Projects to Introduce Regional Japanese Culture to Various Countries in Europe

March 7, 2012
Japanese

In order to communicate the charm of Japanese cuisine and Japan's regions, including Tohoku, to those overseas as part of reconstruction measures following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been linking up with local governments and private sector organizations and carrying out projects to introduce regional Japanese culture to countries around the world.
As a project to introduce regional culture, through the cooperation with local governments of Iwate Prefecture, in March, the month that marks one year since the earthquake, local performance troupes will give public performances.
It is expected that through these public performances, gratitude will be shown to each country for the support received after the earthquake, the charming culture of Tohoku will be introduced, and an impression will be made regarding the reconstruction of Tohoku.

— Shishiodori Dancing from Tono City, Iwate Prefecture
(Thursday, March 8, in Rome, Italy)
A performance of the Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, folk art of Shishiodori dancing will be held at a Great East Japan Earthquake memorial and reconstruction reception to be held at the Embassy of Japan in Italy on Thursday, March 8. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and other important guests are scheduled to attend.
Note: In addition, ahead of the performance in Rome, on Sunday, March 4, the Shishiodori troupe performed at Japan Expo Sud, the Japanese pop culture event held in Marseilles, France. In addition, on Tuesday, March 6, the troupe performed in Tono City's sister city of Salerno, Italy.

—Toramai Dancing from Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture
(Sunday, March 11, in London, the United Kingdom)
A performance of the Mukaigawara Toramai Dance "Fukokai" and a Taiko performance by Joji Hirota, an artist active in the United Kingdom, will be introduced at a Great East Japan Earthquake memorial and reconstruction reception to be held at the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom on Sunday, March 11, thereby publicizing the reconstruction from the disaster.

—Taiko Drumming from Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture
(Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, 25, in The Hague and Amstelveen, the Netherlands)
A Taiko drumming group from the disaster-affected area of Rikuzentakata City will perform at a Great East Japan Earthquake memorial and reconstruction reception to be held at the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands on Saturday, March 24, and at a flower viewing party to be held in Amstelveen on Sunday, March 25. The performances will be carried out as an expression of gratitude for the support received from the Netherlands and in order to make an impression regarding the reconstruction of Tohoku.

[Reference]
In terms of projects on the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to introduce regional Japanese culture up until now, a Fukushima Prefecture folk art exhibition was organized jointly with Tanagura Town, Fukushima Prefecture in Sparta, Greece (September 27 – October 2, 2011) and an Oshu/Sendai Date Bushotai demonstration was organized jointly with Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture in Thailand (February 23-24, 2012), among other events.

(*The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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