Stage performances by APU traditional performing arts circles

学生生活|イベント

Celebrating the 470th anniversary of Japan-Portugal relations

The powerful beat of the Wadaiko Japanese drums resonated throughout the sky above Lisbon.
On Saturday, June 15, 2013, the APU Japanese traditional performing arts circle, Wadaiko Raku, performed at the 3rd Festa do Japão em Lisboa (Festival of Japan in Lisbon) which was held in the Portuguese capital city. Troupe leader, MATSU Kento, shared his thoughts on the performance. “The response from our European audience was pretty clear: they gave us a standing ovation and you could see that our performance had left an impression. I was glad for having persevered as a student of the Wadaiko drum”.

Festa do Japão is the largest Japanese cultural event in Portugal and is popular with people from in and around Lisbon who are interested in Japanese culture. Our students appeared during the event’s opening performance.

Wadaiko Raku is an APU student circle that plays the Wadaiko – a traditional Japanese percussion instrument – and is renowned on and off campus for their powerful performances. The reception and cheers they received in Lisbon are by no means out of the ordinary. The mighty sounds of the Wadaiko could be heard far and wide and many people in the 2000-strong audience enjoyed the performance on their feet with camera in hand.

The involvement of APU students in this event was made possible through the efforts of Kazuhiro FUJIMURA, former Professor at APU and current Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Portugal. As Japan and Portugal celebrate 470 years of exchange, a request was sent for an APU student circle that could travel to Portugal and introduce Japanese culture. Considering that the Wadaiko drum is characteristic of the Japanese culture and that the Wadaiko Raku troupe already has experience performing overseas, they were specially invited.

There was, however, another APU circle that travelled to Portugal: Arauma Chiyo. Arauma is a traditional Japanese dance originating in Aomori Prefecture which involves participants dancing in vividly colored costumes in the style of horses. Three days before the event, Arauma Chiyo appeared in a parade along the Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) – the first for a Japanese troupe. Their performance was held as part of the Festas de Lisboa, one of the largest festivals in Portugal attracting approximately 150,000 festival-goers. The participation of college students from a foreign country apparently marked a new chapter in the festivals history.

As far as you could see, both left and right, the crowds had packed in to witness the parade. Here and there you could feel some sort of connection – in fact two of the circles’ original members made their way to the parade all the way from Germany and Holland and joined the performance. What unfolded was a performance by both current and past circle members. Current Arauma Chiyo Representative, MIURA Shiho, expressed her gratitude and reflected on the event. “During our performance I felt that our shouts and the calls from the audience were in perfect unison – it was like we became one. Looking at the expressions on our members’ faces, you could tell that this was a great experience for all. I would like to express my thanks to FUJIMURA-Sensei, current and former Arauma Chiyo members that took part in this event, and our friends and family for their support”.

Arauma Chiyo and Wadaiko Raku also performed at the Lisbon University Institute ISCTE Business School, one of APU’s overseas exchange partner institutions. Both troupes also held a workshop on traditional Japanese dance and drums at the Museu do Oriente (Orient Museum) and enjoyed interacting with members of the local community while sharing the Japanese culture.

The performances in Portugal were made possible thanks to the full support we received from the Japanese Embassy in Portugal. Not only were our students able to share the Japanese culture in Portugal, but also they could reaffirm the connections between graduates, friends and other involved parties. We are sure that the 22 students who took part in this project gained an unforgettable experience and will no doubt serve as an example for more students to share the Japanese culture with the world from our multicultural APU campus.

Wadaiko Raku performing in front of a large crowd at the festival opening (Festa do Japao)