The Second Japan Festival of Wellington is coming!

MEDIA RELEASE
 

Thursday 26 August 2010

The Second Japan Festival of Wellington is coming!

Come and enjoy an afternoon of Japanese entertainers, food, crafts, and culture at the Second Japan Festival of Wellington at the Town Hall on Sunday, September 5.

The Festival is returning after a successful inaugural event in July last year that attracted thousands of Wellingtonians. This time the event is timed for Spring to coincide with the arrival of the peach blossoms that herald the end of Winter.

This year, the Festival will include a traditional Chin Don-Ya busking group from Osaka, karate and judo demonstrations, a tea ceremony performance, Taiko drumming, folk dancers, a Japanese anime film and even a children’s choir.

The Festival is brought to you by the Japan Embassy, Wellington City Council and the Asia New Zealand Foundation, with support from the Japan Foundation.

The highlights include a Chin Don-Ya busking group from Osaka who will be about town on the Friday and Saturday before the Festival.

Chin Don-Ya is a traditional form of busking which is hundreds of years old and served as a form of advertising for businesses. The Chin Don-Ya  Tsushinsha trio of street musicians are made up of a banjo player, a drummer and a clarinette player and people will be able to see them performing on Lambton Quay at lunchtime on Friday September 3.

On the day of the main Festival on Sunday September 5, there will also be a Japanese food market where people can sample sushi and watch rice flour being pounded into shape to make delicious mochi cakes.

There will also be a Map of Japanese Spots around Wellington, informing people of the many connections Wellington has with Japan including our sister city relationship with the Japanese city of Sakai.

A family friendly Japanese anime film will screen at the Ilott Theatre beginning at 5pm on Sunday September 5. It is one of five Japanese films to be shown on consecutive evenings from August 30. They include the popular comedy Handsome Suit and The Girl Who Leapt through Time, an award anime film about a schoolgirl who has the power to help people across time.

The Music Fair of Japan also returns to the Festival, featuring a koto and flute concert on Saturday September 4 at Massey University Concert Hall. The 13-stringed koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto master Satsuki Odamura has been flown in especially for the performance by the Japan Foundation, and will be accompanied by flautist Christine Draeger.

And the really good news is that the Japan Festival of Wellington is totally free!

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