J-Pop Festival

2015/10/8
(Left to Right) H.E. Amb. Tatsushi Terada, Mr. Nicholas ole Moipei, Mr. Wakiihuri, Ms. Akojima, Ms. Satomi and Mr. Nakamura
A cross-section of members of the audience singing the song ’Kaze ni Naritai’
A group photo of the contestants, sponsors and officials of the Embassy of Japan
A cross-section of the audience watching one of the Anime screened during the J-Pop Festival
On Friday, October 02, 2015 and Saturday, October 03, 2015, the Japan Information & Culture Centre held the J-Pop Festival. This year’s J-Pop festival was a mesh between the Anime Festival which has been held since 2013 and a J-Pop Nodojiman and Cosplay Competiton.

Friday, October 02, 2015 and the morning of Saturday, October 03, 2015 were exclusively set aside for the screening of Japanese anime. Anime refers to Japanese animations. Over the course of these two days, five anime movies were shown. These were: Genius Party, Genius Party Beyond, After School Midnighters, Mind Game and Princess Arete.
 
One of the competitors Cosplayed as ‘No Face’ from the Anime Spirited Away
Some of the Competitors from the Cosplay Competition
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 03, 2015, a J-Pop Nodojiman and Cosplay Competition were held. The competition was officially opened by H.E. Mr. Tatsushi Terada, Ambassador of Japan to Kenya and Mr. Nicholas ole Moipei, 2015 JAMAFEST Director. In their opening remarks, they both reiterated the strong cultural ties between Kenya and Japan for example  in 1990’s when Japan provided Audio-Visual Equipment with the Grant Assistance Scheme and more recently with the refurbishment of the National Theatre in which the Japanese Company, Mitsui and Co. donated the stained glass window on the side of the stairs.

Following the opening remarks, the Cosplay Competition was held. Cosplay is short for costume play and involves dressing and acting as popular characters from television and film.
 
Two of the competitors of the J-Pop Nodojiman singing a Japanese song
Two of the Contestants giving a Post-Performance interview
After the Cosplay Competition was the J-Pop Nodojiman. Nodojiman is a Japanese Singing Competition. The J-Pop Nodojiman limited the music selected by the competitors to the J-Pop genre of Japanese music.
 
Mr. Douglas Wakiihuri performing the song ‘Hakuna Matata’
Winners of the Cosplay Competition with Mr. Nakamura, Director of the Japan Information & Culture Centre
As the judges compiled the results of the two competitions, Mr. Douglas Wakiihuri, former world marathon champion, entertained the members of the audience with the song “Hakuna Matata” which is his own composition. Members of the audience also sang together the Japanese song “Kaze ni Naritai” by The Boom.

The J-Pop Festival closed with the announcement of the winners of both the Cosplay Competition and the J-Pop Nodojiman.
 
Winners of the Beauty Award pose for a photo with Ms. Akojima, Director, Rohto-Mentholatum (Kenya) Limited
The winner of the J-Pop Nodojiman receiving her award from H.E. Ambassador Terada

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