“Sadako could neither recover nor fulfill his objective, due to the effects of the radiation. This history motivated our celebration from August 6th to 9th, already with three editions, to speak about the evil of the war”, says Juan Carlos Gil Palomino, director of MangaQ'ba, a curious group of admirers of the Japanese culture.

This educational project sponsored by the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS), encourages the handmade art and cultivates human affections of all colors.

“On the 9th we will meet in the Rural Casino, close to the cave, at 8:00 p.m. We always speak about the hibakusha (bombed persons), dress Japanese clothes, do a picnic, drink tea, exhibit martial arts and, in the river or in the cave, we place paper lanterns with a candle inside”, adds the enthusiast.

Juan Carlitos, as he is known, leads other actions with values of the oriental nation. Right now they show in the gallery Gestus, of the House of the Young Creator, the dedicated collective exhibit 30 years after the Studios Ghibli.

“Precisely MangaQ'ba is a words game with manga or Japanese comic, it alludes to mangaka or comic writer, and to our origin. This like comes for my father, fan of the Japanese movies. Also I am from the decade of the 90s, and I grew up seeing movies like the Princess Mononoke, The trip of Chihiro and The Ambulant Castle”.

They develop another event in April, when the Japanese meet to contemplate the flower of the cherry tree. With four editions, it has joined homologous from Matanzas, Sancti Spíritus, Havana, Ciego de Ávila and Holguín.

The group makes the cups, the sticks, the clothes..., works bonsais, has achieved the institutional collaboration and expands its horizons: "We are supported by the Provincial Center of Movies, the provincial broadcasting station Radio Cadena Agramonte, the Council of Plastic Arts and the House of the Cultural Diversity. In September we will give courses in the preuniversity schools. We try to approach the elementary schools, those of conduct, to work the human values. We want to grow like society of Japanese culture in Camagüey”.

The members of MangaQ'ba are university students or formed in art schools, although they declare themselves fans of another culture, without losing their Cuban identity.

“We know that we are not Japanese. We look for their beauty in our context. That one is the culture of the quietude. We need this patience. They are very punctual, something that says much about your word, your seriousness. We learn much of this culture, but we keep on being Cubans”.

Translated by BA in English Language, Manuel Barrera Téllez

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