NIHON NO HI | Japan Day

About the event

From the Way of Tea to the Kawaii Fashion Show – or perhaps from refined aristocratic entertainment to the phenomenon of the iconic Godzilla? This year, the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, together with the Ikigai Foundation, invites you to Nihon no Hi, Japan Day, unlike any other before! In addition to program highlights such as swordsmanship demonstrations and tea gatherings, we've added a fresh twist: from Monomi mindfulness workshops, through a lecture on bento, to a kawaii-style fashion show. At the stalls area, fans of Japanese art, crafts, and cuisine will also find something for themselves. The special guest of the event will be sensei Nakagawa Kinji, a master of swordsmanship in the Nakagawa-ryū Battōjutsu style, who also practices tea ceremony in the Omote Senke school style. 📅 Program: - 10:30-12:00 (library): Fan painting | family workshop, Katarzyna Langer Paints and fans, a Japanese tradition! During the workshop, we will decorate uchiwa fans with paints and Japanese papers. Uchiwa fans are not only useful on warm days but also find applications in the kitchen! You'll learn more interesting facts during the workshop. Workshop aimed at children aged 6-12 with guardians. 💰 Entry fee: 30 PLN per person. Tickets available at the Museum's ticket office or online: https://tiny.pl/cr6kvm2n - 11:00-12:00 (conference room): Godzilla: King of Monsters — from Tokyo to Warsaw | lecture, Piotr Urbańczyk A presentation dedicated to the king of monsters, created by Ishirō Honda and Toho Studios, who emerged from Japanese cinema and captured the imagination of audiences worldwide. During the meeting, you'll discover the origins of Godzilla, tracing back to historical events that influenced the creation of the first Japanese monster films. We'll follow the development of the series, its highs and lows, and also explore the presence of the king of monsters in Polish cinema. - 11:30-11:45 (main hall): Kendama – Japanese skill game | demonstration, Urban Sports A simple skill game that has gained the status of a sport and has become a form of art – that's kendama from Japan. Watch Polish professional players perform spectacular tricks and test your own coordination, dexterity, and precision. It's said to be a great way to relieve stress! - 12:00-12:20 (main hall): Festival dance workshop | Sakuramai Poland Sakuramai Poland / 桜舞ポーランド is the only yosakoi dance group in Poland, a dynamic and energetic style straight from Japan. As part of Nihon no Hi, they will lead a festival dance workshop – with simple choreography that we will learn together with the dancers, you can feel the spirit of true Japanese festivals! Sakuramai Poland has been active for years, and their passion and hard work have been recognized – in 2016, they received the title of Official Yosakoi Ambassadors awarded by Kōchi Prefecture. They regularly perform at major events related to Japanese culture in Poland, and their shows are a true explosion of colors, movement, and emotions. - 12:30-13:15 (conference room): By train through Japan — flavors in a box | lecture, Dr. Monika Nawrocka, WO UW Why is traveling by train through Japan considered a form of culinary tourism? Where is the best place to stock up on meals for such a journey? What should you eat in Nagoya, and what in Aomori? We'll seek answers to these and other questions during a lecture on one type of bento (lunch form) called ekiben, and we'll take a virtual train journey through Japan together. - 12:45-14:15 (library): Kasane irome — let's play with colors | workshop, Chie Piskorska Why are there over 500 color names in the Japanese language? Do Japanese people dress in pink during cherry blossom season? Loving nature and living in harmony with it, Japanese people incorporate the colors of nature into their daily lives. Workshop participants will learn about the history of Japanese sensitivity to nature and its colors, and then explore the art of color layering "Kasane-irome (layers of colors)," present in court culture from the 8th-12th centuries. During the workshop, we'll also try to combine colors and imaginatively name these combinations. The instructor will write this name in Japanese with a brush next to the chosen combination of colorful paper strips – creating an original bookmark for each participant! 💰 Entry fee: 40 PLN per person. Tickets available at the Museum's ticket office or online: https://tiny.pl/xx66wtcb - 13:30-14:00 (main hall): Japanese archery kyudō | demonstration, Umemi Foundation Kyūdō (jap. 弓道), or Japanese archery, is not only a sport but also an art rooted in samurai traditions. It is also a space for personal development, meditation, and teamwork – a frequent combination of tradition and modernity in Japanese culture. - 14:00-14:45 (conference room): Nihon ni iku yo! - We're going to Japan! | lecture, Ewa Strebeyko SJO RakuGaku What might surprise us the most when planning an independent tourist trip to Japan? What is worth knowing, what works differently, and is Japan in reality as we imagine it? About microprocessor cards, restaurant food costs, the lack of trash bins, and ubiquitous regulations in Japan, experienced tour guide, Japanologist, and Japanese language teacher, Ewa Strebeyko, will share her insights. - 15:00-15:30 (main hall): Kawaii Fashion Show | show with commentary, Dr. Lily Adamowicz and Lady Sloth A showcase of Japanese alternative fashion, where individuals connected to this scene will present their original styles. The special guest of the event will be Lady Sloth – a Polish brand creating clothing in Lolita Fashion aesthetics and casual styles inspired by Japan. The show will be accompanied by commentary from Dr. Lily Adamowicz, a researcher of Japanese culture and author of the book “Landscape of Fantasy. Harajuku in a Transcultural Perspective.” - 15:30-16:30 (conference room): Cha no yu — tea ceremony demonstration | sensei Kinji Nakagawa Sensei Nakagawa Kinji, a master of swordsmanship in the Nakagawa-ryū Battōjutsu style, will present the Japanese tea ceremony in the Omote Senke school style. During the tea gathering, as in swordsmanship training, the purposefulness and precision of each movement are the result of years of rigorous training. This is a wonderful opportunity to see how Japanese aesthetics, philosophy, and spirituality harmoniously come together. - 15:00-16:30 (library): Monomi — the art of mindfulness and calm | workshop, Witold Rychłowski Can one learn calmness? Despite how unpredictable and complicated the world seems, is it worth trying? According to the workshop author: it is worth it. Because it yields tangible results. It's easier to deal with what you decide to tackle. 💰 Entry fee: 40 PLN per person. Tickets available at the Museum's ticket office or online: https://tiny.pl/nqz_7hxd - 16:45-17:45 (main hall): Tameshigiri and Japanese swordsmanship demonstration | Kenseikan School Tameshigiri, or cutting mats, is a true test of swordsmanship skills. Only those confident in their abilities decide to perform it publicly. And the members of the Kenseikan school invite you to such a spectacular display of strength, speed, distance, and precision! In addition to showcasing the art of cutting, they will also present dynamic techniques of Japanese swordsmanship in the Nakagawa-ryū Battōjutsu style. Admission to demonstrations, lectures, and the market area is free. Workshops are paid. Admission to museum exhibitions is paid separately (reduced ticket – 12 PLN, regular ticket – 20 PLN). Co-organizer: Ikigai https://www.facebook.com/fundacjaikigai