Ms. Chika WAKAYAGI, Founder of Wakayagi-Ryu Konokai, Awarded the Foreign Minister's Commendation for FY 2018

               
              Ms. Chika WAKAYAGI, Founder of Wakayagi-Ryu Konokai has been awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation for FY 2018.          

Ms. Chika WAKAYAGI is the founder of Wakayagi-Ryu Konokai, the only traditional Japanese dance (Nihon-buyo) group in Hong Kong. She has coached 50 students (two-thirds of whom are Hong Kongers) and 7 of them have obtained “Natori" (stage title) qualification (4 of whom are Hong Kongers). She has for many years been devoting herself to the education and popularization of traditional Japanese dance in Hong Kong. Ms. WAKAYAGI has also contributed greatly to the local Japanese community as well as to Sino-Japanese cultural exchange by actively responding to the requests from the Consulate-General of Japan, the Hong Kong Japanese School and local universities etc. to introduce traditional Japanese dance through giving performances and workshops. In March 2018, Ms. WAKAYAGI invited the Fourth Grand Master of Wakayagi-Ryu, Juen Wakayagi, from Japan to joinly hold  a special traditional Japanese dance performance in Hong Kong and achieved great success. Her efforts have contributed to the promotion of the Hong Kong public’s understanding towards Japan.

            The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awards for individuals and groups who have made outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and regions. Some 205 individuals and 49 groups have been awarded this year, including Ms. WAKAYAGI.
 
           The Foreign Minister’s Commendation Awarding Ceremony for Ms. WAKAYAGI will be held later in Hong Kong.
 
(Reference)
Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2018
https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press4e_002110.html