EvCC’s anime and manga festival celebrates Japanese culture
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 19, 2017
By Katherine Schiffner
Special to The Herald
Learn about Japanese art, culture and history at the free Japanese Anime &Manga Arts Festival May 19-20 at Everett Community College.
The festival is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. on May 19. On May 20, hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“The festival is an opportunity to celebrate anime and manga and to learn more about Japanese language and culture,” said EvCC Librarian and Japanese Club adviser Heather Uhl, who is organizing and presenting at the event. Uhl is a regular presenter at Sakura-Con in Seattle.
This is the festival’s third year. Last year, almost 300 people attended, reflecting the Puget Sound’s growing interest in anime, or animation, and manga, which are Japanese comics.
“Even if we can’t read or speak Japanese, anime and manga give us a window into an entirely different culture. That’s the power of visual communication. It gets people hooked,” Uhl said. “Our hope is that the festival will inspire people and get them excited to learn more at EvCC.”
The festival draws otaku (fans obsessed with anime and manga) but has demonstrations, music and movies that families and newbies enjoy too, Uhl said.
Events include a presentation and live drawing demonstration by award-winning manga artist Yoshimi Kurata, a screening of the animated Japanese historical drama “The Wind Rises,” a cosplay competition and manga swap.
For the cosplay competition, space is limited and visitors can sign up at the event to participate. Leave any weapons or weapon facsimiles at home, because they’re not allowed on campus.
The festival also includes presentations about traditional Japanese armor by Lynn Shiori Miyauchi, senior specialist for cultural affairs at the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, information about the Japan Exchange in Teaching program and an explanation of traditional Asian music and theater in anime by Soju Project.
Visitors can also watch traditional dance and drum performances, taste green tea in an authentic Japanese tea room, try on a yukata (summer kimono), meet Seattle artist Enfu, purchase art from vendors and more.
On May 20, food will be for sale from the BeanFish and YummyBox food trucks.
The festival is free and open to the public, except for tea ceremonies at the Nippon Business Institute tea room. Tea ceremony attendance is $10 per person and includes matcha and sweets. Tea ceremony tickets are limited and usually sell out.
The full schedule of events will be posted online at EverettCC.edu/JAMAF or like the event Facebook page, Facebook.com/EVCCJAMAF.
The festival is sponsored by the City of Everett Cultural Arts Commission, the EvCC Foundation, EvCC’s Nippon Business Institute, the EvCC Student LIFE office and EvCC’s Japanese Club.
