WIT Life #298: Sake production and dorayaki creation in film
Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers 
Comments Off on WIT Life #298: Sake production and dorayaki creation in film
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
This weekend I had the chance to see two fabulous Japanese films being screened here in the city, one documentary and one fiction. The former is The Birth of Sake being shown at IFC, and the latter is Sweet Bean playing at Lincoln Plaza Cinema, both through this Thursday, March 24th.
The Birth of Sake, directed by Erik Shirai who was on hand for a post-screening Q&A, has already won awards at Tribeca and other notable film festivals. I had heard of it in passing a few years back when the Kickstarter campaign raising money for the film took place, and the result is a sneak peek inside the normally cloistered world of sake creation. The film takes an in-depth look at this process carried out by the hard working staff of the 144-year old Tedorigawa Brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture. Their business is unique in that everything is done by hand, whereas the majority of modern Japanese breweries are automated.
Tedorigawa’s workers range in age from 20-70, and one requirement of their grueling job is that they must live at the brewery during the sake-producing six months from October until April (and according to Shirai, due to Tedorigawa’s new popularity thanks to his film, this season has been extended to May!). They are willing to taking time away from their families and home lives to make this sacrifice, and many are veterans of their craft looking to cultivate the next generation of workers. Not only will this film educate viewers about the sake-making process, but it offers a rare glimpse of the people behind it. In particular, I loved the scenes humanizing the workers, like when they were splashing each other in the bath, teasing each other while shopping or breaking out into karaoke after a long day of work.
Dire
ctor Naomi Kawase’s 2015 Sweet Bean (あん or an, sweet red bean paste) is a surprisingly tender film about the creation of an equally treasured aspect of Japanese food/drink culture, dorayaki (どら焼き or red bean pancake). This dessert is ubiquitous in Japan, from pre-packaged types found in convenience stores to freshly made dorayaki at food stalls. The film centers on a dorayaki proprietor whose Read More
WIT Life #297: 人魚に会える日 (Girl of the Sea)
Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #297: 人魚に会える日 (Girl of the Sea)
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
Last week I returned from a short business trip in Japan when Tokyo was enjoying unseasonably warm weather. People were in t-shirts over the weekend, and with 梅 (ume, or plum blossoms) already in bloom an early 桜 (sakura, or cherry blossom) season is predicted for this year (if only I could have stuck around for a few more weeks…). However, this morning’s Japan news reported the weather dipping back down to chillier temps, so who knows when actual blooming will take place. Stay tuned to the 桜前線 (sakura zenzen, or cherry blossom front)!
While in Tokyo I had the chance to check out the film 人魚に会える日 (Ningyo ni aeru hi or Girl of the Sea), made by 20-year old Okinawan director and Keio University student Ryugo Nakamura. He made his debut at age 13 with the film やぎの冒険 (Yagi no bouken or The Catcher on the Shore), and has produced over 30 movies, amazingly prolific for his young age! After debuting in Okinawa, Girl of the Sea had a limited four-day run at the cool venue Eurolive in Shibuya (which also houses the Tokyo Film Academy). Nakamura created the film in collaboration with his classmates over two weeks of their summer vacation.
In the Q&A after the movie he detailed how in addition to the efforts of these classmate volunteers, the actors were kind enough to drive themselves from Naha (Okinawa’s capital city) to the northern city of Nago when they realized how limited the film’s resources were. I was particularly starstruck by the participation of one of my favorite Japanese singers/songwriters, the Okinawan artist Cocco. Nakamura recounted how during an intense scene Cocco has with two high schoolers who were overwhelmed to be acting with her, she put them right at ease.
Girl of the Sea deals with the theme of the proposed Futenma Marine Corps Base relocation and how the base issue affects Okinawans, especially young people. This topic is of extreme interest to me since I Read More
Justin’s Japan: The GazettE and BABYMETAL
Article/Journalism, Events, Justin's Japan, Music Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: The GazettE and BABYMETAL
Click image to read story
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Located in the heart of Times Square, the PlayStation Theater will host two popular Japanese rock acts later this spring.
Making their NYC debut April 29 are the GazettE, a Kanagawa-based rock quintet that follows in the footsteps of other Gotham-conquering visual kei acts like X Japan and L’Arc~en~Ciel. Formed in 2002, the band has performed in Europe multiple times since 2007, and will headline its first shows in America this spring in support of its latest album, 2015’s Dogma.
