From the Press

Showcasing the Best of Japan in Bengaluru

By Express News Service |Published: 16th February 2015 06:00 AM |Last Updated: 16th February 2015 04:34 AM

 

BENGALURU: The 10th edition of the Indo-Japanese cultural extravaganza ‘Japan Habba’ was held in the city on Sunday. In keeping with the theme ‘Uchiwa’, the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium at Central College, where the event was held, was decorated with traditional Japanese hand fans made of bamboo and paper.

Students performed dance sequences based on contemporary and traditional Japanese dance forms, as well Indian dances Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, to a cheering audience. The audience got to hear a variety of songs in Japanese, Kannada, English and Hindi, with the highlight being the Japanese singing in Kannada and Indians singing in Japanese. Some of the highlights included a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, demonstrations of origami and kirigami techniques, calligraphy, ikebana, a cosplay with anime characters and others.

[su_highlight background=”#edec37″]Srividhya A, chairman of the Japan Habba 2015 Organising Committee, said the essence of the day-long event was the vibrant amalgamation of two distinct cultures, opening a window to the best of both countries. Since its inception in 2005, the Habba has aimed at promoting Indo-Japanese relations and providing a platform for people to appreciate the cultural heritage of the two nations.[/su_highlight]

 

This year, the festival was organised in association with the Japanese Consulate Office in Bengaluru, The Japan Foundation in New Delhi, Bangalore Nihongo Kyooshi-kai (Japanese Language Teachers Association, Bengaluru), Bangalore University, Koyo Japanese Speaking Group, the Japanese Association of Bangalore and the Indo-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Karnataka).