A catalog of recommended festival booths for school culture festivals, with ideas that will shine on social media.

used book fair

Annual Shimogamo Shrine Tadasu-no-Mori “Used Book Market”

It’s a simple project: collect unwanted books from students and sell them at ultra-low prices.

However, it has great potential for development—such as incorporating volunteer work and donations or helping with library collection management—and it aligns well with schools as organizations, so it’s highly recommended.

The only drawback is that once you gather books, they’re heavy.

Flea market

Kyoto – Toji Flea Market (The flea market at Toji Temple in Kyoto)

If you hold a flea market at a school festival that draws lots of visitors, many people will stop by! For university students living in dorms who are about to graduate, it might be a great chance to clear out furniture and appliances they no longer need.

Selling handmade accessories or sweets is a nice idea too! A flea market that both customers and sellers can enjoy has now become a staple of school festivals.

And on a sunny day, it feels great to hold it outdoors.

Ogiri (Japanese improv-style comedy wordplay game)

[Comedy Skit] Another hero appears for every member!?

Turning an owarai ogiri (quick-witted joke game) into a festival booth is a fun idea! The appeal is that you can create a space where everyone can laugh together.

However, if it relies only on inside jokes, it might not be very exciting.

So how about coming up with a system that lets customers participate as well? For example, you could collect prompts from the audience or prepare prizes for the best answers.

Choosing the right people is important too.

Of course you’ll want good speakers, but you’ll also need someone who can keep things moving at a good pace.

Work together and create a festival booth full of smiles!

guitar busker

Guitar Street Performer Paris Nakayama Ebisu Yokocho / Guitar Nagashi Ebisu Yokocho

Before karaoke emerged, it wasn’t unusual to find itinerant musicians known as “nagashi” who would go from bar to bar at night, taking customer requests and singing while playing the guitar.

Why not try reviving that retro line of work? If you can play guitar and have a decent repertoire, you can make it work.

For copyright matters, please consult the appropriate professional organizations.

Costume rental shop

World Cosplay Summit 'Japan 2015' Cosplay Summit 2015

When people think of festival stalls, most probably imagine food, but how about a costume rental booth? You could prepare a variety of cosplay outfits that people don’t usually wear—like Chinese dresses, maid uniforms, or even Self-Defense Force attire—and offer on-the-spot photo printing, which could be fun.

Walking around the school festival in those costumes would also serve as great promotion!