10th Japan Fair succesfully concludes

  The 10th Japan Fair was held on Sunday, February 9th from 1:30pm to 4:30pm with over 500 people who attended the event. Ambassador Karasawa in his opening remarks expressed his appreciation to Bilung for the support she provided to the Embassy of Japan for last year’s events related to the 25th Anniversary of Japan-Palau diplomatic relations and also for this year’s Japan Fair. During Minister Temengil-Chilton’s speech, she congratulated the Embassy of Japan on the 10th Japan Fair and expressed her appreciation to Palau’s host towns, Zao Town and Hitachiomiya City whom the Palauan athletes have been going to training camps and have improved greatly in their performances.
 
  Zao Town, Miyagi Prefecture, one of Palau’s host towns for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, is a place for historically well-known samurai warlords. The Samurai  performance on stage was something new for the Japan Fair and many students showed great interest in the samurai costume “Jimbaori” and enjoyed the jyanken-pon “rock-paper-scissors) game with the Samurai.   
 
  2019-2020 Japan Palau Yacht Race Committee, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Palauan Junior sailors did their presentations together by first showing a video of the recently concluded yacht race from Yokohama to Palau, interview the Palauan junior sailors and presenting the results of the ocean plastic research done with Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). The Japan Palau Yacht Race committee made a call for OP dinghy trainees and kids who were interested were given an opportunity to sign up for the free lessons.
 
  With the Tokyo Olympic Games just six months away, the Japan Fair also included activities to cheer for Palau’s team to the Olympic Games. Minister Temengil-Chilton introduced Palau’s athletes to the Olympic Games and the Samurai’s from Zao Town did a CHEER on stage, samurai style for the athletes. To show support for Palau’s team to the Olympics, many people were taking photos using a banner with “Kabong Palau” as a background at the entrance of Ngarachamayong Cultural Center.
 
  Palau Judo Federation and the Japanese Language School are regular performers at the Japan Fair. Many Judo-ka’s were children and their performance is something  that people look forward to seeing during the Japan Fair. 
 
  Japanese Language School students performed a song and dance called “Paprika” while Palau High School Theatre and Arts Club members did a Yukata (summer kimono) show followed by a performance of the theme song and dance for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The colorful summer kimono and their synchronized dance movements amazed the audience.
 
  Enka singer Oka Midori sent a special message congratulating the Embassy of Japan on the 10th Japan Fair. In her message she expressed how much she enjoyed her first concert in Palau in November 2019 and that she wants to do another concert in Palau in the near future.
 
  There were many activities such as learning how to write Japanese calligraphy, folding papers or origami, yukata try-on, jinbaori “Samurai surcoat” try-on, learning to make “kokeshi” or traditional wooden doll, making friendship bracelets called “misanga” and introduction of Japanese traditional games.
 
  Japan and Palau have a lot of commonly shared culture related to music, food, and language. At this Japan Fair we were able to promote Japanese culture as well as promote sports related activities such as Judo and OP dinghy and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games.