Bavarian way of life Jul 09, 2015

Living variety: International festivals of music and culture in Bavaria

It is a good custom in Bavaria to foster one's own traditions and celebrations, no matter what part of the world one comes from, for Bavaria is the home of people from a wide variety of regions who bring their own culture into the colourful variety of the State.

This is particularly reflected by the many festivals of culture and music taking place in Bavaria.
In Munich there is, for instance, a very active Japanese community. With about 6,000 Japanese residents, Bavaria is actually the home of one of the largest Japanese communities in Germany. Those who want to become acquainted with the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun, or are fans of Japan already, can look forward to two highlights in July. Japanese design, whether in fashion, in trade and crafts or in art, can be admired and bought at the "Japan-Dult" (http://japandult.de/) held in the Glockenbachwerkstatt in Munich on 5th July. This fair is held for the 5th time this year.

Another round birthday this year is that of the Japan Festival (http://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/event/12924.html) that takes place traditionally around the Japanese tea house in the English Garden in Munich. For the 20th time the German-Japanese Society in Bavaria, in cooperation with the Japan Club München e.V. and the Consulate General of Japan in Munich, invites everyone interested to discover the art of Nippon. Guests can admire Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikebana), or attend the many music and dance shows, for example of the Japanese International School in Munich.

The most action-packed are the shows of traditional Japanese combat sports such as aikido, judo, jiu jitsu, karate or kendo, that take place every 30 minutes. Of course, food and drinks are not forgotten. Many stalls offer a tasting of Japanese specialties.