TWO EVENTS IN TAKAMATSU
2013年03月25日
Takamatsu has been given two great and exciting events in the last week. The St. Patrick Day parade now looks like becoming an annual event, adding fun & color to the city’s busy shopping arcade areas.
Started only two years ago through the initiatives and huge input of two local members of the Irish community, Messrs. Michael Bedlow & Shane Martin Coughlan. Both have been the talents and the driving force to get this event started and working well, and they’ve really done a wonderful job. Michael with his Celtic music groups, tireless efforts with dance instruction and Shane with his entrepreneurial skills.
The support group even made green St. Pat’s udon for the occasion. How creative ! Even though my name is Pat, there were no free samples unfortunately. So this is something to remember if you’re from out of town and here in Takamatsu on St. Pat’s day in March next year.
The other event of course was the opening ceremony for the
Setouchi Triennale Art Festival which started on the 20th of March
http://setouchi-artfest.jp/en/
This was a big opening event in the roofed outdoor auditorium area in Takamatsu’s Sunport.
Many dignitaries both local, Japanese government and foreign officials attended and all were asked to hold then wave small white flags at the appointed time. So when the band struck up I could hear the gentle rustle of hundreds of white flags. There was something very Japanese about this.
The ceremony culminated with the oddest-looking wind-blown instrument I’ve ever seen? Some bloke dressed in black with a dapper top-hat was riding on the back of this thing then huffed and puffed and finally blew it to officially open the event. He looked spiffy but very tired after the effort.
This thing made a sound like something coming out from the bowels of the earth and was a grand start to what promises to be a truly wonderful festival with many foreign artists and guests scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks, months.
I’ll be back next month with more news on art events in Takamastu.
“Spring is sprung, the grass is ris.
I wonders where them birdies is.”
So Ogden Nash’s poem humorously reminds us, so please do make an effort to come here and enjoy this wonderful art festival in Takamatsu.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/
"Pat has lived in Takamatsu continuously since arriving here on a one year study and leave 1981. Originally from Tasmania, Australia, he was involved in education at a variety of levels including as a specialist teacher for children with learning difficulties, and at senior high schools throughout the state. Pat is employed full-time by the i-pal Kagawa International Exchange as a co-oridintaor for international relations amongst other duties including traveling to schools and giving talks in Japanese to kids about Australia. He has been involved with youth education exchanges between Japan and Australia for many years.
Pat has been many things in his colorful life including a seaman, helmsman, welder, carpenter, traffic warden, scholarship/studentship winner at the university of Tasmania, staff at the Australian Embassy in London to name but a few. Pat has far too many hobbies which include tennis, playing jazz flutes and saxes, riding bicycles with the Takamatsu Cycling Club all of which his long-suffering family tolerate. Recently he's become interested in painting again. His wife wishes he would put more time in to helping around the house and the garden which he artfully avoids ..."
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Posted by pat at 20:41
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この記事へのコメント
I find that I really rely on your blog to stay current on what's going on in Takamatsu. You do the pictures really well. I was wondering why I didn't see you at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, but I got there late in the day. Now I realize I should have known that you had to also cover the opening of the Seto International Art Festival. I wish I could have heard that horn, but at least am glad that I could see the event on your blog. I will be sure to keep following you here throughout the year. Keep up the good work with the excellent photos!
Posted by R.T. at 2013年03月25日 22:57
Thank you for the kind words. Cathy and I have been working on all the things going on. Cathy with her depth, myself with a lighter coverage as is/was our loose agreement.
The 'horn' should I call it that? Reminded me of nothing at all? It was like the bowels of the earth itself had opened up and the deep & ancient roar of the interior erupted. That may of course have been the intended effect.
Thanks again,
Pat
The 'horn' should I call it that? Reminded me of nothing at all? It was like the bowels of the earth itself had opened up and the deep & ancient roar of the interior erupted. That may of course have been the intended effect.
Thanks again,
Pat
Posted by pat at 2013年03月25日 23:28
