Vol. 5 No. 3 - April 2010 |
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The e-Japan Journal is the electronic webletter of the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago (CGOJ) and the Japan Information Center (JIC). We hope it proves useful, interesting, and exciting as a window into Japanese culture in the Midwest. As always, your feedback, comments, and suggestions are encouraged and can be sent to our editor, Daniel Drake, at jic@japancc.org. |
- Speech Contest Results
- April 1: Exhibit of Psychedelic Poster Art by Tadanori Yoko at the University of Chicago
- April 11: Japanese Rakugo Comedian Katsura Kaishi to Perform in Iowa
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- Beginning April 2: part asian - 100% hapa: Portraits by Kip Fulbeck at The Field Museum, Chicago
- April 7: Shamisen Master Hiromitsu Agatsuma at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music
- April 8: A Lecture on Japanese Gardens Worldwide at Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- April 6 and 8: Famed Violinist Midori to Play Concerts in Missouri and Minnesota
- April 11: Cherry Blossom Festival in Independence, Missouri
- Beginning April 17: New Print of Akira Kurosawa's Ran Begins Run at Chicago's Music Box
- Through April 17: Michiko Itatani's Art at Walsh Gallery, Chicago
- April 16-18: Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo
- May 1: Asian Heritage Festival in Overland Park, Kansas
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- Monthly Economic Report (March, 2010)
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- Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Transfer of the Okinawa Approach Control (Kadena RAPCON) to Japan
- Meeting between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Ms. Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
- Visit to Japan by Japanese American High School Students
- Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by the Japanese American Leadership
- Visit to Japan by Mr. James B. Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America
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- Washington Convention Conference Rejects Proposal
to Ban Trade in Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna
- China’s National People’s Congress Opens; Aims for 8% Growth
- Curtain Falls on Vancouver Winter Olympics
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- Last Month in Japan
- Upcoming School Visits
- Website Highlight
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 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.
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The 24th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest in Chicago was held on March 6, and featured an impressive 40 speeches from elementary, junior high, high school, and college students. The array of funny, touching, and smart speeches touched on topics ranging from jellyfish to Osakan history to soccer. It was a successful day all around! The top awards were as follows:
Grand Prize
Round-trip Airfare to Japan, Donated by Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. |
Da Yea Kim, Grinnell College
Knock Knock, Will Open the Door to Your Heart? |
Above, a group picture of all the participants with Consul General Hisaeda and the Judges
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Chicago Osaka Sister City Special Award
Round-trip Airfare to Osaka and a 1-week homestay in Osaka, Donated by the City of Osaka Chicago Office and the Chicago Sister Cities International Program Osaka Committee |
Tanya Zolotareva, University of Chicago
An Ambiguous Rebellions Feeling:My Awakening as an Artist |
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Often referred to as the Andy Warhol of Japan, artist/advertiser/designer/collage-fiend Tadanori Yokoo's work certainly exemplifies the brash brightness of Pop Art. But his five decades of work complicate that picture: each poster (the medium he's most known for) draws inspiration from cinema, advertising, Japanese art, and psychedelia, and mixes them together in a truly unique way. His compositions swarm with references and images, and are still beautiful objects.
So it is with great excitement that, with the Japan Foundation Toronto, the Center for East Asian Studies, and the University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies and University of Chicago Library, we bring some of this living legend's most recent works to Chicago. Be sure to visit the Center for East Asian Studies' website for information on how to visit the exhibit.
Monday, March 29 - Saturday, June 19, 2010
Please note, the exhibit is open to the general public during the following hours only:
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
(Sunday – closed) |
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Unviersity of Chicago
Regenstein Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
(Map) |
University of Chicago Event Listing
Tadanori Yokoo's Official Website |
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On Sunday, April 11th, the Japan America Society of Iowa will be hosting master rakugo performer Katsura Kaishi for an afternoon of Japanese and English comedy.
Called, hilariously, "sit-down" comedy, rakugo is a style of Japanese comedy that traces its origins more than 400 years in the past. Dressed in Japanese formal-wear and seated upon a zabuton cushion, rakugo storytellers expertly spin ridiculous and silly tales for an audience.
Mr. Kaishi's performance will be accompanied by demonstrations from the Kojokan Samuri Martial Arts Dojo and the Kokyo Taiko Drummers.
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| Following are some of the upcoming events taking place in our 10-state jurisdiction. For a complete listing of all events known to the JIC, see the Calendar of Events on our website. |
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California artist Kip Fulbeck's nationally touring "Part Asian - 100% Hapa" exhibit comes to Chicago's Field Museum for an extended run this summer, starting Friday, April 2nd. Coming from a mixed-race background himself, Mr. Fulbeck's photography exhibit explores and documents the ways racial categories for identity can be slippery and even irrelevant. By displaying portraits of multiracial people, he highlights the absurdity of singular labels.
Friday, April 2 - Monday, September 6 |
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The Chicago Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
(Directions) |
Exhibit Website
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Like Cher and Madonna before him, Hiromitsu Agatsuma travels the world under one name: Agatsuma. His mastery of the three-stringed shamisen, often called the Japanese banjo, has made him one of the most famous musicians in Japan. And on Wednesday, April 7, he will be bringing his eclectic mix of traditional Japanese folk music, rock, blues, and more to Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music.
