IWATE, Japan, Oct. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Japonismes 2018: Souls in Resonance was held from October 18 to 22 in and around Paris in commemoration of the 160th anniversary of friendship between France and Japan. Iwate Prefecture, known as the "golden country," presented a commemorative reception, traditional performing arts performances, and gastronomy in numerous appealing events that were a great success.
A program to introduce Japanese culture, Japonismes was held in and around Paris, the capital of art, to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Japan-French friendship. The event gained a lot of attention for being a cultural and art combined festival through which the people of France are able to "learn about the Japanese culture that is not yet known in the world."
Participating in the event was Iwate Prefecture, located in Japan's Tohoku region. Iwate Prefecture engaged local French audiences in a spirit of hospitality with a program that included gastronomy and sightseeing spots such as the World Heritage site of Hiraizumi, as well as dances such as the sansa odori and onikenbai, which can only be made meaningful to audiences by genuine performers.
Supporting development of Iwate Prefecture by attracting tourism and exchanges in culture and the performing arts
In Japonismes 2018: Souls in Resonance, traditional performing arts from Iwate were performed in various venues in Paris. These included the onikenbai (devil's sword dance), sansa odori, shishi odori (deer dance), kagura (traditional Shinto dancing and music), and toramai (tiger dance). In addition to this, program events focusing on the offerings of sake brewed in Iwate Prefecture or the photography of costumes used in traditional performing arts were also held.
Iwate Prefecture presented a positive image of its efforts working towards a range of future events: the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 2019 Sanriku Disaster Recovery Project, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games, promotion of the International Linear Collider, and inscription of the Jomon Archaeological Sites on the World Heritage list. It is anticipated that the result will be an increase of tourists to Iwate Prefecture, which could boost sales for prefectural products and the development of exchanges in the fields of culture, art, and sport.
The Reception Event
The reception -- A Gathering of Gratitude, Iwate -- was hosted by Iwate Prefecture on Thursday, October 18th at the Maison de l'Alsace. It was attended by many of those invited, including members of the French government; representatives of the cultural, sports, and tourism industries; and commercial producers. The reception encompassed a variety of components -- the greeting and presentation by Iwate Prefectural Governor Takuya Tasso, greetings by guests, an introduction to the performing arts of Iwate, wanko soba tasting, Iwate-produced sake tasting, and the serving of dishes made with Iwate's produce.
Workshops and performances of folk performing arts
On Friday, 19th October, workshops, performances of folk performing arts, and cultural presentations were held at the House of Culture of Japan in Paris on the theme of understanding regional culture. On Saturday, October 20th, a festival and dances of traditional performing arts were presented at Jardin d'Acclimatation. Booths were also set up during the Japonismes 2018 in Jardin d'Acclimatation to promote tourism to Iwate Prefecture. Many local French people took part in the events.
Iwate Prefecture is looking forward to having tourists from France visiting Iwate more actively thanks to a cultural and artistic event such as Japonismes 2018.
Iwate Prefecture Basic Information
Iwate Prefecture (Takuya Tasso, Iwate Prefectural Governor, 10-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture)
Official website: http://www.pref.iwate.jp/about/language.html
Attractions and sights in Iwate Prefecture
![Young women dressed in the traditional attire of Guizhou ethnic minorities welcome guests attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 Colorful Guizhou Culture and Tourism Paris Promotion Week in Paris on Friday. [Photo provided to China Daily]](https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2397502/Young_women_dressed_traditional_attire_Guizhou_ethnic_minorities_guests_attending.jpg?p=medium600)