The band’s biggest world tour to date kicks off in Mexico City April 15, and will take them to a total of 11 countries outside of Japan, including stops in Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the States. Still completely self-produced, the GazettE continue moving forward, uncompromised in their artistic and unique worldview at home and abroad.
May 4 brings the return of BABYMETAL, a trio of teenage girls who perform a fusion of metal and idol music dubbed kawaii (cute) metal. After playing to a capacity crowd at Hammerstein Ballroom in 2014, the group returns to support its second album “Metal Resistance,” which will be released in Japan and several English-speaking territories in April. After playing venues like the Tokyo Dome and Wembley Arena in London, BABYMETAL is poised to become one of the biggest (and widely known abroad) musical acts in Japan today.
For more information, visit www.playstationtheater.com.
JQ Magazine: Carnegie Hall Hosts ‘Grand Japan Theater’
Celebrity, Events, JQ Magazine, Reviews Comments Off on JQ Magazine: Carnegie Hall Hosts ‘Grand Japan Theater’
The noh portion of the evening featured Living National Treasure Kamei Tadao: “For those who attended, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which fulfilled the promise of Japanese performing arts that made many of us fall in love with the culture in the first place.” (Masahito Ono)
By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer.
On March 1, Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium hosted Grand Japan Theater (also billed as An Evening of Japanese Traditional Theatre), which presented New York City with a spectacular rare performance of kyogen, noh and kabuki—all in one night. After kicking off their international tour in Tokyo and Osaka, then traveling halfway across the globe to introduce the first ever kabuki/noh performance to the royal family of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the troupe finally arrived in the U.S. for one special night.
A sold-out crowd of over 2,800 witnessed some of the biggest names in traditional Japanese theater, including the noh otsuzumi artist Kamei Tadao, who in 2002 was designated as a Living National Treasure; the internationally renowned kabuki and television actor Ichikawa Ebizo XI, who began his career at just six years old and has evolved into one of the most versatile traditional actors today; and many more with direct roots to these beautiful centuries-old art forms.
The backdrop for all of the evening’s performances featured three sets of traditional Japanese screens adorned with illustrations of bamboo that blended perfectly into the background despite the enormity of the hall. The night’s program began with the kyogen piece Sanbaso. (Kyogen, an art form that almost always accompanies a noh performance and acts as a short, often comical “intermission piece” for the audience, has traditionally been based on a Shinto religious rite that prays for peace, fertility and prosperity across the land.)
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Positions: Volunteering Opportunity
Posted by: JETAA Philadelphia Subchapter
Location: Linden Hill Elementary School (Wilmington, DE)
Contract: Volunteer
The PTA of Linden Hill Elementary School in Wilmington, DE will host an International Festival on Sunday, May 15. They want to showcase the diverse cultures their students represent. They are looking for volunteers to help present a Japanese performance, demonstration, game, or craft.
They are looking for creative Japanese people or Japan-lovers who would like to give their time sharing a Japanese art, game, or craft with elementary children on Sunday, May 15, 2016 from 11:00am to 3:00pm! If you know any fellow JET alumnus (or you yourself are) out that way, please contact the Philly Rep (phillyrep@jetaany.org) for more info and to volunteer!
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Event: U.S. Career Forum
Location: Javits Center, Hall 1E, 655 W 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
When: Saturday, April 9th, 2016 10:00AM – 7:00PM
The U.S. Career Forum next month welcomes JET alumni hoping to use their Japan-related skills in domestic positions.
The U.S. Career Forum invites speakers of Japanese and English from all over the country to explore career opportunities and find the perfect match for their future goals. Anyone with legal permission to work in the U.S. is welcome to attend, including OPT holders and candidates graduating by December 2016. Over 75% of the participating companies are requiring less than native Japanese language ability including APPLE, DELOITTE, MITSUWA, MIZUHO BANK, VALQUA AMERICA, and more.
Details:
- One-day event (April 9), resume submission and interviews onsite (professional attire requested)
- 32 hiring companies and counting including APPLE, IACE TRAVEL, KPMG, MIZUHO BANK, NOMURA RESEARCH INSTITUTE AMERICA, Y’S PUBLISHING GROUP
- For full-time and internship positions using Japanese throughout the U.S.
- For individuals with legal permission to work in the U.S.
