[Sponsored] For the first time ever, Esplanade is teaming up with Japanese and Singaporean artists to bring Super Japan–Japanese Festival of Arts, a 10-day extravaganza involving all things Japanese, from music and theatre to food and origami. There are dozens of ticketed and free programs taking place May 13-22. Japan-fans that you are, you’ll want to hit as many as possible. Here’s a guide to all the highlights.

From jazz to J-pop

The festival opens with a flourish as pop starlet Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (May 13, 8pm, $88-118) brings her kawai costumes, surreal set design and super dancey set list to the Esplanade Theatre.

But if you’re more into jazz than J-pop, snag a ticket to the legendary Blue Note Tokyo All-Star Jazz Orchestra (May 15, 7:30pm, $48-88), famous for their big band sound led by trumpeter Eric Miyashiro. For a more contemporary jazz, there’s Mouse On The Keys (May 20, 7:30pm & 10pm, $35), whose unclassifiable music throws together jazz and funk with post-rock and electro.

There’s plenty of free concerts, too, with a number of shows by the Tokyo Jazz Festival folks happening at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre between May 14-15, featuring post-jazz trio Shroeder-Headz and the pop/rock-inspired fox capture plan, among others.

Something for foodies

The Art of the Tea Ceremony

No Japanese festival is complete without an ample dose of deliciousness. Food culture nerds should sign up for the free workshop How to Brew a Perfect Cup of Japanese Green Tea (May 15, 3:30pm), led by a professional instructor from the tea-famous Shizuoka. For something even more involved, there’s The Art of the Tea Ceremony by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association (May 21, 2pm & 3pm).

And if casual and freewheeling is how you like your Japanese food, join a talk by doctor turned food blogger Eka Wong, who will explain the finer points of regional street food and other curiosities in Hungry in Japan (May 22, 5pm).

Lots of anime film nostalgia

Philharmonic Youth Winds
 

Nod your head nostalgically to all your favorite Miyazaki film theme songs as local outfit Arpeggione Quartet (May 21, 7:15pm, 8:15pm, 9:15pm) performs music from Studio Ghibli films, such as Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro.

Video game fans know that it’s not just movie soundtracks that get stuck in your head: Supa-Ongaku: Japanese Anime and Games (May 22, 3pm) is a free show at the Concert Hall featuring Singapore’s Philharmonic Youth Winds playing music from beloved games like Pokemon and Galaxy Express 999.

Traditional art galore

It’s not often that you can catch huge, lavish productions of Japan’s most famous performance arts here in Singapore. Super Japan has a few big ones in store.

The opening of the festival is an accessible, high-energy free performance of traditional taiko drums (May 13, 7:15pm) in the breezy Outdoor Theatre. Japan’s big-deal taiko group KODO will perform alongside Singapore-based troupe HIBIKIYA for a show also involving dance.

There’s the eight-man butoh performance Meguri: Teeming Sea, Tranquil Land (May 20 & 21, 8pm, $28-78) and Himiko: Memories of the Sun Goddess (May 20, 7:30pm, $38-88), a large scale visual and musical feast involving a traditional orchestra, a chorus of Buddhist monks and kabuki dancers. A smaller but no less intriguing production is the Japan-Singapore double bill Drums (May 14, 3pm & 8pm, May 15, 3pm, $35), where directors Shigeki Nakano and Chong Tze Chien each interpret the 14th century noh classic, The Damask Drum, by famed playwright Yukio Mishima.

For something more low-key, catch an intimate performance of Okinawan folk music at Songs of the Ryukyu Islands by Unaigumi (May 22, 5pm, $35).

Arts and craft sessions

Furoshiki Fun! Print, Wrap, Tie!

No one is better at making daily life just a little bit prettier than the Japanese, and Super Japan is a good chance to dip your toes into some crafty skills. Local textile studio Fictive Fingers is doing Furoshiki Fun! Print, Wrap, Tie! (May 14 & 15, 10:30am, $30), a two-hour crash course in carving print blocks, creating your own textiles and the Japanese art of furoshiki, or wrapping cloth. Not that committed? The Japanese Cultural Society of Singapore is also leading two free origami bookmark workshops (May 14, 3pm & 5pm), where you can learn to make shiori ningyo (paperdoll bookmarks) to take home.

Super Japan—Japanese Festival of Arts is taking place May 13-22 at Esplanade—Theatres by the Bay. For more information, visit the official website.

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