Let's celebrate Japanese culture!

Monday 25 August 2014

10:30 am to 5:30 pm

Venue: The Midland Hotel, Peter Street, Manchester M60 2DS

Japan Day is organised by Japan Society North West and the Embassy of Japan in the UK

Japan Day

Japan Day is a showcase for everything relating to Japanese Culture, both traditional and modern. It is held once every two years, and alternates between Manchester and Liverpool. It is a free public event.

Tea Ceremony

For the first time, Japan Day will include an authentic Tea Ceremony! You can see a tea ceremony at 12:40 pm and 3:05 pm.

Delicious Japanese Food

Japan Day will be occupying a total of three large rooms at the Midland Hotel, one of which will be dedicated to Japanese Food. Sushi Craft will be selling sushi, okonomiyaki and yakisoba, while Yuzu will be selling obento. And there will be a range of delicious Japanese sweets and desserts from Sweet Octopus.

Fascinating Japanese Culture

On stage there will be traditional Japanese music, with koto, shamisen and taiko drumming performances throughout the day.

There will be demonstrations of a range of Japanese martial arts, including kendo, ju-jutsu, kyudo and iaido. Demonstrations start at 11:00 am and are repeated from 1:30 pm.

We haven't forgotten modern culture, with a number a talented manga artists showing their work. Harajuku fashion will be available from Tokyo Royale, and you can get the latest anime merchandise from AnimUK.

Cosplay Competition

The Cosplay competion begins at 1:30 pm.  If you want to take part be sure to read the Cosplay Event Schedule and Guidelines.

Rakugo Comic Storytelling

In another first for Japan Day, there will be a performance of traditional Japanese comic storytelling by Katsura Sunshine. Sunshine will be performing at 3:50 pm.

What is Rakugo?

Hilarious. Fascinating. Unique. A 400-year-old tradition of comic storytelling, Rakugo is more popular today in Japan than it every was. A lone comedian in a Kimono kneels on a cushion and entertains the audience with his original comic anecdotes, before launching into a traditional story populated by hilarious and quirky and yet oddly familiar characters. The only props are the Japanese fan and hand towel.

To become a professional Rakugo storyteller, one must be accepted as apprentice to a Master, and serve for three to four years: no days off, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, carrying the bags, folding kimonos, strict curfew, no drinking, no smoking, no dates, completely subsuming any sense of personal individuality. Anyone who does this for three years will become a funny person. Anecdotes of the good old apprenticeship days become comic material for the audience’s hilarity! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the only non-Japanese today to have been accepted and gone through this gruelling and traditional apprenticeship!