Carillon and Haiku to Bridge Japan and Belgium

Japan and Belgium celebrate 150 years of friendship this year, and two unique projects are under way to mark the occasion.

First: Carillon

Take a stroll in Flanders, Northern Belgium, and you will often hear a comforting melody played by bells from the church or a bell tower. That's a traditional musical instrument called Carillon - the one registered by UNESCO a world's intangible cultural heritage. This instrument  is about to play a key role in binding Japan and Belgium. 

Here's how.

The Royal International Carillon Conservatory in Mechelen, a historical town 30 kilometers north of Brussels, is home to carillon performers since 1922. In line with its project to promote carillon culture, the conservatory collaborates with Japan with which Belgium inked the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation in August, 1866. 

The idea is to include Japanese tunes among the auto-played repertoires - all in an effort to globalize the charms of Carillon.

Second: Haiku

Haiku is Japan's traditional form of poetry consisting 5-7-7 word combinations. Belgium has a noted Haiku artist in the person of Helman Van Rompuy, former EU president, who will speak at an international Haiku symposium slated in September. 

"Haiku for All" is the title of a public invitation for Haiku works in Dutch on the theme of "Bell and Carillon". Winning works will be collected into an album for distribution at the symposium in September.

Chairman Denis of the Flanders Haiku Association is in full support of the project and expects many participants to submit their Haiku pieces. Referring to a masterpiece of Masaoka Shiki on temple bell and persimmon, he says, "Belgium's Carillon would be better known abroad this way".