Japan-Scotland Community Cultural Festival 2025 by JETAA Scotland
2025/8/23
From August 22nd (Friday) to August 24th (Sunday), the Japan-Scotland Community Cultural Festival 2025, organised by the JET Programme Alumni Association Scotland (JETAA Scotland), was held at venues in the vicinity of Dumfries, specifically at Shambellie House and in the village of New Abbey.
At the opening ceremony on August 23rd (Saturday), Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda and Dumfries and Galloway Deputy Lieutenant, Major Charles Milroy TD VR gave greetings and there was a bagpipe performance to celebrate the opening.
During the event, various activities were held with the cooperation of over 80 volunteers. This included talks on diverse themes such as the connection between Japan and Scotland, Japanese literature and traditional performing arts, Isabella Bird, Richard Henry Brunton, Japanese whiskey, Japanese food and sustainability. Performances were held throughout the day of traditional Japanese dance, shamisen, wadaiko (Japanese drums), and popular Japanese songs. There was also a cosplay contest, a sumo demonstration, displays of bonsai and kimono, workshops on calligraphy and sashiko (a form of Japanese folk embroidery), yukata dressing experiences, and an origami corner.
At the opening ceremony on August 23rd (Saturday), Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda and Dumfries and Galloway Deputy Lieutenant, Major Charles Milroy TD VR gave greetings and there was a bagpipe performance to celebrate the opening.
During the event, various activities were held with the cooperation of over 80 volunteers. This included talks on diverse themes such as the connection between Japan and Scotland, Japanese literature and traditional performing arts, Isabella Bird, Richard Henry Brunton, Japanese whiskey, Japanese food and sustainability. Performances were held throughout the day of traditional Japanese dance, shamisen, wadaiko (Japanese drums), and popular Japanese songs. There was also a cosplay contest, a sumo demonstration, displays of bonsai and kimono, workshops on calligraphy and sashiko (a form of Japanese folk embroidery), yukata dressing experiences, and an origami corner.
In comparison to last year’s event, this year the venue was expanded to include New Abbey Village where programme integrating the local community were held. Some of the exhibitions held at Shambellie House were extended to the village hall, and guided tours tracing the history of the village were held as part of the event.
The venue was bustling with a large number of local residents, with over 500 participants over the three days making it a great success. Many participants expressed their gratitude, often saying that 'because it is not a big city like Edinburgh or Glasgow, we rarely have the opportunity to experience Japanese culture, so we are grateful to have such a valuable opportunity created near Dumfries.'
In addition to activities which introduced Japanese culture, there were several which emphasized links between Scotland and Japan. This included a photo exhibition featuring a series of works by local photographers who visited Japan to capture street-photography images, as well as a cross-over performance featuring Japanese taiko drums and bagpipes.
The JET Programme is an acronym for The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. It is a programme that started in 1987 (Showa 62) aimed at promoting internationalisation at the local level by inviting young people from abroad to engage in foreign language education and international exchange in Japan. For more details about the JET Program, please see here.
http://jetprogramme.org/ja/about-jet/
The venue was bustling with a large number of local residents, with over 500 participants over the three days making it a great success. Many participants expressed their gratitude, often saying that 'because it is not a big city like Edinburgh or Glasgow, we rarely have the opportunity to experience Japanese culture, so we are grateful to have such a valuable opportunity created near Dumfries.'
In addition to activities which introduced Japanese culture, there were several which emphasized links between Scotland and Japan. This included a photo exhibition featuring a series of works by local photographers who visited Japan to capture street-photography images, as well as a cross-over performance featuring Japanese taiko drums and bagpipes.
The JET Programme is an acronym for The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme. It is a programme that started in 1987 (Showa 62) aimed at promoting internationalisation at the local level by inviting young people from abroad to engage in foreign language education and international exchange in Japan. For more details about the JET Program, please see here.
http://jetprogramme.org/ja/about-jet/
