From the JapanDayNYC.org website:

“Japan Day – Cherry Blossom Art Contest”

Contest Results

WINNER

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the New York City, Japan Day invited visual artists to submit artwork that featured the beautiful of both cherry trees and Central Park.

Thanks to all of your support, the art contest received total of 45 submissions. All Jurors will agree that, there were a number of impressive entries that made the selection process a challenge.  In fact, the Judges also awarded 5 honorable mentions, in addition to choosing a winner.

We are delighted that we can now reveal the winner of the Japan Day Cherry Blossom Art Contest — Aaron Porter and his art work!

【Japan Day 2012 Official Poster Visual using Mr. Porter’s Art Work】

From Aaron’s profile on the Japan Day NYC website:

Today is the big parade to celebrate the centennial sakura matsuri, but unfortunately all the blooms are long gone.  However, the festival goes through the end of the month, so for those who find themselves in DC there are plenty of Japan-related activities to keep you entertained.  I had a chance to sample many of them this week, the first of which I’d recommend being the National Geographic Museum’s samurai exhibit running through early September.

It shares the history of how the now legendary cherry trees made their way to DC, as well as displays unique items such as swords and armor that were gifted from Japan to American presidents such as Ulysses Grant and Teddy Roosevelt.  My favorite section was the black and white photos of samurai in a photo studio run by a Westerner.  It captures them in their garb during behind-the-scenes moments, giving you insight into the people they were behind the armor.

Some other exhibits not to be missed are the National Gallery of Art’s Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird and Flower Paintings by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), on display until April 29.  This collection of 30 scrolls is amazingly vivid in color, depicting not only birds and flowers but in some cases fish, insects and palm trees.  Jakuchu seems to be obsessed with roosters (some in “kabuki-like poses”), and according to one description I learned that “In Zen Buddhism, images of the rooster’s piercing cry were associated with spiritual awakening.” (Go figure!  I could have used this information when I was in Kauai earlier this year, being woken up an at ungodly hour each morning by these enlightened roosters.)

After that make sure to check out the Hokusai Japanese screens at the Freer Gallery (through July 29), followed by the 36 Views of Mount Fuji from Hokusai at the nearby Sackler Gallery (through June 17).  The latter also features a display called Kano Kazunobu’s Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples, fantastical paintings which share the lives of Buddha’s 500 disciples, making their debut outside of Japan for the first time (as do the Jakuchu scrolls).

And if all this consumption of Japanese culture has you wanting to consume some Japanese food along with your art, look no further than the cherry blossom roll ( 桜巻き?) at Fujimar.  At $17.60 it costs a bit more than your standard roll, but it is definitely worth it.  It combines cherry-flavored rice, avocado, tamago, cucumber and crab in a pink soy bean wrapper, with three cherries on top and leaf-shaped avocado slices on the side.  Its sweetness is just the right amount, and the flavors were powerful enough for it to be eaten with or without soy sauce.

For those whose sweet tooth is not satisfied by the cherry blossom roll, many local restaurants are featuring special cherry themed desserts during the duration of the festival (through the 27th of this month).  My one regret is not having had time to try the cherry-chocolate bread pudding at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Founding Farmers, but there’s always next year!

I’m down in DC to begin a new business trip, and was thrilled when I found out my assignment would coincide with the famous Sakura Matsuri.  This year is extra special as it marks the 100th anniversary since the 3000+ trees were gifted from Japan to the U.S.  Even the Metro gets into the spirit, as you can see with their turnstile decorations.  Due to the warm weather it is doubtful that the blossoms will last until the conclusion of the festival at the end of the month, but I’m hoping to do some hanami while I’m here.

On another Japan-related note, today I went to see an interesting exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery entitled “Asian American Portraits of Encounter.”  It features several different Asian American artists, including three Japanese.  One is Satomi Shirai based in New York, the second is Shizu Saldamando based in California, and the last is Roger Shimomura based in Kansas.  I was especially taken with the work of Shimoura, who as a child was relocated to an internment camp in Idaho along with his family during World War II.  His displayed works are all self-portraits, and according to Shimomura through them he strove to battle “oriental” stereotypes or conversely become them.  As an example of the latter I particularly liked the two works shown here side by side, American Pikachu and American Hello Kitty, where the artist takes the form of these iconic images.

