![[Cultural Festival / School Festival Theme] Carefully Selected High-Impact Recommended Phrases!](https://media.ragnet.co.jp/img/1200__png__https://www.ragnet.co.jp/files/2025/04/852ca11f39ffb470d8eb3ea501e26909.webp)
[Cultural Festival / School Festival Theme] Carefully Selected High-Impact Recommended Phrases!
Slogans displayed every year at school festivals and cultural festivals.
Words with impact can make the festival even more exciting, but choosing one can be tough—“We want a theme that unites everyone,” “We want something funny,” and so on.
So, in this article, we’ve gathered recommended themes for cultural festivals.
From short, cool themes to witty parodies of famous quotes and stylish themes in English, we’ve picked a wide range.
Use them as inspiration when choosing your theme!
Four-character idioms (1–10)
For a school festival, if you want a theme that’s a crowd-pleaser, four-character idioms might be the most popular choice.
They’re likely to be well-received by local community members and families you invite, too.
Expressions like “ichigo ichie” (once-in-a-lifetime encounter) and “hyakka ryōran” (a profusion of blooming flowers) are popular themes for school festivals.
You could also try going in a different direction by looking up lesser-known four-character idioms that no one else knows.
It’s also important to help many people learn the meanings of those idioms along with the theme.
A hundred flowers in full bloom
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrGgh00Pu7u/A school festival is a big event brought to life by many people, each adding their own creativity.
The theme “Hyakka Ryoran” perfectly suits a school festival, as it conveys the idea of diverse personalities coming together to shine.
Evoking an image of flowers blooming in profusion, the phrase suggests a colorful scene and emphasizes a lively atmosphere.
It’s a theme that expresses a strong intention to trust in each individual’s uniqueness and create a vibrant, enjoyable event.
The beauties of nature — flowers, birds, wind, and the moon (a poetic expression appreciating nature’s elegance)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGwwQFS9d4/It’s a simple four-character idiom that seems to depict beautiful scenery found in nature.
The term is said to encompass not only the expression of landscapes, but also the act of creating poems and paintings inspired by them, and the appreciation of elegance.
From the idea that various elements in nature overlap to create beautiful scenery and refined taste, it can also convey the notion that diverse personalities cooperate to bring a school festival to life.
It’s a four-character idiom that expresses coolness and a calm atmosphere while also embodying the bonds among friends.
A hundred flowers bloom
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgJaA9dvpl-/Precisely because you’ve prepared so thoroughly, you can welcome the actual school festival feeling more at ease and genuinely enjoy it.
The phrase “百花斉放” (baihua qifang) seems to powerfully convey a sense of liberation that arises from steady preparation.
This four-character idiom depicts many flowers blooming all at once, conveying not only a beautifully coloring landscape but also a positive emotional tone.
It’s a phrase that seems to capture both the joy of seeing careful preparation pay off and the liberating feeling of finally being able to showcase the results.
cherry, plum, peach, and apricot (each flower/thing has its own unique beauty)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqCSXD7P1zI/"Sakura, ume, momo, tori" is read as "oubaitouri," a graceful four-character idiom.
Because cherry, plum, peach, and Japanese plum (sour plum) each bloom beautifully in their own way, this phrase teaches us not to compare ourselves with others but to refine our one-and-only uniqueness.
It’s so important to live without losing your individuality, isn’t it? At the cultural festival, everyone in the class will share ideas and strive together toward a single goal.
Even so, in the sense of staying true to yourself and doing your very best at what you can do, how about adopting this idiom as your slogan?
fresh, beautiful, and refreshingly clear
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXuC7GALfS/The four-character idiom that exudes a cool and beautiful atmosphere even from its calligraphy is “鮮美透涼” (Senbi-Toryo).
“鮮美” means vividly fresh/beautifully vivid, and “透涼” conveys a clear, transparent coolness.
Like “Senbitōryō,” a pure and beautiful youth flashes by in an instant.
How about using this phrase—one that seems to capture such a fleeting moment—as your school festival slogan? If you’re not into words with a hot and heavy feel, opting for a deliberately cool and elegant slogan could be a great choice.
Above all, the brush-script characters look gorgeous, so I think it would really stand out when designed on a banner or in a pamphlet.
Single-minded focus spanning a vast distance
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkFlf8LL29s“Banri-ikkū” is a four-character idiom that refers to striving toward a single goal.
At a school festival, everyone works together to prepare exhibits and food stalls, and on the day itself they run the event as well.
You could say that “banri-ikkū” perfectly captures the spirit of such a festival.
The phrase is said to have originally appeared in The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, a master swordsman of the Edo period, with the meaning that disciplined training will enable one to reach one’s goal.
Unprecedented / Never before achieved
These words capture the determination to create a new kind of school festival that no one has attempted before.
It’s perfect for when you want to break free from tradition and incorporate fresh projects and presentations.
Whether it’s adding original skits or dances to stage performances or devising novel menu items for food stalls, it encourages bold challenges in every setting.
For posters and pamphlets, combining designs that suggest stepping into the future or forging a path where none exists will help convey the slogan’s meaning more clearly.
It’s an idea that becomes the driving force for building a one-of-a-kind festival that no one has ever seen, together with your friends.
