UCLan to hold first Japanese catwalk show for Japan Day

UCLan students are set to take part in the university’s first Japanese catwalk show to celebrate Japan Day on Friday 31 January.

This show, Bunkasai Runway, will see J- Fashion and new Japanese cultural trends on display. It’s part of the Bunkasai Japanese festival, which celebrates Japanese culture and is now in its sixth year.

Takeshi Ito, the newly appointed Minister for Public Diplomacy and Media at the Japanese Embassy in London, will be opening the event as a special guest and talking about Japanese Foreign Policy to students and staff.

Students from Priestley College, Warrington will also be performing Japanese songs at the festival with assistance from former UCLan languages graduate Taegan Jones Skinner who now teaches at the college.

Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at UCLan, Takako Amano, said: “The Japan Day Bunkasi event continues to grow each year in popularity and this year we will have the biggest range of activities yet for visitors to enjoy.

“Our very first Runway catwalk fashion show, for example, will give visitors a chance to see a variety of styles ranging from the latest in J-fashion, Japanese pop culture to more traditional styles.”

It doesn’t stop there as UCLan students will also be mounting special displays celebrating the day with Japanese poetry, chess and computer gaming. Many of the displays will be based on the learning and experiences that they gained from a year in Japan.

The event takes place in UCLan’s Harrington Building, Victoria Street and is free to both students and the general public.

Are you attending the event? Let us know in the comments.