Fun at the Japan Festival
The Embassy of Japan, in collaboration with Wellington City Council and Asia New Zealand Foundation, recently held its biennial Japan Festival in Wellington.
Victoria at the Festival
Victoria University’s School of Languages and Cultures (SLC) always has a strong presence at the Japan Festival. This year, 300-level Japanese students managed the SLC information booth and also ran a stall for Overload, a popular culture convention held annually in Auckland. Festival Day (26 November) was MC’d by Dr Emerald King, programme director for the Japanese Programme at Victoria. With generous sponsorship from Overload, King also organised and hosted a Cosplay Competition, which proved to be a hit among participants and audience members, alike.
The two-week long Festival celebrates the relationship between New Zealand and Japan, featuring a variety of cultural performances and displays, including traditional art, music, dance, calligraphy, flower arrangement, tea ceremony, martial arts and an exhibition of eco-friendly Japanese cars.
Photo courtesy of Nyxling Photography.