Consulate launches third Japan Autumn Festival in Hong Kong
Groups combine to highlight the best of Japanese cultural activities
Following the success of the past two years, the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong has launched the third edition of the Japan Autumn Festival in Hong Kong – Rediscovering Nippon (Japan Autumn Festival) in Hong Kong, with most events in October and November.
Nearly 140 Japanese culture-related events have been organised by the consulate, together with other Japanese cultural organisations, schools, enterprises, local governments, and other groups in Hong Kong. These activities include movies, performing arts, arts and crafts, food and beverage, sports and cultural exchanges.
A signature event of the festival, the “Lan Kwai Fong Japan Carnival”, returns with the theme of “Cool Japan” in October and November.
The highlight will be the two-day Lan Kwai Fong street carnival on November 10 and 11, offering Japanese delicacies, beverages and spectacular entertainment. The carnival will be extended into a month-long celebration with the launch of its first-ever LKF Cool Japan Pop-up event at California Tower, together with the LKF Cool Japan – Japanese Dessert Remix campaign and cosplay competition.
Another signature event of the festival is “It’s HELLO-ween” at the Hong Kong Ocean Park until October 31. Visitors can join Sanrio characters in their party house, where visitors can take selfies with the characters in exclusive Halloween costumes. There is also the “Sanrio characters Trick-or-Treat Trail” interactive games, and the opportunity to shop for limited-edition merchandise featuring Ocean Park and Sanrio characters.
For movie lovers, there is a Kenji Mizoguchi Film Festival to be held at the Hong Kong Art Centre at the Hong Kong Science Museum from November 1 to December 12. Mizoguchi is regarded as one of the most revered film masters, impressing many great American and European directors with his spectacular long shots and his dedication to depicting the suffering and sacrifices of Japanese women. The films selected in this programme include classics such as Ugetsu and early masterpieces such as The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums. Other films include The Woman in the Rumor and Street of Shame.
There is also a Japanese Film Festival 2018 at cinemas around town in October and November, and the screening of Kainan 1890 (Ertugrul 1890) – a movie about two humanitarian cooperation incidents between Japanese and Turkish people that happened in 1890 and nearly a century later – at the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Open University in December.
