Sushi rolls, kimonos, traditional Japanese games, collectibles and origami filled the cafeteria at the Greensburg Elementary School on Sunday, where families were invited to explore the culture of Land of the Rising Sun.

Those who attended were treated to several first-hand experiences of the Japanese history and culture, which was the goal of the Arts and Cultural Council of Decatur County. The festivities were part of the organization’s World Spotlight program, which seeks to bring information about the world to the local setting.

According to ACCDC former executive director Lynda Smith, the festival had been part of a long-range planning initiative. She noted that the Council had hoped World Spotlight on Japan would coincide with the opening of the new Honda Manufacturing plant, but admitted that since the project took a year to plan, they were not sure if the dates lined up. Fortunately, the factory officially began mass production last week, and Smith was pleased that the two events had intersected. She was also glad to see representation from STI Sintering Technologies and GECOM, which were both special sponsors for the event.

The ACCDC, Smith explained, chose to recognize the country of Japan because several local companies that have been in Greensburg for years are based in Japan. The turnout was great, she added.

With a booth for almost everything Japanese, families were able to sample food and literature from Japan while the children constructed origami, donned authentic kimonos, had their names written in Japanese and played games that had long been a part of the country’s history.

Displays of anime and manga, influential art forms both in the United States as well as Japan, were available for perusing as well as photos and information obtained during Greensburg Community Schools superintendent Tom Hunter’s recent trip to Japan.

The stage in the cafeteria was transformed into a venue for a few performances that highlighted the culture of the island nation. The first group to perform was Indiana Okinawa Kenjinkai, which honored the traditions of Okinawa through dance and rhythmic music.

The second group of performers to take the stage was a troupe from Batesville, who displayed the Naginata Martial Arts. Naginata is a pole or spear-like weapon that was traditionally used by samurai. The naginata staff consists of a wooden shaft with a large, curved blade on the end.

The crowd watched with anticipation as the weapons made hard and fast contact with each other during the demonstrations. The naginata can be used as a stabbing weapon, but are usually used to cut due to their length. The weapon was once widely used by infantry on ancient battlefields.

Women from the Indianapolis Minyo Dancers were next to hit the stage. Gliding across the arena with choreographed steps and gestures, the group brought the Japanese folk tradition to life for the families that stopped to watch them. As their robes swirled around them, the audience members watched with rapt attention as the traditional Japanese music played over the speakers and the dancing told stories from Japan’s history.

When the performances were finished, there was still fun to be had and things to be learned at the booths that remained. The festivities began to wind down, and new executive director of the ACCDC Deanna Burkart noted that getting this year’s World Spotlight program up and running was an interesting process. She said she was glad to see it coming together with the help of many members of the local Japanese community.

Burkart had been worried that, due to the nice and unusually pleasant weather, many families may have been inclined to stay outside, but like Smith, she was very pleased with the amount of people that showed up.

Burkart added that she felt the program was a good sampling of all the things the area has to offer, and was looking forward to next year’s World Spotlight.