Combined Wayang Kulit, Japanese Puppet Show Performance Thrills Tokyo Audience

By Lizawati Bahanan KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- A performance combining Malaysia's 'wayang kulit' (shadow play) and Japan's traditional puppet show received overwhelming response from the audience at a recent Tokyo event. The performance, combining the wayang kulit act led by Rahimidin Zahari and the traditional Japanese puppet show of Edo Ito Ayatsuri Ningyo, was held at the Malaysia Pavilion during the 21st Tokyo International Book Festival and symbolised the unification of Malaysian and Japanese cultures. Japan-Malaysia Association executive director Arai Takuji said the Japanese showed interest in Malaysian culture due to the similarities between the cultures of the two countries. He regarded the combination of the two cultures in a performance as unique and interesting, despite the language constraint. It was also his first time watching a combined performance of the wayang kulit and Japanese puppet show. "Although the combined performance used different languages, with the wayang kulit in the Kelantanese dialect and Edo Ito Ayatsuri Ningyo in Japanese, it was an interesting performance. "The audience, the majority of them Japanese, was able to understand the story flow," he said. Arai is a part-time lecturer at Bunkyo University in Japan and teaches the Malay language. He can also perform Malay dances and speak the Kelantanese dialect. He spoke to Bernama after the experimental performance in conjunction with the opening of the Malaysia Pavilion at the Tokyo International Book Festival by well-known Malaysian cartoonist Mohd Nor Khalid or Lat. The experimental performance was about a prince from Kelantan (Malaysia's east coast state) going in search of his love, a princess from the Land of the Rising Sun, whom he had met in a dream. The book festival was held for four days from July 2 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre, and Malaysia was the theme country. Malaysia's participation at the fair was with the cooperation of the Malaysian Tourism and Culture Ministry. The Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books led the Malaysian delegation, comprising representative of 20 publishers who brought along 1,500 book titles. --BERNAMA