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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Mutsuki, the old Japanese name for the month of January, means “month of harmonious good relations.” It marks a time when everyone can celebrate together regardless of age or rank.

The most important and widely celebrated holiday in Japan - and a national holiday - is New Year's Day. Schools close for about 2 weeks, and even many business close from December 29 through January 3. Common activities include visiting shrines and temples, eating special foods, sending and receiving nengajo (New Year cards), and, of course, spending time with family and friends.

The other national holiday during Mutsuki is Coming-of-Age Day, observed on the second Monday of January. Municipal governments host special coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds - the age of adulthood in Japan, which confers the right to vote, among others. To this ceremony, men will generally wear suits, while women wear a very formal style of kimono called furisode.

Editor's Note: For this month's edition, our winter intern, Mr. Nick Hall, perused the library and found some great short fiction for you.

Short Stories in Japan

Welcome once again to “What's New in the Library,” where the theme of the moment is the short story. I've always loved short stories for their ability to pack a lot into a little, and the authors below do so with their own particular styles and charms. From sex to death to robots these collections have it all, so don't hesitate to drop by the JIC library and check them out for yourself.

Lizard, by best-selling author Banana Yoshimoto, is a collection of stories that explore love and loss through a gritty, realistic portrayal of sexuality and human emotion combined with a magic that twists the world in enigmatic ways. The titular story follows a young youth counselor captivated by a mysterious girl he calls Lizard. She is beautiful and of otherworldly allure with a lizard tattoo on her thigh and an ability to heal the pain of others. The two have troubled pasts that cast a strange sense of uncertainty over their future. Yoshimoto weaves death and sexuality together into something all too human, a thread that runs throughout her work.

Uchida Hyakken's Realm of the Dead is a grim collection of fantasies around the themes of death, transformation, and the self. These dark and mysterious stories invoke a twisted reality where the rules of time and logic are mutable. Much of the mystery of the collection comes not only from the subject matter but also from the distinctly Japanese traditions and mythology in which the stories are grounded. The title story centers around a forlorn man seeing visions of his father and recalling his youth, just one story of many that illuminate the darker side of human nature.

Finally, science fiction writer Shinichi Hoshi offers a lighter take on life with his trademark quirky style and economical stories, each punctuated at the end with a clever twist or pithy comment. The Capricious Robot does not disappoint. The story of the same name depicts a man who buys a robot that can do just about anything for him, from cooking to cleaning to lighting cigarettes. Soon, however, the robot starts having mood swings, refusing orders, and even chasing the man around his island before returning to its obedient state. When he takes the robot back to the doctor who sold it to him, the explanation for this wild behavior is simple: all the running around kept him from getting fat and lazy. Sternly, the man agrees. Hoshi's charm and humor make his stories classics, despite their low page count, and an essential read for any fan of science fiction or any fan of literature.

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!

Our first haiku of 2012 embodies its own profound metaphor, connecting nature with its deeper meaning, while illustrating the deceptive simplicity of larger truths. This one was written by Richard Moy of Northside College Prep High School.

Porcelain waters
Ancestral truths indeed lie
At depths of our feet

Three months have passed since my inauguration as Consul General of Japan at Chicago last October. Through my work and through promoting exchange projects, I have realized how firmly goodwill and friendship toward Japan have taken hold in the Midwest. This goodwill and friendship has been backed for many years and over multiple generations by the hard work from each of the Japan-America Societies, the Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Japanese-American groups, and Japanese communities all over. In particular, here in the Midwest large numbers of Japanese companies have moved in and employ many local workers, and contribute to local communities. As a result, one can feel that the perception of Japan is incredibly favorable. We are tremendously aided by the efforts of all of you readers and your organizations, and I would like to express my deepest gratitude above all else for your hard work, which helps me work as the Consul General, promoting Japanese-American relations.

In May of this year the G8 summit will be held here in Chicago, and I consider it a great honor to be able to welcome Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Around the same time as the G8 summit there will also be a NATO summit, and thus many heads-of-state will visit Chicago. This is also an American presidential election year. Since President Obama's reelection campaign headquarters are located here in Chicago it seems that it will become quite a lively city.

At the Consulate General in charge of the Midwest, we would like to show Americans in the region the energy and boundless potential of Japan. Japan took a huge blow with last year's Great East Japan Earthquake. The thought of the many casualties, of the homes and livelihoods that were destroyed is enough to make my heart ache. However, following the tragedy there has been an incredible reconstruction effort by a united Japan. Japan has not failed. Japan is restoring both its safety and its charm. This year marks the 100th anniversary of America's receipt of the cherry blossom trees from Japan that now line the Potomac River in Washington DC. Each region of the United States, including the Midwest, will receive young cherry blossom plants as part of the "Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial" commemoration events. Along with being a very important introduction of Japan, this event represents a great opportunity to show to the American people how Japan is pulling through times of tragedy and moving steadily forward.

