4th Japan Festival: The Biggest Celebration Of Japanese Culture Is Back

The countdown to the 4th Japan Festival has begun! Whether you're passionate about the pop culture of Japan or aspects of the Japanese tradition, the festival's rich program will fascinate you!

The works of twenty-four artists, collectors and groups present a panorama of the Land of the Rising Sun in the Japan Festival art exhibition. The exhibition includes sumi-e, or Japanese ink painting, with minimalist creations and well-balanced brushstrokes in grey tones, paintings and watercolour, prints, miniatures, and stippling, that draw inspiration from the rich Japanese folklore and mythology. Original manga will also be on display, as well as tattoo art, Ikebana flower arrangements, and tiny Bonsai trees, the living pieces of art filled with nature’s life force. Creations of Japanese Shodo calligraphy will also be on display, masks that travel through the space-time of Japan, photography, origami paper compositions, and authentic Japanese kimono, the famous silk garments of unparalleled craftsmanship and aesthetics.

Participants: Michalis Odysseas Yiakoumakis (sumi-e) | Chrysoula Tzemanaki (sumi-e) | | Mizuki Imamura (calligraphy) | Chrystala Karaisaridou (ikebana) | Hellenic Bonsai Club (bonsai) | Antigoni Damigou (watercolours) | Katerina Thanasoula (painting) | Stelios Prezerakos (photography) | Dimitris Galanakis (stippling) | Artisan's Order (3D masks) | Lambros Tsiknas (origami) | Alexandra Papailia (origami) | Yoko Suzuki (kimono) | Kelly Stavropoulou (painting) | Akis Stavridis (painting) | Thanasis Kokkas (tattoo, painting) | Odysseas Theodoratos (manga) | Krystallia Ioannidou (photography) | Giorgos Nipiro (photography) | Papagos - Cholargos Photography Club (photography) | Elisso Theochari (printmaking) | Ioanna Manousopoulou  (miniatures) | Dimitris Rapakousios (kimono) | Panos Bakoyannis (cosplay photography) | Exhibition curator: Arthub

Whether it's an elaborate origami, a ceramic repaired with kintsugi that looks ever so elegant thanks to its cracks and flaws, or watoji, the traditional Japanese bookbinding, the traditional Japanese arts and crafts are known for their legendary ingenuity and skill, along with their outstanding aesthetics. The Japan Festival dedicates part of its events to these virtuosos of the genre.

Wellness in body and spirit, spiritual uplifting, but also being methodic in achieving goals have a special place in Japan Festival through workshops on the concept of Ikigai in coaching by the Greek-Japanese Andriana Kalfa-Ubunuki, on Reiki by Naoko Ishikawa, and Shiatsu by Maria Papathanasiou.

Dance, mobilization and play invite the guests to discover a playful, and sometimes introspective side of the festival through its tribute in the performing arts in the workshops, on the tatami or on the main stage! Experience the solo storytelling of rakugo and kobanashi, discover carefree exercise through Sports Chanbara which is for people of any age or fitness level, indulge in the grace of Bon Odori Japanese traditional dances or the sophisticated Butoh dance, and experience the energy of London Okinawa Sanshinkai with Okinawan dances and music!

Music unites people and could not be missing from the Japan Festival! Visitors will have the opportunity to attend concerts with pop vibes and inspired by anime with Sakana Mepa, to be enchanted by the ethereal breaths of the Japanese Shakuhachi flute with Gerasimos Demovasilis, to be captivated by the soulful performance and emotion of enka music by L J English or to discover the urban sounds and experimentation of Citizen Jim Band with their musical influences from Japan!

Visitors to the Japan Festival will be able to explore the country, its customs, and the educational opportunities that Japan offers. Visitors will be able to learn about the scholarships of the Japanese government and the experiences of the fellow students, learn about the Japanese sword as a work of art, or wear an authentic yukata and - why not - have their picture taken with it!

Japan is a country where technology blends harmoniously with tradition, the rhythms of modern life coexist with the serenity of Zen, and pop culture meets the rich Japanese history. Japan Festival embraces the pop culture of Japan with its fanciful manga, captivating anime and cosplay, thus it has lined up a Live streaming session with the Kyoto International Manga Museum, it has organized a manga workshop by AKTO Art & Design College, as well as a manga competition, while the main stage will be filled with unique cosplayers transformed into favorite characters from anime, manga or video games. The Cosplay Parade, coordinated by FullHouse Team and Dazzling Yvaine is one of the highlights of Japan Festival and an opportunity for visitors to experience the magic of cosplay, with a spectacle full of fantasy, original costumes, spectacular choreography and the authentic atmosphere of cosplay.

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To watch the promo video, please CLICK HERE!

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