Special exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of Alphonse Mucha’s death
Flower Garden of Art Nouveau
Mucha and Lalique
The shape of the flowers and the plants

In commemoration of the approaching 80th anniversary of the death of Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), a representative of the Art Nouveau wave that swept over French art in the late 19th century, we have decided to hold a special exhibition entitled “Art Nouveau’s Flower Garden: Mucha and Lalique—the Shape of Flowers and Plants.”

After being discovered by the actress Sarah Bernhardt, Mucha instantly attracted attention as a popular designer, which allowed his genius to blossom. Later, besides poster art, he went on to display his creativity in various other fields as well.

This special exhibition is being jointly held by the Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum and the Lalique Museum Hakone. Centering on representative decorative panels Mucha produced in Paris, the exhibition presents approximately 130 artworks, including pieces of jewelry and glass art by Mucha’s contemporary, René Lalique (1860–1945). Through their works, the exhibition will turn the spotlight onto the flower and plant decorations of the fin de siècle period.

With special cooperation from the Nippon Flower Designers’ Association (NFD), you can also observe the spectacle of flower arrangements featuring artificial flowers complementing the works of Mucha and Lalique.

This exhibition, combining Mucha, Lalique and flower design, is the first of its kind. Please enjoy the flora-decorated works of Mucha and Lalique, along with elegant flower arrangement.

Bon Odori (Japanese: 盆踊り), meaning simply Bon dance, is a style of dancing performed during Obon. Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. Each region has a local dance, as well as different music. The music can be songs specifically pertinent to the spiritual message of Obon, or local min’yō folk songs. Consequently, the Bon dance will look and sound different from region to region. Hokkaidō is known for a folk-song known as “Sōran Bushi”. The song “Tokyo Ondo” takes its namesake from the capital of Japan. “Gujo Odori” in Gujō in Gifu Prefecture is famous for all night dancing. “Gōshū Ondo” is a folk song from Shiga Prefecture. Residents of the Kansai area will recognize the famous “Kawachi ondo”. Tokushima in Shikoku is very famous for its “Awa Odori”, and in the far south, one can hear the “Ohara Bushi” of Kagoshima.
wikipedia

Ondekoza is a Japanese troupe specializing in taiko drumming. In these days, Ondekoza has suceeded in not only in Japan but also overseas. This concert will be very special with fantastic guests, Umezu Kazutoki (saxophone/clarinet), Otaka Shizuru (singer, voice artist) and Okubo Tomoko (Koto). Don’t miss this great concert!

All reserved seats
Pre-schools cannot enter.

You can get the tickets at…
・Ticket Guide　TEL 052-249-9387
・Online Ticket Service　https://www.bunka758.or.jp/ticket/
・Ticket Pia　[P code 150-480 ]　TEL 0570-02-9999

■General Admission Seat:　S seat. 3,800, A seat. 3,000
■Member of Tomonokai, students under university, people with disabilities: S seat. 2,800, A seat. 2,400
Note: Please show your student ID / disability handbook at the reception counter.
■New Membership Campaign: S seat. 3,500 (You can also get one-year membership rights.)

There are a variety of “Hyottoko” legends all over Japan, and also various theories concerning the origin of the name, such as the one derived from “Hiotoko,” or the “fire man,” the person who generates the fire in a furnace. Alternatively, it may be a god of fire, or the character of the fool in a peasant comedy, depending on the region. In the legend of the Hyuga region, Hyottoko is the latter.

Hyuga Hyottoko Summer Festival

[History]
This festival was started in 1984 for a number of reasons, including revitalization of the local area, promotion of traditional culture, and development of tourism. It has expanded its scale through the endeavor of local citizens and its many enthusiastic fans, and now attracts a legion of people from all over Japan who come to dance. Consequently, it is now one of the major festivals in Miyazaki Prefecture. At present, it is held on the first Saturday of August every year.

[Performance]
Groups and individuals who apply and are registered in advance can take part in this festival. Groups perform their dance along a specified parade course and compete to a set of criteria, including dance skills and a display of teamwork. Individuals perform their own dance and compete on the main stage according to their own character category, Hyottoko (male character), Okame (female character) and Fox.

[Costumes]
For the characters of Hyottoko and Fox, performers wear a red kimono with a white obi belt, and Fundoshi, traditional Japanese men’s underpants. For Okame, performers wear a red kimono. They all wear a traditional polka dot patterned towel on their heads, and dance comically, or sometimes even erotically, to the jaunty and buoyant rhythms.

Every year since 1988, the rich natural splendour of Sado has set the stage for arts and culture festival Earth Celebration (EC). Hosted by world-renowned taiko ensemble Kodo and its home, Sado Island, EC seeks an alternative global culture through musical and cultural collaborations with artists and festivalgoers from around the world. The result is three days of exciting performances featuring Kodo and special guests, unique opportunities to enjoy the culture, nature, and tastes of Sado, and much more.

Ranked No. 1 in 2018 for International Visitor Satisfaction on Travel Site “japan-guide.com”
Sado Island’s annual music festival Earth Celebration has been delighting people from around the globe for over 30 years!
Every year since 1988, the rich natural splendour of Sado has set the stage for arts and culture festival Earth Celebration (EC). Hosted by world-renowned taiko ensemble Kodo and its home, Sado Island, EC seeks an alternative global culture through musical and cultural collaborations with artists and festivalgoers from around the world. The result is three days of exciting performances featuring Kodo and special guests, unique opportunities to enjoy the culture, nature, and tastes of Sado, and much more.
EC has been described by the New York Times as “Japan’s leading music event.” The event was awarded The Japan Foundation Global Citizens Award in 1994 and the Furusato Event Grand Prize by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications award in 2008. In 2009, Earth Celebration Committee was honored with the Tiffany Foundation Award for the Preservation of Japanese Traditional Arts and Culture in Contemporary Society.
From 2016, under the theme of “Children of the Drum”–meaning we are all children when we play taiko–EC networked with locals on Sado to implement new initiatives and activities based in communities further afield on the Island.
In 2018, EC began a partnership with a new project: “Resounding Island–SADO.” In addition to the various concerts, cultural workshops, local tours, fringe performances on the EC lineup to date, an array of new offerings were added to the festival. Through collaborations with other island events such as the “Sado Island Galaxy Art Festival,” visitors were able to visit and enjoy more places all over the island. EC welcomed around 32,000 visitors during the main three days of the festival, while an estimated total of 65,000 visitors came to Sado between April and October 2018 while the “Resounding Island–SADO” project was underway.

S2O SONGKRAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
IS a dance music festival started in 2015 in collaboration with the Songkran water festival that is held in the Thai New Year. World’s top DJs joined in, the tickets sold out successively in its second and third year, 2016 and 2017, the event attracted some 55,000 audience within three days. Now it’s become the largest water and music festival in Asia, enjoying not just local but global popularity.

Songkran
IS the Thai New Year, a period of celebration when the sun ends its twelve-month cycle and moves on to Aries anew. In tradition, people would purify Buddhist statues, stupas, and the hands of senior members of their family during Songkran, but it’s turned into a popular water festival in which passersby enjoy throwing and splashing water each other on the street.

Presently it lasts for three days on 13, 14, and 15 April, the dates designated as Thailand’s national holidays. Though downtown can be rather quiet during this period as people from the country return home all together, various events do take place in Bangkok, especially around the Grand Palace.

In Wat Pho you can see demonstrations of different styles of Songkran celebration of the northeast, the central and the south regions of Thailand. Still more renowned is the tremendous water splashing on Khao San Road, a world-famous backpacker hub.

Please see the ticket here.