An Event Dedicated to the Japanese National Holiday Hinamatsuri Took Place in Yerevan

An Event Dedicated to the Japanese National Holiday Hinamatsuri Took Place in Yerevan

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March 4, 2021

YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS: On March 3, at “Hikari” Armenian-Japanese Center functioning in Yerevan, there took place an event dedicated to the Japanese National Holiday “Hinamatsuri”.

According to “Armenpress”, the Japanese holiday is dedicated to the awakening of spring, young girls and the blossoming of peach trees.

At the event, the students of the center presented the origination of the holiday and the ceremonies of celebration.

According to the national Japanese tradition, on that day the families where there are girls, present unique dolls, which are put on seven stairs by the symbolic order.

Hinamatsuri provides the Japanese girls with the opportunity to show their talents in the spheres of art, handicrafts and cooking dishes.

The talented students of “Hikari” Armenian-Japanese Center also had musical performances by singing Komitas and Japanese lullaby songs. Then there took place an origami master class, during which the guests and the students of the center made butterfly-bookmarks with paper.

During the interview by the “Armenpress” correspondent, the President of “Hikari” Armenian-Japanese Center Karine Piliposyan expressed conviction that such cultural events provide an opportunity to know each other better and thus strengthen the Armenian-Japanese friendly relations.

“On their turn our Japanese friends set about presenting the Armenian artists and the Armenian culture in their country”, said Piliposyan adding that they have always been in the spotlight of the Embassy of Japan and the cultural figures. “In particular, the Ambassador of Japan Mr. Yamada visited our center years ago. Then, the Government of Japan made a decision on the provision of financial assistance for the renovation of our building”, said our interlocutor.

According to her, the students of the center master the Japanese art of origami and study Japanese. Among them Tatev Babayan continued her study and graduated from Tokyo Institute of National Arts. Returning to Armenia she aimed at presenting the Japanese art in the motherland.

On Hinamatsuri holiday, the former student of the center also presented her hand-made works. The event organized on the occasion of the Japanese national holiday Hinamatsuri was also attended by the Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Armenia Mrs. Rica Onodera.

“Hikari” Armenian-Japanese Center has started its activity years before. On August 6, 2005, the students of origami group of National Center of Aesthetics sent to Hiroshima City of Japan hundreds of illustrated “Peace Lanterns” and 1000 paper cranes, thus paying tribute to the victims of atomic bombing in 1945. This action received a very warm response in Japan, after which it became an annual international program and is carried out up to today. In the future, based on the activities of that group, there was established “Peace Lanterns” NGO, which was renamed “Hikari” Armenian-Japanese Scientific, Educational and Cultural NGO in 2010.

the material is taken from armenpress.am

translated from Armenian into English by M.Vardanyan