site.btaVeliko Tarnovo University Hosts 25th Festival of Japanese Culture on Saturday

Japanese and Bulgarians are very close in terms of spirituality, worldview and interest in history, the Cultural Attache of Japan in Bulgaria, Kento Muraki, told BTA. He and representatives of the diplomatic mission were guests at the 25th Festival of Japanese Culture organized by St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo on Saturday.

Kento Muraki said that the two countries are interested in each other's cultures, and that this curiosity is constantly growing. More than 1,200 people are studying Japanese in Bulgaria, according to data from the Embassy, however, that number is likely to be even higher, since many people choose to take individual courses. The number of Japanese students enrolled in Bulgarian universities, especially in medical universities and in arts colleges, is constantly growing. More than 600 Bulgarians are studying at various universities in Japan through a government scholarship.

The Festival of Japanese Culture hosted by Veliko Tarnovo University is an annual event organized by the students who take Japanese language courses at the school, said Assoc. Prof. Polina Tsoncheva, Dean of the Faculty of Philology and Head of the Department of Eastern Languages and Culture. The inaugural festival took place in 1997 on the initiative of Japanese language teachers, third- and fourth-year students, with the help of volunteers from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Today, more than 70 people study Applied Linguistics with Japanese at the university.

The Festival of Japanese Culture on Saturday gathered hundreds of guests, who learned about Japanese traditions and enjoyed the country's art and cuisine. The forum hosted booths for origami making, calligraphy painting, the board game Go, yukata, pixel art, and more.