Saturday, 27 July 2024On 29th October 2022, we, members of the Japanese Club participated in the Japanese Autumn Festival at PMQ (also known as Tai Kwun) hosted by OISCA International Hong Kong and Wakyokai, an organization striving to introduce Japanese cultures to people in Hong Kong. It was indeed a wonderful and unique experience for us.
The soothing voice of singers, the passionate cheers from the audience, the laughter of the crowds filled the whole place. At the entrance, stalls were set up on each side selling specialties of different regions in Japan. A small stage was also positioned at the center of the venue, which was later surrounded by fans of the invited idols. At the very back was a larger stage for other performances or talks by different professional people from Japan.
The schedule was nicely arranged. After taking a group photo, we first sat in front of the large stage to enjoy a fabulous show by the Hong Kong Japanese Chorus Club. The applause from the audience was enough to prove that the singers had put their heart and soul into the performance. Leaving the stage, the members of Wakyokai introduced us to stalls that were placed along the open plaza. There were games, food and souvenirs shipped all the way from Japan. The apples sold were especially memorable, people would swarm to the stall and purchase them. On top of that, idols were also performing at the center stage, bringing more vibrance to the festival.
Later, we interacted with many Japanese people who live in Hong Kong, sharing their troubles and thrills of spending their time here. It was refreshing to know that the Japanese find Hong Kong a place filled with endless excitement and different cultures.
The festival is a memory to be treasured. It was a precious chance for us to dive into a field which we are unfamiliar with—the foreign cultures. It was also our first taste in authentic Japanese cultural practices, celebrating the arrival of autumn, enjoying snacks and performances with families and friends. Despite some communication difficulties here and there, our expressions were able to get our message across them, whether it is happiness, surprise or gratitude. We look forward to taking part in any events to learn more about Japanese culture.