Guest of honor
MOON Kana

Guest of honor :

MOON Kana
Japanese Idol of many talents!

MOON Kana is a multi-talented solo artist from Tokyo, Japan! Her first passion and her actual profession is musician. She plays the guitar, the piano, sings and writes her own songs. She has a very unique shattering style that most people will adore from the first time while others will need more perseverance to truly appreciate what she does On one hand or the other, she is not someone you will ever forget!

Her uniqueness will also show in her dressing fashion, very “Gothic Lolita” for connoisseurs, she actually designs and makes her own clothing and accessories; something she is also very proud of! She creates and sells her creations around the globe, music and fashion altogether. As well as stuffed animals, pandas and bunnies mostly, that she makes with great details and professionalism.

Music wise, she has made her debut in 2000 and has evolved a lot since then ; she has also traveled around the world with her music: the United States, England, France, Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Austria, Thailand, Japan… and finally Canada! that she had always dreamed of seeing with her own eyes. She’s a composer, mixer and interpretor for her own songs – always directly from her own little fairy-full and wonderful universe. She loves to draw, to create and to design.

MOON Kana is 5’2″ tall, her blood type is A, she was born on a 26th of January and she can’t wait to come here in Canada rock the stage for the audience, fans and newcomers altogether!

MOON Kana website

L’Orchestre portable de jeux vidéo (OPJV), conducted by Sébastien Wall-Lacelle, is composed of fifteen musicians and offers music lovers a unique experience.  As is name suggests, the OPJV is dedicated to video game music.  From classics such as Mario and Zelda to more recent games like Kingdom Hearts II and Valkyria Chronicles, the OPJV explores a total of thirty years of music that takes its public through the most epic and moving memories they have of video games.  Being a smaller ensemble, the OPJV offers its fans not only an orchestral experience, but a more intimate event than a typical orchestra concerts.  All the music has been rearranged in order to create a much more personalized experience.  The OPJV concerts offer an occasion not only to discover video game music for those who have not discovered yet, but also bring a whole new way of performing the most known video games themes.

“Orchestre de jeux vidéo” website (French)

Christopher Macdonald
Publisher and CEO of Anime News Network

Christopher Macdonald was the long-time editor-in-chief of Anime News Network and is now the company’s publisher and CEO as well as a consultant for anime companies in Japan, America and other surprising corners of the planet. Despite being immersed in anime and manga politics nearly 24/7, he’s still perfectly happy spending his free time reading the latest Yotsubato&! or Gunnm manga, or watching an episode of Attack on Titan.

For more information about the staff of Anime News Network :
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/staff.php

Geneviève “CelticSakura” La Haye
Master cosplayer

Geneviève La Haye, aka CelticSakura, is a master level cosplayer from Quebec City. She discovered cosplay in 2006, and over the years, she has been recognized for her attention to details and her capacity to really embody the characters she’s cosplaying as. No challenge is too great for her : she can transform into Rikku from Final Fantasy X as well as the infamous Lady Gaga.

She is mostly known for her wig styling skills, and she is always ready to give advice to those who dare tackle this complex craft. She was selected to compete in Arda Wigs’ Iron Wig 2013 competition, where she utimately swept first place!

Conventions also allow her to express some of her other passions, like singing and acting. She won first place in the Otakuthon Idol 2008 competition, and have been called upon a few times to judge singing contests of the kind during conventions. She has also played differents parts in the Con Turnabout interactive plays.

CelticSakura is always hungry for new experiences and new friends, so do not hesitate to share your projects with her!

Her website :
www.celticsakura.com

Marie-Claude Bourbonnais
Cosplay/Glamour Model, Designer

MC was first starred in a calendar 6 years ago, then was featured in an international advertising campaing for a fast food chain. In the following years, her work as a glamour model was published in magazines like FHM and American Curves.

As a former fashion designer, she could use all her experience as a seamstress and costume maker to create distinctive pieces and over the top costumes she presented in her pictures and in conventions. Her different looks capured the attention of Heroes of the North’s producer who offered MC a role in his live action Canadian superheroes webserie. Hornet, MC’s character, was also featured in Heroes of the North comics and had her own action figure done.