- Participation is free, and attendance support of up to $350 is available for those traveling far to attend
More details and registration here: http://www.careerforum.net/event/us/?ref=2016jetwit&lang=E
If you have any questions concerning this event, please feel free to contact Catherine Rackley at c.rackley@discointer.com.
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York: ‘The Boy and the Beast,’ Kabuki, 3/11, WagakkiBand, Hiromi
Events, Film, Justin's Japan, Music Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York: ‘The Boy and the Beast,’ Kabuki, 3/11, WagakkiBand, Hiromi
Mamoru Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast premieres March 4. (FUNimation)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Tucked between Oscar and cherry blossom season, March offers an unmissable array of concerts, performances and exhibitions, along with a special gathering to mark the five-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
This month’s highlights include:
Tuesday, March 1, 8:00 p.m.
An Evening of Japanese Traditional Theatre
Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage), 881 Seventh Avenue
$50-$500, student discount tickets available at the box office
Starring kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa, this performance highlights traditional Japanese music by showcasing three different traditional Japanese theatrical art forms: kabuki, noh, and kyogen. It is rare, even in Japan, to see these performed in the same evening and on the same stage. Artistic Director of the Grand Japan Theater Denjiro Tanaka is the son of Tadao Kamei, a noh musician, and Sataro Tanaka, the daughter of kabuki musicians. His shared lineage made this collaboration possible.
Opens Friday, March 4
AMC Empire 25; Angelika Film Center; Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea
$14.50-$15.75
The latest feature film from award-winning Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children)! When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely pair will be put to the ultimate test—a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage. This limited theatrical engagement is presented in English dub and the original Japanese audio with English subtitles—check your local theater for availability and showtimes.
March 4-9
Of Ghosts, Samurai and War: A Series of Classic Japanese Film
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue
$12, $10 students/seniors, $8 members
In its history spanning more than 100 years, Japanese cinema has produced some of the most admired films that continue to enrich the world cinema discourse. Masterpieces by such greats as Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon), Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu), and Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba) have proved their enduring influence on filmmaking and film appreciation.
The six films included in the series are set during Japan’s Middle Ages (12th to 17th century) and produced during the Japanese golden age of cinema in the 1950s and 1960s—a time when Japan’s memory of war was still vivid. Using a variety of narrative and visual techniques, these filmmakers present a humanist approach to understanding life during war: from the struggle for power, to the quest for justice, or even the mere fight for survival. These rarely screened 35mm film prints also represent the best of Japanese cinema for their visual designs, color schemes, music, narrative strategies and performance styles, offering a pristine and essential viewing experience.
For the complete story, click here.
Presenters wanted for 2016 Japan Writers Conference
Books, Events, Networking, Writers Comments Off on Presenters wanted for 2016 Japan Writers Conference
Posted by Tom Baker (Chiba, 1989-91), a writer and editor in Tokyo and a regular Japan Writers Conference participant.
The Japan Writers Conference is a free annual event for English-langauge writers in a variety of fields. It is held each autumn in a different part of Japan. The event attracts a fair number of JETs and JET alumni, and this year’s event, at Tokushima University on October 29-30, will be hosted by a former JET, the author and anthologist Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima, 1988-90).
The organizers are looking for writers, translators, editors, agents and publishers to give presentations at this year’s event. For those interested in presenting or simply attending, the remainder of this post contains practical information taken verbatim from an official announcment:
About the site, Suzanne writes, “Although off the beaten path, Tokushima University is reasonably accessible. It’s about an hour and a half by bus from Kobe (all buses on the way to Tokushima station make a stop in front of the university), and a short bus ride from the Awa Odori Airport. Tokushima, a city with a rich literary heritage, is settled on the banks of the Yoshino River. We’ve got nature and culture (both traditional, such as Japan’s largest Bon festival, Awa Odori, indigo dyeing, bunraku puppetry and pottery-making, and modern, as in J-pop, anime and manga).
“The conference will be held in Tokushima University’s brand new Glocal Building.”
She also says there are plenty of hotels nearby in the station area.
So mark your diaries, calendars, smartphones or whatever it is you use to keep track of things, and plan to join us. As the event shapes up, we will keep you posted.
This is also our first call for presentation proposals. All published writers, translators, editors, agents and publishers who would like to lead a session are invited to submit proposals. We especially encourage proposals from new submitters. One of the strengths of the Conference has been variety, and the best way to foster variety is to have new presenters each year.
