Concerning the tragedy

Two days ago, tragedy struck in Québec City

Our festival’s primary goal is to spread the love for the culture of a certain distant country. As such, when we heard the news about the events that took place on our very own doorstep, we simply didn’t want to believe it; such horrors may often only seem like rumors, whispers from faraway lands. Yet, this time, the horror was much too close.

We are saddened, if not disappointed, by the events that transpired during this weekend. However, yesterday, countless thousands of people took on the streets, brandishing candles and flowers in response to the atrocity, boon on this wound to our community. We would like to do the same. While our festival focuses exclusively on matters relating to Japan, both our organization and our attendees have various origins, religions, as well as sexual orientation and identities. In this era of technology and globalization, of cultural and ideological shock, we believe acceptance is of the utmost importance. Differences should not be something to separate people based on, but to learn about instead. After all, while we may come from different countries, or have different beliefs, we are all human.

Dare to open your heart.