Japanese Festival

When: Sat., Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun., Sept. 4, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Mon., Sept. 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 2016

The Missouri Botanical Garden's Japanese Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with some new additions. Luck Eisa is a dance troupe that specializes in the Okinawan folk dance style eisa, which is performed by young people dressed in colorful outfits and wielding three types of drums. Also making its St. Louis debut this year is Samurai Sword Soul, a theater company that specializes in tate, which is Japanese sword stage fighting. Tate blends real martial arts with theatrical embellishment to create a dramatic form of highly choreographed combat. Both groups perform all three days of the festival, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday (September 3 to 5) at the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; www.mobot.org). Admission is $5 to $15.

— Paul Friswold