Seiichi Okubo with Vladimír Urban.
THE JAPANESE folklore ensemble Krásna Hôrka was established in Tokyo in 1993, after being inspired by the visit of Vladimír Urban, the artistic manager of the Slovak folklore ensemble Železiar from Košice.
Its members are all Japanese, and it is led by Seiichi Okubo. Meeting twice a month, its members learn Slovak folk dances.
Though it started as an amateur troupe, it now promotes Slovak dance in the international folklore community in Japan, with its repertoire including dances from the regions of Zemplín, Šariš, Liptov, Spiš, Gemer, Horehronie and Myjava.
On Monday, February 18, the ensemble donated €1,000 to help fund repairs at Krásna Hôrka Castle in eastern Slovakia, which was devastated by a fire in March 2012. Rastislav Púdelka, the head of the Slovak National Museum, which manages the castle, thanked the ensemble for its contribution to its namesake and praised the fact that Slovak folklore and traditions are celebrated in a country as distant as Japan.