MC is collaborating with artists and companies like Soda Pop Miniatures that included her as a character in 2 of their games and created miniatures of her character.

She defines herself as a technical cosplayer, first interested in taking challenges and constantly developing new skills. Cosplay is for her a way to reinvent herself, push past her limits and entertain people.

Matthew Myers
Singer and compositor of the group LeetStreet Boys

Matthew Myers has composed music for video games and other media professionally since 2006. Fans can hear Matt’s music in “Just Dance Kids 2014” from Ubisoft, “Nicole,” “Heileen 3,” “Loren Amazon Princess” and “Always Remember Me” from Winter Wolves Games, as well as “The Royal Trap” and “Date Warp” from Hanako Games. Recently Matt composed music for “Roommates,” “Undead Lily,” “Planet Stronghold2” and “Seasons Of The Wolf” which are all upcoming titles also from Winter Wolves Games, as well as “Fallen Heroes” and “iCommand” in development from PHD Gaming. Additionally Matt created music and audio for the grand prize winning “EDU Duel” for Nokia’s “Calling All Innovators” game development competition, and also recorded and mixed English language theme song vocals for Square-Enix’s ill-fated Xbox title “Gun Loco.”

Matt is the lead singer and songwriter from otaku band LeetStreet Boys. LeetStreet Boys first emerged in the anime convention scene with their 2008 hit song and animated music video “Yuri The Only One” which has now reached over 1.5 million YouTube views. The band has gone on to release 3 full-length albums titled “LeetStreet Boys,” “Otaku Hearts” and “L3g3nds,” as well as produced animated music videos for singles “Imaginary Boys,” “Cosplay Girlfriend,” “She’s So Kawaii” and “Guitar Hero Hero.” LeetStreet Boys has performed at numerous anime conventions across North America and their music is enjoyed by anime fans worldwide.

Matt is very fond of anime conventions, the creativity and positive energy from anime fans. One of his goals is to continue to develop original music inspired anime, video game, cosplay, fandom and the otaku lifestyle. He recently wrote and produced music for Quebec-based Otakuthon Idol singer Zuki Nyu.

For more information, his official website :
www.leetstreetboys.com

Etienne « Dez » Desilets-Trempe
The man behind the Frivolesque webcomic

Etienne Desilets-Trempe, better known as Dez, is the creator of Frivolesque, a webcomic updating weekly launched in 2013.

Country-raised, and currently based in Quebec City, Dez is into comics of all kinds, cinema and video games. He also loves to take part in various geeky events.

Now drawing again after a decade-long draught of inspiration and motivation, Dez decided to start working on a personal project to snap out of this dry spell. Inspired by his city, the geek subculture he’s proud to be part of and the people in it, he created Frivolesque, a webcomic in the vein of humorous Japanese “4-koma” style manga (Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, K-On) showcasing the everyday life of five quirky girls, each one of them being an evolution of older character designs Dez drew along the years.

Since then, he just can’t stop, and his biggest wish is to help anybody else with a creative mind to get out there and achieve something.

His webcomic :
frivolesque.com

On social networks :
www.facebook.com/frivolesque
twitter.com/OmegaDez
dez26.deviantart.com

Droo
Cosplay Photographer

Since 2008 Droo has been capturing cosplayers at his mobile studio at conventions. If you’ve ever visited his “funtography suite” you will be pleasantly greeted with his passion, enthusiasm and energetic appreciation for cosplay. Wanting to give back to the thousands of cosplayers that he’s befriended since his humble beginnings.

This is just the beginning. He has many plans for the future of cosplay and cosplayers alike. Join him in this journey. Its one you surely won’t regret.

To see his work please visit Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DrooPhotography

Nadeshicon Turnabout
Volte-face: Hetalia

Always wanted to be a lawyer?

Always dreamed of defending celebrities during monster cases?

If that’s the case, your dreams might finally come true!

Ace Attorney: Nadeshicon Turnabout is an interactive play where participants from the crowd are invited to go on stage in order to assist the defense lawyer in defending his/her client. Inspired by Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright, participants will be able to help Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice and Mia Fey against Miles Edgeworth, Franciska Von Karma and Klavier Gavin in many unpredictable turnabouts.

Will you find the contradiction that will save the life of your client?

