March 4th brings the annual Japan Fest at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This year's festivities will include karate, kendo, and calligraphy demonstrations.

Date	Thursday, March 4, from 3:30 to 9:00 PM
Place	Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center 313 N. 13th Street Lincoln, NE 68588 (Map)
Info	Open to the public

You may have missed the first two films last month, but there's still time to catch the next two in the Japan Information Center's spring film series, Japan, Nature, and Film. The remaining films are "The Summit," a fictionalized account of the survey and climb of Japan's last unclimbed mountain, and "School of Nature," a documentary about a school whose abiding principle is to keep children close to the Earth.

Each year since 1987, the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago sponsors a Japanese Language Speech Contest to promote the study of Japanese in the Midwest. We invite all to come to the auditorium of the Japan Information Center on Saturday, March 6th and listen to the contestants of the 24th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest.

It is now time for the 12th Annual Mid America Japanese Language Contest, held cooperatively with the University of Kansas and local school districts in Kansas. Wide and interesting in its breadth and depth, the language contest includes events in kanji and kana practice, as well as poetry recitation, a haiku contest, a calligraphy contest, and a Japanese talent show. The competition is open to high school, college, and independent study students of Japanese at the beginning and intermediate levels, with trophies and prizes to be awarded.

Presented with The Illinois Institute of Technology and the Japan Foundation, this exhibition of stunning black and white photographs by the venerated Ishimoto Yasuhiro is a look inside one of Kyoto's oldest treasures, the former imperial villa Katsura.

As a kickoff to the celebrations for the Fiftieth Anniversary of Iowa's sister-state relationship with Yamanashi Prefecture, the Iowa Historical Museum is hosting an exhibit of traditional Japanese dolls. For anyone that has ever marvelled at a Hina-Matsuri (Doll Festival) display, or anyone that loves the precision and beauty of a well-made doll, this exhibit provides both a wonderful look at the extent of Japanese dollmaking, and, more generally, a chance to see some stunning craftsmanship. Giving an historical overview of their meaning, as well as a look at their many uses today, this travelling exhibit is comprehensive and fun.

Together with the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Japan Foundation, we are excited to present a talk by the world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, whose buildings and designs can be found all over the world, from Tokyo to Beijing to the Caribbean's Dellis Cay islands. You may also know him as the designer of the slightly avant-garde, but decidedly economical Water Block House, a new stab at prefabricated housing.

Literally meaning "mad speech," kyogen is a traditional form of Japanese comical theater, and one not often presented in the United States. So this performance of the Okura School of Kyogen by the Shigeyama family is a rare treat, and one certain to entertain audiences with its distinct blend of slapstick and art. Hitchhike on over to the University of Chicago if you have to, it's going to be that good. See you there!

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Univerity Theatre will be performing an adaptation of this classic kabuki play that tells the story of the Princess Taema's attempts to end the drought inflicted upon the world by Narukami, the thunder god.

This Saturday, February 27, Japan-interested academics from across the Midwest will be gathering at Illinois State University for two presentations, one on Buddhism in Heian-era Japan and the other on the works of novelist and critic Hayashi Fusao.

Nobel-prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe, writer of such classics as Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids , A Quiet Life , and Somersault, will be giving the University of Chicago's Tetsuo Najita Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, March 4. Entitled "A Novelist Re-Reads Kaitokudô," the talk will be in Japanese wilth translation into English.

Jazz pianist Hirmoi Uehara, whose album Another Mind went gold in her native Japan, will be bringing her energetic and idiosyncratic style to Midwest for a four day engagement at the Chicago Jazz Showcase, followed by two-day set at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis.

Hailing from the lone mountains of Toei, Japan, the traditional taiko drumming group Shidara have ported their more than 3000 pounds of drum equipment all the way to Lawrence, Kansas for an evening of mesmerizing Japanese rhythms at the University of Kansas.

For two action-packed days, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be hosting an in-depth symposium examining the hazy boundaries between religion and culture in pre-modern Japan. Scholars, Japan-o-philes, and anyone interested in religion should not miss this event. Be sure to register; information is listed on the site linked below.

