-The following text is taken from the website of the Irish Days Executive Committee.-
Encounters with Ireland through Lafcadio Hearn/Yakumo Koizumi in Japan
Next detination is at NAGAKUTE
Ireland-Japan Art Exchange Exhibition@NAGAKUTE
KWAIDAN
Yakumo Koizumi / Lafcadio Hearn
Kwaidan is well known to the Japanese as a collection of Japanese folktales. Less commonly known are the facts that its author was Lafcadio Hearn, born on the Greek island of Lefkada and raised in Ireland, and that the original story was written in
English by Hearn, who became Yakumo Koizumi by marrying a Japanese woman named Setsu Koizumi.
When Blue Moon Projects approached me in the spring of 2023 to help bring "Kwaidan - Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn" to Nagoya or its surrounding areas, I considered not only the best venue for the art exhibition but also how to engage potential
audiences with Hearn's connection to Ireland and foster an appreciation for the lesser-known aspects of his life and international esteem.
After consulting with my friends, we decided that presenting Hearn’s work within the context of ‘Irish culture’ would help people better appreciate the significance of these stories and the artistic exchange between Ireland and Japan. This idea led to the
formation of the Irish Days Executive Committee.
The Nagakute City’s Cultural Centre, located just outside Nagoya City, now known to the world as the home of Ghibli Park, fortunately offered us not only a wonderful venue but also dedicated staff to support this comprehensive cultural event.
The art exhibition has since expanded into Irish Days 2024, which under the title ‘Dialogue between Ireland and Japan’ features a lecture by Mr. Bon Koizumi, Yakumo's great-grandson, a conversation between him and myself, a reading concert of ‘Yuki-onna’,
as well as an Irish music concert, music sessions, food, culture and much more. We are also very grateful to the Embassy of Ireland and the many other patrons and supporters for their generosity.
Coincidentally, we received news in June that Hearn's wife, Setsu, will be the protagonist in the NHK TV drama series starting in autumn 2025, leading us to believe that Hearn/Yakumo has given his blessing to Irish Days 2024, 120 years after his death.
We sincerely hope that the people of Nagakute, Nagoya and beyond will take this opportunity to deepen their understanding of the cosmopolitan Hearn/Koizumi, with his Irish roots, and enjoy their new ‘encounter with Ireland’.
Mitsuko Ohno
Irish Days Executive Committee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.09.2024 – 28.09.2024 | 2024年9月18日（水）～9月28日（土）
Japan / 日本
NAGAKUTE Cultural Center | 長久手市文化の家
Date: 18 Sep (Wed) – 28 Sep (Sat) 11:00-17:00
Fee: Free admission
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top Photo/ Work by 「The Butterfly Effect」ROBERT RUSSELL