The non-Japanese artists also share some really thought-provoking work, so this exhibit is definitely worth checking out.  It runs through October 14, admission is free and it is open daily from 11:30-7.

Feeling a bit homesick for the full moon, momiji and manju that are signs of fall in Japan?  Despair not, for 4 days remain of the wonderful “Fall Flowers of Japan” display at the New York Botanical Garden.  It will continue until Sunday, October 30th, 10AM to 6PM, and costs (a completely worthwhile) $20 to see.  The main focus of the display is kiku, chrysanthemums.  They have dozens of varieties to see, including traditional shapes and colors from Japan trained into waterfalls or bridges, and new strains bred in American which look like bird’s nests and exploding stars.

These mums were bigger than a grapefruit, and were so glossy and translucent that they should be made of spun sugar!

They also have an amazing piece of sculptural art there, a massive ikebana piece created by world-renowned Sogetsu school artist Kawana Tetsunori.  Dubbed Tanjou, or Rebirth, it is entirely made of branches and storm-wrack recovered from the Botanical Garden after Hurricanes Irene and Jeff.

Tanjou is displayed in the center of a still pool in the Conservatory greenhouse... its beautiful reflection in the water doubles its grandeur.

This special event also brings traditional music and dancing to the Garden, with two performances by Tomofuji-kai on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm and 3pm.  Afterwards you can explore the rest of the Botanical Garden with its stunning Conservatory and chilling display of carved pumpkins!

BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIINSSSSS...

Les Pumps is a collection of handmade art by the Barcelona-based Brazilian artist Caio de Paula Marques that uses vintage women’s shoes as 3D canvases.  Caio decorates the shoes with hand-painted details and applies old manga art as a collage. The first Les Pumps collection is called “Sakura Vintage,” and Caio cites Japan as a major influence for his creative work.  Are there any JET visual artists out there whose work has been influenced by Japan?  Let us know in the comments, and we can feature your work here on JetWit.

According to the artist:

Les Pumps was born out of the need of creating an artistic project, in a more old fashion way, that involved manual crafts and to have a little break from using mainly digital tools as I have done as a graphic designer in the past years.

So in the search for interesting structures, aiming to work in a three dimensional way, and being a shoe lover myself, such fetishistic object of the feminine world seemed the perfect canvas for my art work.

Many hours have been put into each pair, from the investigation and purchase of the shoes, through which I´ve learned a great deal (now I can tell the difference between a pair of pumps from a pair of stilettos) and the many steps of execution till the final piece is ready, an average of 15 hours is needed.

For my first collection, the main motif has been SAKURA (meaning cherry blossom) so full of symbolism in Japan, reflecting the great interest I’ve always had towards this country and its culture ever since I can remember.

Perhaps the most innovating about this collection has been the use of COLLAGE, technique that allows the creations of different contexts and in this case, also recycles other artist’s works, which also relates to the concept of Vintage. Once more, the Nipponic culture is present as the paper I use is actually from 80′s manga.

VINTAGE SHOES have been my choice, as they convey history and strengthen the artistic value and the concept of uniqueness.

From left to right: 'Feel the Wind' (2010), by Fuminori Ono; 'Birth' (2011) by Hitomi Nagai; 'Su no hana' (Nest Flowers) (2011) by Takaaki Tanaka. (Vlad Baranenko)

By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer.

Opening this week at New York’s Japan Society is the exhibit Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers, which showcases the works of Japanese textile masters and explores the ever evolving relationship between traditional fabric manufacturing and the uses of unconventional technology and materials to create awe-inspiring works of art. To commemorate the opening of the gallery and the designation of the Japan Society building as a city landmark, a special preview event was held on Sept. 14 with many of the artists in attendance along with an exhibition walkthrough from gallery director Joe Earle.

Originally conceived in 2007, the project received approval following this year’s devastation in Japan, and is jointly presented by Japan Society and the International Textile Network Japan in collaboration with Tama University. According to Japan Society, the collection of 35 works on display was thoroughly selected by a special committee to showcase the work of 30 contemporary masters of a movement originally envisioned in the 1950s to “reflect the fecundity of the Japanese artistic tradition and ingenuity.” Since many of the pieces had to make a long journey from Japan to New York, unique containers had to be meticulously designed for each piece to preserve the artist’s intended presentation and allow the viewer to fully appreciate each work.

