Festival successfully brings friendship into focus
Hopes are that the key event will boost long-term, healthy development of relations
The 2018 China Festival — an event that presented Chinese cuisine, specialties, culture and entertainment to the Japanese people in an effort to promote bilateral friendship — was successfully held in downtown Tokyo on Sept 8-9.
The two-day festival was also held to mark the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, according to the organizers.
The festival opened in Yoyogi Park in downtown Tokyo, where a spectacular stage and some 100 stands selling Chinese cuisine and specialties were set up.
A number of Chinese and Japanese artists put on shows there, including Huangmei Opera, traditional rural folk song and dance originating from Anhui province that has now become popular in China.
Meanwhile, people lined up in front of the various booths to have a taste of traditional Chinese cuisine, including Sichuan snack, dumplings, Taiwan milk tea and other treats.
“While Chinese cuisine is very popular in Japan, we have rarely had the chance to watch such traditional Chinese opera,” said Matsuno, a Japanese visitor to the festival.
“I hope we can have more of such opportunities in the future.”
Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, said that the festival, by presenting Chinese culture to the Japanese people, served as a bridge for the peoples of the two countries to enhance their mutual understanding and friendship.
As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship and bilateral relations are facing new opportunities for development, it is hoped that the festival will play a positive role in
Japanese violinist
Ikuko Kawai performs in Xi’an during an exchange event last month.
the long-term and healthy development of China-Japan ties, Cheng said.
Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese prime minister and chief advisor of the executive committee of the 2018 China Festival, said that the friendship between the peoples of China and Japan was a foundation for bilateral relations, and he hoped the festival could help the two peoples further improve their communications and mutual understanding.
He also encouraged the Japanese people to visit China, giving them the opportunity to see the fast pace of development in the country with their own eyes.
The festival was hosted by the Chinese embassy in Japan and the executive committee of the 2018 China Festival, and co-sponsored by a number of groups and institutions from both China and Japan.
People-to-people exchanges have become more frequent over the past few months, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.
A Mid-Autumn Festival celebration was held in Tokyo on Sept 25, with artists from China and Japan performing for visitors.
On Sept 22, a China-Japan cultural exchange event was held in Xi’an in Shaanxi province.
The ancient city of Xi’an has played an important role in SinoJapanese exchanges since the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It has forged sister-city relations with Kyoto and Nara in Japan.
Renowned artists, including Japanese violinist Ikuko Kawai, Chinese musicians Zhang Hongyan and Wang Jianhua, played on the same stage.