17th Japanese Days
As usual, the 17th Japanese Days will be held at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz (Building T, Rewolucji 39). The KNOWLEDGE ZONE, where, under the slogan “Get to know Japan”, lectures on Japanese culture, politics and everyday life will be held, will constitute the main point of the event. The topics of the speeches will include, among other things: international art projects (Polish-Ainu grandfathers), meibutsu, or famous things in Japanese culture, the Japanese historical film jidaigeki, the life and work of Yayoi Kusama, as well as netsuke - small masterpieces of Japanese decorative art.
Contemporary Japan will be introduced by lectures on Japan's security policy, Polish-Japanese cooperation in the field of ecohydrology, as well as a report by the scholarship holder of the JOSAI student and scientist exchange programme. The event will include demonstrations of butoh dance, kashimashinryu kenjutsu martial arts, silk painting, a Japanese facial massage workshop with rice and green tea, a family workshop of chigiri-e or traditional Japanese scrapings. All lectures will be conducted by researchers from Japanese centres in the country and experts in selected aspects of life, history and culture of the Land of the Cherry Blossom.
This two-day meeting will be a unique opportunity for conversation, discussion and exchange of experiences, as well as direct contact with Japanese culture and art. Four exhibitions accompanying the event (THE EXHIBITION ZONE “See Japan” – Faculty Development Centre) will present unique exhibits: Japanese dolls, bonsai trees, traditional Japanese kiri-e cutouts, representative samurai armour and artistic photography. During the Japanese Days you will be able to taste Japanese specialties in the FOOD ZONE (“Taste Japan” – level +1/above the Assembly Hall T1) and visit the stands in the SHOPPING AREA (“Take Japan Home” – hall leading to the Assembly Hall T1). Ceramics, books, kimonos, Japanese gadgets, sweets and other unique products will be waiting for visitors throughout the duration of the event – from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (the last lecture).
Admission to the event is free. Feel welcome! Detailed information
The honorary patronage of the 16th Japan Days is held by: Embassy of Japan in Poland, Mayor of the City of Lodz – Hanna Zdanowska and Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology.
Sponsors: Fujitsu, OPUS – UMŁ, DAIKIN, Mała Japonia – Japanese Garden SIRUWIA
Media patrons: Japonia.info, Fundacja HEIWA, Wydawnictwo KIRIN, Studenckie Radio ŻAK, KOKOJAPAN.pl
Schedule of the 17th Japanese Days
Saturday, 20 April 2024
- 11:00 a.m. Ceremonial opening of the event
- 12:00 p.m. Semi song – butoh performance – Sylwia Hanff/Limen Butoh, Warsaw
- 1:00 p.m. “Dziady Polsko-ajnuskie/Shinnurappa_Kunnenisat” – Dr Jadwiga Rodowicz-Czechowska, Deputy Director for Development at the Józef Piłsudski Museum in Sulejówek
- 2:00 p.m. Famous cakes, famous equipment, famous places... Mechanisms of creating categories of “famous things” in Japanese culture – Dr Anna Zalewska, University of Warsaw
- 3:00 p.m. Kashimashinryu kenjutsu – show and lecture under the direction of Adam Radecki, Budojo, Warsaw
- 4:00 p.m. Workshop of Japanese facial massage with rice and green tea – Sylwia Podolska, Bakaliko, Warsaw
- 5:00 p.m. The extraordinary life and work of Yayoi Kusama – Monika Przypkowska, The Royal Castle in Warsaw
Sunday, 21 April 2024
- 11:00 a.m. Paper watercolors chigiri-e – forgotten art of Japanese scraping – family workshops, Anna and Soke Masanori Ogawa, Arakimunisairyu School, Himeji – Warsaw
- 12:00 p.m. Japan's security policy – continuation or fundamental change? – Prof. Beata Bochorodycz, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan
- 1:00 p.m. Silk painting show – Nataliia Shemiakina, Kyiv State Academy of Decorative Applied Arts and Design
- 2:00 p.m. Polish-Japanese cooperation in the field of ecohydrology – Prof. Maciej Zalewski, European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences
- 3:00 p.m. Netsuke, small masterpieces of Japanese decorative art – Prof. Andrzej Radek, Military Medical Academy Memorial Teaching Hospital of the Medical University of Lodz – Central Veteran Hospital
- 4:00 p.m. Experiences of JASSO Programme scholarship holder – Julianna Świć, University of Lodz
- 5:00 p.m. Jidaigeki, a historical Japanese film – Konrad Szczepara, Polish Kendo Federation, Lodz
Exhibitions: 20 – 21 April 2024
- Japanese notes – photographs by Agnieszka Kmieciak and Jacek M. Kozłowski, Association of Polish Art Photographers, Gdańsk Region
- Japanese dolls among bonsai trees – Sylwia and Jakub Kurowscy, Mała Japonia, Przesieka
- Samurai – knights of ancient Japan – Maciej Płotkowiak – Katana.pl and Matsumoto Group, Poznań
- Under the surface of reality – paper pictures by Rina Papadopulu, International Senga Association, Kirin Kirie, Warsaw