As the Consul General in Chicago, now and in the future I would like to provide, to the best of my ability, superior consular services to Japanese citizens living in the Midwest, in addition to promoting understanding and communication between our two countries. I look forward to working with you in the coming year.

The Consulate has now joined the other major social networking service, Twitter, and we would love it if you would follow us! You can count on our Tweets for up-to-date news about Japan and Japanese events in the Midwest, and we look forward to counting on you to keep us informed about what's happening in your neck of the woods.

https://twitter.com/#!/JpnCons_Chicago or, to be more "hip" to the Twitter lingo, follow us @JpnCons_Chicago

Oh! And while we're on the subject, we strongly encourage you to "Like" the Consulate on Facebook. We post daily updates about events, fun Japan facts, and more! Find us at https://www.facebook.com/jic.chicago.

This year marks the 100th Anniversary of Japan's gift of thousands of sakura, or Japanese cherry trees, to the United States. In March of 1912, the city of Tokyo gave three thousand sakura to the city of Washington DC, where they rest still today, lining the Potomac River and annually blossoming in an explosion of pinks and reds. Since that initial gift, it has become something of a tradition and a mark of enduring friendship for Japanese cities to send these beautiful trees to their American friends.

In honor of this tradition, and in recognition of the significance of the anniversary, the government of Japan is sending hundreds more cherry trees to cities across the United States this year. Indeed, several Midwestern cities, to be announced later, will all be receiving sakura from the Japanese government, to be planted in beautiful green spaces for all to enjoy.

To go with the trees, and the general spirit of camaraderie they symbolize, there will be many celebrations and festivals all year round. To keep up-to-date with all of the fun, bookmark the page below, which will be updated as events are finalized. Additionally, if you are planning a Japan festival or event this year, you're invited to include the centennial logo with your event brochures and materials; just follow the application instructions included on the below page. That way, we can also help publicize your event!

2012 Japan-US Sakura Centennial

The Consulate's Japan Information Center is looking for a Media Relations Coordinator. Responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and analyzing newspapers, radio, TV, and other public and private media in 10 Midwest states.
• Researching media relations in 10 states, including building a network of contacts for the JIC.
• Ensuring implementation of the JIC’s media strategy as it is related to media outreach, and promoting priority issues and events, with a development focus.
• Conducting a survey of media relations issues in 10 Midwest states.
• General office responsibilities including Japan-related inquiries and correspondence.

• US citizen or permanent residency holder ( working permit holder)
• Majoring in media relations, public relations, journalism, communications or related area will be highly desirable.
• Excellent communications skills.
• Strong computer skills (database knowledge is preferred).
• English and Japanese are the working languages in the Japan Information Center. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Good working knowledge of Japanese is preferable.

From January 9th to 31st, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) will host "Struggling Cities: from Japanese Urban Projects in the 1960s," a travelling exhibit from the Japan Foundation. Taking as its point of departure the various experimental ideas on the city that flourished in Japan in the 1960s and using a combination of diverse media — from architectural scale models to photographs and slides, along with animations and other audio-visuals — this exhibition examines various circumstances of Japanese and other cities up to the present day, and identifies in particular the distinctive aspects of those circumstances as they are manifested in present-day Tokyo.

On Thursday, January 12, at 6:00 PM, there will be a public lecture in conjunction with the exhibit by a renowned architect, Professor Kenneth Frampton from Columbia University. Moreover, the exhibit and lecture are being held in IIT's Crown Hall, one of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's crowning achievements, and a defining building for the midcentury's Modernist movement.

Date	Exhibit: January 9 - January 31, Weekdays 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM Lecture: Thursday, January 12, 6:00 PM
Place	Illinois Institute of Technology Crown Hall 3360 S. State Street Chicago, IL 60616 (Map)
Info	Struggling Cities at IIT

Don't just ring in the new year, pound it in with the Heartland JET Alumni Association and the Kansas City Japan School. That's right, this January 7 the two organizations will be hosting a mochitsuki event at the Japan School in Overland Park. Come to learn how to make pounded rice cake, eat Japanese treats and learn all about Japan's New Year's traditions.

Date	Saturday, January 7
Place	Kansas City Japan School Kansas City College and Bible School 7401 Metcalf Avenue Overland Park, KS 66204 (Map)
Info	For more information, visit the Heartland JETAA's website.

It has been nearly one year since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck northern Japan. With the anniversary approaching in March, a photography exhibit from the northern city of Sendai is travelling across the United State, and from January 15 to February 17, it will be on display at the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel. This exhibit focuses on the recovery effort, telling the stories of the survivors as they mourn their communities and work to start anew. The photographs, chosen by UCLA's Paul I. and Hisako Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies and Sendai's Kahoku Shimpo newspaper, bear moving, sad witness to the hard work of reconstruction and rebuilding.