Those who have presented at past conferences are (of course) welcome to submit new proposals. But please, in the words of Ezra Pound, “Make it new.”
Please forward this to any friend or colleague who might be interested. If you know someone the conference organizers might approach–either living in Japan or planning to visit Japan next autumn–send us your suggestion. If you have contact information, that would be a great help.
Detailed information follows, but briefly, a proposal needs to include a brief bio, including some publication credits, the type of presentation you wish to make, a title, a summary of 50 words, a longer abstract (150 words) and any special requests you might have. Standard sessions are fifty minutes long, but if you have something special in mind, please let us know and we will accommodate if possible.
Presentations on all genres and all aspects of writing and publishing are welcome. The deadline for presentation proposals is Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
As in the past, the Conference will be free and open to all who wish to attend. This is possible because all the presenters and organizing staff volunteer their time and talent, and the use of the site is donated by the host. As a result, the Conference cannot offer any payment, reimbursement, lodging, or help in securing visas or travel permits. So please don’t ask.
Proposal Guidelines
When planning your JWC proposal, keep your audience in mind. Your listeners will be writers and others (translators, editors, publishers, and agents) concerned with creating publishable writing. While teaching, literary studies and private self-expression are certainly worthy activities, they are not the focus of this Conference. Ask yourself as a writer or other word professional these questions:
What information do I have which could be useful to others?
What writing, rewriting, editing, or marketing techniques have worked for me or others I know?
What topic would make for a lively and enlightening discussion?
What publishing or other professional opportunities do I know about?
What will an attendee take away from my fifty-minute session that he or she will find worthwhile?
You may submit more than one proposal.
The only qualification one needs to be a presenter is to have published. This does not mean that you need to have published a lot or in some high-profile journal. Your book (if you have a book) does not have to be on a best seller list. You do not have to have won any awards or to have appeared on TV. You simply need to have written, edited, translated, or otherwise worked on a piece of writing which has made it to the public eye. That is, published.
Proposal Deadline and Format
Using the following format, please send your ideas for a presentation by June 1, 2015. Send your proposal in the body of an email (no attachments) to both these addresses:
gribblej@gol.com
bernmulvey_1@yahoo.co.jp
In your subject line give your name, “JWC,” and the date.
In the body of the email, give:
1. Your name (or names)
2. Contact information (email, telephone. These remain confidential.)
3. Your publications (Need not be complete, but give names of journals and genre for short pieces; title, publisher and date for books; venues and dates for plays, and so on)
4. Title of presentation. (20 words or less)
5. Type of presentation (short lecture with Q&A, craft workshop, panel discussion, reading with Q&A, etc.)
6. Short summary of the presentation (50 words or less)
7. Abstract of the presentation (150 words or less)
8. Personal and professional biography (50 words or less. Make mention of your publications, as this will be part of the Conference program)
9. Anything else, such as special equipment needs or questions.
Your proposal doesn’t have to be a “finished” document to submit. There will be time to shape and polish your ideas for a presentation. But there is a set number of session slots available and if you are interested in having one of them, please let us know soon. Again, the deadline is June 1, 2016.
John Gribble
Bern Mulvey
Co Co-ordinators,
2016 Japan Writers Conference
Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York — Kamakura, TAO, Kimono Fashions, Noh, Kyogen
Article/Journalism, Events, Justin's Japan, Music Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: Nippon in New York — Kamakura, TAO, Kimono Fashions, Noh, Kyogen
TAO Drumheart comes to NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 11-14. (Courtesy of Matt Ross Public Relations)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from an exhibition that will transport you to another time, some cool late night jazz celebrating the best of two different cultures, and a fashion show and traditional performances you won’t want to miss.
This month’s highlights include:
Feb. 5-6, 11:15 p.m.
Patrick Bartley—Parallel Worlds: Japanese and American Music in the 20th Century
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway and 60th Street, 5th floor
$10, $5 students (Friday); $20, $10 students (Saturday)
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Late Night Session performances feature some of jazz’s most talented up-and-comers. Following his three nights of Bix and Tram: A Retrospective held earlier in the week, Parallel Worlds offers a brief, yet insightful look at the musical relationship between Japan and America, all performed by talented young musicians. The leader of New York’s own J-MUSIC Ensemble, Bartley (who performed with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in January) will examine the important periods between the earliest recorded music (1920s-30s) and the turning point for all popular music around the world in the 1960s—a story told with jazz as its orator.
