Starting on the 16th June and here till September 9th is the kizuna exhibition held in the national museum Cardiff. The word kizuna means bonds of friendship which is shown between Wales and Japan through the exhibit. Entry is free and thoughout there are talks and displays so look out for those if planning a visit.
When you first enter there are tons of ceramic bowls, a car and artifacts. Each item on display has the information in Welsh, Japanese and English to cover all languages presented in the exhibit.
As you move on there is a projector playing a loop of images in Japan. I sat on the bench mesmerised for ages by the images. Flashing lights of the big city, beautiful scenes of nature , as well as presenting many cultural practices to name a few. This short video has made me want to go to Japan sometime in the near future to see the cultural delights.
Fashion is covered as well ,with the focus being on kimonos. A glass cabinet displaying 3 beautiful and delicate designs giving a great 360 view. As well as small snippet on the fashion designer Issey Miyake.
Towards the middle, there is a beautiful zen garden with a bench to sit and enjoy. There are stones raked in a pattern, a video of a calming waterfall and a pond with koy carp depicted on the floor. When I went it was opening weekend so a lot of children where there jumping around the stepping stones. If wanting to enjoy the full tranquility I would recommend going when the kids are in school.
When you get to the end of the room there are huge screens and scrolls .Delicate patterns which would of taken hours to make. Unfortunately the interactive boards they had to explain more and view more were broken when I visited, hopefully they are now fixed.
If you want to explore Japanese culture and it's link with Wales this would be the place to go. Other aspects included rugby, swords and anime just to name a few. I most certainly will be returning in the near future to experience the true effect of the zen garden.