 12:00-16:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

>>No registration


MINIMALISM: THE ART OF LIVING WITH LESS - A TALK WITH DEEA CODREA & CLAUDIA CHIRILESCU
25 OCTOBER | 13:00 | OTOTO VICTORIEI, 2nd Floor

Deea and Claudia invite you to take part in a conversation about personal style, minimalism inspired by the Japanese lifestyle, and how to build a wardrobe that truly reflects who we are - without feeling overwhelmed by too many clothes, trends or choices. A conversation about making more conscious decisions, choosing quality over quantity, and creating a personal style where subtlety, attention to detail, space, and quietness can speak just as much as a statement piece.



*In external locations
MISO Challenge by OTOTO
During the Japanese Fest at OTOTO we challenge a series of local restaurants to make their special dish using MISO. You’ll soon get to taste this special miso dish in the following restaurants: MAT | RYU | ARZU | NOUA BAR | NI SHIBO | SANKI RAMENBAR.