Students and faculty have the opportunity to broaden their cultural horizons Monday night at the Traditional Japanese Dance and Music Educational Tour in Van Meter Hall.

The event, hosted by the WKU Japanese Culture Club, will feature a performance by Global Culture Nasu, a group form Nasu, Japan, that teaches traditional Japanese culture in the form of music and dance.

The group tours in Nashville every fall, but this is its first time traveling to WKU, said Owensboro graduate student Jessica Paulsen.

“This is their first visit to Kentucky, and we are very excited to host them,” Paulsen said.

Kumi Ishii, advisor for the Japanese Culture Club, first saw Global Culture Nasu perform in Nashville last year. After seeing their presentation, Ishii said she started contacting sponsors to try to get the group at WKU.

The performance begins at 7 p.m. and will last approximately an hour and a half. The presentation is a mixture of entertainment and education, Ishii said.

“WKU students are welcome to bring their friends, family, and neighbors,” Ishii said. “Anyone, including children, is welcome.”

There is also an opportunity for audience members to experience the music for themselves.

According to Ishii, at one point during the program volunteers from the audience will get to play some of the traditional Japanese instruments.

“The performance is education-based,” Paulsen said. “There will be interaction with the audience and explanation of the cultural aspects behind the Japanese music and dance.”

According to a press release about the event, there will also be an information session prior to the performance about the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program by the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville.

Anyone interested in the program should be in attendance in Cherry Hall at 4 p.m.

The performance is a free event and all are welcomed to attend.

“This would be a great opportunity for WKU students and all community people to learn about traditional Japanese culture,” Ishii said.