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Shadow theater group from Yokohama performed at the Japanese Film Festival in Frankfurt – Ukrainian refugees received special invitation

by | Jun 9, 2022

The Nippon Connection (NC), the largest Japanese film festival outside Japan, is held annually in Frankfurt and this year marks its 22nd year. After 3 years finally live again, from Tuesday, May 24, to Sunday, May 29, more than 100 films were screened and a diverse cultural program was offered, including workshops and performances on Japanese culture.

The shadow theater group Kakashiza, who gave an online performance from Yokohama at last year’s event, was invited by the NC to come to Germany to give a live performance and workshop.

The Yokohama City Office in Frankfurt supported the visit to Germany by acting as a bridge between the two sides and was able to introduce Kakashiza and Yokohama to the audience in a short speech before the performance.

Workshop

(May 26, 2022)

20 people participated, learned and practiced the techniques of creating their own hand shadow images of animals such as foxes, crabs, birds, penguins and elephants.

There was also an opportunity to wish for shadow pictures and so many wishes were made to the group members, such as “giraffe”, “shark”, “tiger”, “cobra”, “unicorn” and “brachiosaurus”. For this, the shadow theater group members impromptu performed the requested hand shadow pictures with a humorous presentation, which delighted the participants and filled them with laughter and admiration.

Performance “Hand Shadows ANIMARE”

(May 28, 2022)

The audience of about 200 people was drawn into the unique world of fantasy and humor created by the magnificent performance in which the hands played the main role and brought the shadows to life.

After the performance, the audience gave a standing ovation and the participants, fascinated by the performance, asked for autographs and souvenir photos.

In addition, about 60 displaced Ukrainian citizens in Frankfurt accepted the invitation from NC to see the show free of charge.

-ANIMARE – is the Latin word for “to bring to life, to animate.” The world of hand shadows is full of new surprises, where different forms are created only with hands and body. One by one, the performers’ hands breathed life into the shadows, bringing the stories to life. A silhouette show with colorful and beautiful shadow figures and humorous stories.

A short speech about Yokohama

(28.05.2022)

The Chief Representative explained that the Kakashiza Theater Group had come all the way from “Yokohama” this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of its founding, thanks to the close city partnership between Yokohama and Frankfurt, and briefly introduced Yokohama. He called the city with its concentration of German companies and the location of the German school the city closest to Germany.

After the performance, the visitors personally thanked the artists in German for the wonderful gift from Yokohama that the performance was for them.

Europe Latest News

After a break due to the pandemic, the student exchange between Frankfurt and Yokohama continues

After a break due to the pandemic, the student exchange between Frankfurt and Yokohama continues

After the partnership between the Frankfurt comprehensive school Schule Am Ried and Sakuragaoka Municipal High School in Yokohama was established in 2017, the first visit by Schule am Ried to its partner school took place in 2018 and the school made return visits in 2019 and 2020, the exchange had to be put on hold for the time being as the visit by Schule am Ried planned for autumn 2020 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Yokohama City and The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

Yokohama City and The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

The City of Yokohama has set up the Mobility Innovation Hub YOKOHAMA concept, aiming to become a city that attracts mobility start-ups from Japan and abroad, and is promoting support for the development of next-generation mobility technologies and their social implementation. Meanwhile, The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, brings together start-ups, technicians, investors and others from Germany and abroad to support the creation of new businesses in the mobility sector.

After a break due to the pandemic, the student exchange between Frankfurt and Yokohama continues

After a break due to the pandemic, the student exchange between Frankfurt and Yokohama continues

After the partnership between the Frankfurt comprehensive school Schule Am Ried and Sakuragaoka Municipal High School in Yokohama was established in 2017, the first visit by Schule am Ried to its partner school took place in 2018 and the school made return visits in 2019 and 2020, the exchange had to be put on hold for the time being as the visit by Schule am Ried planned for autumn 2020 had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Yokohama City and The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

Yokohama City and The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, have signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

The City of Yokohama has set up the Mobility Innovation Hub YOKOHAMA concept, aiming to become a city that attracts mobility start-ups from Japan and abroad, and is promoting support for the development of next-generation mobility technologies and their social implementation. Meanwhile, The Drivery, a German innovation support organisation specialising in the mobility sector, brings together start-ups, technicians, investors and others from Germany and abroad to support the creation of new businesses in the mobility sector.