The Lincoln Japan Festival will be returning for its fifth year on Saturday 17th February, with a variety of workshops and events with something for everyone. The festival started in 2012 as a humble but vibrant film festival and has expanded over the years into an arts festival that offers Lincolnshire residents the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and traditions.
Lincoln based non-profit Blueprint: Film Foundation saw the growing demand for low cost art and cultural activity within the city and have been working hard to keep bringing back the much-loved festival, to the city each year.
Lincoln Japan Festival 2018 will be running over Valentine’s weekend, therefore perhaps providing some engaging alternatives to your usual romantic activities. For example, you can learn the art of Ikebana —Japanese flower arranging — and create a stunning, minimalist arrangement to take home to your loved one. Or you can just make a lovely display for yourself, and why not? You deserve it!
For families with young children, looking for ways to keep them entertained, A Thousand Cranes theatre company will be visiting with ‘The Little Mochi Man’ on Saturday afternoon, at The Blue Room. This brand-new theatre show will include two performers, origami puppets, animation and original music — this is the perfect introduction to Japan for young children. Entry to the workshops and theatre show will be £5.00 per adult and £3.00 per child.
During the festival, Japanese practitioners will travel from all over the UK to showcase their artwork, creativity and culture, providing first hand experiences that are interesting, informative and entertaining. Due to the popularity and high demand from last year’s festival, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony will be held again! Buddha Maitreya of Pureland Japanese Garden in Newark will bring this truly unique experience to Lincoln. Maitreya will be performing a traditional tea ceremony and teaching the history and traditions behind the ceremony. Afterward, he will perform a short Haiku reading, and spectators will be invited to try some of the traditional antioxidant-rich Matcha tea.
Feast your eyes on the full programme, and book your tickets on the Japan Festival website — www.japanfestival.co.uk. If you have any questions, get in touch with the festival organisers on Twitter — @japanfest or via email — admin@japanfestival.co.uk. The project is supported by Awards for All, Sasakawa Foundation, Japan Foundation and the Japan Society.