This weekend, La Laguna will host World Japan 2024, a festival dedicated to Japanese culture that will unfold across different parts of the municipality from Thursday, March 21st, to Sunday, March 24th.
The event promises a diverse array of free activities, including workshops, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, and martial arts demonstrations, all of which aim to immerse attendees in the rich culture of Japan.
Here’s the program of events:
Thursday, March 21st – Exconvent of Santo Domingo in La Laguna
- 12:00 noon: Exhibition “Monono Aware” by Paul Hamanaka.
- 17:00: Kimono workshop
- 18:00: Talk “Weaving my identity: Vision of a life from a tri-cultural perspective”.
- 19:30: Presentation and Japanese film screening of “Papa No Obento Wa Sekaiichi / Dad’s Lunch Box” (2017), directed by Masakazu Fukatsu.
Friday, March 22nd – Santo Domingo Exconvent
- 17:00: Tea Ceremony Workshop
- 18:00: Talk on Japanese music “From tradition to the present day”.
- 19:00: Ikebana workshop
- 19:30: Signing of the agreement between the Japan Foundation and the ULL General Foundation.
Saturday, March 23rd
- 11:00: Japanese gastronomy workshop (Restaurant Casino de La Laguna)
- 12:00: Martial arts exhibition (aikido and karate) – Pabellón Anchieta 2
- 17:00: Talk: “Shiatsu, a therapy of yesterday and today” – Exconvent of Santo Domingo
- 18:00: Presentation + Japanese anime film screening: “Blue Giant” (2023), dir. Yuzuru Tachikawa – Exconvento de Santo Domingo
- 20:30: Concert “Morimoto Sisters To Tomodachi” – Leal Theatre
- 22:30: Sake tasting – Travel Bar
- 23:30: DJ Session: Akira Tanaka – Aguere Cultural Space
Sunday, March 24th – Santo Domingo Exconvent
- 10:00: Origami and shodo workshop
- 11:00: Manga art exhibition
- 12:00: Manga workshop
- 13:00: J-Pop / Japanese Karaoke
A highlight of the festival is the concert by the Morimoto Sisters, a duo of Japanese sisters renowned for their prodigious voices and talent on the piano. The concert will feature special performances by dancer Ana Beatriz Alonso and aerial dance artist Rubén Adrián Fernández, promising surprises for the audience. Tickets for this performance are available for purchase through tickety.es.
All activities are free until capacity is reached, except for the Morimoto Sisters concert. Attendees interested in the Ikebana and Japanese gastronomy workshops should register in advance. This year, a collaboration agreement will be signed between the Japan Foundation, Madrid, and the University of La Laguna (ULL), with the Embassy of Japan in Spain also participating in the festival for the first time.
