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.

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Shimotsuki, the old Japanese name for the month of November, means “frost month.”

National Holidays in Japan this month include Culture Day (11/3) and Labor Thanksgiving Day (11/23). Culture Day is based on the date on which Japan's Constitution was first announced in 1946 and was first observed in 1948. The spirit of Culture Day is to foster the ideals of the Constitution - peace and freedom - through cultural activities. On this day, the Order of Culture Awards are officially presented by the Emperor of Japan to those who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of science, art, or culture.

Despite its nominal similarity to a certain Western holiday, Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha no Hi) is actually based on a centuries-old harvest festival called Niinamesai. Modern observances of the holiday include a Labor Festival held in the city of Nagano and drawings presented to police officers by nursery school students in Tokyo.

Although not a national holiday, Shichi-go-san (11/15) is a very popular celebration throughout Japan. 7-year-old girls, 5-year-old boys, and 3-year-old boys and girls dress up in traditional clothing and visit shrines. (Shichi-go-san means "seven-five-three.") After the visit, they often receive special "longevity" candy to help ensure long life.

Editor's Note: This month, JIC intern Brandon Carter locked himself in the library and emerged weeks later with some great reading suggestions!

Wonderful Writings from a Japanese Historical Perspective

Hello, this is Brandon Carter, the new intern at the Consulate General of Japan. I am from Valparaiso, Indiana and currently a Junior at Depaul University with a major in International Relations. I have chosen the following books because I have always been very interested in history from all over the world. I find the following books interesting because they are about historical topics, but also because they tell a story from a perspective that brings the reader closer to the time and period while also introducing bits and pieces of the writer's own creativity. For those who have an interest in Japanese literature, history, or both, the following books should provide excellent reading material.

The nonfiction book Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa has received acclaim as one of the best-selling samurai epics. This story tells the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, one of Japan’s most legendary swordsmen, and gives an in-depth description of his mental and physical growth. As a child in Japan's feudal era, Musashi had aspirations of becoming a samurai without even knowing what the title meant. He grew up into a world of violence where he was ultimately captured in battle. With each interaction, Musashi grows more and more, studying the classics of Japan and China, and eventually synchronizing his wisdom with his deadly art form until he becomes a legend in his own right. This book gives testament to the growth and maturity every individual is capable of and is a must read for those interested in samurai culture.

The Tartar Whirlwind by Shiba Ryotaro is another translation of a Japanese work. The Tokugawa shogunate achieved supremacy throughout Japan in the early 17th century. At the same time, the Ming dynasty in China was faced with the presence of the nomadic Jurchen people who were causing trouble throughout the land. Japan would not be affected by the Jurchen influence until the arrival of the shipwrecked Jurchen princess Abiya on the island of Hirado. Minor samurai Katsura Shosuke was given the responsibility to return her to her homeland in northern China, but neither Abiya nor Shosuke could have known that they would soon be caught up in events that would change history forever. This book is a fascinating read that explains East Asian history through the eyes of this Jurchen princess and samurai, a perspective that brings the reader closer to the subject.

Fujiwara Teika's The Tale of Matsura is another book that takes the reader on a trip through historical Japan. Teika is known among students of Japanese literature as the premier poet and literary scholar of the early 13th century. This book takes place in the pre-Nara period of Japan, where a young Japanese diplomat is sent to China and encounters a number of supernatural experiences. First, he learns the secrets of a mystical princess, and helps to quell a rebellion against the Chinese throne with the aid of the god of Sumiyoshi who appears in the form of eight phantom warriors. In the final part of the book, protagonist Ujitada has a dreamlike love affair with a woman who appears to be another supernatural being, yet reveals herself to be the Chinese Empress Dowager, the de facto ruler of China. Affairs of the heart are a major theme in this tale that walks a line between history and spiritual fiction.

What's New in the Library is a monthly feature by esteemed JIC librarian Bianca Jarvis. Stop by the JIC anytime to ask for book recommendations!

As the weather turns cold, so too do the haikus lose their warmth. Our November poem, by the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences' Terri Patterson, efficiently evinces the chilly drench of a November rainstorm with its sibilants and straightforward imagery.

Skies Roaring
Fierce winds of tears
Drenched Flowers
The Storm.

My name is OKAMURA Yoshifumi. I recently arrived in Chicago to assume my post as Consul General of Japan. It is a great honor for me to be able to work as the Consul General in Chicago, a major American city in the “Heart of America.”

In the ten Midwestern states that comprise our Consulate’s jurisdiction, about 30,000 Japanese citizens make up the Japanese community, while Japanese enterprises operate approximately 1100 offices. Furthermore, within our jurisdiction there are seven Japan-America societies as well as 73 sister state and sister city relationships, all of which conduct various kinds of active grassroots exchange.