To simply describe the collection as a stunning example of creativity and the profound Japanese insight into the coexistence of nature and man would not be enough to credit the artists on display. The exhibition explores such themes as the passage of time and seasons just to name a few. While many of the works are composed of traditional materials such as silk and washi paper, modern materials such as stainless steel, vacuum deposited aluminum, and complex chemical dyes are also added to create three-dimensional enchanting expressions.

At the entrance to the gallery, the visitor is first greeted by Requiem, a wave of indigo-dyed threads suspended above the lobby bamboo garden. This piece by the internationally renowned paper artist Kyoko Ibe is a memorial to the victims of the March earthquake and tsunami, and was constructed with misumata Japanese paper originally used for Buddhist scriptures. Ibe, whose involvement with Japanese paper spans more than 30 years, has also included in the exhibition a traditional partition screen composed of recycled family manuscripts dating back to the Edo period.

Also notable is a work by Yasuko Iyanaga that envisions an undersea world with her piece entitled Umi Kara no Okurimono (A Gift from the Sea). By combining silk and wire the artist is able to create a ghostly yet beautiful vision of coral seemingly blooming with bioluminescent red and purple flowers.

Another artist, Kyomi Iwata, who works extensively with silk organza and who was present at the opening, had contributed a piece entitled Chrysalis. By using paper and kibiso, the first few meters of thread produced by the silk worm and usually discarded for its limited use, Iwata was able to create a vividly formed sculpture with background strings accentuated by eerie lines, which were shadows cast on the piece during its construction in the artist’s studio.

While all of the exhibition’s works offer much to contemplate, a piece toward the end of the gallery by Atsuko Yoshioka particularly resonates with inspiration. A work called Construction for a String Quartet is a wall feature composed of three bundles of branches arranged to represent a single visual moment of a musical note. The precision of the build and the sheer time and effort involved in its construction is quite astounding, and is sure to inspire appreciation for the artistry and mastery of the medium.

Fiber Futures: Japan’s Textile Pioneers runs through Dec. 18 at Japan Society. For more information, click here.

“Setsuden,” or conserving electricity, has become a huge buzzword in Japan as the weather heats up and many nuclear power plants remain shut down. Many businesses have put up signs explaining their own setsuden activities and asking the public to join in.

Recently I have been been photographing setsuden signs around the Tokyo area for my blog.

Some of the signs are very simple and functional, like the message seen here on a closed escalator at a train station, which simply says, “Setsuden-chuu.”

Others are clever pieces of writing and/or graphic design.

I have a gallery of signs here, as well as explanations of my picks for the best-designed sign here and the best slogan here.

WE ARE HERE – Little voice and art 311 JAPAN is an exhibition of messages from Japanese children of areas affected by the disaster as well as photos of the area.  The exhibition is being held at the AIGA Gallery in New York on 22nd St and 5th Avenue in Manhattan from today through May 20.  They are also collecting messages from visitors to those children.

Assistance project for East Japan Disaster

WE ARE HERE – Little voice and art 311 JAPAN

3.11, 2011  PM 2:46:18

The disastrous earthquake and the nuclear threat that we had never experienced in the history inflicted a deep wound on the Japanese society and our mind.  Under the circumstances, we focus on the children about to take their first step, and a photographer.  The exhibition “Global Message Relay” will deliver a document of our life and society in devastation worldwide.  through the linked heart and energy of children and the photographer, with our sincere request for your social and psychological support.

■ schedule

May 16th    11:00 – 17:00 (18:00 – 20:00 Reception)

17th    11:00 – 18:00

18th    11:00 – 18:00

19th    11:00 – 18:00

20th    11:00 – 15:00

■place     AIGA Gallery

164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

■contents

1.   Global Message Relay

There are many children who tend to become greatly ill because of the unprecedented disaster experiences. With hope to ease as much as possible worries and feelings of such children’s minds by free expression with pictures and words and at the same time to show the world the real situation where the children are placed, I visited schools and refugees in the areas suffering from various types disasters such as the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident and asked the children to draw pictures and write messages on Japanese paper with the theme of “words that they want to express and tomorrow that they want to draw.”

2.   Photo exhibition

“The Day and After – Memory of ONAGAWA”

The photo exhibition by Mayumi Suzuki, the daughter of Sasaki Photo Studio located in Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture where is enormously suffered from tsunami. Her father has not found since the earthquake. Suzuki succeeded her father as photographer and photographs the devastating sceneries and the process of rehabilitation of Onagawa.

