The main festival day of “Japan Days” has taken place in Lviv. Hundreds of visitors gathered in Rynok Square to discover traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, art and cuisine. The event was reported by Lviv City Council.
Throughout the day, workshops, lectures, martial arts demonstrations, theatre performances, exhibitions and other themed events were held in Rynok Square and at other venues around the city. Among other things, children in white kimonos showcased their skills on a special tatami mat, performing karate exercises in front of a large audience.
The Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, joined the festival. He noted that such events foster mutual interest between Ukrainians and Japanese in each other’s culture and recalled Japan’s support for Ukraine.
The main programme took place on the north side of Rynok Square. Interactive zones and areas were set up here, including World of Comics, RetroMagaz, “Knyharnia Ye” and “Anime Flea Market”. Nearby there was a Japanese Street Food zone, where visitors could sample Japanese dishes, desserts and drinks. It brought together the venues “Yaponskyi Pryvit”, Red Monkey, Shima, Katsuteira and Omma.
A separate part of the festival was dedicated to traditional Japanese arts. Guests were offered workshops in sumi-e (ink painting), kintsugi, ikebana and origami. Visitors viewed an exhibition of kimonos and yukatas, and could also buy Japanese goods, books and anime merchandise.
During the sumi-e workshop, participants were introduced to the philosophy and technique of this type of ink painting, which is intended to convey a sense of space and nature, focusing on the essence of what is depicted.
In the Grand Session Hall of Lviv City Council, a series of lectures on the Japanese language, mythology, traditional weapons and the tea ceremony took place throughout the day. In the Small Session Hall, a separate lecture was held on Japanese business etiquette.
The gastronomic part of the festival was enhanced by restaurateur Misha Katsurin, who presented Asian cuisine and said he was pleased to contribute to the promotion of Japanese gastronomy in Lviv.
“Japan Days” in Lviv began even before the main festival day, with individual events taking place in the city from 13 September. The programme will conclude with Japan Weekend in Horikhovyi Hai Park, scheduled for 25–27 September.
As part of cooperation between Lviv and Japan, the Lviv Japan Business Forum was also held in the city for the first time on 24 September. The event brought together more than 350 participants – representatives of Ukrainian and Japanese business, state institutions, international organisations and the financial sector. The forum served as a platform for establishing new partnerships between Ukraine and Japan.
Earlier, the Japan Desk Lviv service began operating in the city – a municipal office set up to develop cooperation with Japan. It is intended to support Japanese companies interested in working in Lviv and Ukraine, as well as to help Ukrainian businesses establish contacts with partners from Japan.