Culture takes center stage at PMQ despite political chill
An independent cultural festival celebrating the craft traditions of Japan will go ahead in Hong Kong next month, the organizers confirmed, pressing on despite unease among friends and supporters as China and Japan navigate a fresh diplomatic chill. The event, titled A Journey into Japanese Craft Aesthetics, is scheduled for a 12 day run from December 24 at PMQ in Central. It promises live performances, master artisans at work, and workshops designed to bring centuries of technique into close view for city audiences.
Theresa Ting, the festival cofounder, said the team had not received any request from any organization or institution to cancel or postpone. She described private concerns as understandable given the backdrop, yet she emphasized that the project is commercial and cultural, not political.
Explaining the personal strain caused by weeks of questions and doubts, Ting said the discussion was largely informal, coming from friends across different industries who worried that geopolitical tension might seep into cultural life.
Introducing her position on intent and focus, she stressed that the festival is designed to bring makers and traditions closer to Hong Kong residents, with no connection to any government agenda.
Theresa Ting, cofounder of A Journey into Japanese Craft Aesthetics, said: “We have been continuously receiving concerns and inquiries from friends across various sectors, which has indeed brought some psychological pressure, to a greater or lesser extent.”
She added that the program was conceived to showcase technique, heritage, and the people who keep these crafts alive.
Expanding on the mission, Ting said: “We have been crystal clear about our focus on cultural promotion, with the goal of bringing Japanese culture to friends in Hong Kong from a more in depth perspective.”
What is on the program
The 12 day schedule will highlight traditional skills that have shaped daily life and design in Japan for generations. Demonstrations and classes are planned in Takaoka tin casting, incense making, Okinawan dyeing, lacquer art, Japanese dance, martial arts, swordsmanship, and calligraphy. At the heart of the program is a rare Hong Kong appearance of Awa Ningyo Joruri, a form of puppet theater rooted in Tokushima Prefecture.
Workshops and hands on learning
For visitors who want to experience techniques firsthand, craft workshops offer a direct line to materials and method. Takaoka tin casting introduces the alloys that have made Toyama Prefecture famous for metalwork, teaching how molten tin is guided into molds and finished to produce a warm, satin sheen. Incense making sessions explore blending powdered woods, resins, and natural aromatics, touching on the tradition of fragrance appreciation, often known as kodo. Okinawan dyeing points to the island tradition of vivid patterns and resist techniques such as bingata, where stencils, rice paste, and natural dyes create layered designs rich in color and symbolism.
Other sessions focus on tools and surface. Lacquer art reveals the patience needed to build glossy or matte finishes with urushi, often in dozens of ultra thin coats that harden through exposure to humidity. Beginners and enthusiasts can try simple exercises in shodo, or calligraphy, where rhythm, wrist control, and brush loading are as central as the characters themselves. The aim is not just to complete a souvenir but to understand how each gesture carries intention.
Performances and demonstrations
Live performances will showcase movement and ceremony. Japanese dance traditions emphasize precise timing, posture, and restraint. Martial arts sessions and swordsmanship demonstrations reflect training systems that value discipline and safe practice as much as spectacle. The festival centerpiece, Awa Ningyo Joruri, threads music, narration, and virtuosic puppet handling into a stage experience driven by emotion and storytelling. For many in Hong Kong, it will be a rare chance to see this art in person.
Spotlight on Awa Ningyo Joruri
Awa Ningyo Joruri is a regional form of ningyo joruri, the broader tradition that also includes the style known internationally as Bunraku. In Tokushima, the Awa style developed over centuries alongside traveling troupes, rural stages, and local patrons. Three puppeteers work in concert to animate a single figure, typically with one performer guiding the head and right hand, and two assistants controlling the left hand and feet. The music is led by shamisen, with a narrator delivering poetic lines that shift between characters and chorus. The result is lifelike gesture, from the subtle turn of a wrist to the slow arc of a bow.
Seeing this form up close helps explain why puppet theater remains a living tradition in Japan. The puppets, often half life size, are marvels of engineering. Eyes, eyebrows, and mouths can move, lending nuance to grief, humor, or resolve. Costumes are layered and heavy, so the three person team must anticipate each movement together, almost like a chamber ensemble. When it works, the audience forgets the visible operators and follows the character as if it were alive.
Beyond technique, the stories matter. Classic plays sit alongside regional tales and seasonal pieces. Themes of loyalty, honor, and tragic love recur, but there is room for comedy and invention. By bringing Awa Ningyo Joruri to PMQ, the organizers hope to introduce a tradition that many in Hong Kong have only read about, connecting the craft of puppet making, textile work, and music with a stage form that still captivates audiences across Japan.
