English Japanese
Build on last year's big success, The Japan Culture and Art Festival came back even bigger this year!
The Consul-General in Melbourne, Mr Hidenobu Sobashima's speech marked the start of The Japan Culture and Art Festival 2011 on the last Sunday in November. On a sunny day, Collingwood Town Hall was packed with Japanese people and Japanophile locals since early morning.
The venue is divided into three big areas. Handcraft market and food stalls in the park area; A variety of stage performances and workshops inside the Town Hall; Japanesey game corners and attractions such as the tea ceremony and Shogi (Japanese chess) in the Senior Citizen Centre.
A whole lot of different on-stage performances fitted into the tight schedule. Each and every one was a must-see.
Japanese visual band swept the feet off the fans in the front-row seats; audiences mesmerized by the sweet melody of Japanese koto and shinobue; camera lights was flashing non-stop on the cheerful sumo boys doing their faltering sumo-style leg stomps.
Iaido demonstration tensed up the area for a while. Samurai demonstrated how to deal with roughnecks with clear explanations and a series of detailed patterns of movements.
A group of traditional Japanese Wadaiko performers, WADAIKO RINDOU gave a lecture to the interested on how to play the Japanese drums after their own performance.
Followed by a novelty performance with Calligrapher Shin5. He wrote on the plain white kimono of the dancer, to the vivacissimo wadaiko beat. Together with the exciting BGM, it took the breathe away from audiences as the kimono transformed into a piece of art.
Yamato Nadeshikos in glamorous yukatas were everywhere. We are honoured to get some photos.
Megumi Tomoko
Hanako Yuko & Azusa
Naoko
Mikiko Saki
Minako
A variety of different workshops all crowded with people.
First-timers fascinated by soroban (Japanese abacus) and karuta (Japanese playing cards).
What a surprise! It was an Aussie gentleman demonstrating tea ceremony.
By learning and remembering the steps of the traditional Japanese dance, you too can become a Yamato Nadeshiko (the ideal image of a cultured Japanese lady)
It was a great experience even for those Japanese people who do not have much opportunity to engage in the traditional culture and arts in daily life.
Part of the generated revenue will be donated to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.
2,200 visitors just in one day, with nearly $6,000 of donation in this year's Japan Culture and Art Festival.
All staff memebers gathered on stage after a day's hard work. It was heart-warming to see visitors singing along to the "Sukiyai song" (ue wo mukaite arukou – sukiyaki song) with them as the festival ended in great success.
