The renowned performers wowed the audience with a thrilling presentation of dance, drama and fun.

Staff, students and board members of the International Charter Academy of Georgia were given a short-but-thrilling taste of Kabuki when dancers from Miyabiya Japan stopped by the school on September 16 for a special performance.

Offering a preview of the full show they’d prepared for center stage at JapanFest 2024, the troop presented a special short section of a dance titled “Renjishi: The Two Lions.”

Considered one of the most famous pieces in Kabuki, Renjishi is known for its powerful choreography and dramatic expression. It tells the story of the relationship between a father lion and his young son. The powerful movements, dramatic expressions and percussive sound effects symbolize the passing of strength and legacy from one generation to the next.

How the show came about

Miyabiya Japan last appeared at JapanFest in 2016 to great acclaim. This year, with the excitement of their return, the performers made plans to offer a few shorter performances at other places around town in the week leading up to the festival.

Robert Johnson, an advisory board member of ICAGeorgia and a long-time friend of JapanFest and the Miyabiya troop, knew the dual-language, Japanese immersion school would be a great place for one of the shows. He helped organize the day’s demonstration and was on-hand to talk to the crowd and introduce the performers.

The performance

It was the first time having a Kabuki performance at ICAGeorgia. And, as students filed into the school’s gym, the excitement was palpable. The room was humming with happy voices before the show even began.

Johnson greeted the kids with a smile before introducing the award-winning Kabuki troop in both English and Japanese.

“This special group from Japan will be performing at JapanFest, but today they’re performing here for you,” he told the excited crowd.

He went on to explain, “Kabuki is a special form of very dramatic and traditional Japanese dance. Two dancers today will do the Lion Dance.” The youngest children in the crowd shrieked with delight when they heard the name.

“The Lion Dance is like the story of the Lion King,” he continued, “with an otousan (father) lion with a long white mane and his son with a bright red mane.”

After the short explanation of what to expect, Johnson instructed the students (and the adults in the audience) to call for the performers to come out. To the sounds of “Miyabi-ya, miyabi-ya,” from the crowd, the dancers bounded out into the room, onto the space set up for their performance. They greeted Mr. Johnson and the students before getting into the story.

An interactive experience

The show started with a brief instruction of Kabuki movements that got the audience on its feet, following the red lion’s lead. It ended with a bang of confetti that thrilled (and surprised) everyone there.

In between, the story of the two lions was beautifully expressed through the performers’ detailed costumes, traditional kumadori makeup, exaggerated expressions and dramatic movements. At times, the dancers even made their way into the audience. Students and adults alike were riveted from start to finish.

“I’m happy to have the performers come to our school,” said Junko Jones, founder and CFO of IACGeorgia. “Not all of the students will be able to go to JapanFest. So, it’s nice that they can experience Japan here.”

About ICAGeorgia

The International Charter School of Georgia is a K-6 Japanese immersion school located in Peachtree Corners. They currently have 250 students, with plans to expand the school to offer Grades 7–8 in the future.

Eighty-one of the students will sing onstage at JapanFest September 21 at 1pm. This will be school’s sixth time performing at the festival, having been there every year since the school opened. The students also performed at the state capital in January for Japan Day.

For more information about ICAGeorgia, visit internationalcharteracademy.org.

For more about JapanFest and Miyabiya Japan, visit japanfest.org

Live performances, shopping, food and fun are the highlights of this annual event celebrating Japanese culture

Georgia’s close ties to Japan span decades. The State of Georgia opened its first international office in Tokyo in 1973 to promote trade and tourism. A year later, the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta was established. 

Now, Georgia and Japan share a sister state-prefecture relationship and 10 sister city connections. Georgia is also regarded as the center of Japanese business activities in the southeastern United States as over 600 Japanese-affiliated companies have invested over $10.4 billion. 

To celebrate this connection, JapanFest Weekend 2024 will be held on September 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and September 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gas South Convention Center. 

