| December 2009 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | 2 Japanese Calligraphy Workshop (Washington, DC) | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 The Japan-America Society of Georgia's Kayoubi-Kai (Atlanta, GA) | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 The Japan-America Society of Georgia's Nihongo-Kai (Atlanta, GA) |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
SCHOLARSHIPS AND PROGRAMS
About Japan: A Teacher's Resource
This site provides educators and specialists in Japan Studies a space for sharing, discussing and developing teaching ideas and resources about Japan, especially as they relate to K-12 classrooms. The site features thought-provoking essays; classroom-ready lesson plans; an area for asking and answering questions; resources including historical documents, maps and images; and member profiles.
For details: http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/
Japan Foundation (Various grants)
Most grant deadlines are December
The Japan Foundation in Tokyo offers grants in three categories: 1) Arts and Cultural Exchange, 2) Japanese-Language Education Overseas, 3) Japanese Studies Overseas and Intellectual Exchange.
For details: http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/about/program/index.html
Japan Foundation Group-Tours Program for Secondary-School Educators
Participants from all over the world are invited to Japan for two weeks each year. With the objectives of promoting understanding of Japan in foreign countries / understanding of foreign countries in Japan, and deepening mutual understanding between Japanese and overseas educators, this program invites secondary teachers in social studies, teaching staff in charge of education promoting international understanding/ exchange programs, and those involved in administration on the level of secondary education. Invitees are given opportunities to receive training, conduct inspections, exchanging opinions with their Japanese counterparts, and introduce their own cultures to Japan.
For details: secschedu@jpf.go.jp
Japan Foundation New York Office Small Grant for Arts and Culture
The Japan Foundation New York Office (JFNY) accepts applications from nonprofit organizations for the JFNY Grant throughout the year. This grant aims to support projects that will further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000. Priority will be given to those projects that have secured additional funding from sources other than the Japan Foundation.
For details: 212-489-0299; kenji_matsumoto@jfny.org; http://www.jfny.org/jfny_smallgrant_arts.html
Japan Foundation New York Office Small Grant for Japanese Studies
The Japan Foundation New York Office (JFNY) accepts applications from institutions of higher education for the Grant throughout the year. This grant aims to support projects that will enhance further understanding of Japan through academic exploration (there is a separate JFNY small grant for Arts and Culture). Such projects generally take the form of conferences, colloquia, symposia, presentation, lectures, etc. Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000. Priority will be given to those projects that have secured additional outside funding from sources other than the Japan Foundation.
For details: 212-489-0299; keiji_shono@jfny.org; http://www.jfny.org/jfny_smallgrant_japanese.html
JET Program
Application Deadline November 24
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program invites university graduates from overseas to participate in international exchange and foreign language education throughout Japan. Established in 1987, the program has earned a high reputation, both in Japan and overseas, for its efforts in youth and cultural exchanges, and has become one of the largest exchange programs in the world. JET Program participants work as either Assistant Language Teachers (ALT), who are placed mainly in local boards of education or public junior and senior high schools to assist with English-language education, or as Coordinators for International Relations (CIR), who work in offices of local government authorities or related organizations engaged in internationalization activities.
For details: http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/JETProgram/homepage.html
JETRO Seeks Georgia Companies for Industry Tours in Japan
The Japan External Trade Organization in Atlanta is seeking companies to visit Japanese cities outside of major metropolitan areas to explore investment possibilities. The program invites participants to come to Japan a series of seminars, match-making events and field trips to industrial areas and business clusters. JETRO covers airfare and hotel expenses. Each “invitation program” is distinct, according to the industry sector of interest.
For details: (404) 658-0610; http://www.jetro.org/
Program for the Donation of Japanese-Language Teaching Materials
This program donates a variety of teaching materials to educational institutions in the U.S. offering regular Japanese language courses. The donations are to become the property of the recipient institutions, and are not to be owned privately by teachers or students.
For details: http://www.jflalc.org/?act=tpt&id=243
Resource for Educators -- Japan: Images of a People
Japanese art — beautiful but mysterious? Demystify some examples of Japanese painting and help your students better understand and appreciate the culture that produced them with this issue of Art to Zoo. The lessons have been adapted from materials developed by the education department of the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the two national museums of Asian art. After learning how to look at paintings, your students can make paper screens that resemble Japanese screens.
For details: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/japan_images_people/
Scholarships for High School Students to Study in Japan Through Youth for Understanding
Youth For Understanding (YFU) is one of the world's oldest, largest, and most respected international exchange organizations. As a Youth For Understanding USA, Inc. (YFU) student, you'll gain the knowledge, skills, and insights that will prepare you to be a world player. If living in a new country - for a year, semester, or summer - and learning about a different culture sounds like your kind of challenge, then it's time to go global with YFU. You'll live with a carefully selected host family who has volunteered to open their home and their hearts to you - providing room, board, and a caring home. If you choose a year or semester program, you'll also attend school where you'll make friends and learn what life is like for teens in another country. No matter what you do or where you go, you'll learn - from your host family, friends, and teachers.
