Bellevue College's Japan Week turns 10 this year, and the student-run festival is marking the milestone with a free public celebration on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The week of cultural events runs Monday, Oct. 5, through Saturday, Oct. 10, on the college's main campus at 3000 Landerholm Circle SE. Weekday programming is geared toward students, but the Saturday festival, running 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is open to everyone, according to Bellevue College.

Admission is free. Parking is free in the BC Garage; other campus lots charge $3.

The Bellevue College Japanese Culture Exchange Club organizes the festival with 220 volunteers drawn from college students, local high schoolers and community members across the Puget Sound region. Club vice president Marcos Perez told Bellevue College News that the volunteer crew crosses cultural lines.

"Families with kids really enjoy the Saturday activities … Most spend a good chunk of the day," Perez said.

What to see Saturday

A Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibit, on loan from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Japan, will be on display all week in B Building Room 101. The exhibit includes more than 30 photos, data panels and historical materials, according to the Saturday schedule.

Seattle- and Los Angeles-based composer Kazuma Jinnouchi will deliver a lecture called "Behind the Music: Composing for Games, Films, and Anime" from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in B Building Room 104. Jinnouchi co-composed the score for the animated film "Suzume," which won Best Music at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize. His credits also include "Halo 5: Guardians," which earned a BAFTA Games Awards nomination for Best Music.

Taiko drum performances fill Carlson Theater from noon to 2:10 p.m., with groups including Seattle Kokon Taiko and The School of Taiko. A Japanese-language musical, "Little Red Riding Hood: Another Story," follows in the same theater from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

At 3 p.m., an Omikoshi and Yosakoi parade will wind between the C Building and Carlson Theater. Members of Canada's Vancouver Mikoshi Sakurakai Society will carry an authentic mikoshi, a portable Japanese shrine. Kindergarteners from Bellevue's Pikake School will follow with their own smaller version.

Gaming milestones and manga

This year's festival honors the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and the Dragon Ball TV anime series, plus the 30th anniversary of Pokémon. Activities include Mario Kart 8 on the Switch 2, a Dragon Ball scavenger hunt and a Pokémon trading card hall.

A Manga Swap in R Building Room 102 offers more than 500 books to trade or buy for $5 each. Contests with prizes range from anime trivia to a cosplay competition judged by Sakura-Con.

An onigiri-making workshop led by Nobuto Uruma of I Love Sushi Bellevue runs 4 to 5 p.m. in R Building Room 101, limited to 30 participants.

A decade of community

Anne Matsumoto Stewart, Bellevue College professor emeritus and co-adviser of the club, said the festival aims to share Japanese culture with the broader campus community. She co-advises the club with Chie Sharp, assistant professor in Digital Media Arts.

The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle provides financial support and will have officials on hand Oct. 10. Club president Hengmeng Ly summed up the spirit behind the effort: "We're building a community where people can have fun."

Every volunteer receives a Japan Week T-shirt. This year's shirt features the kanji character "sachi," meaning happiness.