For three days this March, world-famous interpreter of Mozart Mitsuko Uchida will be joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for a performance of some of the composer's more famous pieces.

At this special tea gathering, a bowl of matcha, green powdered tea, will be offered in memory of Sen Rikyu. Following this, five members of the Urasenke Chicago Association will present Hirakagetsu, one of the Shichijishiki/Seven Exercises that are traditionally done on this occasion. The five participants will prepare and drink four bowls of matcha among themselves, which will be determined by the draw of special bamboo pieces. The Seven Exercises are a practice to develop one’s concentration and awareness, as each participant needs to respond quickly to the situation determined by the draw.

Following the presentation of Hirakagetsu, all guests will be served a Rikyu manju, a traditional sweet named in Rikyu’s honor, and a delicious bowl of matcha, green powdered tea.

Please join the Urasenke Chicago Association as it honors the life of Sen Rikyu.

Monthly Economic Report (February, 2010)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2010feb.html

Statement by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the Entry into Force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/2/0217_02.html

Briefing Session on the Issue of Child Custody for Embassies in Tokyo
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/2/0210_02.html

Launching of APEC Japan 2010 Official Website and Logo
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2010/2/0204_01.html

Here are three questions regarding news stories about Japan inJanuary and February. 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. To what did the CEO of Aflac recently credit his company's success in Japan?
   
   
2. What does Keiichiro Nagashima have in common with the famous Ginkakuji temple?
   
   
3. How does the Toshibareru Mosukitosaundo machine ease the tension on a blind date?
   
   To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.

Answers from the January Quiz:
Congratulations to J. Josiah Jacobs, a new contender on the News Quiz scene! You answered last month's questions very correctly. And how!

1. What can slime mold tell Japanese engineers about their trains? By placing oat flakes on a wet surface in locations that corresponded to the cities surrounding Tokyo, scientists were able to observe how the slime mold grew, expanded, and created an efficient network that strongly resembled the current layout of the Japanese rail network.


2. Why could Japan's Robovie-II win Supermarket Sweep? Robovie-II could seemingly win Supermarket Sweep because the robot aids it's user, geared towards the elderly, in purchasing groceries. "The process begins at home, with the user entering their shopping list into a specialized mobile device. When the shopper arrives at the store, the robot senses the device and greets the user. Then the robot follows the shopper around the store, carrying the load, reminding the shopper of the items on the list, and recommending additional products to pick up."i
   
   
3. What's unique about Zenshin Fujioka's bar in Shinjuku? It is run by a monk and serves drinks such as the "heaven" or "hell" specials. The owner states he created the bar to remove stereotypes that all monks sit alone atop mountains all day. He says that the real religion "happens as he pours the drinks, talking to his guests about their problems and soothing with the Buddhist texts."

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.

• March 1: The Children's School
• March 11: Oak Lawn High School at the JIC
• March 16: Rosemont School at the JIC

Japan Ryokan Association

So we've showed you how to schedule your train travel in Japan, and we've showed you how to get your train tickets. So you're pretty well covered on the transit front. But where are you going to stay on your trip to Japan?

How about a Ryokan?! These traditional Japanese inns dot the countryside (and the cities, in many cases) of the nation, and provide an exciting look at some of the elements the Japanese hold most dear about their culture. Hot spring baths, yukata robes, and tatami mat floors are all standard in the Ryokan. And when deciding which roykan to stay in, the Japan Ryokan Association website is a quick and easy reference guide that lets you search by area, desired amenity, and price. Comparison shopping has never been so easy! For Ryokan, I mean!

Hello Subscribers!

So, as I've occasionally noted over the past year (it's been one year that I've been stewarding this publication!), the publishing schedule for the e-Japan Journal has been a little off-kilter, typically coming, as it does, in the end of the month. So to rectify that, and to acknowledge that this month's Journal mostly contains information about events in March, we are upgrading this edition to a February-March double feature! How lucky! So expect the April edition to come at the end of March, with a full preview of the exciting slate of April events. See you then!