Photo: Collected
The ‘Japan Festival’ has been held in Dhaka again after a long break of seven years.
The Embassy of Japan said in a press release today that the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh organised ‘Japan Festival 2026’ at the Shilpakala Academy last Friday in cooperation with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The event presented the colourful forms of Japan’s performing arts, martial arts, cuisine and traditional culture before the Bangladeshi audience.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi and Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury inaugurated the festival.
After the inauguration, the audience enjoyed various aspects of Japanese cultural performances. These included demonstrations of the traditional martial arts ‘karate’ and ‘kendo’.
Japanese musical duo ‘Bajna Beat’ performed music jointly with Bangladeshi artistes, creating a wonderful blend of the musical traditions of the two countries.
The cultural programme ended with a performance by traditional Japanese dancer Senju Einojo.
Alongside the stage performances, the audience got the opportunity to directly enjoy and practise various aspects of Japanese tradition, including the Japanese tea ceremony ‘sado’.
Bonsai and ikebana exhibitions were organised on the festival premises. Guests also tasted Japanese food prepared by the chef of the Embassy of Japan.
Alongside this, students interested in higher education in Japan got the opportunity to talk to counsellors about the opportunities and facilities for studying there.
The festival, besides giving Bangladeshi visitors the opportunity to directly enjoy the diversity and richness of Japanese culture, plays an important role in further deepening cultural exchange between the two countries and mutual understanding between their peoples.
