Now in its sixth year at UCLan, the Bunkasai Japanese festival celebrates Japanese culture with both students and staff. This year for the first time the event hosted its own Japanese fashion show, Bunkasai Runway, which showcased J- Fashion and new Japanese cultural trends. Students and staff modelled both new and traditional fashions for the event in UCLan’s Harrington Building. Special guest Takeshi Ito, the new Minister for Public Diplomacy and Media at the Japanese Embassy in London opened the event and talked to students and staff. Students from Priestley College in Warrington also performed Japanese songs at the festival with help from former UCLan languages graduate Taegan Jones Skinner, who now teaches at the college. Visitors also had the chance to try authentic Japanese cuisine during a special lunch event. Takako Amano, senior lecturer in Japanese studies at UCLan, said: “The Japan Day Bunkasi event continues to grow in popularity and this year we had the biggest range of activities yet.. “Our very first runway catwalk fashion show, gave visitors a chance to see a variety of styles.” Students also put on a host of other Japanese-related displays, from poetry to games.