The Japanese Culture Society of Trinity College organised the Japanese cultural exhibition on the 4th of November 2022 at the Trinity College Main Hall. Being one of the few events dedicated to promoting Trinity’s unique and diverse culture, the Japanese cultural exhibition got highlighted as yet another outstanding event in the Trinity Calendar.
With the extension of an authentic warm welcome attested to the deeply rooted Omotenashi (おもてなし) in the heart of the Japanese culture, the guests enlightened the event with the lighting of the traditional Japanese chōchin (ちょうちん) lanterns marking the official opening of the Japanese Cultural Exhibition for the year 2022.
Sōran Bushi (ソーラン節), a famous Japanese sea shanty, performed by the members of the Japanese Culture Society followed next. The ecstatic dancers displayed through dance choreography elements in a fisherman’s life, like ocean waves, dragging nets, pulling ropes and lifting luggage.
The Japanese culture society, conducting virtual anime exhibitions and many other activities to promote anime art, has honed the interests of anime fans, who are a predominant number within the Society. This event featured a display of a vast collection of anime artwork, including works from the virtual exhibition of 2020 and new works of art featuring an array of hand-drawn anime and manga artwork painted and graphically illustrated by students from grades 6 to upwards.
The ancient colourful, and intricate art of origami occupied a large portion of the exhibition. From well-known anime characters to self-scratched designs of origami, both 3D and traditional, folded into life by students manifesting the innovative nature of Japanese culture on how a piece of paper can create art simply by just giving it folds without the help of any adhesives. The exhibition visitors got to try out this meditative creative art by themselves with the demonstration of Trinity’s young origamists.
As the year 2022 is at the merge of its end, the visitors found an opportunity to foresee how the next year will be for them through participating in the famous Tanabata (たなばた) custom. Tanabata is a summer festival based on an old story about the annual reunion of two lovers in the Milky Way. Per the custom, the exhibitors shared their wishes and thoughts for the upcoming year by hanging colourful strips of Tanzaku (たんざく) on a bamboo tree.
The Culinary Club of Trinity College made its presence by adding flavour to the event through the Japanese food stall. From fluffy Dorayaki stuffed with chocolate, eye-catching, healthy Onigiri, colourful Dango and mouth-watering Yakitori to well-loved Sushi purveyed to devour taste buds with foodstuff from the cultured islands of Japan.
The event featured a Q&A session on Japanese culture, and the karaoke session of Japanese songs that followed was taken in with great enthusiasm by both teachers and students, bringing in a little piece of Japanese musicality and creating the animated Japanese vibe.
The Japanese cultural exhibition 2022 once again created an opportunity for Trinity’s Japanophiles to showcase their talents and their love and passion towards Japan and its culture by taking the Trinity family on a journey exploring the diverse culture of the heavenly islands of Japan
Review by Samiru Herath (Web Content Team)
Event Photographed by the Trinity College Media Unit. (Photographer: Senul Abeysinghe, Shaluka Herath and Theviru Ganewatta)
