A Japan-South Korea cultural exchange festival opened in Tokyo on Saturday as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.
The event is held every year with an aim to deepen exchanges by showcasing both countries’ cultures.
At the opening ceremony at Komazawa Olympic Park, a procession of Korean envoys sent to Japan by the Korean dynasty centuries ago was reenacted.
The role of chief envoy was played by the mother of a South Korean student, Lee Su-hyon, who tried to save a man who fell on to the tracks at Tokyo’s Shin-Okubo station in 2001. Lee was hit by a train and died.
The head of the festival’s organizing group, Oh Gong-tae, said that cultural exchanges between Japan and South Korea have been going well in recent years.
He also said that he hopes the event will further boost the exchanges.
The two-day festival features stage performances of Japanese and South Korean music, including K-pop, dance shows, as well as stalls selling popular South Korean foods.
A university student in attendance said that in Japan and South Korea, the other country’s culture is now popular and that many young people are interested in learning the other’s language. She also said that she believes bilateral ties will deepen through exchanges of young people.