Organized by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and The Japan-America Society of Georgia, the festival is designed to promote friendship and cultural exchange between the Japanese and American communities in the Southeast.

Live performances

JapanFest 2024 will feature a lineup of performers coming from Japan. Miyabiya Japan is set to showcase the mesmerizing blend of traditional and modernized Kabuki theatre, a performing art proclaimed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

Broadway performer and Rakugo master storyteller, hailed as the “King of Kimono Comedy,” Katsura Sunshine, will bring the laughs, as well as a captivating rendition of classic Japanese tales.

There will also be performances by the Matsuriza Taiko Japanese Drum Troupe and Samurai Sword Soul, as well as sumo, karate, kendo and kyudo martial arts demonstrations. 

Food, fun and arts & crafts

On top of that, local Japanese restaurants will offer a tantalizing menu of bento boxes, rice bowls, ramen noodles, sushi, yakisoba, shaved ice and more at the Japanese Food Court and Beer Garden. Cultural exhibits and workshops include calligraphy, Bonsai, Ikebana flower arranging, Kimono fitting, origami, a tea ceremony and more.  

Kids will have a fantastic time experiencing Japanese culture firsthand. At the festival’s Children’s Area, they can make their own Japanese crafts and toys. They can even take part in carrying a traditional Japanese portable shrine at the o-mikoshi parade. 

Visitors can also purchase an amazing array of Japanese goods, including kimono, Japanese tea, dolls, hand-made crafts, anime and manga goods and much from over 100 vendor booths. 

Many of the over 600 Japanese-affiliated companies based in Georgia will display their products at the Japanese Businesses in Georgia (JBiG) exhibition. Interactive exhibits also include the latest in Japanese technology, including automobiles, tractors, electronics, video games and virtual reality.

The details

Join over 20,000 visitors at this year’s JapanFest.

• Advanced Tickets: $16 (available until September 20th)
• Tickets at the Door: $20
• Family & Friends Package: $70 for 4 tickets or $90 for 5 tickets (available at the door)
• Children aged 6 and under: FREE

Military personnel and seniors can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $16 at the door. 

Group tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations looking to support the festival and gain a larger presence in the Japanese American community.   

JapanFest would not be possible without the help of over 150 volunteers. To fill out a volunteer application, please visit japanfest.org/participate and click on “Volunteer.”
For more information, call 404-522-6938 or email: lendon@japanfest.org.

The 11th annual race at The Forum attracts largest crowd in history

On August 10, over 1,700 people gathered at The Forum in Peachtree Corners for the 11th annual Light Up the Corners Glow Run and Twilight Trot benefiting the Fowler Family YMCA. This year’s event welcomed a record-breaking crowd of participants, sponsors and spectators and raised over $50,000 for the YMCA’s Why It Matters campaign.

“To witness over 1,600 glowing-flashing-sparkling runners and walkers was a thrill from start to finish,” said Light Up the Corners founder, Amy Massey. “But knowing this wonderful event enriches the lives of so many people in our community through the programs and services offered by the YMCA made it even better.”

The Forum showcased their new grand plaza and expanded gathering areas during the race, providing a perfect setting for this much-loved Peachtree Corners tradition.  

Roaming, glowing performers, a live DJ, games, Disney and Star Wars characters and face-painting made it an exciting, fun and family-friendly event.

North American Properties event coordinator, Charlotte Hinton added, “We’ve been blown away by the immense community support and feedback The Forum has received over the past two years, and we are proud The Forum continues serving as Peachtree Corners’ favorite spot to gather.”

This Year’s Top Three Male and Female Finishers:

1st Place:      Quinn Skurpski and Jenny Turner

2nd Place:     Jackson Luskin and Jenn Frost

3rd Place:      Paul Salah and Stephanie Cere

This Year’s Top Masters Finishers:

Jonathan Macdonald and Alicia Treadway

To learn more about Light Up the Corners, visit lightupthecorners.com.

For more about The Forum, visit theforumpeachtree.com