KARACHI: The Japanese Film Festival 2015 was inaugurated on Thursday with a sampling of anime, manga and other film genres, providing Pakistani audiences with an opportunity to appreciate one of the oldest and multi-faceted cultures present today.

Japan has evolved over millennia with an admirable ability to allow more contemporary influencestoseepinandtheline-upon the first day aimed to show alternate side, alongside depictingtraditions that go back centuries.

The Consul General of Japan, Mr Akira Ouchi was present to greet all the attendees and expressed his delight at being able to bring to Karachi the cinematic side of Japan.

`Through this festival, I hope that the audience will be able to discover various aspects of Japanese culture, and tostrengthen understanding between Japan and Pakistan,` he said.

Held at the Japan Information and Culture Centre, a cos-play (costume play) was also organised prior to the screening with two Pakistani youth groups, Metal Seinen and Shonen Infinity, collaborating together to dress up as their favourite animated characters. All the characters were from different Studio Ghibli productions, a film studio based in Tokyo and well-known for producing internationally acclaimed amine feature films.

Both groups have provided a platform to Pakistani youngsters passionate about Japanese popculture, cos-play, art, gaming, anime and manga, to come together and share their interests.

Of the many characters in the cosplay, one was of Princess Kaguya from The Tale of the Princess Kagupa, which was the first anime drama film to be screened at the festival.A poor bamboo cutter finds a miniature infant inside a bamboo shoot, and this magical child he believes is a gift sent from the Heavens. His belief is further strengthened when the child become an infant, and then grows into a beautiful young girl all within a few moments of him finding her.

Inspired by a 10th century Japanese folktale `The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter`, the film is directed by Isao Takahata and took almost a decade to conceptualise and bring to life.

Nominate d at the 87th Academy Awards in the animated feature film category, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya incorporates the mystical life of living among nature and depicts it in contrast to life in the city, away from the wonders the universe has to offer.

Though screened in the original language, the English subtitles were easy to read and so viewers had no trouble following the narrative.In The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, the sketches used as animation, be it of the countryside or the grand capital, were done in soft pastel shades which was soothing to watch.

Mortality, and the inability of man to find riches among the ordinary were some of the themes explored in the film. The strongwilled Princess Kaguya yearns for a simpler time, and wishes to return to the life she once shared with her family.

Apart from it being a visual delight, the soundtrack of the film was haunting to say the least.

The lyrics to the different songs in the film, even the traditional Japanese children songs, furthered the narrative and beautifully expressed the emotions of each character.

The festival will run till September 12 and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya will be screened again, along with two other films, The Yellow Handkerchief and Three for the Road.