The eleventh festival of contemporary Japanese culture "nowJapan" has already started with performing arts evenings in St. Catherine's Church, they will continue this week, and on Saturday and Sunday, Vilnius residents will be delighted with the free Great Weekend events In the Museum of Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema, in its yard and In the old town. Japanese gifts for Vilnius - from a real temple ritual, modern exhibitions to traditional souvenirs and games.
Events are free
What makes this year's festival special is that it's a gift to culture lovers – the Big Festival Weekend is open to everyone and the program is free. "Together with the Vilnius city municipality and Japanese partners, we have been working on a plan for a long time to present the festival to the people of Vilnius and the guests of the city. And finally it worked! - said the festival organizer Sergej Grigorjev. - In this way, Japanese culture will spread more widely and inspire even more people."
A group of Japanese and Lithuanian enthusiasts worked throughout the year to make this plan a success. Why this year? It is symbolic, but exactly a century ago, in 1919, Japan recognized Lithuania de facto.
"When we arrived in Lithuania for the first time, we were greeted by a beautiful man old town and great food; that's what we expected. But what surprised me the most was how many Japanese culture lovers there are. We must nurture this phenomenon," says Nobuyuki Kamei, head of the festival's partner group.
Celebrate and celebrate
The sound of Taiko drums played by Ryotaro Sakamoto, the nurturer of this tradition, and on Saturday from 15 p.m. on the shoulders of a few dozen men through the heart of the capital - the movable Shinto temple Mikoshi will be carried through Vokiečiai and Vilniaus streets. Nobuya Miyata, also known as the "Mikoshi guy", who came to Vilnius together with the temple traveling through Europe, will show how this Mikoshi tradition is nurtured in Japan, and in his presentation will tell about the importance of it and other traditions. Nobuya knows this like no one else - he learned how to build and maintain such temples from his grandfather who did it.
It is believed that deities live in sophisticated temples decorated with wood carvings, built on logs specially designed for carrying, with columns, a roof, and windows. When people connect with their homes, they are carried in their hands and shaken, they feel respected, they ensure success and harmony for those around them, as well as happiness for the city whose celebration they participate in.
Art, art, art!
In and around the exhibition halls of the museum, the audience will be waiting, workshops will be held and presentations will be held by the star of Japanese media art festivals, So Kanno, with robot mice armed with lasers and hammers, the world-famous comic illustrator Kimiaki Yaegashi, the well-known photographer Rie Yamada, who creates artistically ironic photographs about Japan and the Japanese, illustrator, DJ Shota Kotake and others. Exhibitions of them and other famous artists will be presented. It's time to check it out not only in Japan - the world-renowned Tokyo University of the Arts Professor Emeritus Hideya Kawakita's posters from the "Train Etiquette" series, and the witty illustrator Kimiaki Yaegashi's works will remind you of undiscovered relationships between people and fictional characters. Drummer Ryotaro will host high-energy concerts and calligraphy workshops. The master of this art, Koshio Masafumi, will show what calligraphy can be today, presenting the so-called dimensional calligraphy, when a brush the size of a human head is used instead of the usual one, and the work is measured in square meters.
Rice and games
Chef Taku Imaizumi, who has fallen in love with Lithuania and Lithuanians, will serve culinary masterpieces not only during exclusive Omakase-style dinners in a restaurant "Fish". He will share his knowledge about colorful, interesting, healthy Japanese food, a primer on spices for free during the Great Weekend, he will give a presentation and hold a workshop here. Who else, if not Taku, who prepared a meal for the former Japanese ambassador to Lithuania, will be able to better answer how Japanese and our cuisines are similar, and what would be obtained by crossing rice groats and potatoes?... The offspring should be, if not extremely tasty, at least insanely interesting.
Ibuki Konno, another virtuoso in his field, will also hold a snack workshop here - they will talk, taste, and learn how to cook. Representatives of Asian restaurants operating in Lithuania will discuss whether we are ready to taste more than just sushi - after all, the food of these countries is so delicious and diverse!
The sound of drums in the courtyard of the museum will be replaced by a micro performance organized by the traveling "Kamishibai" (paper) theater. Artist Tadas Černiauskas, radio host Ugnė Skonsmanaitė, and director Saulius Baradinskas will discuss whether Japan is true love. Who is hiding under cosplayermask, will be discussed by Lithuanian and foreign "Cosplay" enthusiasts, for whom this cultural phenomenon has already become not only a hobby, but also a job. So Kanno will tell you whether all Japanese dream of robots, Shota Kotake - about Manga culture. For those for whom food and art are not so relevant today, a variety of traditional Japanese games will be offered. And they are not only fun, but also relaxing, developing the mind and imagination.
The Big Weekend program of the "nowJapan" festival will be held free of charge on September 14-15 at the Museum of Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema. The impromptu gate of Japanese culture opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 19 p.m. both days.
St. Catherine's Church on September 14. During the day, there will also be a colorful "Cosplay" contest (14th at 13 p.m.).
All information - www.nowjapan.lt