For details: 1-866-4-YFU-USA; admissions@yfu.org; http://www.yfu-usa.org/ao/scholarships.htm
School Matching System for Educational Trips to Japan
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), by establishing a direct link to the National Council for Promoting Educational Trips to Japan, has introduced a new system to help American schools (or companies /organizations working on their behalf) find a matching school in Japan for educational visits or exchange programs. Statistically speaking, 6,385 students made educational trips to Japan in fiscal 2004. It is hoped that this new system will alleviate the difficulties in finding counterpart Japanese schools and greatly increase the amount of educational trips to Japan.
For details: (212) 757-5640; visitjapan@jntonyc.org; http://www.jnto.go.jp/canada/vjot/school-matching.html
Youth for Understanding Seeking Host Families for Japanese Students
Are you looking for a way to better understand the culture of Japan? Considering opening your home to a high school student from Japan though Youth for Understanding. By sharing their interests and love with an exchange son or daughter, families receive love and lifelong friendships in return. Many Japanese students are available for placement.
For details: 1.800.872.0200 ext 276; harrislong@yfu.org; http://www.yfu-usa.org/
AIU High School Diplomats
Deadline: January 7
The High School Diplomats International Friendship Program is a cultural enrichment experience that brings together high school students from Japan and the United States. Each summer the AIU Insurance Co. of Tokyo, along with the Freeman Foundation, sponsors a ten-day stay at Princeton University. During this stay each American student is paired with a Japanese roommate. The program's goals are to provide both academic and social activities intended to spread international understanding among Japanese and American high school students. In addition, the program hopes to foster the creation of meaningful and lasting friendships. In the past years over 2000 high school students have participated in the High School Diplomats Program.
For details: http://www.highschooldiplomats.com/
The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program
The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1994 to build a corps of federal employees who, because they have lived in Japan and worked long-term on projects in Japanese Ministries, can manage the U.S.-Japan relationship more effectively when they return to their U.S. government agencies. The program is administered by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, with the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as grantor.
An intensive two-year program, the Mansfield Fellowships provide for a year in Japan working in full-time professional positions in Japanese government offices, preceded by a first year of in-depth Japanese language and area studies in the United States. Through the practical experience of conversing in Japanese and being involved in projects, meetings, planning sessions and business travel with their Japanese colleagues, Fellows learn how the Japanese government works and establish professional relationships with Japanese government officials, the business community and the Japanese people.
For details: http://www.mansfieldfdn.org/
ALABAMA
Birmingham Go Club (Birmingham, AL)
7:00 pm Thursdays; 3:00 pm Sundays
Books A Million in Hoover
The Birmingham Go Club of Birmingham, Alabama is dedicated to promoting the game of go in the Southeast. We have been meeting now for over a year and would love to have a greater presence with the Japanese community and friends.
For details: gallatin76@aol.com; http://www.bhamgo.org/
Japan in a Suitcase (Birmingham, AL)
30 - 45 minutes per presentation; $25 per visit plus mileage
“Japan in a Suitcase” is a cultural outreach program of The Japan-America Society of Alabama about Japanese culture and language. Native Japanese will visit and offer presentations and fun activities on Japanese culture. Limit 30 participants.
For details: Shoko Kojima Outreach Coordinator at (205) 943-4719; shoko.jasa@mindspring.com; http://www.jasaweb.net/
Seminar -- Social Media (Birmingham, AL)
November 10
10:00 am - 11:00 am lecture; 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Q&A; JASA Members $15/Non-members $20
Co-Hosted by JASA / AITC (Alabama International Trade Center), our presenter will discuss ways to utilize various forms of social media in daily business,including training on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
For details: 205-943-4730; jasa@mindspring.com; http://www.jasaweb.org/
Mobile International Festival (Mobile, AL)
Student Days - Thursday and Friday, November 19 and 20; Family Day - Saturday, November 21 (10:00 am - 5:00 pm)
$8.00 adults; $5.00 7-15 years
Mobile Civic Center
Enjoy the adventure of first-hand experience of varied cultures. You can visit the continents of Asia and Africa in the lobby area and Europe and the Americas in the East Exhibit Hall. Come face-to-face with people from every corner of the world and feel their friendliness. See the arts and crafts, hear the sounds, be entertained, and taste the flavors of the world. Observe the many wonderful traditions handed down from many generations and brought here from other countries.
For details: 251-470-7730; mif@cityofmobile.org; http://mobileinternationalfestival.org/MIF/index.htm
GEORGIA
After-School Aikido Program at Roswell Budokan (Roswell, GA)
Roswell Budokan, 11516 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075
Our After School Aikido Program (ASAP) is filled with exciting, educational after school activities for your child. In addition to the health benefits of movement through Aikido, we encourage creativity and mental growth with related activities including Origami (Japanese paper folding), Japanese language, and various arts and crafts. Your child’s educational experience includes a healthy snack and homework time to instill good study habits for a better future ASAP. Complimentary transportation from school to facility. Pick up your child as late as 6:30 p.m. (for no additional cost) Grades K - 5.
