Wikipedia 25 Birthday Meetup in Tokyo was a great success

On a warm Sunday afternoon, March 1, 2026, a meetup celebrating Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary was held in Nakano, Tokyo, organized by the Wikimedians of Japan User Group. Participants came from not only the Tokyo area but also Western Japan, and nearly 50 people enjoyed a fun and fulfilling time together.

First, Associate Professor Masao Takaku of the University of Tsukuba‘s Faculty of Library, Information and Media Science spoke about Wikipedia’s history and future. Takaku began writing articles for the Japanese Wikipedia from its early stages, and has been involved in various aspects of its development throughout his research career. The Q&A session covered a wide range of topics, including the changing perception of “encyclopedias,” his involvement with Wikidata, and the significance of the Wikimedia movement.

Next, ten participants gave lightning talks. From veterans to newcomers, the topics covered were all incredibly diverse and fascinating, but two that particularly impressed me were the talk on “FerryWiki,” which compiles ferry routes across the country, and the introduction to “Template:Cite_Q,” a tool for using books registered on Wikidata as Wikipedia citations. I’ve already started using Cite_Q, and I’m impressed by how useful it is. Finally, at the end of the talks, I gave a talk titled “The People who sang the Wikipedia 25th Birthday Cake Song,” introducing the singers of the cake song performed at the virtual party on January 15th, and showing a video of them singing.

It was finally time for commemorative photos and the cutting cakes. Everyone, both familiar faces and first meeting, lined up harmoniously behind the cake and made a W sign with both hands. Next, candles were lit on a large cake with the Wikipedia logo and two cakes lavishly decorated with fruit, celebrating the 25th anniversary. As people drunk tea, talking spread everywhere, and the conversations never ended.

I first learned about Wikipedia’s birthday party two years ago when I read a Diff article about young students in Bangladesh. I wanted to hold one in Japan too, so last year I had a celebration with one of my friends. And this year, nearly 50 people gathered! If you keep dreaming, good things will happen.