The 2009 Nihongo Fiesta was held at the SM Mall of Asia from the 28th of February to the 1st of November. Highlights of the event included the 36th Nihongo Speech Contest, an exhibition by International Manga Awardee Kriss Sison, a Koto Performance by Ms. Chieko Fukuda, and an Edo Kite Exhibition with Mr. Mikio Toki.

      

      

The sky was pleasantly overcast over Mall of Asia during the event, shading kiteflyers and the audience from the fierce rays of the midafternoon sun. The wind, however was a bit more temperamental, picking up and dying down in unpredictable degrees.

One of Mr. Toki’s kites took a spectacular crash dive after it failed to lift itself into the air. I hope that its sturdy bamboo construction and its decorated washi skin survived the fall — it would be a shame for that wonderful ukiyo-e style painting on its front face was poked full of unsightly holes.

      

      

Aside from the Edo Kiteflying Exhibition and Demo by Mr. Toki and his team, there was also an open kite-flying competition, where entries from local flyers took to the air. Besides Edo-style kites decorated with popular manga characters, competing entries also included birds of all shapes and sizes, fantasy creatures like fairies and dragons, and supersized insects and arachnids.

Thank you very much to the Japan Foundation for the support.