Esplanade’s got a new cultural festival: Super Japan — Japanese Festival of Arts. And it’s super, indeed. The arts and culture of Japan will be on display for ten days, featuring 25 ticketed and over 60 free programmes in the line-up. Interestingly enough, this year marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between our country and the Land of the Rising Sun.
Highlights include Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, also known as Japan’s Lady Gaga, Butoh legends Sankai Juku, and a unique collab between local theatre director Chong Tze Chien and Shigeki Nakano. There’s also Tokyo’s mouse on the keys, who’ll play their blend of jazz, funk, classical, post-rock and electronic material from their latest album, The Flowers of Romance.
If you wanna see more collaborations between both countries, check out creative studio Kitchen. Label and their gig featuring local band Aspidistrafly and haruka nakamura piano ensemble. Or watch homegrown singer/songwriter Nathan Hartono share the stage with Tokyo-based jazz songbird Asako Toki and the Blue Note Tokyo All-Star Jazz Orchestra.
For little ones, there’s Japanese shadow puppet theatre troupe Silhouette Theater Tsunobue, who will tell the tale of Princess Kaguya with light and shadow. Plus, look out for taiko drum performances by Singaporean troupe Hibikiya and Kodo drummers from Japan, a food matsuri, and loads more.
Super Japan — Japanese Festival of Arts is on May 13-22, various times at Esplanade, 1 Esplanade Dr. Free and ticketed.
