Performing Guests

Wherever hellfire and brimstone meet, wherever fandoms converge, wherever "who would win" debates rage the 404s will be there! One of the longest running Geek Improv Comedy Troupes in the world, the 404s have dedicated their lives to over a decade of madness, hijinks and endless quotes of your favourite movies, comics, games and anime! If it exists, the 404s have done a scene on it, mocked it, defiled it and left in in the dust as they moved on to the next fandom to defile for their comedy.

Established in 1983, Montreal's Arashi Daiko - Japanese for "Storm Drums" - is the third of approximately twenty-five taiko groups in Canada to have formed since Katari Taiko was started in Vancouver in 1979. Arashi Daiko has evolved over their 34-year existence, from their humble beginnings playing rhythms on old rubber tires. The group's original mission has remained constant: to be a community-based group sharing this exciting aspect of Japanese culture with the public at large. Arashi Daiko's members are all volunteers, giving taiko performances, workshops and classes out of devotion and respect for this dynamic art form. The group's practices and classes are held year-round at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal (JCCCM).

Arashi Daiko has a diverse repertoire, from traditional festival pieces originating in Japan, to more contemporary pieces composed by Japanese, Canadian and American taiko players. Furthermore, the group plays now over ten original works composed by their own members.

Centre Samourai Koryukan was established in 1999 by Sensei Medhat Darwish in Montreal, Canada, for a dedicated study to classical martial arts.

The center is specialized in Daitoryu Aikijujutsu, Yamato Tenshin Ryu Bojutsu and Heiho Niten Ichi Ryu of the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi.

Komachi Montreal is a Japanese dance group established in 2007 which performs Japanese folk dances throughout the Montreal region as well as in Quebec, New York and Ottawa. Our performances aim to make you live pleasant moments through traditional Japanese dances. Come and share this festive energy and dance with us!

This year is Komachi Montreal's 10th anniversary! We have some new types of Japanese folk dances, like dance with masks, dance of shintoism, and more! Of course, there will also be a Japanese dance workshop. Come dance and enjoy yourself with Komachi Montreal!

Last year, Komachi made a video of "Koi suru Fortune Cookie" by AKB48, a very popular J-pop idol group in Japan, to introduce the city of Montreal. We filmed several scenes during Otakuthon 2015.
Here is the video: (Scenes from Otakuthon 2015 are from 3:37)

Mokuyobi Iaido is the West Island Wing of Shidokan Montreal, an iaido dojo from the Musō Shinden-ryū school.

The classes, taught by Sensei Dean Jolly, are given in both French and English and comprise the kata specific to our school as well as those of Seitei Iai.

Yagyu Shinkage Ryu was created around the late-1500’s by the pre-eminent sword master Kamiizumi Nobutsuna. The style was originally created out of a fusion of Katori Shinto Ryu and Kage Ryu styles of swordsmanship. The style was the first to infuse the concepts of Zen Buddhism with Japanese swordsmanship. A key principle of the style is to use the sword to save lives, not take them. For this reason, the style became known as the “life-giving sword”. The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was so impressed with the style and its philosophy that he appointed its master instructor, Yagyu Munenori, to be the official sword instructor for his family.