Feb. 9-May 8
Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue
$12, $10 seniors, $7 students, free for members and on Fridays 6:00-9:00 p.m.
With over thirty masterpieces from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) from private and museum collections in North America and Europe, Kamakura is the first exhibition to look beyond the aesthetics and technical achievements of these remarkable sculptures, and specifically examine the relationship between realism and the sacred empowerment of these objects. The exhibition explores how sculptures are “brought to life” or “enlivened” by the spiritual connection between exterior form, interior contents, and devotional practice, reflecting the complexity and pluralism of the period. Kamakura marks the first major loan show of Kamakura sculpture in the United States in more than thirty years.
Feb. 11-14
NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place
$45-$75
Direct from TAO’s successful, sold-out world premiere run of at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, TAO comes to tour North America. Their new show, Drumheart—making its world premiere in New York—is their newest show bringing you athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. directed by Amon Miyamoto (Pacific Overtures) and featuring costumes by Junko Koshino and stage design by Rumi Matsui (both Tony nominees), TAO has critics raving about their extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than six million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming, entertains international audiences again and again.
For the complete story, click here.
WIT Life #295: Wonder 500 Exhibition
Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #295: Wonder 500 Exhibition
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
I arrived in DC yesterday to begin my first State Department interpreting assignment in a while. I’m looking forward to working with my Okinawan group as we travel across the country learning about base-hosting communities in the U.S. I hope that knowing our second half will be in San Diego/Hawaii will make surviving the brutal cold awaiting us in our next stop of Omaha, Nebraska a bit easier…
Getting to spend time in such lovely warm weather while New York is in the middle of winter is a great incentive to be on the road, but the hard part is missing out on cool stuff back home. One such event is the currently running Wonder 500, a collection of Japan’s finest goods, foods and travel experiences. This free exhibit Read More
JQ Magazine: New York Pledges Allegiance to George Takei at Japan Society
Article/Journalism, Celebrity, Events, JQ Magazine Comments Off on JQ Magazine: New York Pledges Allegiance to George Takei at Japan Society
George Takei (right), with moderator Kermit Roosevelt at Japan Society, New York, Jan. 2016. (Ann Chow)
By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle has completed a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association of New York since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City-based soccer team.
On Jan. 25, George Takei participated in a talk at Japan Society in New York. Best known for playing the role of Sulu on the original Star Trek and its movie incarnations, Takei has embarked on a second career as a social rights activist. Takei’s childhood in a pair United States internment camps for people of Japanese descent during World War II provided the focus for the conversation (entitled From Barbed Wire to Broadway), which was moderated by Kermit Roosevelt, a constitutional law scholar at the University of Pennsylvania (and great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt). Takei is also concurrently appearing on Broadway in a musical inspired by his internment experiences called Allegiance (book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione; music and lyrics by Jay Kuo). The show, also starring Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, is playing at the Longacre Theatre through February 14.
There is no doubt that Takei’s childhood experiences formalized his worldview and search for justice. He spoke at length of his memories of being forced out of his Los Angeles home at the age of five and relocated to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for Internment in Arkansas, and later, the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in central California. Takei also put his personal experiences within a historical and political context: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese paranoia made all U.S. citizens of Japanese heritage suspect. Due process of law was completely suspended as Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes without charge or evidence. Once in the internment camps, the prisoners had to forswear loyalty to the Emperor of Japan and pledge allegiance to the United States.
Winter Rice Field Art
Events, Japan Local Comments Off on Winter Rice Field Art
Mel T (Aomori-ken, 2007-2012) is a Canadian living and working in Towada City, Aomori. For more information about events, sightseeing, restaurants, etc. in Towada City, and around Aomori Prefecture & Japan, visit her blog at http://towada-city.blogspot.com.
Inakadate Village (Aomori Prefecture), the pioneer of rice field art, will be holding a Winter Rice Field Art event this February 2016 in collaboration with internationally renowned snow artist Simon Beck, who creates geometrical artworks by walking across/around fields of snow in snow shoes. He has traveled all over the world creating snow art works, but this will be his first work in Japan.
Justin’s Japan: Mar Creation, Inc.
Article/Journalism, Events, Film, Justin's Japan, Music Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: Mar Creation, Inc.
