Japanese Festival

OtakuCy is proud to announce 'A Japanese Festival' aiming at celebrating a fusion of both traditional and modern Japan with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Greece and our many participants.

OtakuCy will attempt to decorate the Japanese Festival akin to a traditional matsuri (using elements such as paper lanterns, koinobori and red & white table decorations).

The Japanese Festival will include:

• Bujinkan Dojo of Sensei Elias Charalambous will be providing live ninjutsu demonstrations along with the assistance of his dojo’s students in both armed and unarmed disciplines

• Cyprus Go Association will be teaching visitors how to play Go

• East Asian Film & TV Drama Appreciation Society (http://www.facebook.com/groups/297593273601208) will be providing home cooked traditional Japanese festival snacks and handicrafts such as festival fans

• Miguel Matayoshi will be running an origami workshop

• Loris Lysiotis will be demonstrating his love of Japanese calligraphy by decorating paper, hands and faces alike

• Local manga artists will come together to show their latest character and story board ideas and educate the public about the manga art style. There will also be a table available with paper and pens for visitors to try their hand at this popular graphic style. (Artists: Christis Christoforou, Stavros Christoforou, Stella Violari, Theodora Andarti, Orfeas Ganitis)

• Pokemon & Yu Gi Oh TCG societies will be inviting younger visitors to learn how to play two of the most wildly popular trading card games of recent generations

• Leonidas Georgiou will be singing Enka favourites (such as Sensei by Masako Mori), live, later in the evening.

• Manga & Book Library: An area aimed at relaxation covered in pillows, bean bags and throws so that people may lay back and peruse OtakuCy’s large Japan-related book & magazine library.

• Throughout the night there will be showings of documentaries about Japan as well as short films and artistic anime cuts. A mixture of traditional and popular Japanese music will be played throughout the day.

• OtakuCy’s members will be attempting to provide traditional festival games such as kingyo-sukui (goldfish scooping) as well as a portable video game meetup and console set up focusing on favourite Japanese video games.

• The environment is cosplay & yukata friendly! A number of participants will be donning festival yukatas and happi (traditional festive wear) while the general public will be encouraged to join in either as their favourite pop culture characters or in kimonos and yukatas or other traditional dress.

• One member of OtakuCy will be circulating in full Kabuki dress and behaving very much in-character for the passers-by.

• Tea brewing demonstrations and a range of Japanese green teas and ice teas will be on offer with thanks to Brew Tea & Lounge Bar!

• Women’s Federation for World Peace will be present with a short video presentation of the visit by a group of Japanese children (from the disaster-struck areas of Japan) to Cyprus last winter.