Tanabata Festival 2015, which also overlaps with the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month of July,opens in Baguio City with the theme “Why not Kabuku and Enjoy! Tanabata in Date-ism”. Now in its sixth year, the festival is sponsored by the Embassy of Japan; The Japan Foundation, Manil
a (JFM); the JICA Philippines Office; the Japanese Association in Northern Luzon (JANL); the Filipino-Japanese Foundation of Northern Luzon (Abong); the FDCP-Baguio Cinematheque; the Baguio City National High School; the universities of Baguio and La Trinidad; the City of Baguio; and the Baguio Museum.
The two-month event will commence on July 19 with a Tanabata Decoration Workshop at Abong, and will end on September 20 with Japanese film festivals at the Cinematheque Baguio and five universities in the region. There will also be exhibitions, one of which is the JFM-sponsored World Heritage in Japan Photo Exhibition on showcase at the Baguio Museum from August 8 to 29, 2015.
This year’s festival is patterned after the big and famous Sendai Tanabata Festival in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan, which is inspired by the warrior Masamune Date (1567-1636). He was one of the strongest daimyo in Tohoku region and the founder of the modern-day Sendai.
Date wrote an inspiring poem titled “Tanoshima zumba, Kore Ikan!” or “Why not Kabuku and Enjoy!” Kabuku is the verb of kabuki which means to act uniquely, magnificently, and extraordinarily.
The complete list of enjoyable activities and other details of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month/ Tanabata Festival 2015 in Baguio City can be found at http://janl.exblog.jp/21437494 and the accompanying event poster. Contact JFM at (02) 811-6155 or email@jfmo.org to inquire.