Japanese Festival celebrates cultural harmony | The Express Tribune

KARACHI:

The Consulate-General of Japan hosted the Japanese Festival 2025 in Karachi, attracting a lively audience of students, youth, and leading social and business personalities who gathered to celebrate Japanese culture and its growing appeal in Pakistan.

The festival opened with a welcoming address by Japan’s Consul-General Hattori Masaru, who praised the public’s enthusiasm for Japanese traditions and arts. He said the purpose of the event was to promote cultural exchange and strengthen people-to-people ties between Japan and Pakistan, describing the festival as a bridge of friendship that deepens mutual understanding.

The day-long celebration featured a range of activities showcasing Japan’s diverse cultural heritage. The programme included a ‘Cosplay competition’, the traditional ‘Bon Dance’, an ‘Ikebana exhibition’ highlighting the Japanese art of flower arrangement, a ‘Bonsai show’, and an ‘Origami workshop’ that attracted participants of all ages.

Explaining the cultural significance of the ‘Bon Dance’, Hattori said it symbolises a tribute to the spirits of ancestors and represents the soul of Japanese culture. Pakistani and Japanese participants jointly performed the dance, drawing applause from the audience for their graceful coordination and expression of cross-cultural unity.

A ‘Pak–Japan Friendship Concert’ was also held as part of the festival, featuring popular Pakistani singer, who performed alongside a member of the consulate staff. Their collaboration was warmly received, underscoring the shared passion for music that connects the two nations.

Students from various schools attended in large numbers, taking part enthusiastically in workshops and performances. Many described the festival as a unique opportunity to experience Japan’s creative traditions first-hand, calling it both entertaining and educational.

Prominent business and community figures were also present and lauded the consulate’s efforts to enhance cultural and economic relations between the two countries. They said such initiatives promote goodwill, tourism, and bilateral cooperation beyond trade.

In his concluding remarks, Consul-General Hattori said the Japanese Festival was not only a celebration of art and culture but also a symbol of the enduring friendship between Japan and Pakistan.

He expressed gratitude to the Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association, the Pakistan-Japan Business Forum, Ikebana groups, the Bonsai Association, and volunteers, whose collective efforts made the event possible.

He added that Japan would continue to promote cultural exchanges through similar events in the future, reaffirming that people-to-people connections remain at the heart of Japan-Pakistan relations.