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DAYS OF THE JAPANESE CULTURE AT VARNA FREE UNIVERSITY GATHERED DOZENS OF PARTICIPANTS
09 June 2026
Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” hosted the Days of Japanese Culture – a twelve-day series of events dedicated to the language, traditions and contemporary culture of Japan.
The initiative was organised by the Department of Foreign Language Teaching and Postgraduate Qualification as the final part of the Japanese language and culture training during the academic year. The course is provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff of the university and is implemented through a long-standing international cooperation between Varna Free University and the Japanese organization International Cross-cultural Exchange Association (ICEA).
For more than eight years, VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" has been hosting volunteer teachers from Japan, who not only teach the Japanese language, but also introduce the academic community to the richness of Japanese culture. In the 2025/2026 academic year, the Japanese language and culture teacher was Mr Yasuhiro Minami, who conducted the classes and organised cultural workshops for the participants.
As part of the initiative, 14 different cultural activities and demonstrations were held, including ikebana (flower arranging), kimono dressing, Japanese tea ceremony, calligraphy, origami, collages from traditional Japanese washi paper, washi cutting art, stamp making, onigiri preparation, Japanese anime screenings, Japanese song performances, taiko drumming, demonstrations of tate (samurai stage swordsmanship) and symmetrical paper cutting.
A total of 76 students, teachers, university employees and members of their families participated in the activities. The participants had the opportunity not only to learn more about the Japanese traditions, but also to make origami figures themselves, prepare the popular onigiri rice balls, create flower compositions according to the rules of ikebana and experience the aesthetics of Japanese clothing and martial arts.
The events took place in an extremely friendly and inspiring atmosphere. The curiosity, active participation and enthusiasm of the attendees turned each meeting into a true celebration of intercultural dialogue. Kimono demonstrations, samurai stage performances and practical workshops in origami and Japanese cuisine aroused particular interest.
In a special video message, Mr Yasuhiro Minami shared his impressions of Bulgaria, Varna and Varna Free University. He expresses gratitude for the warm welcome, hospitality and active participation of the students and colleagues from the university, emphasising that his stay at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" was a valuable professional and personal experience.
The management of the Department of Foreign Language Education and the Student Council would like to thank all participants for their interest in the Japanese language and culture. The good news is that the tradition continues - the new volunteer teacher in Japanese language and culture from Japan is expected to arrive at Varna Free University at the end of September 2026, when registration for the new Japanese language group will also begin.