For details: 770-649-8383; info@roswellbudokan.com; http://roswellbudokan.com/ASAP.html
Atlanta Braves Kenshin Kawakami Fan Club (Atlanta, GA)
The JASG and the JCCG are proud to announce the launch of the KENSHIN KAWAKAMI FAN CLUB (KKFC). The fan club will be dedicated to supporting and helping Kenshin Kawakami become acclimated with the people, culture, and lifestyle of Atlanta, and promoting the success of Kenshin Kawakami and the Atlanta Braves. The club plans to attend Atlanta Braves home games at Turner Field, host viewing parties when the Braves are on the road, and be involved in various community activities. Membership in the fan club is FREE and we ask you to join and help us support Kenshin Kawakami and the Atlanta Braves.
For details: 404-842-1400; jasgevents@mindspring.com; http://www.kawakamifanclub.com/
Exhibit -- Passport to the World: A Salute to Macon’s Sister Cities (Macon, GA)
The Georgia Children’s Museum, 382 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201
For details: 478-755-9539; info@georgiachildrensmuseum.com; http://www.georgiachildrensmuseum.com/
Glass Classes Taught in Japanese (Atlanta, GA)
Janke Studios, 659 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, near MLK Jr. Memorial
We offer a variety of classes. These classes are fun, compact and project-oriented. You will create paperweights, tumblers and other beautiful pieces as you learn basic glassblowing techniques like gathering and re-heating. Beginning in the Fall of 2009 we will be able to offer any of our classes in Japanese (please let us know your language preference when you reserve your spot in class). All classes require a 50% deposit to secure a spot in a class. Please visit our website for more details on our policies for cancellations, rescheduling, prices, and updates on our class schedule.
For details: http://www.jankestudios.com/classes.htm
Ikebana Classes (Atlanta, GA)
Mondays: 9:30 am - 12:00 noon; $220 - 10 lessons
Hastings Nature & Garden Center, 3920 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30319
Ikebana, the ancient art of Japanese flower arranging, has captured attention throughout the world with its graceful lines and pleasing forms. As an artistic activity it is highly valued by those involved in the practice, as it stimulates a creativity and encourages freedom of expression within a disciplined framework. Washi Accents is proud to offer ikebana classes through master, Elaine Jo.
For details: 800-535-2263; http://www.ichiyoart.com/ikebana_class.html
Japanese Archery: Kyudo Classes (Atlanta, GA)
Kyudo – the Japanese martial art literally translated as “The Way of the Bow” encompasses mind, body and spirit. The goal is to hone the individual through diligent practice of a centuries-old form of archery through an integrated movement pattern that is unique to Kyudo. The Georgia Kyudo Renmei is the state-wide organization representing the All Japan Kyudo Federation through the American Kyudo Federation.
For details: Bi Toku Kyudo Kai, Northlake area, Ed Symmes, Renshi Godan, 404/320-1012, ed@bitokukyudo.org, http://www.bitokukyudo.org/
Shingetsu Kyudo Kai, Decatur, Cynthia Shannon, Yondan, 404/371-9428, cyncato@gmail.com, http://www.shingetsu-kyudo.com/
Fuji Kyudo Kai, Norcross area, Tomio Kato, Renshi Godan, 770/551-8355, katotomio@aol.com.
Japanese Classes for Adults (Roswell, GA)
Mondays 6:00pn - 7:30 pm for those who have studied Japanese for approximately 1 year (80 hours)
Tuesdays 7:00pm - 8:30 pm for those who have studied Japanese for approximately 2 years (160 hours)
Thursdays 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm for beginners
Roswell Budokan
For details: 770-649-8383; http://roswellbudokan.com/Japanese.html
Japanese Embroidery Classes (Dunwoody, GA)
Japanese Embroidery Center, 2727 Spalding Drive, Dunwoody, GA 30350
The Japanese Embroidery Center, located in Dunwoody, Georgia, was founded in 1989 by Shuji and Masa Tamura. The Japanese Embroidery Center (JEC) is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Japanese embroidery through the pursuit of Nuido™, The Way of Embroidery.
For details: 770.390-0617; info@japaneseembroidery.com; http://www.japaneseembroidery.com/index.html
Japanese Language Classes at the Language Institute of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
1155 Hammond drive - Suite 5240-E, Atlanta, GA 30328
For details: (770) 394-2721; information@atlantalanguage.com; http://www.atlantalanguage.com/
Japanese Preschool Playgroup (Atlanta, GA)
Every Wednesday
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Do you speak Japanese with your child? Would you like your child to play with other children and make new friends who also speak Japanese? Then join our playgroup for a fun afternoon of art, games, music, and other activities for children ages 4 - 7 years old in midtown Atlanta (near the High Museum, Piedmont Park and Colony Square). This play group is designed for children who are fluent (or have a good understanding) in Japanese as no English will be spoken during the playgroup. All children should be accompanied by one parent or adult caregiver.