Wednesday, April 7, 8:30 PM |
Print of a Shamisen Player |
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Old Town School of Folk Music
Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall
4544 N Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(Map)
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| Old Town School of Folk Music
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Toshio Watanabe, Director of Transnational Art at the Identity and Nation Research Centre, University of the Arts, London, will be giving an exciting and in-depth talk about Japanese gardens, and their uses in locations across the world and time.
| Thursday, April 8, 6:00 - 7:00 PM |
Karesansui garden at Tofuku-ji in Kyoto
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Atkins Auditorium
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64111
(Directions) |
Event Announcement
FREE! (tickets required) |
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Since her concert debut in 1982 on the stage of the New York Philharmonic at the age of 11, violinist Midori Goto (who goes by Midori, making her the second one-named performer this month), has wowed concert halls the world over with her formidable talents and dedicated passion. Now, as part of her incredibly exhaustive spring touring schedule, Midori will be making two can't-miss Midwestern stops. Don't miss your chance to see an artist the New York Times once featured under the headline "Girl, 14, Conquers Tanglewood with 3 Violins."
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To increase awareness of their relationship with Higashimurayama, their sister city in Japan, the city of Independence, Missouri, will be throwing their annual Cherry Blossom Festival on April 11th. Featuring performances of traditional Japanese dances and martial arts, as well as a wealth of made-in-Japan toys, clothing, and books, the festival is a great opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture. And if that's not enough, there will be plenty of Japanese food on hand, too.
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Ran (meaning "chaos"), Akira Kurosawa's definitive late-period masterpiece, will be screening at Chicago's Music Box Theater in a new 35mm print. An adaptation, of sorts, of King Lear, Ran is, in this humble writer's opinion, one of the most visually stunning films you'll ever see. Seriously! If you have any interest in Japanese cinema, it is a movie you absolutely must see. I throw that phrase around a lot here on the e-Japan Journal, but I have never meant it more than I mean it here. Go see Ran!
Beginning Friday, April 16. Showtimes are not yet announced; check the Music Box website for updates. |
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Music Box Theatre
3733 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
(Directions)
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Ran at the Music Box
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Michiko Itatani, an artist and professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is currently exhibiting several beautiful, huge, and strikingly-colored paintings at Chicago's Walsh Gallery. Catch the show now, in its last weeks!
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The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, or C2E2, is a convention covering movies, books, TV shows, and, appropriate to this publication, anime, manga, and Japanese video games. Running for three days in the middle of this alread warm April (hooray!), it is a great chance to catch sneak previews of coming movies and shows, as well as to meet some of your favorite artists. Oh also, and this is not germane to the Journal, but, would you like to meet Carrie Fisher? She'll be there!
Friday, April 16 - Sunday, April 18
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McCormick Place
2301 S Lake Shore Dr
Chicago, IL 60616
(Map)
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C2E2!
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The schedule's not up online yet, but if last year's is any indication, Overland Park's now annual Asian Heritage Festival is a great family event, and a chance to see some taiko drumming, eat all manner of fantastic Asian food, and have a great Saturday.
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Monthly Economic Report (March, 2010)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2010mar.html |
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Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the Transfer of the Okinawa Approach Control (Kadena RAPCON) to Japan
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/3/0318_03.html
Meeting between Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Ms. Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/3/0312_02.html
Visit to Japan by Japanese American High School Students
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/event/2010/3/0312_01.html
Courtesy Call on Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, by the Japanese American Leadership
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/3/0305_05.html
Visit to Japan by Mr. James B. Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/event/2010/3/0301_03.html |
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A handy report which gives up-to-the-minute background information with comments of major Japanese newspapers, in plain and concise form, on news items on the Japanese economy, politics, diplomatic activities, society, business, culture, and other matters of interest. Japan Brief is expanding its target readership and is now available in nine languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Arabic.
Washington Convention Conference Rejects Proposal
to Ban Trade in Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna (2010-03-24)
China’s National People’s Congress Opens; Aims for 8% Growth (2010-03-11)
Curtain Falls on Vancouver Winter Olympics (2010-03-04)
For more backnumbers, please visit the following FPCJ website:
http://fpcj.jp/modules/news8/index.php?storytopic=1
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Here are three questions regarding news stories about Japan in March. 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.
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Why is Eric Stults "Carping"?
- What is Mao Asada celebrating these days, after the Olympics?
- What is Hidetoshi Nakata so "Xcited" about?
To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org
and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.
Answers from the February/March Quiz:
Congratulations to Yoshimi Tanaka! You answered last month's questions correctly. Yay!
- To what did the CEO of Aflac recently credit his company's success in Japan? The duck!
- What does Keiichiro Nagashima have in common with the famous Ginkakuji temple? Mr. Nagashima won a silver ("gin") medal at the Winter Olympics.
- How does the Toshibareru Mosukitosaundo machine ease the tension on a blind date? It is supposed to detect someone's true age.
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The following is a list of all educational visits the Japan Information Center will make in the next month. For more information, or if you would like to register for a cultural presentation, please visit our website.
Upcoming visits:
- April 1: Frazier International Magnet School at the JIC
- April 15: The British School of Chicago
- April 29: Carthage College at the JIC
- April 30: Burr Elementary School
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 Highlighting Japan
We're going to take a brief break this month from our "Travelling in Japan" website series. Let's now take a moment to get informed!
The Highlighting Japan Newsletter, much like this here e-Japan Journal, is a great way to stay informed, every month, of news, cultural events, and all manner of in-between stuff happening right now in Japan. Handsomely photographed, and very informative, it's a great way to get acquaited with Japan. Subscribe today!
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Hello Spring!
Here we are, then, on a more appropriate monthly schedule. As you may have noticed, the "April Issue" will be covering all events in April! And one bonus May event!
So now that that's out of the way, I have another request to make of you readers. The e-Japan Journal is now planning a redesign. One of our chief ambitions is to move away from this scroll-heavy format, to a more compact, and prettier, Table of Contents-emphasizing one. But I would also like to solicit any suggestions or advice. What do you want to see you in your new, improved e-Japan Journal? Please email me at jic@japancc.org.
Also, Happy Spring!
Daniel Drake, Editor |
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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.
