Taste of Japan: 60th Anniversary Celebration

Taste of Japan: 60th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday 27 October 2012
10AM – 5PM
FREE
Auckland Museum

Taste of Japan festival to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand

2012 marks the 60 year anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand, and to celebrate the occasion Auckland Museum is hosting this year’s all-day Taste of Japan festival.

Kei Myazawa – wagashi master

Experience the music, food, art, crafts and culture of Japan without leaving Auckland. Artists and performers from Japan and Australia will lead a line-up of performers who are helping to make this year’s Taste of Japan bigger than ever. Come along to the Museum this Saturday for a full day of food demonstrations, workshops and the final of the New Zealand-Japan fusion cooking competition.

All three floors of the Museum are showcasing the Taste of Japan including martial arts and origami workshops on the first floor, food stalls outside the Museum and the New Zealand & Japan Business Expo in the Museum’s Event Centre.

A full programme of events is available on our website, some highlights of which are below.

10AM Opening, Atrium
Taste of Japan 2012 opens with a performance from the New Zealand Japan Society’s Haere Mai Taiko (drum) group and Sample, an Auckland hip hop ensemble.

10.15AM & 2PM, Wagashi Demonstration, Auditorium
Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea. Kei Miyazawa, wagashi master, has come from Japan to share this delicious art with us. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see how wagashi is made then join Kei at 11.30AM in the Event Centre for a wagashi workshop.

11.30AM, 1.30PM & 3PM, Daidabou Taiko drumming, Ground Floor
Taiko drumming is one of the most exciting and well-known aspects of Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Daidabou are a well-known Japanese taiko team who have travelled to New Zealand to support the Taste of Japan 2012 and to raise awareness on the ongoing need for support in Japan following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

12 NOON, Fusion Cooking Competition – Final, Event Centre
Get amongst the action as the two finalists battle it out head-to-head to see who is the master of the mystery box.

New Zealand/Japan Business Expo, Event Centre
Don’t miss the food and exciting offers from local and international companies on the third floor at our New Zealand/ Japan Business Expo, taking place all day.

Learning Centre
Features all day workshops for origami, shodo, mini tatami making (traditional Japanese floormats) and hourly martial arts workshops

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