On Facebook : Ace Attorney – Con Turnabout

Valérie Harvey
Writer, singer and globetrotter

Valérie Harvey is passionate about Japan since she discovered the Japanese language and its harmonious sounds that turn so well into melodic songs. In order to live the Japanese adventure to its full extent, she left Quebec to stay one year in Kyoto. Her first book, Passion Japon, was born from that experience.

As the land of the rising sun kept fascinating her, she decided to undertake a master degree about the low birth rate in Japan, which brought her back to Kyoto and led to a second book, Le Pari impossible des Japonaises.

Since her first visit to Japan, Valérie has been giving multiple conferences to make this wonderful country known by everyone and shed some light on many  preconceived ideas about its culture, language and people. Along with her piano-playing husband, she also composes songs in French and Japanese.

For more information :
ww.nomadesse.com (French)
www.yume.qc.ca

Richard Fournier
Poet, writer, journalist, sociologist and haiku poet

As a poet, writer and sociologist, his papers, essays, poems or short stories appeared in publications in or outside Québec. His books in French include Les Dunes de Tanakra, poems (Faye, 1999), Une atmosphère américaine, short stories (Carte blanche, 2007). Used to writing French mainstream poetry, he discovered haiku both in French and English through reading the classics (Bashô, Buson, Issa, Shiki, Ryokan) some years before being introduced in Québec City into the practice of writing it for himself under the apprenticeship (Haiku- Québec, 2005) of Abigail Friedman, herself a former writing student in Japan of mistress haidjin Kuroda Momoko.

Ensemble Matsu Take
The only Japanese chamber music ensemble in Quebec

Created in 2002, the Matsu Take Ensemble is the only Japanese music ensemble in Quebec. It was founded by Emiko Toguchi onkoto, Michel Dubeau on shakuhachi and the shinobue, and Bruno Deschênes on shakuhachi, composer, arranger, ethnomusicologist and artistic director of the ensemble. In 2004, Kayo Yasuhara, dancer and percussionnist, joint the ensemble. She dances Japanese traditional dances, as well as dances from Japanese Kabuki and Noh Theater. In 2008, percussionnist Ignatius Kim, a former member of Montreal’s Arashi Daiko, a Japanese percussion ensemble, join Matsu Take. And in 2013, Matsu take got a new member, Yumiko Kanao on koto.

The objective of the ensemble to promote traditional and classical Japanese music and dances. This music is unfortunately not much known in Quebec. They perform old traditional songs, dances and pieces, some of which are few hundred years old, one song being more than 1,000 years old and which is still sung and danced to day in Japan.

On the Web :
http://www.musis.ca
http://matsu-take.bandcamp.com
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=matsu+take+ensemble&aq=f
http://music.cbc.ca/#/bands/Ensemble-Matsu-Take

Komachi Montreal
Japanese dance troupe

Komachi Montréal is a Japanese folkloric cultural group. They will present at Festival Nadeshicon many dances accompanied by a taiko (Japanese drum), as well as hold a dancing workshop with any willing attendee. Come profit of this dynamic moment with Komachi Montréal!

Our history

こまち モンレアル (Komachi Montréal) was founded by Kayo Yasuhara in 2007. Originally it was a small community group knows as Yume Mirai.

Their objective is to share with you the joy and energy of Japanese folkloric dances.

Our philosophy

Live our dance
When we dance, we incarnate the essence of the dance and express our living spirit to its maximum. We dance 粋, with class.

Komachi Montreal website

Arisa Meguro
Contortionist

Arisa is one of the few contortionists in Japan. In fact, she’s the only one practicing this art. During her performance, you will be surprised by her flexibility, smooth motion and strength! She’s currently a student at the Circus School of Quebec, where she perfects her discipline and grows rich of a number of valuable discoveries and experiences.

L’Association de Chado Urasenke Tankokai de Québec
Cérémonie du thé

L’Association de Chadô Urasenke Tankôkai de Québec a obtenu sa reconnaissance officielle en tant que 107e association au monde de la part du Grand Maître de l’école Urasenke à Kyoto au Japon. L’école Urasenke est représentée dans 35 pays sur tous les continents. Notre club de cérémonie du thé de Québec organise des démonstrations depuis 1987 dans divers lieux publics tels que des universités, musées, bibliothèques et plusieurs festivals culturels. Notre but est la diffusion de cet art japonais.

