It is time for the grand return of Hiwasai: The Festival od Fiery Wings, a celebration centered around Japanese culture held in Opole this year from January 31st to February 1st.
The ticketed, two-day convention dedicated to fans of Japanese pop culture in all its forms, is slowly approaching our region yet again. As during the previous edition, you can expect a wide variety of themed rooms, engaging lectures (mostly in Polish), opportunities to meet special guests, and hands-on workshops. Following the two earlier successes, the organizers once again anticipate another strong turnout, with attendees coming from near and far.
As we have mentioned previously, the festival’s name is a thoughtful blend of symbolism, combining the phoenix (the emblem of the organizing club) with the spirit of Japanese winter Shinto festivals, traditionally associated with light and fireworks. Thanks to the flexibility of Japanese kanji, the selected characters — 火 (hi, fire), 羽 (hane/wa, feathers), and 祭 (matsuri/sai, festival) — create a unique term that perfectly reflects the warmth, energy, and magic of this annual event.
We are once again thankful to OKF Fenix for the opportunity to participate in the festivities. It always exciting to attend, meet our readers, greet the volunteers, and immerse ourselves in the festival’s atmosphere. Together, we can bring some brightness to these cold, dark winter days at the Stanisław Staszic Vocational School Complex, located at 16A Andrzej Strug Street in Opole.
P.S. We will also be responsible for a Polish-English meme music quiz “Music Master DX” on Saturday at 10:00 am (Lecture Room 3 / room 112). Be sure not to miss it!
You can purchase the main event and sleeping room tickets here.
(photo: OKF Fenix)
