Vol. 7 No. 3 - March 2012 |
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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.
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- Announcing the Tomodachi Initiative
- Throughout March: Japan: Moving Forward Events Mark the One-Year Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake
- March 1-3: Wokashi: Classic Japanese Comedies at North Dakota State University
- March 3: 14th Annual Japanese Language Contest in Kansas City
- March 8: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Japan Festival
- March 10: The 17th Annual Central Kansas Japanese Festival at Kansas State University
- March 10-11: Greater Kansas City Japanese Film Festival
- March 12: Reception in Commemoration of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Towards Open Reconstruction
- March 24: 26th Annual Japanese Langauge Speech Contest in Chicago
- March 24-25: Japan Festival and Sakura Tree Planting at the Chicago Botanic Gardens
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- Opening March 3: Eight View Series of Woodblock Prints at Minneapolis Institute of Art
- March 8: Filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa at the Gene Siskel Film Center
- March 10-11: What March 11 Means to Me: A Symposium at the University of Chicago
- March 25: Rikyuki - Memorial Tea Gathering to Honor Sen Rikyu
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- Monthly Economic Report (February, 2012)
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- Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba 10 February 2012 – Including Realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan
- International Energy Seminar on "Smart Community Proposals for Reconstructing Disaster-Affected Areas"
- Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba 3 February 2012 – Including The Second Japan-U.S. Working-Level Talks on the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act
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- Last Month in Japan
- Highlight from the Month in Cultural Presentations
- Website Highlight
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 Yayoi, the old Japanese name for the month of March, means "new life" and indicates the coming of spring.
The only national holiday in Yayoi is Shunbun no hi, or Vernal Equinox Day, on March 20th or 21st. The deep appreciation for nature traditionally shown by Japanese people makes this day especially important. After Shunbun no hi, we know that the blossoming of the sakura (cherry blossoms) is not far away.
While all that nature stuff is great, little Japanese girls know that the true excitement of Yayoi is on March 3rd - the Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), or Girls' Day. Families with young daughters set up displays of the imperial court around mid-February, prepare special foods, and offer prayers for the girls' happiness. As soon as March 3 has gone, however, the display is put away, owing to an old superstition that the longer it lingers, the older the daughter will be before she marries.
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Books from Tohoku!
This month I am happy to announce that the annual JIC new books order has arrived! Below are a few of the new books in our collection, but there are many more to explore! I guarantee that we have something for everyone! Without further adieu, here are a few new books that I recommend, available for checkout at the JIC library.
Call# 133046: Kyuuto Japanese Crafts Amigurumi
Amigurumi are adorable crocheted stuffed animals. Seasoned knitters and amateurs alike will enjoy this book, which explains the necessary materials and basic crochet techniques. There are patterns for making 19 different toys, including ducklings, teddy bears, and butterflies!
552414: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is perhaps the best known contemporary Japanese novelist in the West. His new novel 1Q84 is the tale of a man named Tengo and a woman named Aomame who find themselves slipping into an alternate universe called "1Q84" in the year 1984. This tribute to Orwell's original 1984 offers all the creepy, mindbending quirkiness that Murakami fans have come to love!
180021: Millenial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination by Anne Allison
Fans of Japanese pop culture and cultural anthropology may already be familiar with Anne Allison's other books in our collection: Permitted and Prohibited Desires- Mothers, Comics and Censorship in Japan and Nightwork: Sexuality, Pleasure, and Corporate Masculinity in a Tokyo Hostess Club. This time, Allison takes on Japanese toys and the globalization of "Cool Japan," a particularly relevant topic for the 21st century.
334022: Emperor of Japan: Meiji and his World, 1852-1912 by Donald Keene
Respected Columbia University Professor Donald Keene tackles the life of Emperor Meiji, the man who stood at the forefront of Japan's rapid westernization in the late 19th century. Japanese history buffs will appreciate this examination of an emperor whose life has long been shrouded in mystery!
506204: Tonoharu Part Two by Lars Martinson
Part one of Lars Martinson's lovingly rendered black and white comic book series Tonoharu captured the hearts and imaginations of present and former JET Program participants with its simple and relatable narrative about an English teacher named Dan in the rural Japanese town of Tonoharu. The plot thickens in part 2, when Dan learns more about the lives of the people in his town, and his love life becomes suddenly and unexpectedly complicated.
141042: Morimoto: the New Art of Japanese Cooking
Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto rose to prominence as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network, and maintains restaurants in four major international cities, featuring his unique style of Asian fusion cuisine. Now you can try making his innovative recipes such as Squid Ink-Salmon Gnocchi, Asparagus Pocky, and Crispy Duck with Port Wine Reduction and Red Miso Sauce at home!
Please stop by and check out our new books! They will be on display by the door in our lobby.
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!
