Uganda-Japan Festival fascinates guests

SOCIAL l UGANDA-JAPANESE FESTIVAL

The third annual Uganda-Japan festival happened yesterday at Yuio Izakaya Restaurant, Kampala.

Organised by the Japanese Embassy and Uganda Japan Cultural Society (UJCS), the event attracted several folks and friends of the Japenese community in Uganda.

Guests indulged in an authentic Japanese cultural experience. The half-day event was filled with fun, thanks to the different Japanese activities including music, dance, foods and martial arts.

 
By midday, some guests had started gobbling on various Japanese cuisines and drinks as the venue slowly filled. It was a family day out.

Many would interest themselves in the artistic Japanese Calligraphy (Shodo) to have their names written the artistic writing of the Japanese language.  Origami, an art of paper folding to make shapes, also attracted and intrigued quite a number, both kids and adults.

The restaurant gardens carried the most festivities, starting with Shan shan odori, an umbrella dance. It is performed during a summer festival in Tottori Prefecture located in western Japan. It was an interesting spectacle performed by three people twirling umbrellas, and rhyming on some calm Japanese music.

 

But the thrilling highlight was the Karate, Judo, Aikido and Budo Demonstration (some of the Japanese martial arts) session which got majority of the guests glued to the performance and cheering. Performers exhibited amazing flexibility of body, to their viewer's amusement, with present children screaming in awe. It was followed by a drama play of a famous Japanese folktale, Momotaro, performed by Ugandans.

In a nutshell, the event that attracted over 300 people, was an exploration of this unique Asian culture.  According to organisers, the festival is linked to the Japan Cultural Holiday in Japan and it was started to promote Japanese culture and to form friendship relations between Japanese and Ugandans.