La cérémonie du thé

Dans le monde entier, le thé a une vaste popularité, mais aucun pays ne possède autant de richesse culturelle sur le thé que le Japon. Au Japon la manière dont on prépare un bol de thé a été particulièrement raffinée par le développement culturel et esthétique.

Quand on est invité à goûter un bol de thé vert, les invités se réunissent dans une pièce conçue pour la Cérémonie du thé; ils ont non seulement la joie de se réunir, mais aussi de se détendre et d’exclure les soucis quotidiens. C’est l’hôte qui prépare lui-même les lieux par un nettoyage total; il met une calligraphie, prépare de petits repas pour l’agrément des invités selon les occasions. Pour réaliser cette sorte de réunions, il faut être initié et connaître la discipline du Chado, terme qui signifie la voie du Thé. Le Chado est un terme relativement récent puisqu’il est apparu au cours du 16^e siècle. Cette manière de boire le thé vert en poudre fut transmise par un moine zen revenu de Chine au 12e siècle. À cette époque-là, le thé était considéré comme un stimulant pour l’étude et la pratique religieuse.

À partir de là, plusieurs maîtres contribuèrent au développement culturel japonais grâce au Chado. Parmi ceux-ci, Sen Rikyu (1522-1591) accomplit une synthèse des différentes manières de boire le thé avec un grand génie esthétique et une dévotion remarquable pour l’accomplissement du Chado. Le Chado est conçu comme un mode de vie, aboutissant à une véritable œuvre d’art, contribuant au développement artisanal du Japon, mais aussi faisant évoluer la manière dont on vivait dans la vie quotidienne.

Quatre caractères, Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku, donnent l’esprit fondamental du Chado. Ces caractères furent désignés par Sen Rikyu. Wa signifie l’harmonie, harmonie entre l’hôte et l’invité, harmonie avec la saison, harmonie des ustensiles. Kei signifie le respect qui naît dans les sentiments de chacun et aussi vis-à-vis des objets. Sei exprime la pureté, l’honnêteté et la sérénité du cœur. Enfin, Jaku signifie l’état d’esprit, que l’on pourrait traduire par bonheur et la paix du cœur dès lors qu’ont été réalisés Wa, Kei et Sei.

Les moines qui apportèrent le thé établirent les bases spirituelles du Chado, à savoir: poursuite de la réalité et du sens de la vie par une recherche fondamentale de soi, le dépassement du Bouddhisme zen qui donne une aisance psychologique au maître de thé pour développer l’esthétique du Chado. Le Chado n’est pas seulement une méthode de préparation du thé, c’est aussi l’art de fabriquer des ustensiles, la connaissance profonde des arts et de la littérature, de l’architecture, de la construction des maisons de thé, de l’art des jardins, et de bien d’autres domaines encore.

Maintenant que les progrès modernes et la mécanisation évitent à l’homme les tâches les plus rudes, le temps et l’énergie pris pour la préparation d’un bol de thé pourraient paraître inutiles. Mais une tasse de thé préparée suivant les principes du Chado est un rituel destiné à rétablir la tranquillité intérieure qui est un besoin fondamental de l’homme. C’est un rituel de simplicité et de sobriété dans lequel chacun peut trouver « la paix d’un bol de thé ».

Martial Arts
Represented clubs

Several martial arts clubs in the region of Quebec will be there at the festival to present various demonstrations of their art.

Here’s the list:

Dojo de Beauport
iaido
Manager : Olivier Bordry
Facebook page

Shinkendo Québec
shinkendo
Managers : Pascal Landry and Dave Bouillon

Club de Ken-jutsu de Québec
ken justsu
Managers : Maxime Chouinard and Francis

Club d’aikido de la capitale
Tenshin
Shōden Katori
Shintō-ryū
Managers : Maxime Tremlay and Pierre Gamache

Académie d’arts martiaux du Québec
karate
ninjutsu
Manager : Noémie Lemieux

Club de kendo de l’université Laval
kendo
Manager : Francois Tremblay