50 to 100 photographs will be selected for this exhibition.

*All donations will go to the disaster relief in Japan through “HOPE OF CHILDREN”

*This exhibition will travel to Taipei, Paris, or any other countries in future.

Produce   Hug Japan

Producer    Satoshi Nakagawa (CEO, tripod Design Co.LTD)

Sponsor    Benesse Corporation　“Assist Children’s Future Project”

The Hug Japan Project is a nonprofit social-design initiative that, based on the concept of universal design, aims to provide solid, long-term support to all people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. By creating a network not just within Japan but across the globe, the project aims to provide ongoing assistance through creative and practical works, such as art and design. In this way, we hope to support the future of all cities and people affected while respecting the value of each person who was impacted by the natural disaster.

Chief Originator   Satoshi Nakagawa (CEO, tripod Design Co.LTD)

Co Originator       Kazunari Matoba (Corporate Senior Vice President of Benesse Corporation, General Manager of Assist Children’s Future Project)

Planning, Administration　Benesse Corporation　“Assist Children’s Future Project”

tripod Design Co,LTD

Web : http://hugjapan.jp

Mail : info@hugjapan.jp

Recently I had the chance to see two films from 2010 that examine the issue of Japan and war.  One was Anpo: Art x War which was screened at Columbia University last week, and the other is Caterpillar currently being shown at the IFC Center through this Thursday.  The former is a documentary directed and produced by Linda Hoaglund, and the latter is a film made by the director Koji Wakamatsu of United Red Army fame (shown at Japan Society a few years ago and coming to IFC later this month).

Anpo uses a mixture of paintings, photos, anime, films and music by Japanese artists to express the story of resistance to U.S. military bases.  The 1960 Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (日米安全保障条約: Nichibei Anzen Hoshou Jouyaku or 安保: Anpo for short) strengthened Japan’s ties to the West during the Cold War and laid the basis for future international cooperation and economic cooperation.  It also guaranteed a U.S. military presence in Japan, which lasts until today and remains just as contentious (i.e. the Futenma Marine Base in Okinawa).

The democratic movement in opposition to Anpo was called the  安保反対運動 (anpo hantai undou), but came to an end after the death of a female protestor.  During the Q&A following the film, Hoaglund shared that she became interested in the topic after stumbling on some 60s Anpo art, which is actually largely unfamiliar to the Japanese themselves (one scene in the film shows them bringing a piece out of storage from a modern art museum).  The cameraman she worked with had filmed the original protests in the 60′s, so working on the documentary truly brought things full circle for him.  Hoagland highlighted that we are seeing the theme of distrust of government repeating itself today in regard to the nuclear situation.  A recent anti nuclear power demonstration in Tokyo numbered 25,000, so despite how complacent people say Japanese society has become, resistance is still clearly alive and well.

Wakamatsu’s work deals with a soldier’s return from the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1940 after having lost all of his limbs.  This lieutenant receives accolades from the Emperor and is designated a Living War God by the community in which he lives.  He is left in the hands of his wife for her to take care of all his needs, a responsibility described as being her duty for the empire.  All of the actions that everybody takes are framed in the context of being “for the country,” and archival footage is interspersed throughout the film so you really have a strong sense of the period.

Although the sex scenes are disturbing, they were easier for me to sit through than the more gruesome Japanese student-radical extremism depicted in Wakamatsu’s film United Red Army (I must confess my stomach couldn’t handle the violence).  Caterpillar was nominated for a Golden Bear award at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, and an interview with Wakamatsu regarding the making of the movie can be found here (scroll down to the bottom).  It will be running at IFC through Thursday, so don’t miss this powerful anti-war commentary on Japanese nationalism.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presents

 Two Artists Two Expressions

Colored Pencil Workshop with Katsuya Takahashi and Daniel Schallau

Time:         Saturday, May 21, 2011, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Place:         Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Audiovisual Room

                   5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

                   (by the Children‘s Castle and United Nations University;

                   for a map see www.scbwi.jp/map.htm)

Fee:           SCBWI members 1,000 yen; nonmembers 1,500 yen

RSVP:        Please reserve by May 20 by sending an e-mail to info@scbwi.jp

This event will be in English and Japanese.

Please join us for an evening workshop led by two master colored pencil children’s book illustrators followed by Q&A.

