Practical information

October 9th: Festive gatering at the embassy

Getting there

The event takes place at The Japan Information and Cultural Centre in Brussels.

Public transportation

This location is readily accessible by public transportation.

It is about 20 minutes walking from Brussels Central Station
It is very close to the smaller train stations of Brussel-Luxemburg and Schuman.
There are several bus stops nearby, as well as the metro station Schuman.

Travel by car

If you travel by car, be advised that there is no parking space provided by the embassy. It is best to park in one of the many paid parking facilities in the area, like a BePark or Indigo Park facility.
Find the Japanese Embassy on Google Maps

Event schedule

16:30 – Doors open
Please arrive from 16:30 onwards. Upon arrival, there will be a security check at the Embassy before entering the event area.

17:00 – Opening Ceremony & Tea Demonstration
The official opening ceremony will begin at 17:00, followed by a tea demonstration by Kimura sensei.

18:20 – Reception
Following the demonstration, we will move into the reception, giving everyone an opportunity to enjoy some refreshments and meet and exchange with the other guests.

19:45 – End of the event

Please note that all timings may be subject to change.

We kindly ask you to allow enough time for the security check when planning your arrival, so that everyone can be comfortably seated and ready for the beginning of the programme at 17:00.

Dress code

Kimono

For those of you who practice chado, wearing a kimono is preferred.

Women: we accept all formality levels. When in doubt, iromuji is always a safe choice.
Men: kimono with hakama is recommended.

There are no facilities to get changed at the venue, so participants in kimono need to arrive already dressed.

Western clothing

For those of you who do not practice chado or choose not to wear kimono, the recommended dress code is smart casual.

Security and luggage

Please remember to bring a valid photo ID with you to the event. You will be required to present it at the entrance of the Embassy in order to gain access to the premises. We kindly ask everyone to make sure they have their ID with them on the day.

If you need to bring luggage with you, there is a possibility to leave it at the Embassy, in another room, during the event. If you would like to make use of this possibility, please let us know in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements, as storage space at the Embassy is limited we can only store a limited number of suitcases.

All bags and suitcases brought into the Embassy will be subject to a security check upon arrival. Please identify your suitcase with a nametag so we can quickly retrieve it for you at the end.

October 10th and 11th: Kenkyukai intensive study seminar at the Royal Museum of Mariemont

Getting there

The Kenkyukai takes place at the Royal Museum of Mariemont.

Chaussée de Mariemont 100
7140 Morlanwelz

We would like to draw your particular attention to the last part of the journey to the Mariemont Museum. The museum lies at the center of a large park and arboretum. You will therefore have to walk through the park to reach the museum. The museum entrance is marked x on the map below.

The main entrance (marked 1 on the map) is via the tree-lined Drève de Mariemont. There is no public parking inside the estate. Please park on the Drève de Mariemont or on the roadside. This is also the entrance that you will use if you arrive by bus to the bus stop of La Hestre - Les écoles. A tarmac path leads from this entrance up to the museum. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the entrance to the museum.

There is also an entrance via Rue du Parc at the bottom end of the estate (Sud gate) (marked 2 on the map) . There are two car parks there. An uphill ash track takes you round the estate and up to the museum. Approximately a 20-minute walk.

The walking route is not complicated, but depending on the weather, parts of it may be muddy or wet, so we recommend allowing a little extra time and coming prepared in case of rain.

For this reason, we strongly recommend that you arrive wearing normal outdoor shoes rather than your zori. We will provide a bag for your shoes, so that once you arrive you can change into your zori for the Kenkyukai and store your outdoor shoes in the vestiaire along with your coat.

Please make sure you allow enough time for the walk through the park when planning your arrival.

Public transportation

From Brussels

Take an NMBS/SNCB train from Brussels-Midi, Brussels-Central, or Brussels-North to La Louvière-Centre (or La Louvière-Sud, depending on the connection).
From La Louvière-Centre, take TEC bus 82 and get off at La Hestre – Écoles.
Alternatively, from La Louvière-Sud, take TEC bus 30 to the same stop.
From La Hestre – Écoles, the museum is approximately a 10-minute walk through the Mariemont estate.
Exit the station and take TEC bus 82 towards Trazegnies/Morlanwelz.
Get off at La Hestre – Écoles.
Walk for about 10 minutes to reach the museum entrance.