The international community now faces a great number of global concerns. In this atmosphere, the close discussions and cooperation between Japan and the United States are vital, not only for our two nations, but for the international community in general.

I intend to do my best to carry out the duties of my office to strengthen relations between Japan and the Midwest and Japan and the United States. My staff and I will continue to work diligently, providing consular services for Japanese nationals, supporting Japanese-run enterprises, gathering and sharing information, promoting Japanese culture, and supporting Japanese-American exchange. I would appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and I look forward to working with the people in the Midwest.

Applications for the 2012 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program will be available next week! If you love teaching, Japan, Japanese, working with children, traveling, sushi, and any and all combinations thereof, then you should consider applying for the program. It provides the opportunity to work in a Japanese community, teaching English to primary or secondary students, while also living in Japan. So! Quickly, download the application, ask your professors for recommendations, write your essay, and complete it all by early December (the official deadline will be announced next week as well, on the below websites).

Visit this page for the application and instructions on how to apply
Visit this page for more information on the JET Program

The Japan Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. Operating on income from an endowment and subsidies contributed by the Japanese government and private circles, the Foundation sponsors grant programs related to Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education, and Japanese Studies. These programs are open to United States applicants in the 2012 Japanese fiscal year (April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013). So if you'd like to undertake a project in one of the cultural areas just mentioned, click through to the Japan Foundation's website for information on eligibility and the application process!

The Japan Foundation Grant Programs

On Wednesday, November 2, in cooperation with the Japan America Society of Chicago and Akita Prefecture, the Consulate will be hosting a Japanese sake tasting event at Japonais, Chicago’s riverside sushi restaurant. This showcase will feature 5 Akita sake brewers from Japan, as well as many local sake distributors, highlighting only the finest sake.

Please join us for this one-day only event. It will be a most inspiring sake tasting experience!

Date	Wednesday, November 2, 6:30 to 9:00 PM
Place	Japonais Restaurant & Lounge 600 W. Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60610 (Map)
Info	Japan America Society of Chicago event listing Tickets are $50 for JASC members and $60 for non-members

To provide American students of Japanese descent with the chance to learn about Japanese culture, as well as to promote mutual understanding between Japan and the Japanese diaspora, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites Japanese American high school students to apply for the opportunity to visit Japan on a two-week program, including a homestay and a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Important: the deadline for applications is November 30!

For more information, including the application forms, please visit this website:
http://www.chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp/about/news/jpn_american_delgation_2012_app.html

The 7th Annual Japan Foundation Film Festival will be ending the Midwestern leg of its tour at the beginning of November as it screens only three more films, one each at the University of Iowa, Ball State University, and Washington University in St. Louis. The series, titled "Young Starlets of Japanese Cinema," is touring the United States with four relatively unseen (stateside, at least) recent films starring Japanese actresses. Each movie shows a wildly different perspective on the interior lives of women in Japan, from the fashionistas of Kamikaze Girls to the juvenile delinquent trying to make right in One Million Yen Girl.

The screenings are free and open to the public, so don't miss this rare opportunity to experience new Japanese cinema!

Date & Film	Friday, November 4, 7:00 PM Kamikaze Girls	Saturday, November 5, 7:30 PM Harmful Insect	Saturday, November 5, 7:00 PM One Million Yen Girl
Place	Bijou Cinema University of Iowa Memorial Union 125 N. Madison St. Iowa City, IA 52242 (Map & Directions)	John J. Pruis Hall Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306 (Map)	100 Brown Hall Washington University in St. Louis One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130 (Map )
Info	Free! Event Flier	Free! Event Listing on BSU Calendar	Free! Event Listing

Osaka University's Dr. Hideaki Takabe is the leading laser nuclear physicist in Japan, and of late he has been having what has been called an "Inconvenient Truth" moment, as Japan grapples with the new realities of energy policy following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Lucky for us, as part of his tour to educate audiences about the nuts, bolts, and rods of nuclear energy, while also galvanizing them to act towards a future with sustainable energy sources, Dr. Takabe will be speaking in Chicago on Friday, November 4. Register below before spaces fill up for an informative talk (followed by a question-and-answer session) about one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Date	Friday, November 4, 6:30 PM; Registration begins at 6:00 PM
Place	JETRO Chicago Office 1 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 600 Chicago, IL 60601 (Map)
Info	Tickets are $10 Go here for more information and for online registration

The inaugural Japanese Studies Lecture Series at Illinois College has already hosted two superb presentations on, respectively, the effects of globalization on small towns in Japan, and the state of animal rights movements on both sides of the Pacific. It only makes sense, then, that the next event should give everyone a chance to relax. On Friday, November 4 the college will host Dr. Martha Fabrique, one of the most active shakuhachi (Japanese flute) performers in the United States, for a recital. Dr. Fabrique has played around the world, both as a flautist and a shakuhachist, and she brings a keen sense of both Japanese and European musical traditions to her performances.