Why the timing is sensitive
This festival arrives during a period of renewed political friction between China and Japan. Recent remarks in Tokyo about a possible Taiwan contingency and collective self defense, made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during Diet questioning, drew sharp criticism from Beijing. That exchange followed earlier strains over trade and maritime issues, leaving cultural organizers on both sides aware that non political events can be viewed through a political lens.
In Hong Kong, Japanese cultural programs have continued across the calendar, and the city has a long history of welcoming Japanese food, design, and performance. Even so, private organizers say they watch public sentiment, venue policy, and safety planning closely. Ting said the festival is a private commercial event, and she underscored that no public body had asked for it to be paused. For attendees, the message is simple: this is a space for makers and audiences to meet, learn, and appreciate craft traditions.
PMQ and the city’s craft ecosystem
PMQ, the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road, has evolved into one of Hong Kong’s central platforms for design and creative industries. Studios, pop up shows, and classroom style spaces make it well suited to craft workshops and demonstrations. The location also anchors the festival in a neighborhood known for galleries and independent retailers, which is likely to help visitors pair a day at the event with other cultural stops in Central and Sheung Wan.
Craft culture thrives in Hong Kong because the city blends curiosity with access. From ceramics studios and printmakers to tea houses and specialty knife shops, audiences here are accustomed to watching and trying before buying. A program that combines short, approachable classes with performance and demonstration can meet that appetite. For artisans traveling from Japan, PMQ offers a platform that is professional, visible, and friendly to first time learners.
Japanese culture events thrive in the city
This year’s agenda suggests that Hong Kong’s appetite for Japanese culture remains strong. The Japan Autumn Festival in Hong Kong, run under the auspices of the Consulate General of Japan, marked its tenth anniversary in 2025 with more than one hundred activities spanning movies, performing arts, food, and crafts, mostly across October and November. The opening brought together public and private figures from both communities, pointing to a steady network of cultural partners. Details of the official program are available from the Consulate General of Japan in Hong Kong’s site at this link.
In June, the Sake Jump festival arrived in Tsim Sha Tsui for a weekend of tastings led by young brewers from across Japan, complemented by masterclasses and guest bartenders. Beyond beverages, the city’s museums and art spaces leaned into cross border collaborations. M+ in West Kowloon partnered with The National Art Center, Tokyo on the exhibition Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989 to 2010, a survey of more than fifty artists reflecting on identity, memory, and globalization across two turbulent decades. The National Art Center’s overview of the project can be found here.
Commercial events also show the breadth of the audience. The Hotel Artz Fair, which concluded its second edition in November at Conrad Hong Kong, brought together artists from across the region, including a debut collaboration linking Japan’s Ultraman with a Hong Kong artist. These efforts, different in scale and focus, share a common thread. Organizers are betting on a public that wants to learn, taste, watch, and collect, even when politics introduces uncertainty. The craft festival at PMQ fits into that pattern, marrying heritage practices with approachable formats that can welcome first timers and seasoned fans alike.
Organizers address neutrality and audience experience
From the outset, Ting’s message has been consistent. The festival is a private, commercial platform centered on heritage and living practice. She said no authority has asked for it to be canceled or postponed, and the team has taken care to present the event as a space for learning and appreciation. That position is aligned with how many Hong Kong audiences approach cultural events. People want to meet makers, understand techniques, and bring home a small object or a new skill.
Visitors who plan to attend can look out for three types of experiences. Demonstrations give a front row seat to tools and process. Performances such as Awa Ningyo Joruri anchor the program with storytelling and music. Workshops offer a chance to practice technique in a guided setting. Booking early for limited capacity classes is advisable. Comfortable clothing helps when trying calligraphy or dyeing. Respect for performance etiquette is appreciated, especially during puppet theater where stillness and quiet add to the atmosphere.
Key Points
- Private festival A Journey into Japanese Craft Aesthetics will run for 12 days from December 24 at PMQ in Central.
- Organizers say no public authority has requested cancellation or postponement, despite concern among friends about geopolitical tension.
- Program includes Awa Ningyo Joruri puppet theater, Takaoka tin casting, incense making, Okinawan dyeing, lacquer art, dance, martial arts, swordsmanship, and calligraphy.
- Awa Ningyo Joruri brings a Tokushima tradition with three person puppet operation, shamisen music, and narrated storytelling.
- Theresa Ting, the cofounder, emphasized the event’s cultural and commercial nature, with no government affiliation.
- Context includes recent China Japan friction after comments in Tokyo about a Taiwan contingency and collective self defense.
- Japanese culture remains active in Hong Kong, with the Japan Autumn Festival hosting over one hundred activities in 2025.
- M+ and The National Art Center, Tokyo collaborated on Prism of the Real, underscoring ongoing cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Japan.
