Many fans of the Japanese Culture gathered at Hilton Doha Hotel throughout the entire week starting from November 20 to enjoy a variety of traditional and modern Japanese cultural events, “Samurai Festival in Qatar – Spirit of Japan to the World”.

The opening event featured a stunning demonstration of Kendo (Japanese martial art) by Doha-based “Kendo Club”, followed by Mini-Concert for the Japanese pop music band “Michinoku Sendai Ori-Hime Tai”. The night ended with a talk show by Author and Manga drawer Mr. Yoichi Takahashi, creator of the globally famous anime “Captain Tsubasa”, known in the Middle East countries as “Captain Majed”.

The festival premiered Japanese documentary film entitled “Sanma and Qatar” for the first time in Qatar, with the presence of former Japanese Ambassador Shingo Tsuda and Mr. R. Seethraman, CEO of Doha Bank. The Film showed people’s efforts in recovering from the disastrous aftermaths of the Tsunami in 2011, with the assistance of the Qatari Support projects initiated by Qatar Friendship Fund. The film was initiated as a good will message of the producer to appreciate Qatar which has been the biggest supporter to the people in the affected area. Seizing this opportunity, a lecture on disaster prevention and mitigation was held during the festival, introducing disaster prevention measures and revival from the Great East Japan Earthquake, displaying pictures of the taken after the earthquake happened. Another two Japanese films “Chikujo-seyo (Raise the Castle!)” and “Setouchi Kaizoku Story” produced by Ms. Yumiko Masuda, producer of the film “Sanma and Qatar” were screened during the festival.

A night combining extravaganza and fashion was lived on Wednesday 23^rd, as the audience were enthralled by two consecutive kimono shows. First stage was by “Qatar Kimono Club” displaying kurotomesode, which is the most formal kimono. It is completely black with patterns only at the lower half of kimono, and the other was a one-of-a-kind, gathering some of the most famous names in the Kimono fashion world under the theme “the changing four seasons of Japan”.

As a unique and inventive initiative, the “Mobile Mosque” concept was launched. The festival ended with a special “Anime Song Night” by leading singers Chihiro Yonekura and Sayaka Sasaku.

The Samurai festival in Qatar was held with the support of The Embassy of Japan in the State of Qatar, The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and Qatar Work Communications.

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