Over 150 local school children plus another 100 or so members of the public paid a visit to the Japan Day workshops and exhibition held at the De Valence Pavilion as part of the Tenby Arts Festival and Japan 2001 celebrations.
Participants were able to have a go at writing their names in Japanese with brush and ink, try on a kimono, sample Japanese food, make an origami figure, experience a tea ceremony and make a Japanese kite. The general exhibition and chopstick challenge tables also proved popular.
During the course of the day, there were several exquisite performances by local koto player Peter Coates, and audiences were held rapt by traditional Japanese storytelling sessions from Yoriko Omae, of Pembrokeshire College.
Although the afternoon became a little overcrowded, it seemed that all visitors had enjoyed their little taste of Japan in Tenby.
Thanks must go to Japan 2001 who sponsored the event; Japanese students from Pembrokeshire College and Netherwood School who were kept busy all day teaching origami and performing the tea ceremony; Yukako Nakamura, the Japanese teaching assistant at Penally School; Marion Davies who helped make the whole event possible and all the other important helpers, who gave up their time to make the day such a success.
Any schools or organisations interested in a visit by Pembrokeshire Colleges Japanese teacher Yoriko Omae to perform traditional Japanese storytelling or other workshops should contact her on 01437 765247, extension 368.
Yoriko will be teaching Japanese lessons to members of the public at the college in Haverfordwest. Japanese lessons are also being planned in Tenby by Kay Rook, for details telephone 07779 737 995.
Mugenkyo drum up taiko spirit
Tenby Arts Festivals Japan Day was brought to an end with a thunderous bang by the taiko drumming group, Mugenkyo.
The De Valence Pavilion was almost full for Tenbys first experience of taiko. From the first reverberating boom of the biggest drum through fast and furious rhythms on the smaller drums to a joyous conclusion in a piece called Matsuri, meaning festival, the group won over the audiences complete attention and awe in a spectacular performance.
The audience reflected the wide appeal of taiko with scouts and pupils from Penally School right through to a local Japanese man in his 80s all held rapt by the rhythmic and resonating sounds of the drums. Indeed so resonant was the deep echo of the biggest drum that on several occasions the metal frame in the ceiling of the De Valence was heard vibrating a percussive addition to the proceedings.
The audiences enthusiastic applause and cheers brought the group back for an encore and then, with some members of the audience giving them a standing ovation to show their appreciation, Mugenkyo were finally allowed backstage for a well-deserved rest after what looked like an exhausting performance.
Caption: Children from Pentlepoir School experiment with traditional Japanese dress, and get to grips with chopsticks.
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