Series of festivities are all set for the Philippine-Japan Friendship Month, which is going to be held in the Queen City of the Sounth - Cebu City.
Philippine-Japan Friendship Month Celebrations in Cebu
Carlo Carrasco, On July 25, 2012
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A series of activities are all set to happen at Ayala Center Cebu next month celebrating this year’s Philippines-Japan Friendship Month in the province.
The Japan Film Festival
To begin with, the annual Japan Film Festival will open in Cebu beginning August 7 until August 12. A total of 10 movies will be played at Ayala Center Cebu cinema 4 and admission is free for film buffs to enjoy.
The Japan Festival 2012 – a celebration of arts, music, entertainment
In celebration of culture, the Japan Festival 2012 will be held for two days on August 11 and 12 at the mall’s activity center.
Spectators will be treated to a lineup of performances from Japan’s 17-member Wako Daiko Drum Club, which has an outstanding history of well received acts while touring parts of Europe and America.
Not to be outdone is the showcase of the Awa Odori, a traditional Japanese dance, which will be performed by several Japanese and local dancers. Each performer will be wearing the Yukata summer kimonos.
In addition, a cosplay (costume play) event will be held as well with local college students doing their part introducing popular anime characters to spectators and participants. Lastly, a demonstration of karate will take place and it will be conducted by a certified instructor from the Japan Karate Association (JKA).
Philippines-Japan Friendship Celebration
Passion drives the celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month in Cebu this year and is related to the local community’s interest to learn many things from the culture of Japan while at the same time, it also marks Japan’s deep gratitude to the Province of Cebu for its big support for the nation’s recovery from the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake.
On other matters, Cebu itself remains a popular destination for Japanese tourists and expats.
For the first five months of the year, the Philippines attracted 167,410 Japanese tourists, which is a 7.1% increase from the same period of 2011. The figure is also worth 9.2% of the 1.8 million foreign tourists the nation attracted from January to May.
