The University of Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom transformed into a colorful hub of games, workshops and music on November 7, as more than 800 people gathered for Nippon Culture Day. The annual event, hosted by the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL), offered a full day of hands-on activities highlighting Japanese language, art and community traditions.
Attendees moved from table to table, trying everything from calligraphy and gift-wrapping to traditional Japanese card games such as hanafuda and karuta. Students practiced koto (Japanese string instrument) and sanshin (Okinawan string instrument), folded intricate origami and tested their skills at manga (comic book) character drawing and katakana (character) recognition game. Members of the Japanese Culture Club also supported a station, helping guests of all ages jump in.
“Our department has long been engaged in the study of Japan,” said Hiromi Uchida, a Japanese language instructor. “We see this event as a valuable opportunity for both learning and community building, and we hope to continue making Nippon Culture Day an exciting and enjoyable experience for all students and the community.”
Traditions up close
Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan. Culture-focused workshops ran throughout the morning and afternoon. Visitors sat for abacus lessons, learned the basics of ikebana (flower arrangement) in small-group sessions and experienced the quiet focus of a tea ceremony inside Jaku’an, the campus tea house.
Information tables connected students with academic and professional opportunities tied to Japan. Representatives from UH Mānoa’s Center for Okinawan Studies (COS), Hawaiʻi Language-Roadmap Initiative, Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program and Study Abroad Center spoke with attendees about travel and study opportunities. Japan Airlines also provided details about career tracks.
As the afternoon continued, the event shifted to live performances featuring koto and sanshin demonstrations. The day ended with a bon dance, inviting everyone to celebrate together.
Nippon Culture Day is co-sponsored by the UH Mānoa Center for Japanese Studies and COS. Located within the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters, the EALL department has hosted the free event for more than 20 years.
