J-TSOON is a festival for Asian and youth subcultures in Tallinn. It has two editions: the spring festival, J-TSOON, and the autumn Halloween edition, J-TSOON: Burning Pumpkin Fest.
The festival brings together people interested in anime, manga, manhwa, comics, cosplay, K-pop, gaming, art, crafts and more. Some visitors come to compete or perform. Others come to attend workshops, play games, browse the artists’ area, try different foods or simply spend time with friends.
J-TSOON is open to both long-time fans and people who are just discovering these communities. The idea is simple: create a place where people can enjoy what they like, express themselves and meet others with similar interests.
The festival also includes talks, panels and workshops. Some focus on Asian culture and fandom, while others offer practical skills and creative guidance. The programme changes every year, but the festival remains a meeting place for people who want to learn, create and have a good time.
J-TSOON grew out of JAFF, the Japanese Animation Film Festival. The first JAFF took place in Tallinn from March 17 to March 25, 2007. Over nine days, Kino Sõprus screened 15 feature films and 7 short films covering more than four decades of Japanese animation.
The programme included films by Hayao Miyazaki, a tribute to Osamu Tezuka, Galaxy Express 999, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, Tales from Earthsea, and both Vampire Hunter D films.
JAFF quickly became an important event for anime and Japanese cinema in Estonia. It also created the foundation for the wider festival community that exists today.
In 2019, J-ZONE became a standalone festival at Kultuurikatel, while JAFF continued as its own film festival. J-ZONE brought together anime fans, cosplayers, K-pop dancers, gamers and other communities under one roof.
The autumn edition, J-TSOON: Burning Pumpkin Fest, was planned for 2021 but was postponed because of the pandemic. It finally took place in October 2022.
In 2023, the festival adopted its current name: J-TSOON. Since then, it has continued to grow, with larger competitions, more activities, an expanding gaming area and more artists, vendors, partners and international guests.
Today, J-TSOON’s programme includes cosplay and K-pop competitions, gaming, artist and craft stalls, lectures, panels, workshops, fan activities, food and much more. It is a festival for people who want to participate, perform, learn, meet others or simply enjoy the atmosphere.
J-TSOON is led by Artur and Tatjana, who have organised JAFF since 2007. Artur is a film producer and organiser who received the Order of the Rising Sun in 2018 for his work promoting Japanese culture and relations between Japan and Estonia. Tatjana is a producer, director, scriptwriter and long-time co-organiser of JAFF.
Behind them is an over 20-person team working across production, programming, competitions, workshops, technical support and visitor services. More than 40 volunteers also help at the festival each year.
J-TSOON only happens because of all these people—the organisers, volunteers, performers, artists, vendors, partners and everyone else who contributes their time and skills.
