See what we did in 2016!
About the performers Red Empire are a rock band from Dublin and Athlone. They have performed live on RTE’s Saturday Night Show, TG4’s Róisín and most of the major radio stations throughout the country. They’ve recently released their debut album, Inhale, and are known for ‘Michibiki’, a Japanese translation of their song ‘Deliver Me’. Irish Shakuhachi player Philip Horan, Japanese Irish harpist Junshi Murakami and Irish guitarist Sean Whelan perform a fusion of Japanese and Irish music. They have been friends and supporters of Experience Japan since 2010. Robbie Walsh is a young Irish bodhrán player who in 2008 became the Dublin, Leinster and All Ireland Champion. Robbie has played with bands and shows including The Hunters, Keeva, B*witched, Blasta, The Jeremiahs, Celtic Céilí, Celtic Legends and Damhsa, entertaining audiences from the US to the Middle East. The Japanese Jazz Guitar Trio came together through Newpark Music Centre. Junya Kameyama, Gennai Iwanaga and Daiki Kuto play jazz but also love arranging and performing Japanese animation music in jazz style.
Some of Ireland’s best cosplayers showcased their creations on the martial arts stage at 2pm.
Artist Shota Kotake drew and painted in anime style.
A traditional Japanese dance, performed by the mothers of students in the Japanese School of Ireland.
Fold paper to make classic origami shapes including the crane.
Members of Haiku Ireland and the Irish Haiku Society gave poetry readings in the Walled Garden.
Our professional face painters brightened the faces of children at the festival!
A familiar game to anyone who’s been to a Sports Day in Japan!
A classic Japanese festival game – fish the yo-yo tsuri (balloon) from the water.
Try on traditional Japanese Yukata and Kimono robes, and take a picture! KOKORO SUSHI BENTO, YAMAMORI, WA CAFÉ, SUSI FOODS, OISHII FOOD, MASAKI NAKAGAWA, ASIA MARKET, P&K FOODS, CACTUS SHIBORI (indigo dyeing) with Mottanai Textiles, GROWING BONSAI TREES with Bonsai Ireland, JAPANESE POTTERY, IKEBANA 1. CODERDOJO, JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION CENTRE (JICE), RAKUGO WITH DR TILL WEINGARTNER, JAPANESE COOKING JOURNEY WITH FIONA UYEMA CODERDOJO, CALLIGRAPHY, JAPANESE CULTURE CLUB Rakugo has been pulling audiences into its spell long before TV and films appeared in Japan and continues to be enjoyed as “sit-down comedy”. Dr Till Weingärtner from the School of Asian Studies of UCC is happy and excited to introduce Rakugo to an Irish audience, starting with an introduction to the genre and a performance of selected stories in English. Till has researched Japanese comedy and performing arts for several years, has organised European performances for professional artists from Japan and is happy to show what he has learnt from the great Rakugo masters of Japan. Experience Japan was delighted to support this event in Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Completing the ‘Choral Series’ were the outstanding Bach Collegium of Japan under the direction of founder Masaaki Suzuki, the internationally renowned and highly reputed Bach performer, organist, harpsichordist, conductor and musicologist. They were joined by a wonderful cast of soloists to perform one of the masterpieces of choral music, Bach’s Mass in B minor. Described as “the greatest musical work of art of all times and nations,” Bach’s thrilling Mass in B minor is the culminating work of his composing career. T.ej, a TEDx-style speaking and networking event with a Japanese twist, was held in UCD with expert talks on: Cuisine and Tea AI and Games Legal and Business Student Life Martial Arts Music, Film and Literature A collaboration between the Embassy of Japan and access>CINEMA, with support from the Ireland Japan Association and the Japan Foundation, the JFF featured a diverse programme of 20 films from some Japan’s most acclaimed filmmakers and was supported by Experience Japan. See the details at www.jff.ie.FESTIVAL DAY – 17 April 2016
Main Stage Events
Cultural Activities & Demonstrations
COSPLAY
GRAFITTI WALL
BON ODORI DANCE
ORIGAMI
POETRY/HAIKU
FACEPAINTING
TAMAIRE/POLE BASKET BALL
YOYO FISHING
YUKATA/KIMONO
Food Stalls & Suppliers
Japanese Crafts
Seminar Series
Information Stalls
Workshops
CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY SEMINAR – 9 April 2016
BACH COLLEGIUM – 12 April 2016
T.ej – 23 April 2016
1. Beyond raw fish: how I fell in love with Japanese food (Ms Fiona Uyema – Food writer and cook)
2. How to make the best tea (Mr Yoshihiro Iguchi – Embassy of Japan in Ireland)
Demonstration: Making tea and enjoying it with sweets
1. Shogi and Artificial Intelligence (Dr Akihiro Kishimoto – IBM Research)
1. Guilty! Life in a Japanese courtroom (Mr Paul Murphy – RTÉ)
2. Do you know…? (Ms Akiko Sato – Enterprise Ireland)
1. What I learned from an international exchange program (Ms Miyuki Suetsugu – DCU)
2. Teaching Japanese to foreigners (Mr Koki Minegishi – DCU)
1. Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu style of Iaido (Mr Nick Johnston)
2. Demonstration: Katori Shinto Ryu kenjutsu (Mr Aidan O’Reilly)
1. The bamboo and Zen are One! (Mr Philip Horan – Shakuhachi player)
2. Performance: Taiko – An icon of Japanese culture (EJ Taiko Team)
3. Fading and Emerging: Japan’s Women Filmmakers (Dr Jennifer O’Meara – NUI Maynooth)
4. Shakespeare and Fukushima (Mr Paul Murray with Ms Kaori Hirashige and Mr So Onose – UCD)
JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL