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On Saturday 11 July Wellingtonians will get a chance to celebrate Japanese culture at the inaugural Japan Festival of Wellington featuring food stalls, local and overseas performers, fashion shows, children’s entertainment and competitions.
Bring along family or friends and relax in the tranquil ambience of the age-old Japanese tea ceremony, try your hand at writing a haiku poem or take part in a competition to roll New Zealand’s longest sushi. Full schedule available here.
Clown LOTO!!
Kids and adults alike will delight in the acrobatic antics of Japan’s award-winning Clown LOTO!! He has performed at festivals in Japan, China and the United States. Earlier this year he was in New Zealand at the World Buskers Festival, where he stole the show with what the Christchurch Press termed his “goofy charm, impeccable timing, a real sense of physical theatre and some pretty nifty magic tricks”. Whether it’s rhythmic gymnastics, pantomime, magic or juggling, Clown Loto!! is guaranteed to have you in stitches. Look out for Clown LOTO!! busking around Wellington in the run-up to the Japan Festival of Wellington, before his performance at the Town Hall.
Japanese fashion
Japanese youth culture and fashion have always been on the cutting edge, and a festival of things Japanese wouldn’t be complete without a tribute to the more unusual garments that we’ve seen coming out of Japan.
Auckland-based Bevan Chuang, Anny Wang, Szu Kao and Bomi Park will stage a Loli-Goth fashion parade, based on the 2007 Auckland Museum exhibition Loli-Pop, which was supported by Asia:NZ. This is a focus on the Japanese Gothic Lolita (Loli-Goth) street fashion phenomenon, recognisable through outfits inspired by the Rococo, Romantic and Victorian periods. Loli-Goth is based on a particular notion of the Gothic, represented by historical mourning garb, maidservants' wear, children's dresses and dolls' clothes. On display will be five Loli-Goth garments created by AUT University Fashion staff members for the Auckland Museum exhibition. The parade will also include traditional Japanese kimono.
A night of Japanese harmony – classical concerts
Several renowned classical musicians are travelling over from Japan to perform as part of the Japan Festival and the annual Music Fair of Japan. A free concert on 10 July at 7pm will feature solo and ensemble performances by Susumu Aoyagi (piano), Takako Hagiwara (flute) and Ayako Ishikawa (violin).
You will also get a chance to hear traditional Japanese instruments koto and shinobue, played by Lisa Kataoka. The Japan Festival of Wellington will close with a second free concert on 11 July, which will feature the Japanese musicians and a guest performance by NZSO Principal Contrabassist Hiroshi Ikematsu.
Tickets for the concerts are complimentary, but please make sure you book in advance. For enquiries or further information, please contact the Embassy of Japan on (04) 495 8333 or email: japan.cul@eoj.org.nz
Mysterious and fun-filled puppetry shows
There will be more fun-filled performances for kids, with the magical musical puppetry show of Japanese puppeteers Darumamori and Eriko. Darumamori’s stories of a snake ball, a shining moon drum and a mysterious shadow merchant are full of humour and fantasy, and are sure to be a hit with the youngest visitors.
Hip hop with an Asian flavour
After the extremely popular dance performances of Korean ensemble Gambler Crew brought to New Zealand by Asia:NZ in April this year, audiences will no doubt enjoy another dose of Asian hip hop, this time with a cross-Asian flavour. The Natural High Dance Team from Sydney’s renowned Dancekool studio will be one of the star attractions at the Japan Festival of Wellington. Made up of top hip hop Dancekool members Satoshi (Japan), Jono (New Zealand), Masaki (Japan), Hyungik (Korea) and Naohisa (Japan), the team will perform a dance choreographed especially for this festival.
Founded in 2002, Dancekool is the first and finest street dance studio in Sydney, and the only one to have focused on hip hop over the years. Dancekool members have developed a reputation for authentic street styles and professional teaching. Workshops and performances have been held over the world, including Japan, the US, China and the Philippines.
The Japan Festival of Wellington is organised by the Wellington City Council with support from the Embassy of Japan, Asia:NZ and the Japan Foundation.
Events are planned throughout the week of 6-11 July, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Japan Society of Wellington and the 15th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Wellington and Sakai. In addition to the main Festival day on Saturday 11 July and the free classical concerts on 10 and 11 July, there will be an exhibition at the Wellington Convention Centre from 6-11 July and a Japanese-New Zealand business breakfast on Friday 10 July.
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