Hinamatsuri 2024 at Detroit Institute of Arts on March 3, 2024: Japanese story telling program. (Photo courtesy of Japan Cultural Development)
Japan Cultural Development (JCD) Newsletter, March 2024
By Takashi Omitsu, JCD Chairperson
The Japan Cultural Development sponsored the Hinamatsuri event at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) on Sunday, March 3, 2024. The Hinamatsuri 2024 was visited by 2670 people.
One year has passed since last year's Hinamatsuri “Return to DIA.” This year marks exactly 10 years since DIA embarked on the road to revitalization after financial bankruptcy, so we will be introducing artwork created with the motif of “Re-birth” and inviting the audience to participate in the art. We are planning this event in hopes of further recovery of DIA.
The event was held on March 3rd, and the weather was good, and many visitors flocked to the event. Families were seen enjoying making things at three popular workshop venues: “Ikebana,” “Ichigo Daifuku,” and “Paper Making”.
The traditional Japanese culture of “Tea ceremony” was held in a calm lecture hall, where the skills of the tea masters were on full display.
The seats for the “Origami Workshop” continued to fill up throughout the day, and the “Japanese Folk Tales” event was filled with families enjoying the Kamishibai show. There was a “koto performance” at the venue where the cafe was located, and the visitors seemed to be having a relaxing time.
“Re-Birth" is a new attempt by three artists to express the "rebirth of DIA." The Japanese Gallery was established in 2017 with a donation to DIA from the Japanese community ten years ago. Over the past few years, the Japan Business Society of Detroit (JBSD) has continued to support the expansion of the Hinamatsuri event and attract more people to DIA. "Re-Birth" expresses the support of the Japanese community from bankruptcy to recovery.
People write messages about what they want for the area where they live and for DIA, and have them hang it on "Re Birth." In addition, the washi art “The Sky of Detroit, Shinning Wind” created by Japanese washi masters uses beautiful blue washi paper to depict the recovery of Detroit.
JCD’s Hinamatsuri in DIA is planned and implemented every year with a focus on introducing the works of artists and introducing traditional Japanese culture. JCD would like to continue its efforts so that many local people will participate in JCD's cultural events at DIA and become fans of Japan. Lastly, JCD would like to express a gratitude to the many people who supported this event to the successful completion of Hinamatsuri 2024.