From La Louvière-Centre Station

Exit the station and take TEC bus 82 towards Trazegnies/Morlanwelz.
Get off at La Hestre – Écoles.
Walk for about 10 minutes to reach the museum entrance.

Travel tip

Use the NMBS/SNCB journey planner for train schedules and the TEC app or website for local bus times, as connections may vary throughout the day.

Taxi

If you would like to share a taxi with other participants, please let us know. We will do our best to put you in touch with others travelling on a similar schedule so that you can arrange shared transportation together.

Carpool

We also expect to have a small number of volunteers available to offer rides to and from the museum. As the number of seats is very limited, priority will be given to participants attending the kenkyūkai in kimono, as this makes travelling by public transport more challenging.

Travel by car

The museum does not have parking space available. You can park your car along the edge of the road on Drève de Mariemont.

Schedule

The doors will open at 10:00 sharp on both days.

We will have 15 minutes for everyone to arrive and register. During this time, we will welcome you, give you any necessary information and directions, take your coats, and help with any other practical arrangements.

We have our own reception area in the main hall of the museum. This means turn to the left as you enter the museum. Do not go to the general museum reception area to the right of you.

On Day 2, if you need to leave your luggage at the museum during the Kenkyoukai, please let us know in advance so that we can be prepared to receive it.

Please note that registration will close 15 minutes after the doors open. If you arrive after this time for any reason, you will still be able to join the event, but you will need to be accompanied to the auditorium by a member of the museum staff. This means that if you arrive late on Day 1, you will unfortunately miss the tea demonstration by Kimura sensei. We therefore kindly ask everyone to be sure to arrive on time.

Likewise the museum doors close at 17:00 sharp every day. This means that everyone has to be outside at 17:00 at the latest. The park around the museum is open until 18:00.

Day one - Saturday 10th of October

10:00 – Arrival & registration
10:15 – Opening ceremony at the Pavilion, followed by a tea demonstration by Kimura sensei
11:00 – Okeiko begins (warigeiko)
13:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Afternoon okeiko (Konarai)
16:40 – End of okeiko
17:00 – Museum doors close

Day two - Sunday 11th of October

10:00 – Arrival & registration
10:15 – Okeiko begins (Shikaden)
13:00 – Lunch
14:00 – Afternoon okeiko (Okuden)
16:40 – End of okeiko and closing ceremony
17:00 – Museum doors close

Please note that all timings may be subject to change.

We recommend that all participants allow some flexibility in their planning and arrive with sufficient time before the start of the programme.

Dress code

Day 1

People participating in temae either as host or guest: kimono required.
People in the audience: kimono preferred.

Day 2

Kimono required for everyone present.

Type of kimono

For women iromuji kimono with fukuro obi is recommended. If you do not have an iromuji kimono, other types of kimono are acceptable.

For men kimono with hakama is required. This means that you are kindly asked to not wear jitoku, even if you have chamei.

Practicalities

There are no facilities to get changed at the venue. Participants in kimono need to arrive already dressed.

We recommend that you wear western shoes to walk through the park as the paths can be a bit dirty and change into tabi and zori inside the museum. We will provide plastic bags to store your shoes securely along with your coat check.

We also recommend to bring your fukusabasami or sukiyabukuro, even if you are not assigned a role on tatami. Your fukusa will be required for the warigeiko segment on day 1 and you will also need your sensu and possibly kaishi.

Photography, Video and Notes

We would like to remind everyone that no photographs, videos or notes may be taken during okeiko at the Kenkyukai.

Please take a moment to read our Media Policy before the event, as it contains the full guidelines regarding photography, filming, recording and sharing of content.

We have appointed a few designated photographers that will take photographs during the moments before and after okeiko. We will share these images with you after the event.

There will take a group photograph taken on Saturday.