The Japan Festival

From left, Mr Nagao from SBS, Consul-General Hasegawa, Mayor of Box Hill Bill Pemberton, Mr Minoru Nagashima the Chief Organiser of the Japan Festival, unknown, Principle of the Japanese School of Melbourne Wataru Marumoto and Chairperson of JCV Keiko Davis

Japanese

The festival started early in the morning in a deep fog with a temperature of less than 10 degrees Celsius, but the fog cleared around noon, leading to a clear sky and good weather. The temperature went up to almost 20 degrees in the afternoon, resulting in an outstanding Japan Festival.

Japanese sake made in Australia, Goshu, was used for an annual Kagamiwari (breaking open a ceremonial sake barrel). Goshu is the only Japanese sake made in Australia and is produced in NSW.

Vice Chairperson of Australia-Japan Society of Victoria Sagawa on the far left

The 11th Japan Festival was held at the Box Hill Town Hall on Sunday, May 16th. The Japan Festival is sponsored by JCV (Japan Club of Victoria: Chairperson Keiko Davis) and carried out by the Japan Festival Organising Committee (Chief Organiser Nagashima). The total attendance is usually between 4,000 and 5,000 people making it the third largest ethnic festival in Melbourne behind the Greek and Italian festivals. Japanese are said to have weak solidarity, but judging from the Japan Festival, Japan blows away other ethnicities here in Melbourne.

Karyukai Karate

Compared to other major ethnic groups, Japan definitely has a lower ratio of population in Melbourne. There are several reasons for the success of the Japan Festival.
1. Long years of efforts from JCV and the Japan Festival Organising Committee
2. Acceptance of the Japan Festival by the Japanese society and Japanese industries as the result
3. High evaluation and support of Japanese culture and activities by many Aussies

Noriko Tadano on the Tsugaru Shamisen (Middle) and Shamys

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Noriko Tadano
A Shamisen player in Melbourne. Noriko was born in Chiba and learned minyou (folk singing) and Tsugaru Shamisen from the age of six in Chiba. She actively combines traditional minyou and other genres and has composed a number of original tunes for the Tsugaru Shamisen. She started her solo activity based in Melbourne in 2004 when she came to Australia. She performs in festivals and events throughout Australia as well. Currently she holds shamisen classes and performs as a member of Tsugaru Shamisen group “Shamys.”
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Cultural activities, such as sadou (tea ceremony), kadou (flower arrangement), shuji (Japanese calligraphy) and shamisen (Japanese 3 stringed guitar), and sports, such as judo, kendo and karate are accepted not as mere cultures or sports but on a higher level relating to conception of life, dou (the way) and zen.

Yukari Echo (Choir group)

Performances of Japanese martial arts, music and dances were held every 30 minutes at the Main Hall Stage. About fifty exhibitors performed or sold items at five sites in the Lower Hall as well as on both wings of the first floor and on the second floor.
At the TAFE car park next to the Town Hall was a food court with about 20 shops. Among sales were tonkotsu ramen (pork bone soup noodles), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), okonomi yaki (Japanese savoury pancake), yakisoba (stir fried noodles), yakitori (fried chicken), nikuman (steamed buns) and korokke (croquette), and most stores had sold out by closing time.

The Main Hall contained an audience of more than 300 people at all times with almost no empty seats. Popular performances filled the seats and attracted more than 100 standing audience members. The official attendance number is not out yet, but there is no doubt that it will be more than 4,000.

Japan Festival Official Web