Date	Friday, November 4, 4:00 PM
Place	Illinois College Rammelkamp Chapel 1101 West College Avenue Jacksonville, Illinois 62650 (Map)
Info	Free! For more information on the Illinois College Japanese Studies Lecture Series, visit this page. Click here for a biography of Dr. Martha Fabrique.

The opportunity to get a free guided tour of the carefully maintained gardens and the pristine tea house at the Japan House of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a rare one, and a good one, so we always exhort readers to travel to Urbana, Illinois for the biannual Open Houses. The fall one is Saturday, November 5, and, as always, in addition to the tours, it will feature a guest lecture and the opportunity to participate in a tea ceremony. This year's speaker is Professor A. Doyle Moore, who will be explicating and demonstrating the uses of the beautiful ceramic incense holders that are a part of tea ceremony. The tea ceremonies, meanwhile, will be the perfect antidote to the late-fall cold.

Date	Saturday, November 5, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Professor Doyle's lectures to be held at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Place	University of Illinois Japan House 2000 S. Lincoln Avenue Urbana, IL 61801 (Map & Directions)
Info	The open house and lectures are free; $5 for tea ceremony Japan House Fall Open House Information

Japanese painter Tawara Yūsaku began his career as an oil painter, even dropping out of university to pursue his art after receiving some early, positive notice. And then in 1963, he put down his brush and didn't pick it up again for 30 years. For three decades, he collected art, studied calligraphy, and pondered. Then in 1993, just as suddenly as he'd stopped, Mr. Yūsaku picked up his brush again. But this time, he drew stark, semi-abstract ink paintings, composed of countless brushstrokes.

Beginning November 11, the Indianapolis Museum of Art will be holding the first major retrospective of Mr. Yūsaku's work, exhibiting 77 pieces that he produced from 1993 until his death in 2004. I'm buying my Megabus ticket to Indy today.

The long-running, wonderful retrospective on performace duo Eiko & Koma at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art comes to a close this month, so it would behoove you to make a trip out to the museum soon to see all of their collected photographs, recordings, and more. May I suggest a day? Alright then! Try November 8. Or also the 9th through 13th. For on those days, the pair will be performing their piece Naked in the museum all day. I won't say anything here about the piece, except that you should go--the last performance of theirs that I witnessed was very moving.

Date	Tuesday, November 8, 1:00 - 8:00 PM Wednesday, November 9 - Sunday, November 13, 1:00 - 5:00 PM	Eiko & Koma, Naked, 2010. Photo: Anna Lee Campbell
Place	Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 220 East Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 (Map & Directions)
Info	Admission to the performance is free with admission to the museum; museum admission is free on Tuesdays, $12 otherwise. Eiko & Koma's Naked at the MCA

As part of Indiana University-Bloomington's Themester 2011, a campus-wide series of related events and classes which this year focuses on "Making War, Making Peace," the school will be screening the award-winning 1987 documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On. The film follows Okuzaki Kenzo, a fiercely anti-war 62-year-old World War II veteran, as he interviews and follows other soldiers and survivors in a search for answers about the horrors he witnessed. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Kenneth Ruoff, a professor of Japanese history.

The 20th St. Louis International Film Festival opens on November 10, and this year they'll be featuring four films from Japan, including a much-anticipated Haruki Murakami adaptation, Norwegian Wood, and the belated return of Takeshi Kitano to the director's chair, Outrage. Also on the docket: the sly immigration comedy Hospitality, and Quill, a heartwarming tale (tail) of a guide dog and his blind owner.

Date	Dates and times vary, see below website	Still from Norwegian Wood
Place	Plaza Frontenac Cinema 1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63131 (Map & Directions)
Info	Go here for plot summaries, tickets, and more!

Punk band Shonen Knife formed in 1981 in Osaka (which is basically the Chicago of Japan), and in the intervening 30 years they have played venues all over the world, opened for Nirvana, jammed with Sonic Youth, and basically just rocked so hard that this very sentence was shocked into ending abruptly. As they enter their fourth decade, they are in the middle of a world tour in support of a Ramones cover album, a world tour that will bring them to Minneapolis, Indianapolis, and Chicago this very November! Shonen Knife!!

Date & Film	Friday, November 11, 9:00 PM	Saturday, November 12, 10:00 PM	Monday, November 14, 7:00 PM	Shonen Knife
Place	First Ave. 701 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55403 (Map)	The Empty Bottle 1035 N. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 (Map & Directions)	Radio Radio 1119 E. Prospect St. Indianapolis, IN 46203 (Map )
Info	18 and up $12 in advance, $14 at the door Tickets and Information	21 and up $10 in advance, $12 at the door Tickets	21 and up $10 in advance, $12 at the door Tickets and Information

The Japanese American Service Committee's annual winter festival is back again this November! Come for a chance to see handmade, Japanese crafts of every variety; stay warm by eating a variety of Japanese cuisine; and entertain your kids with an extensive program of Japanese performing arts.

