The organiser of a private cultural festival celebrating Japanese craftsmanship said it would go ahead with the event in Hong Kong next month, despite feeling under pressure as friends voiced concerns about possible fallout from the ongoing Sino-Japanese row.
Theresa Ting, co-founder of the Japanese cultural festival “A Journey into Japanese Craft Aesthetics”, said no organisations or institutions had so far requested the cancellation or postponement of the event. She stressed that the activity was purely commercial and not affiliated with any government.
The festival, to be held at PMQ in Central for 12 days from December 24, aims to showcase traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Its highlight will be the rare art form “Awa Ningyo Jōruri”, a puppet theatre with a centuries-long history.
Other demonstrations and workshops will include Takaoka tin casting, incense-making, Okinawan dyeing techniques, lacquer art, Japanese dance, martial arts, swordsmanship, calligraphy and more.
“We have been continuously receiving concerns and inquiries from friends across various sectors, which has indeed brought some psychological pressure, to a greater or lesser extent,” Ting said.
“However ... we have been crystal clear about our focus on cultural promotion, with the goal of bringing Japanese culture to friends in Hong Kong from a more in-depth perspective.”
She dismissed concerns about low attendance due to political tensions, saying that “who truly love culture and art will persistently pursue ... their interests”, and that she intended to focus on the long-term development of cultural promotion with her co-founder and husband, Toshiya Yasuda.
Tensions between China and Japan have escalated after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested earlier this month that her country might consider military action if Beijing attempted to invade or blockade Taiwan.
Both the mainland and Hong Kong governments have cautioned against travel to Japan.
On Monday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said all official exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan should respect the dignity of the Chinese nation and align with the interests of Hong Kong residents, questioning the effectiveness of such interactions amid the ongoing diplomatic dispute.
Reports suggested that his administration had earlier cancelled or postponed several exchanges with the Japanese consulate General in Hong Kong.
On Saturday, the Education Bureau confirmed that a Hong Kong student delegation had withdrawn from a regional exchange programme hosted by the Japanese government after the city updated its travel alert, advising residents to exercise caution while in Japan.
The Victoria Educational Organisation, a Hong Kong private kindergarten operator, has changed the destination of a study tour from Tokyo to Chengdu, citing government travel advice.
However, Tang Fei, a Legislative Council education panel member running in the coming election, said he believed very few schools were affected by the diplomatic row.
Tang noted that many Japanese learning tours were self-financed, with fees paid by parents.
“Overall speaking, there are relatively fewer primary and secondary schools that hold exchange activities in Japan, as such activities are pricey. Not many schools are affected,” he said.
“I do not think the schools are subject to any pressure. They just follow the directions from the Education Bureau.”
Tang added that he had not seen any official circular from the bureau regarding such activities but said the government should provide guidelines in case refunds become necessary.
Steven Hon, general manager of EF Education First in Hong Kong and Macau, said the company was still recruiting participants for its coming Japanese study tour, scheduled for July next year. The one to two-week tour will cater to students aged under 17 for language education.
“We have not received any complaints, nor have we received any requests from our customers who have requested to withdraw,” he told the Post on Tuesday.
However, Hon noted that general interest in Japanese summer tours tends to be lower compared with other destinations offered by the company, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.
He added that the company had attempted to organise at least one summer learning tour to Japan in recent years, but not all had materialised. Customers would be offered alternative destinations based on demand. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
