Associate Professor Shinya MorishitaKyushu Sangyo University, Zokei Junior College of Art and Design and his students held a workshop to make their own lion head, with the aim of making the traditional lion dance more accessible to students through the act of "making things."
At the request of Fukuoka City, this workshop was held at two venues: the "Shishi Festival Fukuoka" (Sannomaru Square inside Fukuoka Castle) on Monday, November 3rd (national holiday), and the "Children's Traditional Culture Class" (Saitopia, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City) on Saturday, November 22nd.
The workshop used a cardboard lion head craft kit designed by the Morishita Laboratory based on the structure of a real lion head. With support from students, participants chose their favorite colors and carefully assembled each part.
The completed lion heads could open and close their mouths, and the children were delighted to receive their very own original lion heads. In particular, at the "Lion Festival Fukuoka" venue, young children could be seen enthusiastically shaking their completed lion heads to the sound of the powerful lion dance music being played on the main stage next door, creating a scene that truly combined tradition and craftsmanship.
The student who provided support said, "It was impressive to see the children working so hard to make things. Seeing the children's smiles as they happily played with the finished products made me happy too. I felt happy that my expertise was being used to help with local activities."
[Kyushu Sangyo University, Zokei Junior College of Art and Design]
