COLOMBO : A symbol of summer- traditional Japanese Bon Odori Festival was held with great success on 12nd July 2025, at the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) premises in Maharagama, in collaboration with the NYSC and the Japanese Solidarity Association (JSA).
The festival featured a variety of performance and captivated the huge crowd of visitors. Bon Odori dance with popular songs “Tokyo Ondo“ (Tokyo dancing song) and “Tanko Bushi” (Mine-diggers song) were performed by students from the Japanese School in Colombo and the Lanka Nippon BizTech Institute (LNBTI) with active participation of visitors to the festival.
In addition to the Bon Odori dance, the following performances were showcased to attract visitors with sounds and colors:
- Traditional Japanese drum performances (“Wadaiko”) by students from the Japanese School in Colombo and NYSC
- The Japanese dance “Nanchu Soran” by students from the Japanese School in Colombo
- J-Pop dance by LNBTI students
- Karate performances by NYSC students
- Japanese and Sinhala songs by Japan International Cooperation Agency Volunteers (JOCV)
- Sri Lankan music and dances by NYSC students
Adding further cultural richness, the renowned popular Japanese singer Ms. Chikaco SAWADA gave a special performance with her famous song “I miss you (会いたい)” , Sinhari song “Manike Mage hithe” and few more. She held the Charity Concert in Sri Lanka in 2005 to support the recovery from Tsunami, and strong relation with Sri Lanka marking this as her 6th visit to Sri Lanka.
Distinguished participants graced the occasion, including Hon. Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, H.E. Mr. Akio ISOMATA, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, Mr. Pasindu Gunaratne, Chairman of NYSC, Ms,Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, Mayor of Colombo, Mr. Saman Samarakoon, Chairman of Maharagama, and Mr. Mikinaga HOTTA, President of JSA.
Food lovers were treated to authentic Japanese cuisine from well-known eateries such as Yamato, Ginza-Hosen, Kuuraku, Minori, Shikisen, Nihonbashi, Sushi Bar Samurai. The NYSC cooking class also offered an exciting mix of Japanese and Sri Lankan dishes.
Cultural booths from the Origami Folders Association (wonderful Origani arts), Sri Lanka Bonsai Association (magnificent Bonsai), LNBTI (Calligraphy and Costume-play), JICA- JETRO-CLAIR (information on SSW, TITP Japanese local govt., business promotion), JICA volunteers (Syateki games) and the JSA Bazaar added educational and artistic value to the event.
The annual Bon Odori Festival in Sri Lanka is a signature summer cultural event connecting the Japanese and Sri Lankan peoples and a symbol of the deepening friendship and cultural exchange between the two countries.
