Orenburg state university

Japan keeps surprising us

The festival "Days of Japan at OSU" collects its friends for the ninth time.

We have seen so many things during these nine years: master-classes in ikebana, calligraphy and origami, tea ceremonies, concerts of Japanese music, photo exhibitions, retrospective show of Japanese films… But the infinitive variety of the original Japanese culture keeps surprising us. This time it was another discovery. Orenburg audience was introduced to the creative work of Botchan Theatre from Matsuyama.

On September Inauguration of the Festival took place in the Orenburg State Drama Theatre named after Maxim Gorky. Motoyuki Ishize, Minister-counselor, Director of information department at the Embassy of Japan in Russia, Kana Okubo, member of Japan — Russia Youth Exchange Center, Victor Shorikov, Minister of culture, public and international relations in Orenburg Region congratulated the audience on the Festival opening. Vladimir Kovalevskiy, OSU rector welcomed the spectators and noted that thanks to the support of the Orenburg Region government the "Days of Japan at OSU" developed into the "Days of Japan in the Orenburg region". Not only officials talked about importance of Japan — Russia relations and friendship between the two nations. Actors of the musical "Blood Oath" continued the talk…

In a few days Vladimir Kovalevskiy and Motoyuki Ishize discussed the play again. OSU rector thanked the diplomat for the positive emotions that the musical granted. The Japanese diplomat confessed that though many people in Russia want to study the language and culture of his country he has never witnessed the interest to be as strong and deep as in Orenburg and at OSU. Both parties discussed also further academic and scientific cooperation between OSU and Japanese universities, specifically students and staff exchanges. At present two OSU students majoring in philology and mathematics are planning to take study trips to Japan. Another perspective is the next Russia — Japan seminar in Physics that would be hold this year in December at Hiroshima University, OSU’s many years partner.

The next festival’s event was a lecture "The image of Japan in Russian poetry". The main speaker was Jury Dvoryanchikov, a famous expert in Japan and Japanese culture and member of All-Russia public social organization "Society: Russia — Japan". During his third visit to OSU Jury Dvoryanchikov donated 50 books to OSU library. These were fairy-tales for kids in Japanese and ancient anthology of Japanese poetry of Nara period. Jury Dvoryanchikov also gave a cycle of lectures on the history of Japan.

During the festival the movie house "Kosmos" screened the best films of the country of the rising sun.

A special session devoted to the traditions in a Japanese family crowned the festival. Tomoko Ishibashi, teacher from OSU Japanese Information Center illustrated her presentation with the examples from her family life.