For details: organicmother@hotmail.com
Japanese Women's Garden Club Seeking Members (Atlanta, GA)
2nd Wednesday of each month
The Japanese Women's Garden Club is seeking Japanese women to join their organization. The club, which is over 30 years old, helps organize the Festival of Trees, Spelman College’s Cherry Blossom Festival, and cultural events at area universities and other organizations.
For details: 770-961-5466
Nippon Champ Radio Show (Atlanta, GA)
Every Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
88.5 FM
Nippon Music Champ is a two hour Japanese music radio program that airs every Sunday from 6pm to 8pm on WRAS Atlanta 88.5 FM. Since its first broadcast on June 2nd, 2002, Nippon Music Champ has exposed listeners to the variety of music present in the contemporary Japanese music scene, with an emphasis on independent and underground artists. Also highlighted are musical movements of the past including early Jazz, Group Sounds (60s Rock'n'Roll), Punk and New Wave of the 1980s. Heavily requested artists include Bleach 03, The Captains, Cornelius, The Emeralds, and Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re.
For details: 404-413-WRAS (9727); http://www.nipponmusicchamp.com/
The Japan-America Society of Georgia's Kayoubi-Kai (Atlanta, GA)
November 10, December 8
7:00 pm
The Kayobi-Kai is an ongoing dinner event that meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at different restaurants in the metro Atlanta area. The Kayobi-Kai is intended to be very informal, and anyone who wants to come is welcome. All Kayobi-Kai meetings will begin at 7:00 pm and will be a "Dutch" dinner, so everyone will pick up their own tab at the end of the evening. If you would like to come, please call the JASG Event Reply Line at 404-253-8991 and leave a message including the total number of people in your group, each person's name, and a contact number.
For details: 404-842-1400; jasg@mindspring.com; http://www.jasgeorgia.org/
The Japan-America Society of Georgia's Nihongo-Kai (Atlanta, GA)
November 21, December 19
The Nihongo-Kai is a monthly meeting hosted by The Japan-America Society of Georgia for anyone who is looking to practice and brush up their Japanese language skills. Come join us and chat with Japanese native speakers and other learners in town!
For details: 404-842-1400; jasg@mindspring.com; http://www.jasgeorgia.org/
Exhibit -- Sukey Hughes and the World of Japanese Paper Return to the Source (Atlanta, GA)
Through January 29, 2010
Museum hours 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, 500 10th Street NW Atlanta, Georgia 30332
In 1969, Sukey Hughes, a young woman from the United States, accompanied her husband to Japan. As a writer, Mrs. Hughes planned to travel throughout the countryside, studying and documenting ancient Japanese folk crafts. Ultimately, she hoped that these investigations would lead to a series of magazine articles. Soon Ms. Hughes found that she was inexplicably and particularly drawn to one ancient craft, hand papermaking or washi, as it is called in Japan. After her return to the United States Hughes began to collect and edit images, notes, observations and samples into what would become in 1978 the landmark publication, "Washi: The World of Japanese Paper." In it the author describes with clarity and exacting detail the craft of traditional Japanese papermaking. The text is accompanied by rare and intimate photos that offer an extraordinary view of the papermakers, and their villages, where from one generation to the next, daily life and work merge from one season to the next. While much has been written about Japanese papermaking this particular view, with its inherent enthusiasm, beautifully written text, and intimate photos, continues to stand as a rare treasure. It is, therefore, with much gratitude, that the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum announces the recent donation, by Ms. Hughes of her personal collection of these, her original images.
In honor and celebration of this important acquisition, the museum is pleased to announce the presentation of "Sukey Hughes and the World of Japanese Paper / A Return to the Source." This inaugural exhibition of photographs from the Hughes collection will also present selected artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. Museum visitors will enjoy a rare glimpse into a world that continues, even today, to pursue with little change a craft that has endured through centuries. More than documentation, however, the exhibit will offer a view from a unique perspective, that of a dedicated young woman as she embarked on what would become a lifelong passion, washi, the art of Japanese papermaking.
