“Bandung-Hamamatsu Culture Festival Widyatama 2014”
Bandung (19/10/2014), The Japanese Language Study Program of the Faculty of Languages held the “Bandung-Hamamatsu Culture Festival Widyatama 2014”. The event was attended by the Rector of Widyatama University, Dr. H. Islahuzzaman, S.E. M.Si, Ak., CA, representatives of the Foundation, and the Heads of each unit within Widyatama University. The committee invited representatives from Hamamatsu, Japan as guests, and Persada I (West Java Region) who attended and enlivened the Widyatama Japan Matsuri event.
The event opened with remarks from several leaders who attended the event, followed by a performance of the traditional Japanese dance “Sara Odori” combined with Indonesian culture, namely a dance from the Sumatra region. The dance was performed by students from the Faculty of Japanese Language at Widyatama University. The dance was a beautiful collaboration that symbolized the friendship between Indonesia and Japan. The event was very lively when the art performance was held, and the audience, especially the guests from Japan, welcomed it with great enthusiasm. In fact, many of them danced in their seats.
In line with the name of the event, “Bandung-Hamamatsu Culture,” the event was a cultural fusion between Indonesia and Japan, supported by the Indonesia Hamamatsu Friendship Association (LPIH). This cultural fusion added to the list of Widyatama University’s cooperation programs with foreign countries, namely Japan, especially the city of Hamamatsu.
Not only did the event feature traditional dances performed by Widyatama University students, but it also continued with a UNIKOM drum performance. The event then continued with high school competitions, namely a speech contest for universities and high schools, a kana contest, a shuuji contest, and a cosplay contest. At this festival, LPIH gave a spectacular prize to the first place winner of the Speech Contest, which was a 10-day trip to Japan.
As a regular event, LPIH and Persada also provided scholarships to 35 elementary and junior high school students who were in dire need of educational funding. “This Bandung-Hamamatsu event was very beneficial for me and my child, because in addition to learning about Japanese culture, my child received a scholarship from the Japanese Alumni Association (Persada),” said Mrs. Sari when she accompanied her child who was about to receive a scholarship for elementary and junior high school students.