Katsuya Takahashi will introduce and demonstrate the basic properties and techniques of colored pencils that give his illustrations a unique look and feel. In the second half of his workshop, everyone will have the chance to experiment with the techniques that Takahashi has shared. Please bring a set of twelve or more colored pencils, some paper and an eraser.

Daniel Schallau will focus on the techniques he uses to draw cool winter scenes. Have you ever wondered how to draw snow in night scenes? Just use white? Think again. Schallau’s secrets might surprise you. This part of the workshop will offer the opportunity, for those interested, to try out some of Schallau’s tips. Please bring a range of blue colored pencils and yellow, orange and red pencils. Paper and pencil sharpeners will be provided.

Katsuya Takahashi (http://homepage3.nifty.com/katz-t/) Born in Kyoto, colored pencil artist Katsuya Takahashi studied in the Faculty of Art at Kyoto Seika University. After graduation, he became a freelance illustrator, and his work has been widely recognized in newspapers, books, magazines, and commercials. “Hyper burnishing” is how he describes his colored pencil technique. The rich hues and luminous glow of his illustrations are the result of deep layers of colors. Now a resident of Tokyo, he has held exhibitions every year since 1998. Takahashi works both in Tokyo and the Kansai area and is the author/ illustrator of the picture book, Hora utaga kikoeruyo (Listen, I Hear a Song; Builder Buch).

Daniel Schallau (www.danielschallau.com) After working for various architecture firms in the U.S., Daniel Schallau traveled to Tokyo where he now works as an English teacher and an author/illustrator. People often find it difficult to believe his drawings are actually created with colored pencils, insisting instead that they must be done with a computer. His picture book Come Back Soon (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) was published in 2009. Schallau specializes in intricately drawn worlds inhabited by elephants, penguins, whales, bears, snowmen, rabbits and more.

www.scbwi.jp

JapanGanbare.blogspot.com

Send a message of encouragement and support through your own manga art!

漫画を使って日本を応援しましょう！

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the opening for the Japan Society’s newest exhibit, Bye Bye Kitty!!! The title refers to opposition towards the domination of Japan’s kawaii-ness, the idea of cuteness that has become Japan’s major export as represented by Hello Kitty.  It features 16 artists, many of them quite young and not household names, and their interpretation of this concept.  I was particularly drawn in by the intricacy of the works of 38-year old Manabu Ikeda, whose pen and ink masterpieces were incredibly detailed and required several minutes of close examination to take in all of their elements.

Equally interesting was the large-scale installation from 39-year old Chiharu Shiota, which depicted a wedding dress with blood literally being sucked from it.  Other thought-provoking works were 39-year old Motohiko Odani’s distorted Zen masks and 36-year old Kohei Nawa’s actual deer covered with plastic bubbles allowing you to see inside some of them.  The only appearance of the eponymous Kitty was in the exhibit’s final work, the photo shown here from the most famous of the group, 52-year old Yoshitomo Nara who was the focus of Asia Society Nobody’s Fool exhibit last year.

In work news, this weekend I had the opportunity to interpret for Yogamata Keiko Aikawa, who was in town for the NEWLIFE Expo.  During the course of the event she gave two lectures, which culminated in a two-hour meditation workshop held on the last day.  Participants came away with a greater sense of peace and a deep sense of respect for this spiritual legend, the first non-Indian woman to realize the ultimate state of samadhi (a spiritual state of consciousness).  I learned a lot and it was truly an honor to be able to work with her!

Here, Kieu discusses the motivation behind Bound in Japan. To read the full article, which includes her insights on the power of the individual and a guide to turning a personal vision into reality, check out the blog Shinpai Deshou.

Japan, quite frankly, was an unexpected twist in my life. As an ethnic Vietnamese American who graduated with a degree in fine arts and a second major in Mandarin Chinese, I certainly had my sights on Asia, but Japan was always on the periphery. Japan didn’t really register on my radar until I was a college senior facing that daunting question mark: THE FUTURE. I had always dreamed of living abroad, and one day a friend suggested that I apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. I did and it was a fateful decision. It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship.

After three years of teaching English in Kagoshima and four years of working at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC, I’m ready to take this relationship to a different level. I’m going back to my roots—the arts—and crossbreeding it with social activism.