For details: 404-894-6663; teri.williams@ipst.gatech.edu; http://www.ipst.gatech.edu/amp
Pianist Mari Kodama Performs at Spivey Hall (Morrow, GA)
November 1
Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, 2000 Clayton State Boulevard
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times for her "intelligently measured power and passionate conviction," pianist Mari Kodama "thinks in keyboard colors and has a rainbow of tints at her disposal." Born in Osaka and raised in Paris, she is an internationally-acclaimed artist whose playing is "highly refined, clean, lucid, and finely nuanced" (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Program: BACH Toccata in D major, BWV 912; CHOPIN Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38; Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 ("Funeral March"); BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 25 in G major, Op. 79; Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 (“Moonlight”)
For details: 678-466-4200; http://www.spiveyhall.org/concerts/details.php?secID=2&subSecID=1&eventID=602&eventType=1&inDetail=yes
JASG YP Football: Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest (Atlanta, GA)
November 7
12:00 or 1:00 pm (TBD); JASG Members $30/ Non-members $40
Bobby Dodd Stadium, 155 North Avenue
For details: 404-842-1400; jasg@mindspring.com; http://www.jasgeorgia.org/
OK Productions Presents - Shonen Knife JEFF The Brotherhood (Atlanta, GA)
November 12
The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave.
Shonen Knife, the all-female Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka, Japan in 1981. Heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, and early punk rock acts such as The Beach Boys and The Ramones, the trio crafts stripped-down songs expressing infectious melodies and simplistic, exuberant lyrics sung both in Japanese and English.
For details: 404-522-3950
Lecture and Demonstration -- Japanese Manga Artist Duo Konohana Sakuya (Atlanta, GA)
November 13
7:00 pm; Free
Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta Campus, 1600 Peachtree Road; Room 4C EVENT SPACE; 404-253-3100
Japanese cartoon artists Kouhei and Tsugumi Nishino, known under the penname Konohana Sakuya, will hold a lecture and demonstrate their art form in Event Spaces, 4C, at Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta Campus. The lecture is free and open to the public; free parking is also available.
Kouhei Nishino made his debut in 1980 after winning the best newcomer manga artist award, sponsored by publisher Shogakukan, while studying at Tokyo Zokei University. His work has been published in Shounen Sunday, Shounen Magajin, Combat Comic and Animal House magazines. He also worked on the animated film “Gundam F91.” He currently produces the weekly manga website “Hana Maru Weekly” (http://www.cybermanga.com/). Nishino also works as an associate professor in the art department at Kyoto Seika University.
Tsugumi Nishino made her debut in 1993 in the weekly Young Jump magazine. Her notable works include Yurameki Paradise Girl and Tatakau Meido San! (The Battling Maid). A bilingual manga she serialized on her website, Hanamaru Angels, has been published in book form. Her work Fubuki the Female Ninja has been published in the U.S. magazine Chibi-Pop Manga.
Konohana Sakuya’s lecture is sponsored by the Japan Foundation, Savannah College of Art and Design, and the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, in association with the Japan-America Society of Georgia. Samples of Konohana Sakuya’s artwork can be viewed at http://www.konohanasakuya.com/f_english/index.html.
For details: 404-365-9240; info@cgjapanatlanta.org; Event Poster (PDF)
JASG Young Professionals Horsing Around Picnic (Alpharetta, GA)
November 14
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm; $30 for members / $40 for non members, (includes food, entrance, and horseback riding)
White Dog Farm, 685 Old Alpharetta Road
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, November 11, 2009
For details: 404-842-1400; jasgevents@mindspring.com; http://www.jasgeorgia.org/
The Reading Circle of Modern Japanese Literature/Dokusho-kai (Sandy Springs, GA)
November 15
2:00 pm; membership dues are $10.00 ($15.00 per family) annually to cover the cost of postage, copies, refreshments, etc. If you would like to become a member or renew your membership, you can pay the membership fee at the next meeting
Atlanta-Fulton County Library, Sandy Springs Branch, 395 Mt. Vernon Highway, Atlanta, GA 30328
Our meetings feature bilingual, bicultural discussions of modern Japanese literature and foster communication and understanding between the U.S. and Japan. Our main objective is to provide all members, both Japanese and American, an opportunity to participate.
Text: SOSEKI Natsume, Kusamakura (Penguin Classics, ISBN 0143105191, $14) “A stunning new translation - the first in more than forty years - of a major novel by the father of modern Japanese fiction.” Natsume Soseki’s Kusamakura follows its nameless young artist-narrator on a meandering walking tour of the mountains. At the inn at a hot spring resort, he has a series of mysterious encounters with Nami, the lovely young daughter of the establishment. Nami, or “beauty,” is the center of this elegant novel, the still point around which the artist moves and the enigmatic subject of Soseki’s word painting. In the author’s words, Kusamakura is “a haiku-style novel, that lives through beauty.” Written at a time when Japan was opening its doors to the rest of the world, Kusamakura turns inward, to the pristine mountain idyll and the taciturn lyricism of its courtship scenes, enshrining the essence of old Japan in a work of enchanting literary nostalgia.
For details: 404-256-4301 or 770-321-1363; manneko@yahoo.com
Lecture -- "Implementing Sustainability Innovation: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy, and Institutional Design" (Atlanta, GA)
November 16
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm; Free
Clary Theater in the Bill Moore Student Success Center at Georgia Tech, 219 Uncle Heinie Way, NW, Atlanta, GA 30332
Dr. Masaru Yarime, Associate Professor in the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science at the University of Tokyo, will speak on the topic of "Implementing Sustainability Innovation: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy, and Institutional Design."
