SORA Culture Festival (Illustration courtesy of Sora Culture Festival Executive Committee)

It’s a new year and time for the Sora Culture Festival in Iwakuni City.

Take the time to experience traditional Japanese performing arts, like Yosakoi dancing, Kagura (sacred Shinto music and dancing), taiko drums and Koto (Japanese harp) and Rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) at the Iwakuni Kokusai Kanko Hotel on Jan. 25.

This is the sixth year of the festival and this year’s theme is “matsuri” traditional festival.

Yasuhiro Muneno, a Stars and Stripes’ Iwakuni office employee, said he enjoyed last year’s festivities.

“For me, it was an overwhelming experience to enjoy a lot of different traditional performances, one after another, without break,” Muneno said.

Ayumi Yonemoto, president of Sora Culture Festival Executive Committee worked for MCAS Iwakuni for 15 years, and while working on base, she noticed that, in general, both Americans and Japanese locals had a hard time explaining their regional traditions, arts and culture.

“I think this is because the opportunity to see or experience our traditional arts is getting rarer and rarer these days,” Yonemoto said. That experience inspired the Sora Culture Festival and the tradition continues.

Don’t miss the event and enjoy a variety of activities, performances and booths in Iwakuni City!

(Photos courtesy of Sora Culture Festival Executive Committee)

Things to know

Sora Culture Festival “Matsuri”