My parents are immigrants. I know very well the kind of challenges my parents have faced and continue to face during these thirty odd years. I myself have faced similar challenges while living in Japan. I had never expected to fall in love with Japan. It made me think about what it would be like if I chose to settle there, to make Japan my new—and permanent—home.

Every time I go to Japan, it doesn’t feel like I’m traveling. It feels like going home. I have numerous Japanese friends, and for the most part, I can confidently navigate the physical and social geography. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to live in Japan.

Japan has been a mostly homogenous society for centuries. It hasn’t had to think much about the less than 2% of the population who are non-native residents. And it shows. There’s a lack of integration. A lack of infrastructure. Even now, immigration policy continues to take a backseat despite the steady increase in immigration over the years. Despite the fact that opening up immigration is one of the few viable solutions to the current challenges presented by Japan’s changing demography. Lots of words are being said, but where’s the action?

Local communities are taking matters into their own hands. There are many organizations whose mission is to assist foreign residents with language, culture, and legalities and who seek to enhance intercultural understanding. This makes me very hopeful. I believe that any sort of social change will begin locally at the grassroots level. It has to begin with public consciousness.

Art can play a role in this. Art, after all, is about expression. It’s a way to communicate. This is the goal of Bound in Japan. Participants will be able to engage in an educational and enjoyable activity that allows them to share their stories with others. Through the process of creating art about their experiences in an adopted homeland and the act of sharing it with others, there are many opportunities to learn about each other, to start new dialogues, and to engage in community building.

Bound in Japan is a collaborative art project. Its success depends on the active participation of the community. This success can be defined as the personal enrichment of individual lives as well as the enrichment of an entire community.

I know that there are many people like me, who love and consider Japan a home. There are many ways you can support Bound in Japan. A project like this requires a significant budget. Consider making a donation to the Bound in Japan IndieGoGo campaign. Know of an organization in Japan that would like to participate in the project? Let me know. Are you living in Japan right now and would like to take part in Bound in Japan? I would love to hear from you.

Learn more about Bound in Japan: http://boundinjapan.com
Contact Kieu: tknlam@gmail.com
Follow Kieu and Bound in Japan on Twitter: @KieuLam

The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Festival is a free, day-long celebration of Asian/Pacific Americans. On May 8th, 2011, from noon-6pm, performing groups from the New York tri-state area will take the stage in front of an audience of over 8,000 in Union Square, Manhattan.  

We are currently seeking submissions for:

1. Performances from artists and companies working in music and/or dance including folk, traditional, and contemporary expressions.
2. Must be appropriate for a family oriented 20-30 minutes performance on an outdoor stage.

The event has a history of high media coverage featured in the New York Times, Newsday, the Village Voice, Time Out magazine, NY1 News, and many ethnic papers.

We will have a merchandizing table for performers who participate in this festival to sell their items or place their promotional materials (flyers/posters).

To submit registration or auditions for performances, please visit our registration site at: http://bit.ly/etkYAP

Deadlines:

Performances Submissions: Friday, February 18, 2011

For more information regarding the festival: www.capaonline.org

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me here or at info [at] ASIANinNY.com.

Thank you,

Diana Lee

VP of Performance of APA Heritage Festival

www.AsianInNY.com

Recently I had the opportunity to interpret for a delegation from Kanazawa that was here to promote the city in general and especially its ancient craft of 蒔絵 (maki-e), a lacquerware technique that uses silver and gold powder.  This art form actually originated in Kyoto which has its own style known as Kyo Maki-e, but the Kanazawa version is called Kaga Maki-e, Kaga referring to the area of Kanazawa where it originated.  This picture, courtesy of fashion blogger Alice Chin, shows two delegation members at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Kaga Maki-e display.

On the left is native New Yorker and long-term Kanazawa resident Evelyn Teploff-Mugii, a designer who has modernized the thousand year old maki-e process to make breathtakingly beautiful accessories.  Her Evelyn Claude line will be offered in the US for the first time.  To her right is Kenji Yoshii, President of the Cooperative Association for Promotion of Kanazawa Kaga Maki-e.  He works to use this traditional craft as an appeal point to bring visitors to Kanazawa.

