Havana/The Japanese Culture Day proposes three meetings dedicated to literature, visual arts and some of the most representative traditional expressions of Japan. Organized with the participation of the Embassy of Japan in Cuba, the activities will take place at the Casa de Asia Museum, an institution belonging to the Office of the Historian of Havana.
The program will begin with the presentation of the book Of bonsais and hurricanesby the Cuban writer and visual artist Jesús Lara Sotelo, accompanied by a visual arts exhibition from the Hermercado Project. The proposal establishes a dialogue between the artistic sensibilities of Cuba and Japan, two cultures that find in nature and its transformations a recurring source of inspiration.
The second day will be dedicated to shodō, the traditional art of Japanese calligraphy. Under the guidance of Víctor-sensei, children will be able to become familiar with the strokes and learn to write some kanji, characters of Chinese origin that are part of the Japanese writing system.
The program will conclude with the workshop Bring your story to lifetaught by Professor Olga and dedicated to making kamishibai, a traditional Japanese form of storytelling using illustrated plates. Participants will learn to create a butai, a small wooden or cardboard stage that serves to present images while telling a story.
The initiative seeks to bring the Havana public, especially the youngest ones, to different manifestations of Japanese culture through participatory experiences that combine artistic creation, learning and entertainment.