On Wednesday, January 18, there will be a public opening and reception for the exhibit at Rockefeller Chapel, with remarks from Consul General OKAMURA Yoshifumi.

Date	Sunday, January 15 - Tuesday, February 7
Place	Unviersity of Chicago Rockefeller Chapel 5850 S. Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 (Map & Directions)
Info	Moving Forward: Life After the Great East Japan Earthquake

350 years ago, the town of Shitara, in Aichi Prefecture, promised the Goddess of Mercy that they would teach their children to perform kabuki in her honor if she spared the town from the wrath of a vengeful shogun. Shitara is still around, so the Goddess clearly kept her promise. Accordingly, for the last 350 years, the children of the village (currently represented by Damine Elementary School), have dilligently learned and performed kabuki plays. This January, as part of an every-three-years tradition, the children of Damine Elementary School are travelling to Illinois to stage a kabuki play. If you live near either Arlington Heights or Urbana-Champaign, don't miss this rare opportunity to see one of Japan's most beautiful art forms performed by some unique practitioners.

Date	Friday, January 20, 7:00 PM	Sunday, January 22, 3:00 PM
Place	South Middle School 400 S. Highland Arlington Heights, IL 60005 (Map)	Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Tryon Festival Theatre 500 S. Goodwin Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801 (Map & Directions)
Info	Free! Event Flier	Free! Event Listing

Continuing what has been a string of stellar Japanese art exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago in the last few months, "Japanese Prints of the 1960s and 1970s" brings together a wealth of material recently donated to the Art Institute by Marguerite Michaels. These contemporary prints are a great contrast with the ukiyo-e style most people associate with the phrase "Japanese art;" the colors sometimes more subdued, other times more garish, the lines following the grain of the wood instead of the figure of the painting. It's a beautiful exhibit, and a great way to expand your understanding of a medium all too often confined to Hokusai calendars.

Date	Daily through Sunday, March 4	Matsubara Naoko, Walden Pond, 1971
Place	The Art Institute of Chicago 111 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60603 (Map)
Info	The Art Institute of Chicago Exhibit Page

Did I say there was a string of great Japanese art exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago, or did I say there was a string of great Japanese art exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago? In line with the more-contemporary angle taken with the above exhibit, this show highlights the work of three postwar Japanese photographers who expanded the vocabulary of the medium beyond the traditional high-depth of field, perfect exposure borders. The high-contrast, grainy, off-kilter photographs of Takuma Nakahira, Yutaka Takanashi and Daidō Moriyama reflect a changing Japan, but they also pushed photography into exciting new places.

Start off 2012 on a high note with a concert featuring Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto and shamisen player originally from Tokyo, but living now in Indiana, and Hikaru Tamaki, principal cellist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. The duo will perform works both from Western and Eastern origin. The concert will take place on January 8th at Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church in Chicago.

Date	Sunday, January 8, 2:00 PM	Koto image courtesy of Wikipedia user SMGregory
Place	Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church 4511 N.Hermitage Chicago, IL 60640 (Map)
Info	Tickets are $15, $5 for students. Children must be 6 years or older About the performers

One of Japan's greatest author's, Kobo Abe was the definitive chronicler of his nation's postwar chaos and search for identity. His 1957 play, The Ghost is Here, looks at a country in the wake of a devestating war, where profiteers run rampant, hoping to take advantage of a grieving nation. It is a story that harmoniously resonates with the current American landscape, and a Chicago production of the play by the Vitalist Theater, running January 12 through February 19, looks to share Mr. Abe's wisdom with the West.

Date	Thursday, January 12 to Sunday, February 19; showtimes vary, click below for schedule
Place	DCA Storefront Theater 78 E. Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602 (Map & Directions)
Info	Visit The DCA Storfront Theater for tickets and schedules Visit The Vitalist Theater for more information on the production

The Japan America Society of Minnesota's New Year party has been announced, so clear your calendars on January 15 so that you can celebrate 2012 with good friends and Japanese food. If past years are any indication, expect singing, arts and crafts, Japanese games, and sushi!

Date	Sunday, January 15, 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Place	Eisenhower Community Center 1001 Minnesota 7 Hopkins, MN 55305 (Map & Directions)
Info	Check below for more information Japan America Society of Minnesota.

Not to be outdone by their not quite Minnesota neighbors to the far north, the Heart of America Japan America Society will be hosting their annual New Year's party on January 15th as well. Join fellow Japan fellows from Missouri and Kansas in the heart of Kansas City for an exquisite dinner and a silent auction.

