The beauties of traditional culture - 12th Impact

Music, theater, well-being, art of tea, Origami and so much more: Japan Expo offered true moments of discovery and pleasure with Japanese traditions and lifestyle!

Music & dancing

The cultural stage at Japan Expo allows you to discover typically Japanese performances, with traditional instruments or types of dancing that might be quite surprising but always enchanting.

This summer, you could enjoy Nihon Buyô shows (Alea Jacta Est), traditional dancing dating back to the Edo era along with Shamisen playing (a kind of lute). You have also discovered Bon Odori (Art Levant), folk dancing which can be different depending on which area of Japan it’s from and which is often performed during festivals. A Minyô show (Ensemble Sakura) was organized to present this mix of music, singing and dancing. A Butô - a quite recent type of dancing - performance (Orpheus Creation) was proposed to the rhythm of Shamisen.

Those who love this instrument enjoyed the daily showcases on the booth Village Japon (orgabnized by Rakuten) and surely they did not miss Keisho OHNO, the Samurai of Shamisen, on the main stage to listen to this master mixing the traditional sound of his instrument to electro, pop and groovy rhythms.

Arts & crafts

The Wabi Sabi exhibition (organized by Biken International) offered a trip into Japanese aesthetic values, through traditions and arts and crafts objects straight from Japan. The concept of Wabi Sabi brings together the ephemeral, the incomplete and the imperfect. This exhibition presented dolls, lacquer objects, pottery, porcelain, Haiku, Tanka et and other poems, as well as calligraphies.

Calligraphy was also displayed through performances on stage with two calligraphy artists, Shusui TABA and Renka WATAHIKI. And for those who wanted to give it a try, Manda proposed initiations on his booth, for calligraphy and Sumi-e.

Pigments et arts du monde’s booth presented Nihonga painting, an ancient art using mineral and earth pigments, and Nikawa, organic glue. Delicate and subtle, Origami gave its secrets on a dedicated area managed by the association Tengumi.

Tattoo fans learnt the ancient Japanese techniques with Horimyo, a tattoo artist who showed his work on one of his models, Takeichi HONDA.

The cultural stage opened the doors of Japanese theatre with two different types of performances. While Stéphane FERRANDEZ told “stories fallen from a fan”, sitted on stage according to the technique of Rakugo, Nathalie JENDLY invited you to discover Kamishibai and traditional street tales illustrated by Emaki drawings.

Cultural heritage

For the first time, real Samurai armors from the feudal era were presented on the cultural stage. The association Samurai no Kokoro is aimed at restoring and preserving these armors and shared their passion with you at Japan Expo.

They told you about the Japanese feudal world and the life of Samurai from the Sengoku era. They also organized games and the winners could try one of the armors on.

Lifestyle and well-being

In Japan, preparing tea abides by some rules, according to a ritual, during the tea ceremony, which you could discover at Japan Expo. A conference was given on the cultural stage by Dorothée DE BOISSÉRON. A presentation of green tea also took place as well as the tea ceremony, Ochaji, itself, lead by Thierry DEL SOCORRO. Pigments et arts du monde’s Tea house welcomed all those who wanted to go on with the discovery of this ritual during the four days of the festival.

The symbols of Kimono patterns were explained by Dorothée DE BOISSÉRON during a conference on the cultural stage. You could also attend an initiation to Japanese by Claude YOSHIZAWA.

A moment to relax is always welcome and that is exactly what was expecting you on the well-being area. Reiki or Anma sessions were offered by Institut Reiki and Institut Touch Line. Serenely offbeat Zen masters from Butsu Zen Zone showed you Zazen sitted meditation, on their booth and on stage.

Eventually, strategic players or curious minds could try several games such as Go, Mah-Jong, Othello and Shôgi, with family or friends.