Dr. Yarime’s current research includes corporate strategy, public policy, and institutional design for sustainability innovation, economics and policy studies of technological change, university-industry collaboration, and institutional analysis of knowledge creation, diffusion, and utilization. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics of Technological Change from the University of Maastricht, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from California Institute of Technology, and a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tokyo. Prior to joining the University of Tokyo faculty in 2006, he served as Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Tokyo and was a research associate at the Research Center for Advanced Economic Engineering at the University of Tokyo. He has also worked as research assistant at the United Nations University Institute for New Technologies, in Maastricht, The Netherlands. He is the editor of the publication Sustainability Science and executive editor of the Forum on Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Dr. Yarime’s lecture is sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy, in association with the Japan-America Society of Georgia and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia. The event is free and open to the public.
For details: 404-365-9240; info@cgjapanatlanta.org; Event Poster (PDF); Location Map - Venue is #31 (Bill Moore Student Success Center and Parking is #9 (Burge Parking Deck)
NORTH CAROLINA
Traditional Aikido Classes (Charlotte/Matthews/Weddington, NC)
Water Oak Aikikai is an intimate, traditional dojo tucked into the beautiful woods of Weddington, North Carolina. The dojo is a dedicated 40 tatami training space with enough clearance for virtually any weapons training. The dojo offers instruction in Aikido, Aikido for Children, Self Defense, Women's Self Defense, Cane Self Defense and Traditional Japanese Weapons (Jodo and Iaido). The chief instructor lived in Japan for 10 years and teaches in a traditional manner. The chief instructor also holds a teaching certificate issued by the United States Aikido Federation and the Aikido Hombu Dojo in Japan.
For details: http://www.water-oak.net/Aikikai/Home.aspx
Advanced Ikebana (Durham, NC)
November 4, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm; Friends $55; General Public $70
Doris Duke Center, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson Street, Duke University, Durham, NC
Ikebana is the art of beautifully arranged plant material in a container. This floral art evolved in Japan more than seven centuries ago. Instructor Muriel Roberts will work with returning students to expand and refine their understanding and use of design principles through a series of four hands-on sessions, and she’ll demonstrate the additional skills necessary to create these lovely arrangements. Participants must either have taken the Beginning Ikebana course or have special permission from the instructor to participate.
For details: 919-684-3698; http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/DukeGardens-classes-fall09.pdf (PDF)
Seminar -- From Geek To Chic: The Asian Leadership Chasm - Professional Development (Chapel Hill, NC)
November 6
6:00 pm; free for NAAAP members, EMC employees, and participants of the Global Busines Project and Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER); all others $10
UNC Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler School of Business
For details: http://www.naaap-nc.org/Events.do?id=7855
Tea Ceremony (Durham, NC)
November 11
10:45 am - 12:00 pm / 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm; Friends $20/General Public $30
Doris Duke Center, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson Street, Duke University
Join a small group in a traditional Japanese Tea Gathering at our own teahouse. As a guest to Tea, you will experience the patterns and poetry of Chado, or the Japanese Way of Tea, while enjoying a seasonal sweet and an enticing bowl of whisked tea. The practice of Tea is characterized by the phrase ichigo ichie, or "one moment – one meeting." The small class group will meet at the Doris Duke Center to be escorted to the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion in the Garden for this intimate gathering. Learn the pattern and meaning of the Japanese tea ceremony and the role of the garden setting. Enrollment will be limited to six per gathering.
For details: 919-684-3698; http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/DukeGardens-classes-fall09.pdf (PDF)
Lecture -- Introducing the Gun: Masculinity and Shoguns (Durham, NC)
November 18
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Breedlove Room (204 Perkins Library) Duke West Campus
Duke University Speaker Series - Anne Walthall, Professor, Department of History, University of California, Irvine
For details: http://web.duke.edu/apsi/events/index.html
Film -- Seven Samurai (Boone, NC)
November 18 and 20
7:00 pm
Greenbriar Theater
The film takes place in Warring States Period Japan (around 1587/1588). It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai (ronin) to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops.
For details: fordpd@appstate.edu; http://www.international.appstate.edu/events/iew.php
Japanese Embroidery Workshop (Durham, NC)
November 21-22
9:00 am - 4:00 pm; Friends $55/General Public $70
Doris Duke Center, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 426 Anderson Street, Duke University
Study this art form of stitchery with a master. You will learn the skills necessary to create a beautiful design incorporating floral elements with silk thread on silk fabric. (The fee does not include the materials. They will be purchased from the instructor.) The fee below is for a one-weekend workshop; double for the entire series.
