Expo 2020 Dubai: Japan to celebrate National Day with folk songs, cultural parade

Japan will celebrate its National Day on December 11 as part of Expo 2020 Dubai’s continued efforts to promote its participants’ cultural diversity.

An extensive calendar of entertainment will showcase Japan’s multi-faceted traditions as they continue their efforts to drive their global cultural agenda.

Hosted by Expo 2020, the official ceremony will be attended by a delegation from Japan as well as the UAE. Official flag hoisting will be officiated with speeches by representatives from Japan and the UAE, after which Japanese cultural performances will welcome guests and visitors alike.

A dramatic welcome awaits visitors as they encounter Japanese culture at all main gates of Expo 2020. Shoten, a Japanese taiko drumming troupe, will usher guests into the wonderful world of tradition at 2020 Plaza, while at Sun Plaza, students from Japanese School in Dubai will perform Nanchu Soran to Japanese folk song "Soran-bushi".

Guests will enjoy "Sumi-e and Calligraphy" at Sea Plaza and watch an artist draw letters and pictures on a large sheet of Washi paper using ink and water, combining the traditional calligraphy called Shodo with the Asian art of ink wash painting called Suiboku-ga.​

At Earth Plaza, masterful demonstration of Aikido, Japanese martial art, by members from Zanshinkan Aikido Dubai will take place giving visitors a rare view of this technique of self-defense.

Marching through the Expo site, visitors will witness Japan’s unique and distinctive culture as uniformed attendants from Japan Pavilion join traditional performers, taiko drummers, Aikido and Shodo artists.

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The parade will express the rich culture of Japan, where the next Expo will be hosted in 2025, and will bridge connection from Dubai to Osaka, Kansai.

Japanese culture will become a focal point of the Japan Day festivities at Expo 2020 Dubai. Visitors will experience a fascinating line-up of traditional programs including "Ikebana", art of Japanese flower arrangement and "Go" an abstract strategy traditional board game hosted by The Nihon Ki-in. "Go", founded over 2500 years ago, is believed to be the oldest board game in the world yet remains popular to the present day.

Sight and Sound of Japan by Takekawa Gakuen and Tomoe-kai will present multiple workshops incorporating music, dance, flower, as well as a fascinating presentation of Japanese bride and Yukata, a summer Kimono.

• Dubai