The Indo-Japan Research Center (IJRC) at the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIM Nagpur) recently organized Hinamatsuri: Japanese day of dolls and the girl child. The event was conducted on the 3rd of March, 2023. Hinamatsuri, one of the great five seasonal festivals or Gosekku of Japan marks the arrival of spring. Mothers and daughter bond and the family prays for the continued health and happiness of the female children. IJRC observed this festival in the IIM Nagpur, in collaboration with Nagpur based Asahi Bilingual Services, with fervor. The event attracted participants from across the city.
The brand new IIM Nagpur campus was decorated with traditional doll displays featuring both the Emperor and the Empress of Japan. Traditional Japanese Torii gates (ceremonial gates), Sakura (cherry blossoms), and Tsuru (paper cranes), added to the celebrations by giving a taste of authentic Japanese tradition and Matsuri (the festival), to all the attendees, here in Nagpur.
The event featured workshops on using chopsticks, Japanese calligraphy, and the quintessential Japanese tea ceremony. These workshops were a hit with the eager attendees. Participants also had the option to dress up in traditional Japanese attire: the kimono (for women), and the hakama (for men). Further, traditional Japanese games such as Kendama and Daruma Otoshi were featured as part of the event for everyone to enjoy. Finally, the celebration was brought to a close with a captivating cosplay performance by a Japan interest group comprising of youngsters from Nagpur. Performers donned intricate costumes and brought characters from popular Japanese anime and manga to life.
Speaking about the event, the organizers expressed their delight at the turnout and the enthusiastic response from attendees.
“This event will bring Japan and India closer. We will work closely with Japan and our Japanese counterparts to internationalize our curriculum further, by enriching them with deeply Asian values,” observed Dr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM Nagpur.
“It is incredible that we could bring a piece of Japan to Nagpur. We will leave no stones unturned in bringing the old friends (Japan and India) even closer,” said Prof. Rahul Kumar Sett, Chairperson, IJRC, IIM Nagpur.
The Hinamatsuri event was a celebration of the rich cultural exchange between India and Japan and a testament to the power of community and shared experiences. Attendees left the event with a newfound appreciation for Japanese culture and a yearning for greater cultural assimilation and exchanges.
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