Japan Festival for families, V&A

This May bank holiday, the V&A is celebrating the Japanese national holiday of Special Children’s Day. Japanese dance, music, storytelling and art activities are coming to every corner of the museum. Taking place between 11am and 5pm are a series of activities to get families dressing up, getting crafty and discovering new things about the history of Japan.

There's a lot to choose from, and the V&A's website isn't the easiest to navigate, so we've included the full line up below. The activity that we most recommend is a morning making traditional fabric carp banners; streamers flown in Japan to celebrate their national holiday of Children's Day. All events are free and available for families to drop-in.

Performances

Pop-up Performances: Tales from Old Japan
30 minute performances 11:00, 13:00 & 15,00
Raphael Gallery, Room 48a
Come and discover two enchanting and hair-raising stories with Kumiko Mendi. The tale of Magnificent Mount Irate who blew hot and cold and the stunning Princes Kamiyama who was hopelessly in love with him and the story of the battle between the samurai Watanabe no Tsuna and the horrible hairy Ogre of Rashomon Gate

Nihon Buyō Japanese Dance
25 minute performances at 11:30, 13:30 & 15:30,
Raphael Gallery, Room 48a
Nihon Buyō is a refined dance that has developed over four centuries. There are four influences on Nihon Buyō: Kabuki, Noh, Japanese folk dance and a mixture of European and American culture that is found in Japan today. The group is led by Hiroko Tanaka

Masuda String Puppets
25 minute performances at 12:00, 14:00 & 16:00
The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, level 4
For the first time in Britain, the Masuda String Puppeteers will be performing traditional stories, using Ningyō-Jōruri string puppets. The Masuda String Puppeteers’ style is the only surviving Edo Period (1615-1868) style string puppetry currently performed in Japan, and is designed as anImportant Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shimane Prefecture.

Koto Music
25 minute performances at 12:00, 13:30, 14:00 & 15:30
Grand Entrance
The Koto is the national instrument of Japa. Originally used in Japanese court music, this stringed instrument has been played by solo performers for centuries. Listen o performances given by Keiko Kitamura.

Japanese Taiko Drumming
25 minute performances at 12:45, 14:45 & 16:45
The John Madejski Garden (if wet then in tThe Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre)
Taiko drums have been used throughout Japan’s long history for communication in battle, as a theatrical accompaniment, and in many different religious ceremonies as well as at festivals and today in concert performances. The drums vary in size from small hand-held instruments played with the fingers to huge drums mounted on stands and played with large wooden sticks Hand-held drums will be played during the sessions accompanied by a Shakuhachi (type of flute). Performances by Joji Hirota London taiko Drummers

Making and Doing

Paper Banner Making
11:00 - 17:00
Raphael Gallery Room 48a
The carp is an auspicious symbol in Japan, representing strength and stamina. Traditionally fabric carp banners (koinobori) are put outside the home and in public spaces during the children’s festival. Once caught by the wind the fish move as if in water. The fish represent the family with the small fish being the children. Create your own family banner using paper fish and bamboo. You can make an origami shape to decorate the top of the banner.

Make a Card Samurai Helmet
11:00 - 17:00
Raphael Gallery, Room 48a
Create traditional Japanese origami birds, helmets, flowers and other forms to decorate the blossom trees in the gallery or to put on top of your banner. The workshop is run by the British Origami Society.

Drop-in Deign: Create your own Mon
11:00-17:00
Japan Room 45
A mon is a Japanese family crest. Find the various mon designs on objects in the Japan gallery and look at the patterns, shapes, plants and animals used in Japan art as inspiration for your own mon design.

Wear a Kimono
11:00-17:00
A chance for you to try on a kimono. This traditional Japanese garment is still worn by men, women and children, typically on special occasions. Event run by the Japan Society of the UK.

Manga
35 minute workshops at 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
Learning Centre, Art Studio
Manga are comics originating in Japan from the late nineteenth century, the modern drawing style is now popular over the word. Join manga artist Karen Rubins for an introduction to drawing characters and how to get them to express their feelings in manga style.

Digital Kids: Design your own Emoji
11:00-17:00
Learning Centre, Foyer
Working with digital artists create your own original emoji (meaning picture character in Japanese) to use in your emails.

Demonstrations and tours

Dressing a Samurai in armour
25 minute demonstrations at 12:00, 14:0 & 16:00
Raphael Gallery, Room 48a
Wearing a formal kimono, such as frisked and hōmongi, requires the wearer to put on a variety of garments in a specific order, held together with an obi. Watch how an obi is tied on formal kimonos to complete the ensemble.

Japanese Calligraphy Demonstration
14:00-16:30
Lunchroom level 3
Using ink, brush and paper, watch artists create traditional Japanese calligraphy. Event run by Japan society of the UK.

Japan Gallery Tour
25 minute tours 12:00, 14:00 & 15:00
Japan Room 45
Sara Stewart member of Creative Voice the V&A’s youth collective and students of the History of Hart and Archaeology of East Asia at SOAS, gives a personal tour of Japanese objects linked to children and children festivals.