Last night the group held an event to celebrate the launch of an online membership group called Club Kanazawa.  You can enroll for free and receive access to travel professionals who can tailor your visit to Kanazawa to your needs.  They can find you the exact kind of ryokan you want to stay at, introduce you to a historical sake maker and have you visit the brewery, or let you observe a maki-e craftsman and have him create a customized piece just for you.  They are looking to create an image of Kanazawa as a brand that is distinct from the typical tourist spots of Tokyo and Kyoto.  Here in this 400,000 person city, you can have unique traditional experiences that are hard to find elsewhere in Japan.

Guests mixed and mingled, enjoying sushi and other Japanese cuisine as well as local sake brought from Kanazawa.  Especially popular was the Renaissance Kanazawa sake, whose translucent blue bottle and sweet taste made it a big winner.  Speaking of sake, check out this article from today’s NYT which talks about the importance that sake suppliers place on the back story in terms of making certain sakes memorable for their customers.  One interesting quote questioned whether sake’s draw is in the legend or the actual taste:  “Sometimes when you hear the story, you’re drinking the story as much as you’re drinking the product.”

Pull open the covers and rows of “flags” pop up in salute! And thus Hedi Kyle’s invention became known as the flag book. With so many pieces, it looks complicated but is relatively easy and fun to assemble. The flag book structure was the focus of my second demo class which met during November and December of last year.

My five dedicated participants are all former residents of Japan. One is a native Japanese, and the others had either taught in Japan or studied there. Over the course of five sessions, the participants created a model of the structure, did writing exercises to generate content, and produced the final product.

Two of the books can be seen in the above picture. Erin’s book (left) focuses on the contrast between the calm and chaos she found in Japan, and Danielle’s book (right) indulges in her love of Japanese onomatopoeia and is accompanied by English haiku.

To see more photos from the class, go to the Bound in Japan blog.

Coming off of yesterday’s post, I was surprised to find an article about manga and animation in this morning’s New York Times.  It discusses how over the last decade, various programs that have evolved for formally studying these arts are attracting international students.  The courses are offered only in Japanese which presents a bit of a challenge, but dedicated students see them as the key to advancing “their careers in animation, design, computer graphics and the business of promoting them.”  The Japanese animation companies interviewed in the article said they would look at these graduates as potential employees provided they have the necessary skills and are able to pass the same tests all applicants must take.

A notable aspect of these programs is their unstructured nature.  Manga artist Keiko Takemiya explains the reason for this as, “Manga flourished as a counterculture to the establishment academia.  [Within the industry] there was actually a resistance to the idea of organizing the art into an academic program.”  Interestingly enough, part of the curriculum is adult-themed manga and animation.  This includes the sexually explicit content that most countries stay away from, and that is currently causing regulatory issues in Japan itself.  Although manga has pretty much enjoyed free rein up until this point, Governor Ishihara’s recent ordinance to further restrict this art form indicates that the authorities might be increasing their supervisory capabilities going forward.

Incidentally, in a recent poll of Japanese junior high school students regarding their future careers, the third most popular choice was manga artist, behind athlete and doctor/nurse.

Dear Fellow JETs and Friends of Japan,

I am writing to let you know about Bound in Japan, a community book art project that I am producing.

I am a former JET and, like so many of you, have come to love Japan and consider it a second home. As you are aware, establishing a new life and community in Japan presents many challenges, and opportunities for exchange amongst native and non-native residents are important. Bound in Japan will offer a unique opportunity for this kind of engagement.

I plan on going to Japan in the summer of 2011 and will be teaching book art workshops for mainly non-native residents. These participants will create original book art about their experiences living in Japan, and this book art will be organized as an exhibition. Through this creative process, Bound in Japan aims to promote intercultural exchange and understanding in a Japanese society that is slowly but steadily becoming more multi-ethnic.

In order to make the book art workshops widely accessible and to incorporate as many voices as possible, these workshops will be offered at no cost to participants. It is necessary to raise funds to cover expenses for workshops and the exhibition as well as travel and living expenses in Japan. There are few grants available for an individual artist to produce a project like Bound in Japan, especially abroad, and these grants have become even more competitive. Although I am still researching and applying for grants, the success of Bound in Japan depends on the generosity of people like you.

A community project needs the support of the community. If you believe that art can transform communities and enrich lives, you can help make Bound in Japan a success. Please consider making a donation today. Your contribution will enable individuals like yourself—people who consider Japan home—to participate in a creative exchange that will promote dialogue on diversity.

