Event Report: The Kabuki-Cho Renaissance -- the Japan-Korean Charity Plaza was held to provide aid for restoration of victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake from June 17 (Fri) to June 19 (Sun), 2011
An event titled "Kabuki-Cho Renaissance for aid for restoration of victims of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake--the Japan-Korean Charity Plaza" was held from June 17 (Fri) to June 19 (Sun), 2011 at the Kabuki-Cho Okubo Public Park. This event was held in close cooperation with the Korean enterprises, groups, individuals, and regional companies that were among the first organizations to provide aid after the occurrence of the March 11th Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. A broad variety of events, including sales of vegetables from the Tohoku Region, demonstrations of Korean cooking, various booths, and a flea market, were carried out for a total of three days. The opening ceremony on the 17th began with greetings from the Chairperson of the event executive committee, the Shinjuku Ward Chief, and the Town Management Bureau Chief, and this was followed by greetings from the numerous VIP guests who exert concerted efforts toward promotion and vivification of exchange between Japan and Korea. After these greetings, a gigantic Bibimpa was served free of charge to all the visitors in attendance (an event ceremony equal to the Japanese custom of breaking the lid of a sake barrel (kagami-wari)). The visitors were fascinated by the rhythmical and unique performances of valuable live concerts by K-POP artists who are active in the Shin Okubo area, alongside of presentations of Korean traditional performing arts. And there was also a workshop for participation by visitors to send a message of encouragement to the Tohoku Region through the making of Origami folded cranes (Ori-Zuru). Delicious odors wafted throughout the entire event space from Korean cuisine booths that provided a great variety of Korean dishes, ranging from well-known standards to recently introduced popular Korean foods. Visitors were overjoyed to find that they were able to eat the favorite Kimpabu (Korean seaweed roles) and cucumber kimchi, paying with the coupons that were sold in exchange for cash at the entrance to the event. This event satisfied both the stomach and the heart with delicious foods, making the event full of contents that gave hope for further strengthening of the already firm ties between Japan and Korea, nurtured by grass-roots level exchange, continuing into the future.