ST. LOUIS • The new president of the Missouri Botanical Garden brought a lovely gift from home when he arrived in St. Louis this week.

Peter Wyse Jackson praised the "wonderful Irish weather" as he opened the annual Japanese Festival at the garden on Saturday.

The 34th annual festival is expected to attract up to 45,000 visitors over the weekend, thanks in part to a sunny sky and temperatures in the 70s.

Jackson moved from Ireland four days before one of the garden's premier events and told the crowd at the opening ceremony that he and his family "chose a wonderful week to come to St. Louis."

Next month, Jackson will travel to Japan for the first time to attend a conference on the preservation of plants and animals. He said this weekend's festival would serve as his crash course in Japanese culture.

The festival includes performances in aikido martial arts, sumo wrestling, bunraku puppetry, bon odori dance, taiko drums and even a karaoke exhibition. People strolled the grounds Saturday eating yakisoba noodles and drinking Japanese beer and sake. Vendors lined up to sell candy, toys, clothes and souvenirs from Japan.

Nick Campbell of Webster Groves bought a 4-foot sword, a replica of the one used by the main character in the Japanese anime (cartoon) Bleach.

"It looks cool, and I'm always a fan of swords," Nick, 17, said of his $25 purchase.

In addition to visitors wearing traditional Japanese kimonos, the festival attracts an increasing number of anime and video game fans dressed in animal costumes, bright robes and face paint to mimic their favorite characters.

Zakk Bartlett of New Florence, Mo., wore a black and white robe like a Bleach character for his third visit to the festival. Zakk, 14, explained that Japanese cartoons are "more interesting than the American cartoons. They're not just supposed to be funny."

St. Louis residents from Japan said they welcome the attention the festival brings.

"The kids get to learn the culture a little bit," said Kaharu Sumino, 43, a professor of pulmonary medicine at Washington University.

In the display hall, the Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis holds a demonstration each day of the festival on how to grow the small trees. The trees can do well outdoors in St. Louis, where the weather is similar to Tokyo's, said the society's president, Glenn Pauly.

Society member Hannelore Bugby of St. Louis said the hobby combines horticulture and art.

"As you learn, you start styling," said Bugby, who became interested in bonsai after back surgeries limited her time in the garden. "It's a wonderful hobby for any age."

The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.