For details: 919-684-3698; http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/DukeGardens-classes-fall09.pdf (PDF)
SOUTH CAROLINA
j-DIVE (Greenville, SC)
Saturdays 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
WPLS 95.9 FM
j-DIVE is Furman University's weekly radio plunge into the world of contemporary Japanese music. Listeners will be exposed to a wide variety of genres, including, but not limited to: pop, rock, visual-kei, indie, and anime soundtracks.
For details: http://www.freewebs.com/rocketmusicdive/
Lecture -- "The Amazing World of Kanji Characters" by Dr. Tetsuji Atsuji (Clemson, SC)
November 9
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm; free
Strom Thurmond Institute, Self Auditorium, Clemson University
This event will introduce students, faculty, and community to the history and the amazing communication power of Japanese characters called kanji, ideograms originating in China. This event is supported by the Japan foundation and a collaborative project of Clemson University in South Carolina, Utah State University and University of Colorado at Boulder. In this event Dr. Atsuji will offer an educational lecture on the respective understanding of the history and etymology of kanji ideograms to us with an insightful and intimate lecture and demonstration. The purpose of the event is to connect our collective past with our present. Dr. Atsuji will bring his respective understanding of philosophy, religious beliefs and worldview of people who invented Kanji ideograms from Asia to the United States. He will demonstrate the similarities and differences in the worldviews between the East and the West.
For details: http://www.strom.clemson.edu/index.html
VIRGINIA
Exhibit -- "Moonlight and Golden Clouds: Silver and Gold in the Arts of Japan" (Washington, DC)
Through November 8
Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW
Beginning in the seventeenth century, Japanese artists developed a distinctive repertoire of techniques for applying gold and silver to objects made of diverse materials ranging from lacquer, metal, and wood for decorated objects to paper and silk for calligraphy and painting. Gold and silver played a prominent and integral role in the technical and aesthetic history of Japanese painting, calligraphy, lacquer, metalwork, and architecture, as seen in the thirty-two works on view. Exceptional Japanese methods for lacquer decoration in gold and silver resulted in refined pictorial designs that today form a distinctive achievement in the arts of East Asia.
For details: 202-633-1000; publicaffairs@asia.si.edu; http://www.asia.si.edu/
Japanese Calligraphy Workshop (Washington, DC)
November 4, 18; December 2
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Japan-America Society, 1819 L Street NW, 1B Level, Washington DC 20036
For people who are new to Japanese calligraphy. Starts with basic techniques: how to hold and use the brush, how to position the paper, how to ink the brush, how to make basic brush strokes. Students will use the techniques they have learned to write hiragana, as well as their own names. Followed by writing kanji in the basic kaisho style, improving their technique while learning proper balance and spacing. Knowledge of the Japanese hiragana and katakana writing systems, as well as some familiarity with Kanji, is required. Register by mail, fax or online at http://www.us-japan.org/dc by September 9, 2009.
For details: 202-833-2210; jaswdc@us-japan.org; http://www.us-japan.org/dc/pdf/2009/Shodo%20Workshop%202009.pdf (PDF)
Exhibit -- Golden Seams: The Japanese Art of Mending Ceramics (Washington, DC)
Through November 8
Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW
Clay vessels are remarkably durable, yet they are vulnerable to breakage if mishandled or dropped. Japanese craftsmen created a unique method of mending ceramics. They drew on the longstanding practice of using the plant resin lacquer as an adhesive to rejoin broken ceramics but transformed the appearance of the repair by sprinkling the lacquer with powdered gold, thus creating a new component for appreciation. “Gold” lacquer repairs became closely associated with ceramic utensils used for tea cermeony. This small exhibition presents thirteen ceramics from China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan mended and enhanced by this distinctive Japanese technique.
For details: http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/GoldenSeams.htm
Introducing Astro Boy (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime) (Washington, DC)
November 13
7:00 pm; free
Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW
In Person: Frederik Schodt, author of The Astro Boy Essays
Astro Boy (known as Mighty Atom in Japan) is one of Tezuka’s most iconic and enduring creations. Starting life as a character in manga comics, he later took the world by storm as the hero of three animated television series that were nearly as popular in the US as they were in Japan. To kick off the retrospective, author and Tezuka expert Frederik Schodt presents and discusses four Astro Boy episodes.
For details: 202-633-1000; http://www.asia.si.edu/events/index.asp
Film -- The Film is Alive: Osamu Tezuka Filmography (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime) (Washington, DC)
November 14
2:00 pm; free
Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW
In Person: Frederik Schodt, author of The Astro Boy Essays; Helen McCarthy, author of The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga; and Natsu Onoda Power, author of God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-WWII Manga.
This documentary, made for the Tezuka Osamu exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum the year after Tezuka’s death, boasts probably the most over-specified title card in the world. Each of the ten letters has been handwritten by one of his friends, all superstars of the manga and anime community. It provides a thumbnail introduction to his work and records its diversity and energy, as well as featuring live footage of Tezuka himself. [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.]
Japan / 1990 / 42 min. / Japanese with English subtitles. A panel discussion follows the film.
