Falling Vilnius will turn into Japan for one weekend for the 9th time. On September 9-10, the largest Japanese cultural festival in the Baltic States "nowJapan" will be held in the capital, presenting the mysterious and unexpected face of this country.
"nowJapan" destroys the established images of Japan in popular culture, which are inseparable from samurai, bonsai, kimono or Japanese cars. Modern Japan is a synthesis of tradition, modernity and colorful entertainment, fascinating with its diversity, technological progress and futuristic cities breathing thousands of years of history.
"If the mountain does not come to Japan, Japan comes to the mountain." You don't have to travel thousands of kilometers to find out what this country looks like. Fans of Japanese comics or cosplay, as well as casual passers-by, will find their place at the "nowJapan" festival. The Japanese artists coming to the festival will present what the big cities of this country breathe: from animation to street fashion collections", says Sergej Grigorjev, director of the "nowJapan" festival.
Various performances, creative workshops, presentations, contests, exhibitions, films, animation, computer games and virtual reality – nowJapan's program is balanced for both dedicated lovers of Japanese popular culture and those who are just discovering this country.
Spaces for families, artists and technology fans
"We have divided the festival space into special segments named after Tokyo districts. For more than a year now, we have observed the trend that more and more families are discovering nowJapan, so this year the Yoyogi space for children and their parents will offer even more creative workshops and activities," says Anastasija Dichtiar, the organizer of the festival program.
Film screenings, Japanese non-commercial animation, games and souvenir production will capture visitors' attention from the first to the last minute. At nowJapan, not only children will find activities close to them, but also modern parents, who will have plenty of time to enjoy the rich festival program.
Tokyo's Akihabara district is famous as a separate world for anime, manga, computer game and technology lovers. It is his spirit that will breathe in the Akihabara festival area. Japanese animation and comics have gathered a huge circle of fans in Lithuania for a long time, and technological innovations of this country are observed through a magnifying glass all over the world. In the Akihabara space, festival visitors will be able to try various computer games, learn about virtual reality and immerse themselves in the colorful universe of anime and manga.
This year, the festival will pay extra attention to Japanese food. Although Japan is usually referred to as the land of sushi, "nowJapan" is determined to surprise the Lithuanian stomach. All to bite off Japan in the truest sense of the word.
Cosplay competition is a place where colorful heroes meet
An integral part of "nowJapan" is the international cosplay competition (costume performance; English - "costume" and "play"), which attracts not only several hundred participants, but also a huge crowd of curious people. Dressed in colorful costumes, the participants try to embody their favorite movie, anime, manga or video game heroes. They make their own costumes and create performances that they present on stage.
“A cosplay contest is never the same. Every year, the participants surprise us with their imagination, diligence and courage. "nowJapan" has become an integral part of the Cosplay movement in Lithuania and it is nice to see that the number of fans of Japanese popular culture is constantly growing", says S. Grigorjev, director of "nowJapan".
Contestants compete for the opportunity to represent Lithuania at the European Cosplay contest "EuroCosplay" in London. But that's not the only reason to dust off your rusty superhero armor and sharpen your sword. The participant who receives the most sympathy from the audience and the best evaluations from the judges and receives the "Erabareshi Mono" nomination will be awarded a trip to Japan.
Last year's "Erabareshi Mono" winner Agota Gudelytė (Foxtail) will share her impressions at the festival, who will tell how a colorful costume opened her way to the Land of the Rising Sun.
The festival stage features Japanese experimental music
As every year, nowJapan is ready to pamper fans of Japanese music. Varying between rock, pop and electronic genres, Mayucocoon has conquered the hearts of her fans both in her home country and abroad during her 16-year career.
"Whenever I paint, I hear music in my head. I have to release those melodies into the world," says Mayucocoon about his work.
Having released 4 albums, the artist is an integral part of the Japanese experimental music scene, famous for her unique voice and distinctive sound. Contemporary music creator and performer Tetsuya Shimogawa accompanies the Mayucocoon festival.
They will also delight the visitors of "nowJapan" with their joint musical quests.
The festival of unexpected Japanese culture "nowJapan" will be held on September 9-10 at the exhibition hall "Litexpo".