Date	Sunday, January 15, 6:00 PM
Place	Marriott Country Club Plaza Hotel 4445 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64111 (Map & Directions)
Info	Heart of America Japan America Society

If you live on the other side of Missouri, and worry you cannot make the Heart of America Japan America Society's Shinnenkai, worry not! For on the same day, the Japan America Society of St. Louis will also be having their New Year's Party. The fete, at Nobu's Japanese Restaurant, will feature a New Year Special menu, sake, a kagamiwari ceremony, special guests, and more! Go to the below website to reserve your tickets before they're sold out!

Date	Sunday, January 15, 1:00 - 3:30 PM
Place	Nobu's Japanese Restaurant 8643 Olive Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132 (Map)
Info	Check below for more information Japan America Society of St. Louis

Following a staged reading of his play Enjoy/Enjoi in Chicago last June, playwright and director Toshiki Okada again brings his distinctive theatrical style to Midwestern stages with a staging of an interconnected trio of his stories at Minneapolis' Walker Art Center. Hot Pepper, Air Conditioner, and The Farewell Speech shows the lives of young office workers in Japan, stumbling aimlessly through their days, looking for meaning and substance in the bowels of capitalism. This may resonate particulary well with the sensation of Minnesota in January.

Date	Thursday - Saturday, January 19 - 21, 8:00 PM
Place	Walker Art Center 1750 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403 (Map & Directions)
Info	Check below for ticketing and prices Toshiki Okada at the Walker Art Center

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

Press Conference by the Deputy Press Secretary, 15 December 2011 – Including I. Visit by Foreign Minister Gemba to the United States, VII. Questions concerning the Proposal by Foreign Minister Gemba for a Trilateral Meeting between Japan, China, and the United States, and VIII. Question concerning the Trilateral Meeting amongst Japan, India, and the United States
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/press/2011/12/1215_01.html

Special Speech by Dr. Tsuyoshi Michael Yamaguchi, Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Council on Foreign Relations/Asahi Shimbun Symposium, "Japan-U.S. Alliance after 3/11 and beyond"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/svm/speech111208.html

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba, 6 December 2011 – Including Issue of Realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm_press/2011/12/1206_01.html

Japan-U.S. Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Summary)
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/fmm1111.html

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba, 2 December 2011 – Including Issue of Realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm_press/2011/12/1202_01.html

Press Conference by the Assistant Press Secretary, 1 December 2011 – Including VII and VIII. Question concerning a Possible Visit by Prime Minister Noda to the United States and IX. Question concerning US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/press/2011/12/1201_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. Why was Pusuke-chan's death at 26 remarkable?
   
   
2. Where is the first Michael Jackson Foundation to be opened?
   
   
3. Which Roseanne star has taken to selling Nespresso in Japanese commericals?
   
   
To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.

Answers from the November Quiz:
Congratulations to newcomer Sue Mehaffey, who answered all three questions correctly!

1. What delicious foodstuff has Yoda on television taken to hocking has he? Nissin Cup Noodles.
   
   
2. What tireless profession had a 50 meter race in Yokohama this November? International Waiters Race Community
   
   
3. Who scored the opening goal in the recent Japan-Bahrain soccer match? Yuki Otsu

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 November 30, three Japan Information Center representatives ventured to Chicago's Northside College Prep High School to teach 31 high school students about Japan. Gathered in the school's airy and spacious atrium, the group of students watched a Power Point presentation about Japanese culture and history, were given the opportunity to try on Japanese clothes, and were treated to a demonstration of kendo, Japan's bamboo-sword answer to fencing (seen at right).

New Year's Foods at bento.com

The New Year is the biggest holiday in Japan. Accordingly, as with major holidays the world over, it is also a time for enormous, extravagant, and delicious meals. Osechi-ryori, as the traditional New Year's menu is called in Japanese, is a set of foods that symbolize health and happiness, but, more importantly, will keep for several days without spoiling, as many grocery stores are closed for the New Year Holidays.

bento.com has helpfully pout together a small photo gallery and description of the many incredible foods you'll find at a typical New Year's party in Japan. Do not click through on an empty stomach.

Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

We are now in 2012, a year that still sounds about a century in the future to me. How did you celebrate yours? If you are like many Japanese people, you probably headed to your parents' house and spent a week with family and old friends, eating eggs and fish and sweet bean paste, and having a little (or too much?) sake.

Even if you are not Japanese, it's entirely possible that you spent your time with family and ate eggs, and maybe even had a drink. Spending cold months with people close to you is certainly a universal tradition, as, I suppose, is drinking, or eating eggs.

What I am saying is, whether you follow Japanese traditions or not, I hope you had a happy, warm, and healthy (not too much sake, right?) New Year, and I'm happy to be writing to you all this January!

Daniel Drake, Editor