UCLan welcomes Japan Foundation Deputy Director to annual celebratory event
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has celebrated Japanese language and culture at its third annual Bunkasai Japanese Cultural Festival.
The Deputy Director of Japan Foundation London, Tomoki Akazawa, visited the University for the event and to learn more about UCLan, which boasts the UK’s largest study abroad programme in Japan with the largest number of partner institutions for student exchanges.
Students of J-Soc (Japanese Society), UCLan’s largest paid student society, and UCLan’s Japanese Department also put together language activities, performances such as J-Pop and traditional Japanese dances, Cosplay, calligraphy, Karate, stalls of Kabuki face painting and kimono trials to liven up the whole day event.
The Deputy Director of Japan Foundation London, Tomoki Akazawa, opened the event and gave a guest lecture to UCLan students about how engaging with Japan is beneficial to their futures.
"I would like to thank UCLan for its very warm hospitality and for giving the Japan Foundation the opportunity to participate in its Japan Day."
He said: “I would like to thank UCLan for its very warm hospitality and for giving the Japan Foundation the opportunity to participate in its Japan Day. I was very impressed to see how enthusiastic its students are about studying Japanese language and culture, which is in no small part thanks to the hard work and dedication of Ms Amano and all staff of the Japanese department.”
“The Japan Foundation looks forward to continuing our work with UCLan in the future to support Japanese studies.”
The Director of UCLan’s East Asia Exchange and Senior Lecturer in Japanese, Takako Amano, led the students in organising the event.
She said: “This is the third time that we’ve organised this celebratory event and thanks must go to all the students and staff involved for their hard work for the success of the event. UCLan has the UK’s largest study abroad programme in Japan and I am delighted to welcome Mr Akazawa to Preston and to the University to show him what top quality modern foreign language students we have and can offer.”
"People who know very little about Japan have approached us today to find out more. Japan is a diverse and beautiful country and we want to show this through the Bunkasai festival."
Bradley Procter, Vice-President of the UCLan Japanese Society, commented: “The event is a great way to show other students from across the University what Japanese culture is all about. People who know very little about Japan have approached us today to find out more. Japan is a diverse and beautiful country and we want to show this through the Bunkasai festival.”
View images from the event on UCLan's Flickr gallery.