Large crowds gathered outside between the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and the Carlsen Center to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
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The Greater Kansas City Japan Festival returned to the college on Saturday. The annual event — presented by the Heart Of America – Japan America Society — included music and dance performances, vendors and other cultural demonstrations. The festival was first held in 1997 at UMKC before later moving to JCCC.
-Aaron Rhodes contributed to this report
In the college’s central square, martial arts instructors held a workshop for those interested in honing their self-defense skills. This instructor safely demonstrated how to disarm an attacker. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
American born, half-Japanese hip-hop artist Scott Sk Miller performs inside of Yardley Hall at the Carlsen Center. According to his website, “Hip-hop has always been a passion and driving force for Scott to create new ideas and try to bridge the gap between cultures believing that music is universally understood and enjoyed.” Much of his work is written utilizing a fusion of Japanese and English. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
The Energy Dance Group performs a variation of a hip-hop dance outside of the Carlsen Center. Many of the members are students at the college and are performing collectively at the Japan Festival for the first time. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
Inside of a vending room on the second floor of the Carlsen Center, large quantities of Ramune are sold. A popular soft drink, its origins date back to the 19th century in the city of Kobe, Japan. Ramune is widely known for the distinctive design of its bottle, often called Codd-neck bottles after the inventor, Hiram Codd. Alongside of the Ramune, there are various Japanese treats available for purchase. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
An example of candy art; a mouse takes formation after the artist sculpts its features using a wooden stick and scissors. After the sculpting process is complete, the mouse is hand painted, dried, and given to a viewer. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
In CC Room 234, the Heart of America Japan-American Society was located inside of an improvised bazaar. People browsed a selection of traditional handmade goods and other items. All throughout the second floor of the Carlsen Center there were various rooms similar to this where other provisions were being sold. Photo by Andrew Hartnett, The Campus Ledger.