Date	Saturday, November 12, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM	Courtesy of Japanese American Service Committee
Place	Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago 4427 North Clark Street Chicago, Illinois 60640 (Map)
Info	See the JASC's Facebook Page for more information

The Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) and the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC) are once again holding an ikebana workshop, this time with an eye towards Thanksgiving-appropriate arrangements.

Date	Tuesday, November 15, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Place	Japanese American Service Committee 4427 N Clark Street Chicago, IL 60640 (Map)
Info	Event Information and Registration

Open now through January 22, the Minnapolis Institute of Art's Bonjour Japon: A Parisian Love Affair with Japanese Art presents the perfect counterpoint to their Edo Pop exhibit of Japanese prints. Through a large collection of 19th century French art, Bonjour Japon examines the changes brought to the European art world by their encounter with Japanese wood block prints.

Date	Sunday, October 30, 2011 - Sunday, January 22, 2012	Henri Rivière The Tower in Snow, 1902
Place	Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 (Map & Directions)
Info	Bonjour Japon on the MIA Website

Monthly Economic Report (October, 2011)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2011oct.html

Visit to Japan by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/event/2011/10/1021_01.html

Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 20 October 2011 – Including 2011 JETAA-I International Meeting and Questions on the bilateral talks between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/press/2011/10/1020_01.html

Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the announcement by the United States concerning the disruption of a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2011/10/1013_02.html

Global Zero Summit
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/event/2011/10/1011_01.html

Here are three new questions about current events in Japan. The first person to answer the most correctly will receive a bit of Consular merchandise.

1. What mystery was discovered in the deeps off the Nagasaki coast?
   
   
2. Congratulations are due to Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa! But for what?
   
   
3. Why did Saiichi Maruya receive his nations Order of Culture award?
   
   
To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.

Answers from the October Quiz:
Last months omnibus of questions were answered very well by Beena Patel! A thorough congratulations are in order. Additionally, through some crossed wires, it appears we missed the correct entries from Mssr. Larry Smith to the September quiz, so congratulations to you, too!

1. How did broke friends James Foley and Peach decide to spend their last $500? On a road trip across Japan.
   
   
2. What did the Hayabusa space probe learn about asteroids? Scientists at JAXA announced... that around 1500 grains have been identified as extraterrestrial in origin in the Hayabusa samples.
   
   
3. How many home runs did Yoshiki Suzuki hit to advance his team to the Little League World Series? Two!
   
   
4. Which pop group is doing its part for Japan-China relations through "idol diplomacy"? AKB48
   
   
5. What did a virtuous city employee find in a dumpster in Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture? 10 Million Yen
   
   
6. What's Panasonic's Evolta robot doing in Hawaii? Competing in the Iron Man competition

Each month, we use this space to highlight one example of our free Culture Presentation program. If you'd like to visit our offices, or have us come to your school, community center, business, or other location, please visit this page to learn more!

On October 4, 15 members of the Center for Life and Learning senior group visited the Japan Information Center's offices to experience Japanese culture! After a presentation by JIC librarian Bianca Jarvis about Japanese culture and geography, and the impact of the tsunami on them, the guests participated in a tea ceremony at the JIC's very own tea room (pictured at left).

Japanese Art at the Smithsonian

We've really been studying Japanese a lot down here in the Website Highlights section, these last few months. And any good neurophysician will tell you that it's very important to take a break from studying every now and then before your brain falls apart, or your dreams are haunted by vaguely kanji-esque monsters.

So let's look at some art! Relax your mind and expand your thinking by browsing the Smithsonian Museums of Asian Art's Japanese Collection. They have holdings from across Japanese history, including premodern ceramics, folding screens, ukiyo-e prints, contemporary art of every stripe, and more, all of it available to view on your computer! Of course, nothing compares to seeing these works up close in Washington, DC, so plan your trip ahead of time by checking the self-same site for listings of current exhibitions. Art!

Hello November!

I am taking a week or two off from studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, because I am no longer a student and homework deadlines don't exist anymore and I can relax when I want to. I recommend you do the same! In addition to the Smithsonian's collection of Japanese art linked above, I'd also like to direct you to The Art Institute of Chicago's Japanese Art Collection online, where you can view their stunning holdings. It's not as easily browsable as the Smithsonian's site, but the Smithsonian doesn't have the Hokusai collection that the AIC does, so. Anyway, go to your local museum and take some time off studying with me.

Daniel Drake, Editor