The First Japanese Cultural Festival in Kisumu

Xaverian Primary School performing the song “Ue wo Muite Arukoo”

St. Vitalis Nanga Primary School performing the song “Shonen Jidai”

The Japanese Cultural Festival is an annual event that is organised by the Japan Information & Culture Centre (JICC). During the Cultural Festival, the members of the audience are exposed to different aspects of Japan and the Japanese Culture. Since its inception in 2008, the Japanese Cultural Festival has been held in Nairobi County. This year, for the first time, the Japanese Cultural Festival was held outside Nairobi County; it was held in the lakeside city of Kisumu.

The First Japanese Cultural Festival in Kisumu was held on Saturday, 13th September 2014 at the Kisumu Social Centre. The Ambassador of Japan to Kenya, Mr. Tatsushi Terada, received the 400 participants of the cultural festival who included students from various primary and secondary schools within Kisumu county and also members of the public. Also in attendance were Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and a team from Nagasaki University in Japan. The cultural festival was officially opened by H. E. Mr. Tatsushi Terada and Mrs. Jennifer Kere, County Executive Member for Education, Youth, Culture & Social Services, Kisumu County. In their opening remarks, they both acknowledged the fact that relations between Kisumu and Japan have been cordial and they expressed their hope in the further strengthening of the ties in the present and future.

The main event of the cultural festival was a Japanese Chorus Competition by school children in Kisumu County. The students performed various songs by Japanese artists. Inasmuch as the songs were Japanese, the students creatively added a Kenyan touch to their performances. This was seen in the costumes that some of the groups chose to wear and also in their dance on the stage.

Pandi Pieri Primary School performing the song “Tsubasa wo Kudasai”

Diemo Primary School performing the song “Ashita ga Arusa”

Obola Low Cost Mixed Boarding and Day Primary School performing the song “Oji Jiman no Orion Beer”

Following the Japanese Chorus Competition, the audience had an opportunity to visit the various booths where different aspects of the Japanese Culture were being showcased. These booths included: an origami booth where participants were taught to make different objects using a flat sheet of paper, a traditional Japanese games booth where participants were taught some of the games that are played among Japanese children, a shodo booth where participants wrote different Japanese characters using a Japanese calligraphy set, a yukata wearing booth where participants had a chance to try on the Japanese traditional attire and a Japanese green tea tasting booth where participants had the opportunity to have a taste of Japanese green tea.

Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) ready to receive members of the audience at the origami and the traditional Japanese games booth

Students of Xaverian Primary School pose for a photo after writing their names at the calligraphy booth

Ms. Kere and Mr. Nakamura, Director of JICC having a taste of Japanese green tea

Participants at the cultural festival posing for a photo after wearing the yukata

The final item of the day was a karate demonstration by members of the Kenya Karate Federation. After the karate demonstration, there was an award ceremony for the winners of the Japanese Chorus Competition.

While all the participating groups delivered excellent performances, there could only be one winner. The winning school was Obola Low Cost Mixed Boarding and Day Primary School who performed the song “Oji Jiman no Orion Beer” by Begin.

The First Japanese Cultural Festival in Kisumu

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