Japanese cultural festival ‘The Spirit of Reiwa’ a success

The Embassy of Japan organised a Japanese Cultural Festival on Saturday 9 November at the Colombo City Centre from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The main theme of this event was to commemorate the proclamation of the enthronement of the Emperor, observed on 22 October at the Imperial Palace, and to celebrate the dawning of a new Japanese era of ‘Reiwa’ – translated to suggest ‘a beautiful harmony’ – which was reflected in the caption of this Cultural Festival. 

Spectators were left spellbound at the flamboyant demonstration of marital arts, Tea Ceremony, Ikebana and Bonsai, while electrifying and energetic audience jammed to the beat of Japanese pop music. Spectators also enjoyed the colourful display of Origami works (art of folding papers) and first ever paper-plane competition in Sri Lanka held at the last segment of the program, which demonstrated the colourful paper planes parachuting in the air as children and young adults competed to win a prize and honour for their efforts. Beautiful Japanese scenery was shown on the digital screen while pamphlets promoting Japanese tourism were distributed to the visitors.

Ambassador Sugiyama, in his opening remarks highlighted the message of ‘beautiful harmony’ by illustrating that the Japanese culture and traditions are the means by which people are connected together in unity in the most beautiful manner, and through this Cultural Festival, the Embassy aims to achieve this ‘beautiful harmony’ between Sri Lanka and Japan.