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The Acting Dean of the Faculty of Al-Alsun, Prof. Yomna Safwat, who also supervises the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at Ain Shams University, inaugurated the activities of the Japanese Cultural Day organized by the department. The event was attended by Mr. Furugo Hayato, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Cairo, and Mr. Endo Banri, Deputy Director of The Japan Foundation office in Cairo, along with a number of faculty members, teaching assistants, students of the department, and a wide participation of those interested in Japanese culture from the Faculty of Al-Alsun  and other faculties of the university.

In her speech, Prof. Yomna Safwat welcomed the Japanese delegation, affirming the depth of the cultural and academic relations between Egypt and Japan, and praising the important role played by the Japanese Embassy and The Japan Foundation in Cairo in supporting Japanese language education and promoting Japanese culture in Egypt, which reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

She also emphasized that the Department of Japanese Language and Literature at the Faculty of Al-Alsun is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since its establishment, the department has graduated hundreds of students and researchers at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, contributing to strengthening academic, scientific, and cultural bridges between Egypt and Japan through student exchange programs, cooperation agreements with various Japanese universities, as well as the exchange of faculty members and teaching assistants.

She added that the Japanese Cultural Day has become one of the most established cultural traditions and distinctive events of the department since its launch in 2012, as it annually presents a vivid and diverse representation of Japanese culture, reflecting students’ creativity, awareness, and ability for cultural communication.

The celebration featured a variety of performances, including theatrical acts, singing, and musical pieces inspired by both Japanese and Egyptian cultures. Students appeared wearing the traditional Japanese “yukata,” and a presentation of the Japanese “karuta” game—based on memorizing Japanese poetry—was held, with an innovative adaptation using Arabic poetry as well, in an interactive cultural experience blending both traditions.

The event also included demonstrations of “shodo” (Japanese calligraphy), writing participants’ names in Japanese, as well as introducing the art of “origami,” the paper-folding technique used to create artistic models. Attendees were also given the opportunity to try these Japanese arts themselves.

It is worth noting that the organization of the Japanese Cultural Day is supervised annually by Dr. Mohamed Abdelrahman Ashiba and Dr. Yasmine Ahmed Al-Abhar, lecturers at the department, along with teaching assistants including Ms. Salma Wasim, in cooperation with students from different academic years, reflecting the ability of Egyptian youth for creativity, teamwork, and distinguished organization.

At the end of the event, the department honored academically outstanding students and winners of various literary competitions, awarding them certificates of appreciation in encouragement of continued academic excellence and cultural creativity.