For the past several years Ho Etsu has participated in the Japan House Matsuri Festival on the campus of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. The festival shares Japanese food, entertainment and culture with university students and guests. This year in addition to the Matsuri Festival, Japan House celebrated their 20th anniversary with a special ceremony and concert.

The concert featured Japanese musicians and performers, including members of the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music in Japan specializing in traditional koto and shamisen playing; Michiyoshi Sato, a prominent Japanese player of the tsugaru jamisen; and calligraphy artist Seiran Chiba. It was Ho Etsu’s honor to collaborate and share the stage with these amazing artists! Many thanks to Jarvis Kim for these rehearsal and performance photographs.

ABOUT JAPAN HOUSE

Japan House is a teaching facility with Japanese tea rooms and class space surrounded by Japanese gardens. The environment of Japanese aesthetics both inside and outside makes for an immersive experience. Even without taking part in the tea ceremonies, classes, workshops and performances, a visitor can learn about Japanese culture just by absorbing the Japanese influence and aesthetics. Japan House is a unit of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It has both University classes for academic credit, as well as community classes open to the general public. Although it is not a cultural center for Japanese students, it often becomes a home away from home to Asian students because of its traditional stylings and peaceful environment. (source: Japan House website)

Photography Credits:
Jarvis Kim

(click any photo to view the gallery as a slideshow)