A 22-member troupe from the Okinawa Song and Dance Theatre Chura has presented a traditional theatrical performance at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music.

“Southern Island Mythology”, which marked the opening of Japanese Cultural Month in the city, featured two sessions titled “Chronicles of the southern island” and “Joyful feast on Chura Island”.

The shows were supported by the Japanese Embassy and the Agency for Culturral Affairs and sponsored by Thai Airways and Nippon Express.

The Okinawa Song & Dance Theatre Chura, led by Hideko Tamagusuku, has been formed by women in the Gyokusen Group, one of the biggest and best Okinawan dancing groups with more than 3,000 dancers.

It is the first professional women’s dancing group in Okinawa, and its members have learnt dancing since they were children.

Within the framework of the Japanese Culture Month, a series of cultural events highlighting traditional and modern Japanese culture, education, and arts is being held from November 10 to December 10.

They include “100 Designs of Japan Today”, an exhibition of modern Japanese architecture, at HCM City Exhibition Hall from November 14 to 24, an awards ceremony for a Japanese haiku poetry contest held by Tuoi Tre newspaper on Nov. 15, a seminar on Japanese studies at the Equatorial Hotel on November 22, and a film festival at Thang Long Cinema from November 19-25.

Professor Momoki Shiro of Osaka University will speak about Japanese and Asian studies in Vietnam and efforts to boost understanding between the two countries at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on November 30 and December 1.

Artists will perform on wadaiko, a traditional Japanese drum, to close the event at the HCM City Opera House on December 10./.