Japan Unveiled: "Wa"-nder the Roots of the Japanese Spirit​ is the theme of SKIP2026. 

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“（和）Wa” is widely known as a word that symbolizes Japan.
Yet in the Japanese language, wa is never confined to a single meaning.

Wa can signify harmony (和), laughter or humor (笑), connection and circles (輪), nature and land (葉), or storytelling and dialogue (話).
Sharing the same sound while carrying different meanings, wa reflects the depth and richness of Japanese language and culture.

In this program, we use the sound Wa as our guide—not to approach Japanese culture as surface-level knowledge, but to explore it three-dimensionally through language, philosophy, and lived experience.
To see, to walk, to touch, to speak.
Over the course of two weeks, participants will not simply learn about “Wa,” but discover it through experience.

Japanese spirituality cannot be captured by a single definition.
Rather, it emerges through the overlapping of countless forms of wa, taking shape within relationships and shared moments.

At SKIP 2026, by using homophones of wa and their corresponding kanji as entry points, we offer participants an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture, language, and philosophy—and to encounter aspects of Japan they may never have known before..​

Date : 30th Aug 2026 ~ 12th Sep 2025(JST)​