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This month's haiku is a good occasion to learn that haiku don't necessarily have to be three lines long! Nicholas Damen, of Taft High School, has spread his seventeen syllables over four lines to rhythmically convey the passage of time that his words also evoke:
As the old pond
Gives new life
It blends with the blue sky
And becomes young
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 After last year's devastating Great East Japan Earthquake, the United States military and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces joined together in "Operation Tomodachi" (tomodachi meaning "friendship"), a large-scale humanitarian effort that sought to bring relief to the areas affected by the disaster. Building on the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie that the operation displayed, the United States' government, Japan's government, and various public and private organizations have joined together to form the Tomodachi Initiative, a partnership that hopes to support Japan's recovery effort, while also deepening ties between the next generation of Japanese and American leaders. Read about the wide array of projects, meetings, and more that this ambitious initiative will arrange, and see if you, too, can take part!
The Tomodachi Initiative |
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Sunday, March 11 will mark the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In the weeks and months since the disaster, people from around Japan and around the world have journeyed to Tohoku to aid in the recovery effort. And while Tohoku will never be the same, the hard work and heroism of thousands of workers and volunteers has shown that the towns and cities of northeastern Japan are as vital as they ever were.
Throughout the month of March, the Consulate, along with the Chicago Sister Cities and other organizations, will be holding several events on the recovery effort in Japan. All the exhibitions are free and open to the public.
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If you missed her performances in February, it's not too late! Famed Japanese kyogen actress, Tokuro Miyake will be back in North Dakota for three more shows on March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd! Ms. Miyake is the 10th person in her long family line of theatrical comedians, practitioners of the dextrous verbal art of kyogen. She has been recognized as one of the first and finest female kyogen performers in Japan, but the universal language of comedy really shines through in her traditionally mounted (that means costumes, masks, and the works) kyogen comedy performances.
| Thursday - Saturday, March 1-3, 7:30 PM |
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Askanase Auditorium
Reineke Fine Arts Center
12th Avenue North & Bolley Drive
Fargo, North Dakota 58108
(Map & Directions)
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| Wokashi at NDSU |
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Along with melting snow, March also brings the 14th Annual Japanese Language Contest in Kansas City! Open to students of Japanese across grade levels in the Sunflower State, 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. There is also a Japanese lunch, performances by the Three Trails Taiko group, and lots of fun Japanese crafts!
| Saturday, March 3, 11:00AM - 4:30PM |
Students excitedly registering for the 2011 Olympiad |
Olathe North High School
600 E Prairie Rd.
Olathe, KS 66061
(Map) |
| For further information, please contact Ms. Mindy Looney: mlooneyoe@olatheschools.org |
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The University of Nebraska at Lincoln will be greeting the first melting days of spring with a Japan Festival on March 8. This free event will feature calligraphy and origami workshops, as well as a screening of Cherry Blossoms, a delicate German film from 2008 taht tells of an old couple's sometimes disappointing, sometimes enchanting visit to Tokyo.
Workshops:
Thursday, March 8, 3:30 - 5:15PM |
Film:
Thursday, March 8, 7:00 - 9:00PM |
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City Union, Heritage Room
1400 R Street
Lincoln, NE 68588
(Map) |
Ross Media Arts Center
313 N. 13th Street
Lincoln, NE 68588
(Map) |
| View this event flier for more details |
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On Saturday, March 10 Kansas State University will hold its annual Japanese Festival at the Kansas State University Student Union. The Festival will feature demonstrations and workshops of popular activities, including aikido, taiko, and tea ceremony, as well as Japanese speeches, a bazaar, and much Japanese food to eat! All are invited to attend.
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Last year's first annual Greater Kansas City Japanese Film Festival proved very successful, and with its proceeds all going to disaster relief agencies, it was a good cause, too. So this year, the Heartland JET Alumni Association, who organized the festival last year, are partnering with The Kansas City Art Institute and at the Nelson Gallery Theater to expand the festival to two days. The extended schedule will help accomodate several documentaries and student-made films about the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as more popular films, like the Haruki Murakami adaptation Norwegian Wood. A full schedule will be posted soon to Heartland JETAA's website, linked below.
| Saturday-Sunday, March 10-11, 10:00AM - 9:00PM |
Still from Norwegian Wood |
Atkins Auditorium
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
(Map & Directions)
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| Heartland JETAA |
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On Monday, March 12, in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and in honor of its victims, the Consul General of Japan at Chicago, Mr. OKAMURA Yoshifumi, and his wife will host a reception at the Consulate. As a show of gratitude for the many contributions towards the recovery effort made by Midwesterners, the reception is open to the public. Please follow the instructions on the invitation (linked below) to RSVP before February 29th. As space is limited, not all guests who respond may be able to attend.
| Monday, March 12, 5:30 - 7:30PM |
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Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan at Chicago
737 North Michigan Avenue Suite 1000
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(Map) |
| Official Invitation |
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While 26 isn't exactly and auspicious number (or inauspicious, really), the Consulate is still excited to be holding our 26th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest! And while it is too late to register at this point, we invite anyone and everyone to come to the auditorium of the Japan Information Center on Saturday, March 26th to listen to contestants from across the Midwest perform the speeches they've been working on for months.
Additionally, this year we'll be screening a documentary film on the Tohoku recovery effort while we wait for the judges to decide who goes home with a plane ticket to Japan!
| Saturday, March 24, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
Contestants from the
25th Speech Contest |
Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan at Chicago
737 North Michigan Avenue Suite 1000
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(Map) |
| More details can be found at our website |
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Every year, the Chicago Botanic Garden celebrates the dawn of spring with a series of events highlighting the many beautiful flowers and trees on their grounds, not least of which are the wide array of Japanese flora in their Malott Japanese Gardens. This year's Japanese Garden Weekend will be doubly exciting, however, as on Sunday, March 25th, the Botanic Garden will host a sakura tree planting ceremony commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1912 gift of cherry blossom trees from the people of Japan to the people of the United States.
Moreover, in recognition of this gift, and on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in Japan last March, the Garden will be holding an event on Saturday, March 24, titled "Resilience: Lessons from Japan." The program brings together local Japanese Americans for a taiko performance, dance, and garden-inspired lectures that get at the spririt of resilience and endurance many Japanese people displayed in the wake of the disaster.
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| Following are some of the upcoming events taking place in our 10-state jurisdiction. |
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Coming originally from China, the eight-view series is a well-respected genre in Japanese painting, akin perhaps to the still-life in Western art. Its parameters are simple: the artist draws (or prints, or photographs) eight different views of a particular landscape or scene, each view taking a separate theme: homing geese, returning sailboats, clearing weather, evening snow, autumn moon, night rain, evening bells, or evening glow.
Starting Saturday, March 3, the Minneapolis Institute of Art will be exhibiting in its Louis W. Hill Jr. Gallery of Japanese Prints a selection of Japanese variations on the eight-view genre.
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Contemporary Japanese filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa works mostly in 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm film, and his old-school, lo-fi editing techniques create collages of urban scenery.
On Thursday, March 8, Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center will welcome Mr. Nishikawa for a screening of his work, as well as films by some of his peers, and a discussion of his approach and philosophy.
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In honor of Professor Norma Field, an almost 30-year veteran of the University of Chicago, and a distiguished contributor to scholarship about Japan, the University of Chicago will be hosting a two-day symposium on the "meaning," as much as it can be said to have one, of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Five public intellectuals and activists from Japan will be present to offer insight into the social impact of the disaster, the changes in nuclear policy, and more personal narratives. Each participant will give a lecture, and the evening of March 10th will also feature a roundtable discussion with all participants.
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The Urasenke Chicago Association together with the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago will host a special tea gathering to honor the life of Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), one of the most influential and innovative tea masters in the history of Chado, the Japanese Way of Tea. The present Grand Tea Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Tea is Sen Soshitsu, who is the 16th generation descendent from Sen Rikyu.
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.
| Sunday, March 25, 2:00 - 4:00PM |
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Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan at Chicago
737 North Michigan Avenue Suite 1000
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(Map) |
| Free! |
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Monthly Economic Report (February, 2012)
http://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/getsurei-e/2012feb.html |
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Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba 10 February 2012 – Including Realignment of U.S. Forces in Japan
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm_press/2012/2/0210_01.html
International Energy Seminar on "Smart Community Proposals for Reconstructing Disaster-Affected Areas"
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/bulletin/seminar120302.html
Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba 3 February 2012 – Including The Second Japan-U.S. Working-Level Talks on the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm_press/2012/2/0203_01.html |
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Here are three new questions about current events in Japan. The first person to answer the most questions correctly will receive a bit of Consular merchandise.
- What barrier did Natalie Nakase break?
- Why might you soon be able to smell like the Tokyo Sky Tree?
- What movie had a strong 8th-place box office opening over President's Day weekend?
To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.
Answers to January's Quiz:
Congratulations to J. Josiah Jacobs!
- Why was Pusuke-chan's death at 26 remarkable? Because Pusuke-chan was a dog. Pusuke-chan at the time of his death was the oldest living dog according to the Guiness Book of World Records.
- Where is the first Michael Jackson Foundation to be opened? In Japan, possibly early next year, to support the well-being of children worldwide. The first to be built is a temporary theater for children in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit prefectures from the tsunami.
- Which Roseanne star has taken to selling Nespresso in Japanese commericals? George Clooney
To submit your answers by email, click here: jic@japancc.org and write "Japan News Quiz" in the subject line.
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 Wochi Kochi Magazine
Wochi Kochi Magazine was a long-running cultural publication from the Japan Foundation that shuttered in 2009. However! Fret not, as they have reemerged, like so many publications, in sparkling new Web-only format. So click through to their website for their coverage of Japanese youth culture around the world, including movie reviews, long-form trendpieces, art criticism, and more! |
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As you probably know, this March marks the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. So many of the events being held this month, and even into April and May, are being held to raise money for the recovery effort. In the year since the disaster, we at the Consulate have watched as thousands of Midwesterners did everything they could to support Japan: fundraising, travelling to Japan to work in the recovery effort, hosting students, and more. It has been truly heartening, and a reminder that Japan and the United States share a strong and unique bond. Thank you,
Daniel Drake, Editor |
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Yayoi, the old Japanese name for the month of March, means "new life" and indicates the coming of spring.
Books from Tohoku!
