SHIMAZU KENJI, a Japanese national, patriarch of the Yagyu Shingan Ryu School;
KUWAHARA HARUKO, a Japanese national, wife of Shimazu Kenji;
HIOKI JUN, a Japanese national, sensei of the Toyama Ryu School;
The national participants of the festival were represented by:
Vladimir Vladimirovich Silkin, Ph.D. in Political Science, professor, Dean of the Department of Journalism of the International Institute of Public Administration and Management;
Felix Isosimovich Sharkov, Ph.D. in Social Science, professor, Head of Chair for Public Relations and Media Policy, Vice-Dean of the Department of Journalism of the International Institute of Public Administration and Management;
Alexandr Danilovich Nazarov, Ph.D. in History, professor, Deputy Head of Chair for Public Relations and Media Policy of the Department of Journalism of the International Institute of Public Administration and Management;
Evgeny Nikolaevich Nikiforov, Director of the “MAYAK” Children and Youth Club for Sports Karate;
Andrey Leonidovich Bolnokin, head of the local executive committee of the “United Russia” party of Otradnoe District of the North-East Administrative District of Moscow;
Stanislav Davidovich Bashankaev, a postgraduate student of the International Institute of Public Administration and Management.
The program of the festival was varied and interesting. On 6 September an exposition was opened displaying the exhibits from the personal collection of Shimazu Kenji, including such antiquities like samurai armour suits, dinnerware, scrolls, items of Japanese painting, calligraphy and other household items.
Just before, on 7 September, the first performance of a colorful celebration of the festival of epochs was held in the district of “Otradnoe” as an immersion in the past.
Adults and children paraded proudly with lots of flags along the streets of Otradnoe, accompanied by the sounds of clarions and drums and dressed in Japanese kimonos and samurai armour suits. The procession was preceded by sensei Shimazu Kenji, master of marshal arts and chief consultant of the Museum of Marine History of Tokyo, who specially came to attend the feast. The parade took its start at the “MAYAK” Children and Youth Club for Sports Karate in the District of “Otradnoe” of the North-East Administrative District of Moscow. The “MAYAK” Children and Youth Club for Sports Karate, supervised by Evgeny Nikolaevich Nikiforov, has been operating since 1998, gaining hugely in popularity among young people of Otradnoe not only as a sports playground but also as a complex physical and moral training centre.
During the meeting with the students of the International Institute of Public Administration and Management the Japanese guests spoke about themselves, about the schools of marshal arts, their peculiarities, unveiling some secrets of their professional experience. Shimazu Kenji shared his knowledge of the history of the Japanese combat weapons and their specific features, asking young men to get actively involved in the study of the oriental civilizations and oriental philosophy. He remarked: “The Jidai Matsuri Festival is a part of the cultural legacy of Japan. It is the mutual interest to the culture of our countries, the study and understanding of traditions that can pave the way to long-lasting good neighbor relations and a real friendship.”
At the end of the meeting the guests and organizers of the event exchanged gifts of courtesy as souvenir. F.I. Sharkov, Vice-Dean of the Department of Journalism, thanked the guests for an interesting meeting and called on further cooperation to be exercised.
