Fringe Japan 2026 – Onomatopoeia Workshop
2026/8/14
On Friday, 14th August, the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh co-hosted an onomatopoeia workshop with the University of Edinburgh. This event, the third in Fringe Japan 2026, featured the theatre troupe GIGA which was participating in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The workshop began with the troupe members explaining and demonstrating basic movements and concepts for physical expression. This was followed by an introduction to Japanese onomatopoeia: unique to the language, words are used to express textures and emotions as well as sounds, and whilst familiar to Japanese people they might not be understood by others. For example, a Japanese person might imagine a bird in flight upon hearing the sound "basa-basa".
The workshop involved a creative activity where participants split into two teams to devise and present scene descriptions using expressions based on the sounds of single Japanese characters. This workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants to experience Japanese onomatopoeia firsthand.
The workshop began with the troupe members explaining and demonstrating basic movements and concepts for physical expression. This was followed by an introduction to Japanese onomatopoeia: unique to the language, words are used to express textures and emotions as well as sounds, and whilst familiar to Japanese people they might not be understood by others. For example, a Japanese person might imagine a bird in flight upon hearing the sound "basa-basa".
The workshop involved a creative activity where participants split into two teams to devise and present scene descriptions using expressions based on the sounds of single Japanese characters. This workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants to experience Japanese onomatopoeia firsthand.