Tofu, sushi and job fair come together at Japan Habba

Tofu, sushi and job fair come together at Japan Habba

Bengaluru: Sipping tea from Japan and listening to traditional music or wearing Yukata, a traditional kimono, the Japan Habba had visitors thronging the J N Tata Auditorium to savour the country's culture on Saturday.

The 14th edition of the Habba celebrated Aomori, the 8th largest prefecture (a territorial division) of Japan known for its summer festival and contemporary art movement.

Besides the hundreds of students, even general public visited the festival.

The demonstration of high tea ceremony in the morning session was followed by Origami, Kirigami and Ikebana displays by experts.

Visitors tried writing 'Kanji' ideograms at calligraphy workshop.

There was an added treat of musicians from Aomori, Yoshiyuki Kesai and Hiroti Aizawa playing Shamisen, a traditional string instrument.

"Even those who are familiar with Japanese food and culture were surprised to see the variety of food on offer. Apart from sushi and tofu, we had Dorayaki (a pancake with bean paste), Yakisoba (fried noodles) and other food varieties which many had not heard of. The food on sale at the stalls was sold out soon," said Kaushik Satyanarayana, who was part of the organising committee.

Nikhil Prem, an engineering student, said the event was helpful in not only exchange of culture but also meeting distinguished people. "It was also a kind of job fair. There were seminars by big Japanese companies that briefed us on the kind of talent they require," he said.

Anna Mary Thomas, a student from Christ, said that it was interesting to know that the Japanese were also interested in learning about our culture. "The Japanese say that Indians working in Japan have planted seeds of curiosity in them. These are the things that add strength to India's efforts to become a developed country," she said.

Consulate General of Japan, Bengaluru, Takayuki Kitagawa inaugurated the event in the morning and praised its role in the cultural exchange between the two countries. "It is not a distant dream to make the Japan Habba a unique tourist attraction in Karnataka," he said, indicating that the festival will acquire grandeur in the coming days.