Turkey’s first festival to promote Japanese culture began in the country’s capital Ankara on Saturday (10.02.2018). More than 300 people took part in the opening ceremony of the “Japan Festival”, NHK World reported.
Increased interest in learning Japanese among young people in Turkey has been put down to the popularity of Japanese comics and animation.
The number of people who have taken an exam to gauge their proficiency in Japanese has increased by more than 50 percent this fiscal year, compared to last year, the news service reported.
Minister for the “Cool Japan” strategy adopted by the Japanese government, Masaji Matsuyama, said he hopes those attending the festival will serve as bridges between Japan and Turkey.
Numan Kurtulmus, Turkish minister for culture and tourism pointed out that the number of Japanese tourists in Turkey is now increasing after a decline due to concerns over the security situation. He too expressed his hope for further cultural exchanges between the countries, NHK said.
Entertainment at the festival included music played on a Japanese “koto” harp and a traditional Turkish flute called a “ney,” as well as a dance performance.
Source: NHK World
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