Wardiman inspects festival preparations

TOKYO (JP): Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro arrived in Tokyo Friday morning to inspect preparation and the progress of the Indonesia-Japan Friendship Festival 1997.

Accompanied by Director General of Culture Edi Sedyawati and Director of the National Museum of Indonesia Suwati Kartiwa, Wardiman went directly to the Tokyo National Museum to meet the museum director Yashuhiro Nishioka and inspect the preparation of the Treasures of Ancient Indonesian Kingdom, scheduled to be held at the museum from Sept. 17 to Nov. 9.

Nishioka reported that the pre-exhibition, which has been held since Aug. 5, has attracted 26,000 visitors.

"We hope that actual exhibitions attract 20,000 visitors each week for the next eight weeks," said a Tokyo National Museum official.

The minister and his group then visited the Toshimaan amusement park, where a Bali festival became a main attraction. The park hoped to attract 1.2 million visitors in 44 days of the festival.

Balinese music, played by Tirtasari troupe of Peliatan, Ubud, enriched the atmosphere of the park. The dancers perform daily at a mock open air Balinese theater, recreated out of painted playwood. Younger members of the group performed at the children's "cicak" theater. Apart from the park's main rides, it seemed just like in Bali. Even a Bali beer garden, inspired by the bars of Kuta, could be found. Japanese waiters in Balinese costume served in these bars.

Two Bali museums, provided the park and festival with an educational ingredient. One in association with the Agung Bali Museum of Art, showed painting by lesser known artist. The other museum showed an exhibition about the world famous double ikat weaving method from Bali.