Uzuki, the old Japanese name for the month of April, means "hare month." One theory for the origin this name is that April is the 4th month of the year, and the 4th year in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle is the Year of the Hare.

For many years, the only national holiday in Uzuki was Greenery Day, on April 29. This was the birthday of the late Emperor Showa and continues to be observed based on his great love and appreciation for nature. This holiday is the start of "Golden Week," which includes a cluster of important holidays (May 3 is Constitution Day, May 5 is Children's Day) and is the busiest vacation time in Japan. However, in 2007 Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was renamed Showa-no-hi, or Showa Day.

Uzuki is also the month when sakura begin to bloom throughout most of Japan. This blooming is considered an auspicious time to start new things, including school, which begins on April 1.

As announced in last month's webletter, the application period for the annual Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) scholarships has begun. From now until June 15th, applications for scholarships for research, professional training, or undergraduate work at Japanese institutions of higher learning are being accepted.

More information can be found here:

http://www.chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp/JIC/monbusho.html

The 7th Annual Asian Heritage Festival, or "celebrAsian," will be held on Saturday, May 16.  Join an expected crowd numbering in the tens of thousands for a full day of Asian cuisine, art, dance, and countless other activities, including presentations by Japanese cultural groups.

The Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC) will be holding their 79th Annual Dinner on Thursday, June 4th. The evening will begin with a short cocktail reception from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, followed by dinner and the keynote speech. This year's speaker will be the distiguished Dr. Kazuo Kawasaki, Professor of the Graduate School of Engineering at Osaka University. His speech, "Japanese Designs - From Eyeglasses to Artificial Organ Technology," highlights the intersection of his interests in medicine and product design, and promises to make for a fascinating evening.

As part of their annual Summer Screenings Series, and in cooperation with the Japan Information Center, Cinema/Chicago will be showing Hirokazu Kore-eda's film "Hana" free of charge on Wednesday, June 10th at 6:30 PM. Kore-eda, the director of 2004's acclaimed "Nobody Knows," brings to vivid life the story of a samurai sent on a mission to avenge his father's death, but deeply conflicted about the violence his task demands.

Now in its 12th year, and routinely attracting upwards of 15,000 people, Chicago's annual Anime Central Midwest Anime and Manga Convention will be held Friday May 8 through Sunday May 10. This year's event will feature an opportunity to see the short film "Megumi, " sponsored by the Japan Information Center. It will screen at 4: 30 PM on Friday, May 8th in the DaVinci room, and at 4 PM on Saturday, May 9th in the United Room. Additionally, following the Friday screening there will be a presentation about Japanese culture and the JET Program, a must-see for anyone interested in travelling to Japan. The JIC will also have an information booth open at the Convention Center all weekend.

Bringing together decades of experience and two distinct, global sensiblities, trombonists Eijiro Nakagawa and Jim Pugh have wowed audiences worldwide as E'nJ. After shows ranging from Japan to Australia to the United States, and on the heels of their third album, the duo comes to Chicago's Jazz Showcase for a two night engagement of fascinating, cross-cultural jazz.

With temperatures now remaining consistently above freezing, and flowers finally blossoming, spring has truly arrived. So what better way to spend a temperate day than to take a trip to Chicago's Botanic Gardens, where the fiftieth anniversary of the Chicago Chapter of Ikebana International will be celebrated with day long demonstrations, displays, and exhibitions of the Japanese art of flower arrangement. In recognition of this special anniversary, two Master Sensei of the Ohara School of Ikebana will be joining the festivities.

On Saturday, May 16, the Art Institute of Chicago will at last be unveiling its new Modern Wing, the first addition since 1988, and the largest in more than a century. Built to house the Art Institute's extensive body of twentieth and twenty-first century art, the Modern Wing will be home to much of the Japanese art currently in the collection, including Hinoki, a piece created by Charles Ray with Osakan woodcarver Yuboku Mukoyoshi. As part of the opening celebrations, museum admission will be free from May 16-22.

Back for another year is Chicago's annual celebration of its many citizens with Asian or Pacific heritage. This year features many events for those interested in Japanese culture, including karaoke trips, origami demonstrations, and presentations on Japanese history and language. Be sure to check the website below for a full listing of events!

Monthly Economic Report (April, 2009)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2009apr.html

North Korea's Missile Launch
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/disarmament/n_korea/index.html

Conditions towards Zero: "11 Benchmarks for Global Nuclear Disarmament"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/un/disarmament/arms/state0904.html

London Summit
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/g20_summit/2009-1/index.html

Statement by H.E. Mr. Hirofumi NAKASONE, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan At the International Conference on Afghanistan
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/middle_e/afghanistan/state0903.html

Opening Remarks by Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs at the International Seminar on Japan’s to Peace and Human Resource Development
http://www.mofa.go.jp/whats/2009/index3.html

Press Conference by Taro Aso, Prime Minister
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asospeech/2009/03/31kaiken_e.html

Here are three questions regarding news stories about Japan in April. The first person to send us the most correct answers wins a little Japanese prize. Don't forget to send us your mailing address with your answers!

1. Why was Tokyo Tower green and gold on April 9th?

2. What's gotten fashion designer Junya Watanabe feeling a little presidential?

3. What island off the coast of Nagasaki just reopened?
   
   
   To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.

Answers from the April Quiz:
This month's prize goes to Dick Stump, who got all three questions right last month, including an alternate answer to the first question that I didn't even know! He will be receiving some fancy Japan Information Center swag in the mail.

1. Which unlikely celebrity recently modeled high school uniforms at a Tokyo fashion show? Paris Hilton or Asashoryu
   
   
2. Similarly, what were representatives of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology doing on another Tokyo catwalk? Showing a Japanese humanoid robot as it walked down the runway
   
   
3. Why was Colonel Sanders all wet and missing his legs in Osaka? His statue was recently dredged from the river, 24 years after having been taken from a nearby KFC and thrown in the water on the occasion of the Hanshin Tigers' last national championship.
   

Midnight Eye

As any even casual follower of world cinema knows, Japanese film is a monster in the field. From early auteurs like Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujiro Ozu, through that giant of 20th century cinema Akira Kurosawa, to modern-day masters like Kiyoshi "No Relation" Kurosawa, Japan is home to some of the best filmmakers in the world. But there are so many movies to watch, on top of the hundred or so new releases piling up every year. It would seem nearly impossible to ever get caught up. If only there were some definitive website with comprehensive coverage of Japanese film, exclusive interviews with major figures in the field, a back-catalog of thousands of reviews from the last 100 years of Japanese cinema, a global calendar of events that covers every conceivable Japanese film screening worldwide, book reviews, scholarly essays, in-depth features, and an entertaining editorial voice throughout. If only...

Happy middle of spring,

The warm weather has all of us here at the Japan Information Center in high spirits, so I think I'll continue with the seasonal salutations for now. I would also like to apologize for the tardy release of this month's edition, but I promise we are on schedule for the rest of the summer!

On an unrelated note, I noticed that this month's listings are a little Chicago-heavy, and that is something I'd like to enlist all of your help in remedying. If you live in any of our ten states (Indiana, Wisconisin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, or Kansas) and know of any Japan-related events in your area, let me know. These events, by the way, can include anything from a movie screening to an academic lecture to a cooking class. I want to hear about all the cool stuff you Nipponphiles are doing in the Midwest.

Oh, and by the way, I hope you've all done a good job avoiding the H1N1 flu, washing your hands, covering your mouth when you sneeze, and related acts for the sake of public health. Here's a link! Link.

Enjoy the mild heat before what will surely be a brutal summer,
Daniel Drake, Editor