Our major event each year is the Golden Week Japan Festival held to coincide with the holiday period in Japan. A well attended public event, the Kodomo no Hi celebration lets you enjoy a variety of exhibitions, displays and performances plus some great Japanese food! This year will be just as good with participants coming from Japan again.

2006 Festival Program

Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日) - Children's Day Celebration

Date: Sunday 7th May

Time: 11am - 4pm

Place: Cowandilla Primary School, 1 Jenkins St, Cowandilla

Cost: Gold coin donation

The programme for Children's Day includes lots of Japanese music, folk dancing, singing, games, kites, tea ceremony, martial arts demonstrations, exhibitions of bonsai and ikebana, craft stalls, trash and treasure stall, food stalls, Japanese trains (further information about the trains at an external site) and mochitsuki (pounding rice cake using traditional implements).

Japanese Film Festival

JAFA will be presenting four films in conjuction with the MRC as part of Cineasia at the Mercury Cinema. The films being shown are:

• Tuesday 2nd May, 7.30pm, Gigantor - Tetsujin. The Australian Premiere with launch party, sushi and sake
• Wednesday 3rd May, 7.30pm, Free Screening of Kurosawa's Red Beard on a 35mm print.
• Friday 5th May, 7.30pm. Yoji Yamada's Hidden Blade.
• Saturday 6th May, 1.30pm. The Cat Returns (G). In English and from the creators of Spirited Away.

Tickets are $11/$9 or Season passes $20/$17. For more inforation visit www.mercurycinema.org.au
Tickets at the door or bookings 8410 1934

Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.