The Cowra Japanese Garden has announced the annual Koyo Matsuri program, with exciting speakers, events and activities taking place over two days on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4.
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An autumn festival coinciding with Japan's annual Greenery Day and Children's Day, Koyo Matsuri showcases the spectacular colour of the changing season in the garden.
This celebration of autumn offers a variety of workshops and performances in Tea Ceremony, Origami, Martial Arts, Bonsai, Calligraphy and children's toys and games..
Colourful leaves (koyo) are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring. The viewing of autumn leaves has been a popular activity in Japan, and will be shared in ceremony in the Japanese Gardens
Taking place over two days, the festival program includes the Garden's Koyo Oration and a Service of respect at the Cowra War Cemeteries.
Taking place on both days of the festival, the tea ceremony (or chado) is considered an art, as well as an escape from the complexities, rush, and ordinariness of everyday life. The ceremony itself is performed and shared by Urasenke, a non profit and registered charity supported by the Japan Foundation, Sydney.
Additionally, the festival includes guest speaker Roger Pulvers AM ORS, an author, translator, film and theatre director who has published more than fifty books in English and Japanese, to speak to attendees about the relationship between Japan and Australia.
Tomoko, a Japanese calligraphy artist living in Australia will be doing a large-brush Japanese calligraphy performance.
Both Friday and Saturday will include martial arts, bonsai and calligraphy displays.
With many of the performances open to the public, though with some aspects of the festival being ticketed, visitors are encouraged to check times and ticket information on the link below.
www.cowragarden.com.au/