Japanese movie debut impresses audience

To some Rwandans, Japan may be an unfamiliar country somewhere in Asia. However, the Japanese experience was brought closer on Saturday afternoon, during a movie screening ‘Boshido Sixteen’ at Kimisagara Youth Centre.The show, organised by the Japanese embassy, started at 2p.m, with the opening remarks from Shigeru Kondo, Japanese Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires, who was the chief guest.The atmosphere in the fully packed auditorium, transitioned time after time, from treacherous silence, plain indifference and deafening screams or laughter, depending on the mood the movie scene conveyed.“In just two hours I have learnt a lot about the ways of life of the Japanese people; ranging from their favourite food, and to dressing style, sports and general cultural values,” said Robert Mudasingwa, one of the attendees.“I am glad that I have been able to gather an important life experience, without having to travel,” he added.“Bushido Sixteen” focuses on the lives of two high school girls, Kaori and Sanae, who are both sixteen years old and members of the school’s Kendo team (kendo is a popular type of Japanese martial art) . Kaori is a serious practitioner, who was a junior high champion while Sanae is a casual practitioner doing it for fun. The two become bitter rivals when the former is defeated by the latter.The film presents one person who is very competitive and another, who simply does something for enjoyment. “We have learnt a lot about the Rwandan culture, norms and traditions, ever since we opened our embassy here. So we also felt like giving the local people a taste of our own culture through movie shows, as a step towards improving ties between the two countries,” said Shigeru.

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Japanese movie debut impresses audience