Yuai Association

Good mood and sharing: here is the Association Yuai’s moto. All year long, the French-Japanese community meets to have a good time during cultural outings and convivial activities.

The Yuai Association comes back to Japan Expo for the 7th time in a row to make you participate in plenty of animations about Japanese traditional culture.

Each year, the Yuai Association makes you discover traditional Japanese culture through various activities:
 

• Try on a yukata and immortalize the moment by taking a picture at the association's photography area.
• Master the paintbrush and India ink to create your own calligraphy.
• Learn origami folding techniques.
• Lace mizuhiki's threads to reproduce traditional decorative envelopes or earrings and jewels patterns, then leave with your creations.
• Pack all kinds of objects with furoshiki.
• Try out a orizome, a dyeing technique used for crafting kimono or coloring wrapping paper and book covers.
• Put your dexterity to the test with kendama, a Japanese cup and ball game.
• Braid your own kumihimo cord (a technique used to make obijime, just like Mitsuha's ribbon in YOUR NAME by Makoto SHINKAI).

Since Japan Expo is also a festival about manga and anime, the Yuai Association welcomes many artists among its members. They will share their talents with you through exciting activities:
 

• Caricaturists will draw your portrait according to the art style of your choice.
• Artists will teach you the basics of drawing during manga workshops.
• Others will make you discover the dreamy side of sumi-e, a traditional drawing technique requiring a paintbrush and India ink.
   

You will also get to enjoy a quiet and peaceful moment with kamishibai performances, which are "paper plays" dating back from the 8th or 13th century before becoming popular again in the 1950s-1960s. A narrator will tell you stories by illustrating them with hand-drawn panels which he will scroll while adding sound effects to make the tale livelier.

Yuai Association's members are looking forward to make you discover the wealth of Japanese culture, don't forget to meet them at the festival!