Bound in Japan is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions on behalf of Bound in Japan may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

• Explore the website and learn more about the project: http://boundinjapan .com
• To make an online donation, please visit the Bound in Japan campaign page: http://www.indiegog o.com/Bound- in-Japan

I plan to work with local organizations in Japan to coordinate book art workshops. These organizations will be those whose mission includes services for non-native residents and the promotion of intercultural exchange. If you know of an organization that would be interested in working with Bound in Japan or if you would like to help organize a Bound in Japan workshop in your community, please contact me at tknlam@gmail. com. I will be based in Tokyo but will consider traveling to other areas of Japan.

Thank you very much for your generous support.

Wishing you all a warm and happy holiday.

Sincerely,

Kieu Lam
Kagoshima 2003-2006

By JQ Magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories. 

Nahoko Sugiyama discovered her niche at an early age. As a little girl growing up in Tokyo, she imitated the moves of the Japanese idols she saw on TV. As a teenager, a penchant for clubbing set the foundation to become a dancer, and in her twenties she took up Oriental (belly) dance, Quickly becoming a popular draw through professional appearances, she decided to make a career out of this exotic form of expression.

Moving to New York in 2006 for more in-depth training, Sugiyama joined the Mosaic Dance Theater Company a year later. “One of my teachers in here is a choreographer for this company, therefore I joined it,” she explains. “We have a wide range of Middle Eastern dance numbers, not only Oriental dance, which makes us unique. We focus on theater shows, [and] have big theater shows both in New Jersey and New York every year.”

This Friday, she will perform at Manhattan’s Arena Event Space with six other dancers as part of the Alternative Belly Dance Show.

Read the full article here.

By JQ Magazine‘s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories. 

From Yellow Magic Orchestra to Cornelius to the current wave of chiptune artists inspired by classic 8-bit video games, Japan has a rich legacy of electronic music whose influence continues to grow in the age of globalization. Seizing this trend, New York’s Japan Society will close out its spring 2010 performing arts season with a concert by STEIM (Studio of Electro-Instrumental Music) and related events on May 7 and 8.

Based in Amsterdam, STEIM is “the natural course of what we have presented under the category of ‘music,’” said Yoko Shioya, Japan Society’s artistic director. “In fact, there are many internationally active and acclaimed Japanese musicians and composers in this area, and that is why I started to make the program of this genre several years ago.”

The envoys of this sonic summit are Takuro Mizuta Lippit, STEIM’s artistic director, originally from Japan; Yutaka Makino (Japan/Germany), a musician and artist who works in the convergence of sound, science and architecture; ABATTOIR (U.S./Netherlands), a duo comprised of American cellist/vocalist Audrey Chen and Dutch musician/composer Robert van Heumen; digital media composer Yannis Kyriakides (Netherlands) and guitarist Andy Moor (U.K./ Netherlands) of the legendary Dutch punk band The Ex; and dj sniff (Japan/Netherlands), the performer alter ego of Takuro Mizuta Lippit.

“Put it this way,” said Shioya, “the layer of the musicians and composers in electric music in Japan is very thick—therefore, many types of musicians emerge…Japanese musicians in this genre have been quite influential in the international music scene.”

The program kicks off the night of Friday, May 7 with the Artist Talk + Demo, with STEIM artists Yutaka Makino and dj sniff discussing the process of crafting their sounds and sharing their perspectives on the latest international collaborations in electronic music. Japanese sound poet Tomomi Adachi rounds out the panel. Also, a free STEIM Mobile Touch Exhibition on May 7 and 8 will allow visitors the opportunity to make music on some of the artists’ instruments.

Saturday, May 8 showcases STEIM’s Workshop for Youth for ages 10 to 18, giving them a chance to learn more about their methods and test drive some of the instruments themselves. The night’s centerpiece is the Electronic Music Lab concert, a one-time only performance.

What will it all sound like? According to Shioya, “The music you will hear in STEIM’s concert is music which may make some people wonder, ‘Do you call it “music”’…? But…the definition of ‘music’ can be varied, and many Japanese musicians are not intimidated by the conventional perception of ‘music.’

This program shows that this genre of music—improvisational and experimental—is truly borderless.”

STEIM: Electronic Music Lab takes place Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8, with complete schedule and ticket information here. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First & Second Avenues. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at (212) 715-1258 or in person at Japan Society (M–F / 10 AM–4:45 PM). For more info, call (212) 832 -1155 or visit www.japansociety.org.