July is the 61st annual Filipino-Japanese friendship month and to celebrate, Shangri-La Plaza Mall prepared activities and exhibits to bring the two distinct cultures together.
Until July 25, the Japanese festival at the Shangri-La Plaza will feature an exhibit entitled “Yuujuo: A Japanese Cultural Exhibit” at the Luxury Lane. The exhibit showcases different Japanese artifacts from different eras of the country.
The popular Eiga Sai film festival also calls the Shangri-La mall its home. The film festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and features a heady lineup of award-winning Japanese films for Filipinos to enjoy.
Drop by the mall’s Grand Atrium to discover the Japanese art of stone appreciation, called the art of suiseki. The Natural Stone Society of the Philippines will display at the Suiseki Exhibit a diverse collection of Japanese stones that mirror certain objects of nature, interspersed with specially cultivated bonsai pieces. The Suiseki Exhibit will also hold workshops on the art of suiseki.
Check out these other Japanese-themed workshops and events, available on two separate weekends this month: Bento Making Workshop with Bento by Kat and Kimono Ken (July 16, Sunday, 3 p.m., East Atrium); Japanese Food Photography with Mark Floro, Canon, Camera Haus, Akira and Sumosam (July 16, Sunday, 4 p.m., Grand Atrium); History of Suiseki by Tonette Gedang and Sashimi Cutting Demo with Watami (July 22, Saturday, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Grand Atrium), and Base Making for Suiseki by Sonny Armamento (July 23, Sunday, 2 p.m., Grand Atrium).
Shang’s own Japanese brands and other select exhibitors will come together and offer mall guests a range of Japanese goods, from food favorites and household items to arts and crafts materials. Catch the fair from July 14 to 23 at the Main Wing, Level 1.
Nostalgia
“I remember when this area was all just grass,” shares Marketing Director for Shang properties Milen Treichler. “Who would have thought that Ortigas would become so busy and filled with commercial buildings?” Treichler is a Shang properties veteran, first working in Edsa Shangri-La, Manila, and then eventually transferring to Shangri-La Plaza.
During the tour of the Japanese festival in the mall, we waxed nostalgic about the
26-year existence of the mall and how Shangri-La Plaza has been the go-to place for retail therapy and family bonding for many Filipinos.
We remembered the carousel ride in the middle of the Main Mall, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum on the top floor, and the old Bon Appétit restaurant on the third floor, where we used to indulge in the roast beef in the buffet spread with reckless abandon.
We remembered Café Provençal (now D&B, Duck and Buvette, and operated by the same owners) on the first floor, with their delicious pastas and pizza and that filling bread and dip appetizer.
Treichler adds, “It’s been 26 years now, and Shangri-La Plaza still has a special place in the hearts of many Filipinos. We are keeping up with the times, especially with our newly completed renovation of the Main Wing and with our monthly events like this month’s Japanese festival.” —CONTRIBUTED
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