More than 800 students and community members filled the Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on October 25 for the annual Nippon Culture Day. The event showcased a vibrant blend of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. Organized by the Japanese section of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL), the annual showcase offers cultural immersion for Hawaiʻi high schoolers, college students and members of the public.
Participants had the chance to dive into various Japanese art forms and practices through interactive workshops on topics such as calligraphy, ikebana (flower arranging), Okinawan language and manga/anime drawing. For those interested in strategy, there were sessions dedicated to igo, a classic Japanese board game.
“What we hope to accomplish with Nippon Culture Day is to expose students and the community to Japanese culture in all its dazzling diversity. Many are learning Japanese language and interested in pop culture products like anime and manga, but here they will get a taste of everything from daily cultural rituals to ancient court music,” said Andre Haag, a professor of Japanese literature and associate chair at EALL.
Perpetuating classic sounds
Audiences were treated to the soothing sounds of the koto, a 13-stringed zither, and the sanshin, an Okinawan three-stringed instrument. Three student musicians from UH Mānoa’s Center for Okinawan Studies (COS) were featured sanshin performers on stage.
Adding depth to the event, a high school student visiting from Japan offered insights into classical Japanese literature, discussing how iconic Japanese authors drew heavily from nature to help shape their narratives.
Nippon Culture Day is co-sponsored by the UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies and COS. Located within the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters, the EALL department has hosted the free event for more than 20 years.
