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| Culture & Press Division >Culture & Event> | ||||||
| EXPLORING THE GIST OF JAPANESE CULTURE DURING THE JAPANESE CULTURAL WEEKENED (KARATE, EXHIBITION AND CULTURAL SHOWS) |
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The Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) together with The Japan Foundation organized a Japanese cultural weekend on 2 and 3 October 2010. On the 2nd of October, the Embassy sponsored the visit of 4 karate specialists to Ethiopia with the cooperation of The Japan Foundation. The Karate Masters are touring Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya from 25 September to 09 October 2010. At a day-long training held at the Arat Killo Sports Center, the touring Japanese Karate Masters demonstrated the basics of four styles of Karate to Ethiopian students and practitioners of Karate. They also presented a special demonstration of the Karate skills and disciplines. Karate is a Japanese Martial Art which was developed from indigenous fighting methods in Okinawa, Japan. It is not only a self-defense method using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques but a discipline to teach respect as well as strengthening the soul. There are many styles of Karate,such as Shōtōkan-ryū, Shotokai-ryū, Shitō-ryū, Gōjū-ryū and Wadō-ryū. Each of these styles is unique and has developed throughout the years in its own way. On the second day, 03 October, a grand second annual ‘Japan Festival’ was held at the Juventus Club near the Exhibition Center. At this event, highlights from the rich Japanese culture that ranges from music, dancing, martial arts, food items and the way of the Japanese tea, among others, accompanied an exhibition that depicted the work being done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). At more than 8 stands, the exhibition highlighted the accomplishments of JICA in the education, health, water and agriculture sectors. However, the heat of the festival reached its peak after the new ambassador, H.E. Ambassador Hiroyuki Kishino, officially opened the proceedings. H.E Ambassador Kishino emphasized the importance of the event in strengthening the bilateral ties and cultural exchange of the two countries.
As part of the festivities, a demonstration of Japanese Karate was given by the visiting Karate specialists. The legendary Ethiopian entertainer Tilahun Gesesse’s Amharic song,”Japanwan Wodijje” was also performed by a Japanese choir with a view of heightening the cultural ties between the two countries. The music had been translated into Japanese by Ms. Berberich Yuko. Moreover, the Japanese Oversea Volunteers performed dances of the major Ethiopian nationalities with an amazing talents and precision. They also brought to the podium some of the spectacular traditional Japanese dances. What was more eye catching to the spectators were the two dramas performed in Amharic by the volunteers. The constructions of the story of the comedies were very professional. More importantly, the languages, style and the body movements of the actors on the stage left the spectators in no doubt that the actors had mastered the Ethiopian style. The festival was accomplished successfully with more promises for the years to come. |
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