Click image to read story
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Those who have attended intimate Japanese arts performances in the city—such as last November’s sold-out shows of “IN THE BOX” at the Martha Graham Dance Company featuring Bessie Award winner Miki Orihara—might be familiar with the name Mar Creation, Inc.
Established by Nagoya-born Hiroshi Kono in 2003 as an independent record company with him doubling as label artist, Mar Creation expanded its focus to live events in 2008, and in recent years has been involved with various charitable causes. Some of its popular series include j-Summit NY (which hosted its 27th edition last month at The Bowery Electric featuring Alan Merrill, the original singer and composer of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”), and the annual New York Japan CineFest at Asia Society, which Mar Creation aims to expand this year as part of a national tour that includes Tokyo and several U.S. cities.
A music writer and journalist, Kono says that his other ambitions as a producer include a collaboration with Japanese calligrapher Setsuhi Shiraishi on her upcoming solo exhibition in New York and Washington, D.C. featuring workshop/performance shows with live musicians in multiple cities this summer and fall; Fukushima-related lectures and film screening events; Brazilian music festivals to celebrate the Rio 2016 Olympics; Japanese cherry blossom festivals in springtime; and anime/comic book conventions nationwide and abroad.
For more information, visit www.marcreation.com.
Posted by Sydney Sparrow, curriculum and content developer for a real estate school based in Virginia. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.
Position: Job Fair
Posted by: Career Forum
Location: San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
Dates: February 19th (Fri.) and February 20th (Sat.)
The San Francisco Career Forum, a job fair for individuals with Japanese language ability, is coming up on February 19th and 20th. Companies from all different industries are hiring for positions in Japan, the U.S., and various other locations.
Positions require varying degrees of Japanese proficiency. Companies will hold information sessions and interviews at the event, and many will also make offers of employment by the final day. You may attend one or two days of the San Francisco Career Forum, and you are also welcome to attend just to explore the vast opportunities available. All you need is professional attire and copies of your resume.
Current Participating Companies (as of 1/22):
- AIG JAPAN (Insurance) *
- BILCOM, INC. (PR Strategy Consulting) *
- DHL SUPPLY CHAIN LTD. (Global Logistics) *
- DISCO INC. (HR Consulting) *
- EFX.COM SECURITIES CO., LTD.
- FUTURE ARCHITECT, INC. (Architect (IT Consulting)) *
- GINZA EYEGLASSES AND CONTACTLENSES (Retail)
- HIROSE ELECTRIC CO., LTD. (Small Electric Parts Manufacturing) *
- JBS USA (Information Management/Consulting) *
- KAMAKURA SHIRTS (Retail) *
- RAKUTEN (Internet Service) *
- RECRUIT HOLDINGS CO.,LTD. (Internet/IT/Advertising)
- SUMIKA ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, INC. (Electronics Manufacturing & Sale) *
- VALQUA AMERICA, INC. (Manufacturing) *
* denotes companies currently accepting applications on CFN
For a complete participating company list and event details/registration:
http://www.careerforum.net/event/sf/comlist.asp?ref=JETAA&lang=E
*No cost to register or attend
If you have any questions concerning this event, please feel free to contact Catherine Rackley (Chiba-ken, 2005-2006) at c.rackley@discointer.com.
Justin’s Japan: George Takei Comes to Japan Society
Article/Journalism, Celebrity, Events, Justin's Japan Comments Off on Justin’s Japan: George Takei Comes to Japan Society
“George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway” comes to Japan Society Jan. 25. (Luke Fontana)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.
Start 2016 off right by heading down to Japan Society for some fantastic new year’s fare. This month’s events celebrate the power of theater, with productions that examine international relations between East and West, celebrating a century of growing diversity but also spotlighting a stormy past. Treat yourself and catch a break from the cold.
This month’s highlight:
Monday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m.
George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
SOLD OUT. Limited tickets may be released; please call the box office on January 19 at (212) 715-1258 to check availability.
“Too few people know about that dark chapter of American history,” film and television star, pop culture icon and social media powerhouse George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes) told The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart in 2014, “when American citizens of Japanese ancestry were summarily rounded up with no charges, no trial no due process—the core pillar of our justice system—and put in barbed wire prison camps simply because we happened to look like the people that bombed Pearl Harbor.” In George Takei: From Barbed Wire to Broadway, Takei shares memories from the troubling chapter of American history when some 120,000 innocent Japanese-Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes.
For the complete story, click here.
