As part of the cultural projects in cooperation with Addis Ababa University and the JICA Ethiopia Office, the Japan Day Festival was held at Addis Ababa University on November 11, 2023. The festival was being organized to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the commencement of diplomatic ties between Japan and Ethiopia, and to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the dispatching of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and the 30th Anniversary of the full-scale operations of the JICA Ethiopia Office.
The Embassy of Japan, together with Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), organized the Japan Day Festival in Ras Mekonnen Hall of AAU (the same building as the Ethnological Museum on the Main Campus) on November 11, 2023. The festival introduced the public and friends of Japan residing in Addis Ababa and its environs to Japanese culture.
In the opening ceremony of the Japan Day Festival at AAU, Ambassador Ito said: “We used to have the Japan Day Festival in Addis Ababa and Mekelle once a year before the pandemic and the conflicts. It has been a while since the last festivals took place. We are absolutely delighted to finally be back to host a cultural event like this in Addis Ababa”. Worknesh Birru, State Minister of Culture and Sports, on her part underlined the age-old multifaceted relations between Ethiopian and Japan, adding that Japan has been supporting Ethiopia’s development endeavors.
The opening ceremony on November 11 presented a mesmerizing blending of Japanese music with Ethiopian music by the Moseb Cultural Music Group led by HaddinQo, the famous Ethiopian Masinqo player. The Japanese community also performed a traditional Japanese dance, which many students and guests joined, while Ethiopian Judo masters and children demonstrated Judo, a Japanese martial art. Booths demonstrating a Japanese tea ceremony and an Ethiopian coffee ceremony showcased cultural similarities between the two countries.
Furthermore, the Japanese Film Festival was held on November 9 at the Alliance Ethio Francais in Addis Ababa. In addition, another Japanese film screening took place on November 9 and 10 at the Alliance Ethio Francais Addis, and three films were screened at AAU on November 11 as part of the Japan Day Festival. The genres of the films were diverse, including Science Fiction, family drama, comedy, and rom-coms.
The event was also to have a belated celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the dispatching of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) last year and the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the full-scale establishment of the JICA Ethiopia Office this year.
Moreover, the event also commemorates the diplomatic relations between Japan and Ethiopia that started on 15 November1930. The two countries’ relationship has been sustained for over 90 years, which I would like to cherish with all of you today. Japan and Ethiopia have had many cultural exchanges up to date. For instance, after Emperor Haile Selassie was mesmerized by the beauty of Japanese gardens during his visit to Japan in 1956, he made his own Japanese Garden and Tea House at his own Palace, by inviting a Japanese architect and utilizing Ethiopian workers and local materials said Japanese Amb. to Ethiopia.
During the event, the Japanese community performed a Japanese “Bon-Odori” (a traditional Japanese dance) and Ethiopian Judo masters and children gave a “Judo” (Japanese martial arts) demonstration. In addition, the Ethiopian music unit “Moseb Cultural Music Group” performed Ethio-Japanese folk music, and Ethiopian dancers performed a participatory Ethiopian dance with other guests. Other activities included stalls with Japanese food and traditional Japanese festival games (origami, kendama, ring toss, chopstick bean grabbing, etc.) and booths for tea and coffee ceremonies, providing an opportunity to compare Japanese and Ethiopian cultures and experience the similarities between them. On the day of the event, roughly 1,000 Ethiopian citizens, students from Addis Ababa University and foreigners came to enjoy the Japanese cultural experience. It is hoped that this event will increase the number of people interested in Japanese culture in the future.
The Japanese Film Festival was also held in Dire Dawa on 26-28 October 2023 as part of the Japan Foundation’s Japanese Film Screening Programme, with the cooperation of Alianse Ethio Francais and Addis Ababa University. In Allianse Ethio Francais Dire Dawa, three Japanese films were screened over three days, providing an opportunity for young people and Ethiopian citizens living in regional cities who do not have many opportunities to experience Japanese films to be exposed to Japanese culture through Japanese films.
In Addis Ababa, the film festival was held on 9-10 November at the Allianse Ethio Francais Addis Ababa, with an opening event on the first day, 9 November. Ethiopian citizens, cultural figures, diplomatic missions and others (about 120 visitors in total) came to enjoy the Japanese films. On the 11th, Japanese films were screened at Addis Ababa University as part of the Japan Day Festival, which was held on the same day, attracting a total of about 150 visitors.
BY NAOL GIRMA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2023