For details: 202-633-1000; http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp
Film -- Marine Express (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime) (Washington, DC)
November 15
2:00 pm; free
Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW
In Person: Frederik Schodt, Helen McCarthy
Set in the near future of 2002, this tale of skullduggery and smuggling on an undersea train is set against a backdrop of environmental degradation and destruction of indigenous cultures and is interwoven with a time-travel fantasy. Directed by Dezaki Tetsu, it features appearances by nearly all of Tezuka’s most famous characters, including Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Don Dracula. [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.]
Japan / 1979 / 91 min. / Japanese with English subtitles.
For details: 202-633-1000; http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp
Exhibit -- The Art of Transformation : Illuminating Japan's Industrial Revolution with Nishiki-e Prints (Washington, DC)
Through November 20
The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; free
Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan, Lafayette Center III (Lower Level), 1155 21st Street NW
Featuring over fifty color woodblock reprints from the Shibusawa Memorial Foundation, The Art of Transformation : Illuminating Japan's Industrial Revolution with Nishiki-e Prints celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first large-scale business mission to the United States, led by Baron Eiichi Shibusawa in 1909. Each of the prints, on loan from the Japan Foundation, Toronto, capture the dynamic encounter of cultures that began when Commodore Perry's Black Ships anchored in Tokyo Bay in 1853, ending Japan's centuries of seclusion. Historic images and articles highlighting the Japanese Commercial Commission’s trip to the United States will accompany these vibrant works of art, exemplifying the transformation and exchange of cultures that took place during the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras of Japan.
For details: 202-238-6949; jicc@embjapan.org; http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/exhibit.htm
Film -- Prime Rose (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime) (Washington, DC)
November 20
7:00 pm; free
Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW
A Japanese city and an American city are thrown into conflict by demonic intervention. Prime Rose is one of the warriors, but she has a personal motive. Time Patrol member Gai is trying to reverse the timeslip and defeat the demon. Aired before the manga of the same title was completed, this film by Tetsu Dezaki is allegedly closer to Tezuka’s original idea. [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.]
Japan / 1983 / 90 min. / Japanese with English subtitles.
For details: 202-633-1000; http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp
AnimeUSA (Arlington, VA)
November 20-22
$50
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
In 1999 AnimeUSA began as a northern Virginia convention, started by fans, and in 2004 become a non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to educate the public about and promote Japanese arts and popular culture. Just as in the beginning, we remain a convention of fans, by fans, and for fans.
For details: http://www.animeusa.org/
Tezuka's Short Films (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime) (Washington, DC)
November 22
2:00 pm; free
Meyer Auditorium, Jefferson Drive at 12th Street, SW
This remarkable showcase of shorts made between 1962 and 1987 reveals Tezuka’s energy, originality, and clarity of vision as he employs music and imagery to render dialogue unnecessary. These films show Tezuka the art house animator at his inventive best. [Descriptions adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.]
Tales of the Street Corner
Drawing apparently unrelated elements towards a single tragic climax, Tales of the Street Corner is profoundly anti-war and is the first film from Tezuka’s Mushi Productions.
Japan / 1962 / 38 min.
Mermaid
Troubled by increasing conformity imposed by Japanese society, Tezuka examines the power of dreams and the consequences of betraying them.
Japan / 1964 / 9 min.
Drop
In this highly personal film, even the simple backgrounds are drawn by Tezuka. A thirsty man on a raft tries desperately (and fruitlessly) to get a precious drop of water.
Japan / 1965 / 4 min.
Pictures at an Exhibition
Opening with a literal, live-action walk into a gallery, Mussorgsky’s music becomes a jumping-off point for a series of ten visually distinct and stylish segments.
Japan / 1966 / 39 min.
Jumping
One of the most technically dazzling achievements of its day, Jumping was shot in a single cut with 4,000 images showing a skipping boy gradually striding higher and higher until he leaps across war-torn countries, looking down on human activity like a god.
Japan / 1984 / 6 min.
Broken Down Film
A heroic cowboy fights not only a conventional villain but also a film so old that it breaks down. Tezuka’s affection for the conventions of silent film fills every frame.
Japan / 1985 / 6 min.
Push
In a world where every necessity can be had from vending machines, a man goes to see his creator and demands to be shown where to buy a brand new Earth.
Japan / 1987 /4 min.
Muramasa
A magic sword is found stuck into a straw figure. The samurai who finds it keeps cutting at more straw figures to test its sharpness; but every time he slashes one apart, it turns into a human being.
Japan / 1987 / 9 min.
Legend of the Forest
Tezuka planned to review the history of animation in four episodes, though only two segments were completed. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, animals and fantasy creatures warn humans about the danger of destroying natural habitats, while Tezuka warns of cheap, limited TV animation decimating the art’s rich heritage (co-directed by Kouji Ui).
Japan / 1987 / 29 min.
For details: 202-633-1000; http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp