The e-Japan Journal is the electronic webletter of the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago and the Japan Information Center (JIC). We hope it proves to be a useful, interesting, and exciting window for you into Japanese cultural activities happening throughout the Midwest. As always, your feedback, comments, and suggestions are encouraged and can be sent to our editor, Amy Klouse, at jic@cg.mofa.go.jp.
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| This Month in Japan |
| Special Announcements |
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| JIC Library |
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| Fun Features |
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| Editor's Note |
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Highlighted
Cultural Events |
- February 12-June 21: “Objects and Voices: A Collection of Stories” @ Univ. of Chicago’s SMART Museum of Art
- March 24 – May 22: “Traditions Transfigured: The Noh Masks of Bidou Yamaguchi” Exhibit and "Amerimanga! Convention and Expression" at the Northern Illinois University Art Museum
- March 13 – July 12: “On Stage! Japanese Performing Arts” Exhibit @ Indianapolis Museum of Art
- April 2: Welcome Reception for Toshiyuki Iwado, Consul-General of Japan in Chicago
- April 2 - 4: Uchida Plays Mozart @ Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- April 3: “The Metamorphoses of a Folktale Hero: Momotaro in Propaganda and Literary Parody” @ Univ. of IL – Urbana-Champaign
- April 4- June 21: “Spreading Devotion: Japanese and European Religious Prints” @ the Art Institute of Chicago
- April 9: Group from Saitama Visiting Japanese Culture Center in Chicago, IL
- April 11 – August 9: “Journey of Memory: Allen Say” @ Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE
- April 11: Spring ArtScene @ Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL
- April 11: Spring Open House @ Japan House at Univ. of IL, Urbana-Champaign
- April 11 & 12: Decorations Japanese short film @ Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison, WI
- April 12: Made in Japan film screening @ Gene Siskel Film Center
- April 14: Asia LENS Film Series: Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard @ Univ of IL – Urbana-Champaign
- April 16: “Osamu Tezuka and Astro Boy: Creating the Modern Manga/Anime Complex” lecture with Fred Schodt @ Univ. of WI-Madison
- April 17-19: Anime St Louis Convention in Collinsville, IL/MO
- April 18: Tsugaru Shamisen & Taiko with the Japan America Society of Chicago
- April 19: Matsutoyo Kai performance at Univ. of MO-St Louis
- April 19: The Economic Club of Minnesota: Luncheon featuring The Honorable Haruhiko Kuroda Governor, Bank of Japan
- April 20: “Yokai: Monsters of Japanese Folklore” webinar with Dr. Michael Dylan Foster @ Indiana Univ.
- April 20: 6 Week Introduction to Tea Ceremony with Omar Francis Sensei from Chado Urasenke Tankokai Chicago Association @ Japanese Culture Center
- April 24: 6 Week Introduction to Tea Ceremony with Omar Francis Sensei from Chado Urasenke Tankokai Chicago Association @ Japanese Culture Center
- April 24-26: CONgregation Anime Convention in Omaha, NE
- April 24-26: No Brand Con in Eau Claire, WI
- April 25-26: Hanami Chakai: Traditional Japanese Flower Viewing Tea Ceremony @ Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, IL
- April 30: Japan Student Network Forum @ Japan America Society of Chicago
Please click through to our Events Calendar for a full list of events, as well as information about events in the coming months!
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| Economic News |
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| Political News |
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Uzuki, the old Japanese name for April, means "hare month." It has been projected that the name of the fourth month has origins in the Chinese zodiac, where uzuki corresponds with the year of the rabbit.
For many years, the only national holiday this month 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. However, in 2007 Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was renamed Showa no hi, or Showa Day.
The end of the month kicks off Golden Week in Japan where four national holidays (Showa Day [April 29], Constitution Day [May 3], Greenery Day [May 4], Children's Day [May 5]) fall within a seven-day block of vacation from school and work. Travel around Japan at this time is extremely popular.
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| 2015 Summer Internship Opportunity at the JIC |
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The Japan Information Center (JIC), at the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago will offer one unpaid, part-time student internship (14-21hrs/week) between June and September, 2015. Internship start/end dates and hours are customized to fit the academic schedule of the selected applicant. Applicants must be enrolled in a four-year degree program, with at least two years of undergraduate study in a major such as International Studies, Japanese Studies, Asian American Studies, Public Diplomacy, Political Science, or another related field. Graduate students may also apply.
Interns at the JIC contribute to and participate in many valuable cultural and international relations programs and events by assisting diplomats and public relations professionals. Specific duties may include but are not limited to:
- Conducting research and drafting letters to respond to inquiries from the public
- Creating resource materials to educate the public on Japanese culture
- Preparing for and assisting with events
- Updating JIC's Facebook page
- Participating in JIC’s School Visit Program, a Japanese cultural presentation program for local schools and community centers
Please submit your resume and cover letter in PDF format for consideration to Internship Coordinator at jic@cg.mofa.go.jp by Monday, April 20th 2015. Please also click here to read more about job descriptions, qualifications, and the application process.
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| 29th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest Results |
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29th Annual Speech Contest [2015]
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The 29th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest in Chicago was held on March 21, 2015 and featured 40 exceptional speeches. Guests were entertained with topics ranging from serious issues like anorexia nervosa to subjects pertaining to Japanese pop culture. Mr. Hirokazu Nagai from TOP Group Chicago gave a presentation about the current job market situation for Japanese language speakers in the Midwest.
In Acting Consul General Keio Yanai's opening remarks, she discussed how learning a language like Japanese opens doors to many opportunities. especially in Tokyo where new initiatives are underway to prepare for the 2020 Olympics. The contestants’ presentations demonstrated their persistent dedication to excellence and because of this, it was difficult for the judges to reach their final decisions. The Grand Prize was given to Ms. Errol Phalo from Macalester College and the Special Award went to Mr. Hui Zhang from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Sister City Osaka Award was awareded to Mr. Hassan Awaishi from the University of Chicago. Please visit our Speech Contest website to read the winning speeches and view all results.
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The Japan Foundation Los Angeles announced its fiscal year 2015 grant programs for Japanese language education.
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| April 10 (Deadline): 2015 TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program Application |
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2014 TOMODACHI Participants
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The TOMODACHI-Mitsui & Co. Leadership Program is designed to inspire and motivate the next generation of young American and Japanese leaders to be active in U.S.-Japan relations. This bicultural experience provides outstanding young leaders with unique access to leaders in the U.S.-Japan arena and the opportunity to broaden their perspectives to enhance work or initiatives in their professional fields.
Generously funded by Mitsui & Co., Ltd., the program advocates bicultural exchange and provides participants with unique access to leaders in the U.S.-Japan arena, and the opportunity to broaden their perspectives to enhance work or initiatives in their professional fields. By program design, participants represent broad geographic diversity through different target cities and prefectures each year. For this year’s participants from the United States, priority will be given (but not limited) to applicants who reside in Chicago.
The deadline for applications submission is Friday, April 10, 2015. Please visit the program website to access the application and learn more information.
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| April 14: Ms. Akiko Taguchi @ IIT Law School Lecture |
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The theme for this year's 37th Annual Kenneth M. Piper Lecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology is "Does Work Law Have a Future if the Labor Market Does Not?" and features Professor Noah Zatz with Ms. Akiko Teguchi as a commentator.
Noah Zatz’s interests include employment & labor law, welfare law & anti-poverty policy, work/family issues, feminist legal & social theory, and liberal political theory. Professor Zatz’s primary focus is on which activities become recognized and protected as work, how work is defined in relationship to markets, and how the boundaries of markets are themselves mediated by gender and race, among other things. His published scholarship engages these questions by studying the legal concepts of work in welfare work requirements and employment in labor & employment law, especially with regard to the status of family caretaking, prison labor, workfare, and sex work. Professor Zatz also works in employment discrimination law, where he focuses on inequality produced by workers’ interactions not only with employers and coworkers but also with actors and institutions outside the workplace, such as customers or the criminal justice system.
Akiko Teguchi is a Senior Researcher for International Labour Standards, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan and is a lecturer of International Labor Issues at Chuo University. Her responbilities in past positions have included: giving lectures on the topic of Japanese labor policies to pos-graduate students from developing countries, collecting, compiling, and publishing basic labor statistics in Japan, organizing international symposia, training and employment services for people with disabilities, and a director of an organization established for prevention of industrial accidents. She studied law at the University of Kyoto in Japan and at the University of Cologne in Germany.
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April 14, 2015 (Tues)
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
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IIT Downtown Campus - Chicago-Kent College of Law
Governor Richard B. Ogilvie Auditorium
565 West Adams Street # 2
Chicago, Illinois 60661
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Event Page
Free, registration requested
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| April 15 (Deadline): 2015 JET-MIP Application |
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2014 JET-MIP Participants
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On March 11, 2011, Virginian Taylor Anderson and Alaskan Montgomery Dickson both lost their lives during the Great East Japan Earthquake while teaching English in Japan as part of the JET Program. In their honor, the Japan Foundation and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) are sending 30 American high school students to Japan every year until 2015 for an intensive, 2-week language training and cultural exchange trip.
The program is open to 11th and 12th grade students from across the United States who are studying Japanese and have taken the National Japanese Exam. This year's deadline for applying is Wednesday, April 15, 2015. More information, including all eligibility requirements and application materials, can be found here.
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| April 21: Parent and Child Reading Group at the JIC |
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A group of Japanese parents and children are gathering in the JIC to promote reading Japanese books together! The focus is mostly on elementary picture books and it is requested that all who wish to participate bring one of their favorite (or their child's favorite!) books with them to the meeting. You may also bring in light snacks and drinks for children to enjoy.
More information regarding details like parking is outlined when accessing the PDF link below.
| Date |
Location |
Information |
April 21, 2015 (Tue)
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
Japan Information Center
737 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60611 |
Reading Group Flyer
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| May 1 (Deadline): Invitation Program for Japanese Ameican Students |
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The purpose of the program, provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, is to give Japanese American students an opportunity to learn various aspects of Japan (politics, economy, society, history, culture, language, etc.). Additionally, it is designed to promote mutual understanding and exchanges between Japanese and Japanese American younger generations. Please follow the links provided below for more application information. Submit all requested documents to:
Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago
Olympia Centre, Suite 1100
737 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
by Friday, May 1, 2015.
Program Description
Application Form
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| Other Scholarships and Programs |
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- Bridging Scholarship (Deadline 4/8)
Awards stipends of $2,500 (semester-long) or $4,000 (academic year) to U.S. college students to study abroad in Japan.
- Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago Scholarship (Deadline 5/1)
Japanese American High school seniors and currently enrolled full or part-time college students who are members of JASC are welcome to apply. Candidates are selected based on academic excellence and services they have given to the Japanese American community.
- 2015 Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO International Essay Contest (Deadline 6/15)
This annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.
- Tonda Bunraku Summer Program 2015 (Rolling basis)
Master Hidehiko Abe aims to combine the program’s daily practice of bunraku with a number of field trips and daily cultural activities, so as to make for a truly well-rounded experience. In bunraku itself, there are three key components: the actual puppetry, in which three members control a puppet; instruction in traditional Japanese instruments, the shamisen and the koto, which provide the music during a performance; and a type of specialized chanting, which are the voices of the puppets during a performance. The summer program runs from June 4th to August 2nd, with time after the program’s official end date often used by students to travel Japan.
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| This month's Highlighted Resources was written by JIC Librarian Ella McCann and features a notable library item we are recommending this month. |
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At the end of February we received a very generous donation of more than 70 books & some magazines. We were very grateful for this donation as it included a lot of children’s books that we didn’t previously have. In this month’s article I’ll highlight a few of the new items.
Nihon no Rekishi [日本の歴史]
I remember seeing this series at every school I went to in Japan. I was intrigued by the fact that Japanese history could be told in a manga format. I thought it was a great combination of two significant aspects of Japanese culture. ‘Nihon no Rekishi’ (Call numbers 510103-510112) is a great series not only for children, but also for young adults or people like me, who are learning Japanese. The pictures make it easy to follow along and there is furigana for the kanji so it is not a difficult read. I especially enjoyed ‘Nara no Miyako’ (Call number 510105). It tells the story of how Nara and the great Buddha were built and how Nara came to be the great city it is today. The books include facts, a timeline and photos about the artifacts that can be seen when one visits Nara. In the back there is a question and answer section that takes readers beyond what was included in the story. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to know more about Japanese history!
Cookbooks
One of the things I wish I made more time for is cooking. It is much healthier than going out and it’s a creative outlet. That’s why I was excited to see multiple cookbooks in this donation. The one that really caught my eye was ‘The Sushi Experience’ (Call number 141052). It makes cooking sushi look easy and that’s just what I need to get started on my cooking goals. She explains the step-by-step process of making sushi, starting by explaining the history, the utensils, how to make rice and of course, how to cut the fish. She includes multiple recipes, styles of sushi and sweets that might go with a sushi meal. If you’re thinking about making sushi, this is the book for you!
There are also some great books that feature recipes that kids might like such as 子どものレシピ (Recipes for Kids) ＆ 野球食 (Food for Baseball Players).
These are just a handful of the books we received. I encourage you to come to the library and see for yourself all the new books we have to offer! In addition, if you have any books that you’d like to recommend we add to our collection or if you’re interested in donating books, please call or email me:
Ella McCann
312.280.0432
ella.mccann@cg.mofa.gp.jp
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| New Additions, also written by Ella McCann, showcases the latest materials we have received in the JIC collection. |
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| Film Title |
Audio |
Subtitles |
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Call Number |
Suigo Santo
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日本語 |
日本語, English,
한국, 中国的, |
DVD |
102907
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Here are some questions about current events in Japan. Email your answers to Amy Klouse at amy.klouse@cg.mofa.go.jp for a chance to win a small prize!
- OverDrive Holdings Inc., a US operator of leading eBook and audiobook content, is being bought by which Japanese internet services company?
- Which famous film and theater company is featuring a new line of clothes with UNIQLO?
- Where did the first aurora borealis to happen in a decade occur in Japan?
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Congratulations to Kate Selinger, the winner from our March issue! Here are the answers: |
• Which Japanese city is ranked #1 safest in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit?
Tokyo (Osaka is #3)
• How many compulsory paid holidays is the Japanese government considering to make mandatory for companies?
5
• What was the purpose of First Lady Michelle Obama's visit to Japan in March?
To promote girls education through the "Let Girls Learn" initative [Japan Journal Entry 1] [Japan Journal Entry 2]
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 GaijinPot
Because April is a month of new beginnings, I thought it would be appropriate to feature the website GaijinPot this month. It is likely already a familiar source for those most interested in living and working in Japan. GaijinPot provides recommendations for finding: employment in Japan, partner language schools for learning Japanese, and affordable apartments. There are also classifieds for those seeking/ wanting to sell items or services in Japan and a blog that discusses interesting issues a foreigner may face when living there. Even a dating site through GaijinPot is available for those looking for romance!
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April is the month of beginnings in Japan!
April 1 is the start of the school year for most elementary, middle, high school, and college students. It is also when many workers change jobs or start a new position, when newly graduated students launch their careers, when organizations often budget their yearly expenses, and when lovely sakura (cherry-blossoms) bloom to signify the commencement of spring. In older times, it was customary for participants in ohanami – cherry blossom viewing – to recite beautiful poetry or play traditional instruments like koto or shamisen while admiring the beauty of spring. Today, friends, family, and workmates tend to picnic together under the sakura trees to enjoy each other’s company and the spring scenery. In the spirit of tradition, I thought I’d share this wonderful haiku poem:
April's air stirs in
Willow-leaves...a butterfly
Floats and balances
- Matsuo Basho -
Best,
Amy Klouse (Editor, Technology and Information Coordinator)
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Sakura image courtesy of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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| You are receiving this email webletter because you have signed up to receive information about Japan and Japan-related events from our office. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please email the Japan Information Center at jic@cg.mofa.go.jp. |
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Official website for Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago
www.chicago.us.emb-japan.go.jp |
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Uzuki, the old Japanese name for April, means "hare month." It has been projected that the name of the fourth month has origins in the Chinese zodiac, where uzuki corresponds with the year of the rabbit.
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles announced its fiscal year 2015 grant programs for Japanese language education.
