TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC) resumes the Taiwan Plus cultural event in Tokyo, Japan this September after a three-year hiatus. Taiwan Plus 2022, under the theme "Taiwan Kichijitsu," which means "an auspicious day in Taiwan," will be held at the Ueno Onshi Park on Sept. 17 and 18.
This year's event will showcase the brands and cultural experiences that best represent Taiwan to Japanese visitors, offering a variety of products from over 70 Taiwanese brands of different sectors, including pop music, traditional art, cultural exhibitions, local governments, creative design, and agriculture. In addition, there will be an impressive music lineup by Taiwanese heavyweight musicians, such as the rock band Fire EX., Hakka singers Wing Lo and Misa as well as indigenous musicians Suming Rupi and Usay Kawlu, displaying Taiwan’s multicultural music produced in a democratic and free society.
Designed by graphic designer Joe Fang, the key visual of this year’s event is a popular Japanese cat figurine called maneki-neko (beckoning cat) in Japanese, which is often believed to bring good luck in Japanese culture. It also features several Taiwanese elements such as bubble tea, pineapple, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), scooter, temple amulet, and Xiaolüren (an animated traffic signal of a little green man).
Since 2017, GACC has been actively promoting international exchanges to showcase the nation's cultural diversity. The Taiwan Plus cultural event has been held twice in Ueno Onshi Park in 2018 and 2019. The theme of Taiwan Plus 2018 is "Bunka Taiwan," which means "the culture of Taiwan;" and for Taiwan Plus 2019, the theme "Taiwan Shin Kankaku" conveys "a new feeling of Taiwan." In 2019, the total number of visitors at the event exceeded 80,000 within two days.
After the 2019 edition concluded, many Taiwanese and Japanese eventgoers were eager for the next edition of the event. However, the event was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Taiwan and Japan have experienced many changes over the past two years, the relationship between the two nations got even closer on account of mutual support. This year's theme "Taiwan Kichijitsu" symbolizes good fortune for both countries, bidding farewell to the uncertainties and looking forward to a prosperous future.
