Bunkasai – Japanese Culture Festival to be held in the University of Veliko Tarnovo

For the twenty-second year, the Veliko Tarnovo University will host the Japanese Culture Festival. Guests of the event will be welcomed with many surprises by students on April 13th at 12:00 o’clock in the Aula of the university.

In addition to demonstrations of karate-do, aikido, kendo and iaido, guests will also learn about Japanese symbolism and about the Japanese art of tying – Shibari. The Japanese Dance “Yossakoy” will be presented for the first time, and Japanese language students will perform songs of famous Japanese bands. In the foyer of the Aula and outside there will be stalls with origami, calligraphy, chess “Go”, kimonos, toys, Japanese food, pixel art, handmade accessories, posters, souvenirs, portrait painting, kpop and jpop related merchandise and more.

There will be culinary treats from the Japanese cuisine but they will be in limited quantities. Guests will have the opportunity to try miso soup, the traditional sushi and onigiri, and for dessert – refreshing drinks such as Coffe Jelly and “dango” rice balls.

The festival will end with a Cosplay Contest – a long-awaited event for fans of Japanese animation (“anime”) and comics (“manga”) where people turn into their favourite characters.

Official guests of the event will be His Excellency Mr Masato Vatanabe, Ambassador of Japan and Mrs Missaki Nishimura, a cultural attache to the Japanese Embassy. Massato Vatanabe will reveal details of the cultural events that are going on in the old capital in connection with the triple jubilee in the Japanese-Bulgarian bilateral relations. This year at the Japanese Culture Festival, especially for students and youngsters interested in majors with Japanese language at the Veliko Tarnovo University and training opportunities in Japan, there will be a meeting with lecturers and current Japanese students in cabinet 411 from 14:45 to 15:15.So if you have ever been fascinated by the Japanese culture make sure to stop by the Japanese festival at the Veliko Tarnovo University “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”.