Justin’s Japan: New York Hosts Sneak Preview of Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’
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Studio Ghibli's 'The Secret World of Arrietty' premieres in New York Jan. 21. (GNDHDDTW)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.
Co-written by anime legend Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Miyazaki protégé Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the New York International Children’s Film Festival will present a special one-time advance screening of Studio Ghibli’s new film The Secret World of Arrietty on Jan. 21 at Symphony Space, nearly a whole month ahead of its wide release on Feb. 17. The news comes just as the massive 15-film Studio Ghibli Festival (which broke box office records by grossing over $150,000 to date at the IFC Center) wraps up Jan. 12.
Originally released in Japan in July 2010 and based on Mary Norton’s classic children’s book The Borrowers, the film is a beautiful story about friendship, family and love, sumptuously animated with all the loving detail, warmth and humanity expected from Studio Ghibli’s finest works.
Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts.
For the complete story, click here.
WIT Life #187: Norwegian Wood
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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 together with her own observations.
This week I attended the Japan Society’s member screening of Norwegian Wood, the film version of this Haruki Murakami novel. I haven’t read the book, but the movie was quite moving. It takes place in the late 1960’s with student riots as a backdrop. It is a love story centering on the university student Toru Watanabe, who is torn between his first love from his hometown, Naoko, and a new women he meets at school, Midori. His relationship with Naoko is complicated as their mutual best friend (and Naoko’s boyfriend) committed suicide when they were in high school. They share this bond, but it is also the source of Naoko’s mental instability. Midori is a bit of a brighter character, though her life has been overshadowed by family members’ untimely deaths. The film is quite tender in its exploration of these relationships and the direction Toru’s future will take.
The movie was made in 2010 by the French-Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran, who was on hand at the screening along with Rinko Kikuchi who plays Naoko (pictured above with Kenichi Matsuyama who plays Toru). They offered some behind the scenes stories, such as how Read More
Justin’s Japan: Studio Ghibli Festival Mounts Monthlong, 15-Film Retrospective
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Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award-winning 'Spirited Away' screens as part of the Studio Ghibli Festival, running Dec. 16 to Jan. 12 at New York's IFC Center. (GKIDS)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.
The holidays have come early for Studio Ghibli fans.
From Dec. 16 to Jan. 12, GKIDS will host a massive four-week film retrospective from Japan’s internationally acclaimed animation studio at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village.
Founded in 1985 and led by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Ghibli (based on the Arabic name for the sirocco, or Mediterranean wind) is home of some of the greatest anime films of all time, including the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away (also the highest grossing film in Japanese history), My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service and more. The studio even has its own museum in Tokyo, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and showcased two of its short films at Carnegie Hall in March in a rare a one-time-only exception to its screening policy.
For this first-ever Studio Ghibli Festival, all films will be shown on sparkling new 35mm prints, including the North American premieres of Takahata’s Only Yesterday and Tomomi Mochizuki’s The Ocean Waves.
The retrospective should also whet fans’ appetites for the next Ghibli film to be released in North America, The Secret World of Arrietty. Co-written by Miyazaki and based on Mary Norton’s award-winning novel series The Borrowers, Arrietty arrives in theaters Feb. 17.
For the complete story, click here.
Justin’s Japan: L’Arc~en~Ciel Marks 20 Years in Rock with Special Film Screening
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'The Best of L'Arc~en~Ciel 2 Days Live at Tokyo Ajinomoto Stadium' premieres Nov. 29 in New York. (Courtesy of Live Viewing Japan)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.
After 20 years, 13 million albums and 16 million singles sold, famed J-rock group L’Arc~en~Ciel is ready for its next career highlight: New York City.
On Nov. 29, movie theaters in Times Square and Union Square will unveil a special one-night-only music event for the band, which will be simulcast in eight other major American cities. The screening comes months ahead of their hotly anticipated live debut at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in March 2012.
Entitled The Best of L’Arc~en~Ciel 2 Days Live at Tokyo Ajinomoto Stadium, the concert film celebrates the group’s 20th Anniversary, traces their colorful history, and captures them in action at a gig last year that drew over 100,000 fans. The screening is presented by Live Viewing Japan in partnership with Maverick DC Group.
Live Viewing Japan is a distribution company focused on bringing Japanese entertainment media to an international audience. In New York earlier this month, they screened a concert showcase by superstar virtual idol Hatsune Miku (read this Examiner’s review here), and L’Arc~en~Ciel’s film has already made the rounds in São Paulo, Jakarta, Singapore, and will beam its way to London next month.
For the complete story, click here.
Justin’s Japan: Film Review – ‘Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 39’s Live in Sapporo’
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"With New York going bananas in between numbers and the room itself mimicking the Sapporo show with timed strobe and lighting effects—the theater’s management really went the extra mile—it truly felt like being at a concert." (Courtesy of Live Viewing Japan)
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his page here for related stories.
On Nov. 10 a one-time theatrical screening was held for a new concert film from virtual pop phenom Hatsune Miku. Entitled Hatsune Miku Live Party 2011 39’s Live in Sapporo, the film—captured in August at the 2,000 capacity Zepp Sapporo—is Miku’s latest appearance in America following a Toyota ad campaign and live gigs at L.A.’s Nokia Theatre and the San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year. (In fact, this reporter was interviewed for Japanese TV about that; click here for the news clip.)
Hatsune Miku, whose name means “first sound of the future,” is a Vocaloid (meaning machine-made vocals) digital female avatar and the most popular of Crypton Future Media characters that employ Yamaha technology to create synthesized vocal tracks, similar to Auto-Tune. In Japan, Miku is massively successful and has appeared in numerous popular video games and music videos, and her Sailor Moon-meets-Avril Lavigne image (she is a teen idol, after all) is equally fanboy and fangirl friendly.
Presented by Live Viewing Japan and simulcast in nine U.S. cities, this screening was shown to a capacity Times Square crowd. From the moment Miku’s name flashed up on the dark screen five seconds in, the audience was hooked. Wild applause, shrieks and excitement from the mostly American teens and twentysomethings in the crowd took the older folks by surprise. “This is like Paul McCartney to us,” remarked one lady several seats away. (She and her companion left about an hour in.)
For those unfamiliar with J-pop, the genre’s credo is style over substance (Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are our closest counterparts), but just like with our pop tarts, a catchy hook is a catchy hook. With a black, completely bare stage flanked by a five-piece band (yes, the music seems to be performed live), the only thing besides Miku noticeable throughout are the hundreds of lime green glow sticks pumped energetically by the fans throughout. Again, this was mirrored by the Times Square audience as one enterprising otaku passed out five blue ones (not to be outdone, he carried a massive Darth Maul-ish staff that lit up a chunk of the theater.)
For the rest of the article, click here.
JQ Magazine: Film Review – Sion Sono’s ‘Cold Fish’ an Antisocially Acquired Taste
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“In the end, Sono really does ask us about our humanity, and what life is about. Sure, he takes the bloody, abusive, rape-filled path, but he does touch on some solid stuff. It’s a lot of big questions wrapped in a gory, misogynistic, boob-exposing gift box.” (Courtesy Salient Media)
By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Rick manages the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY)’s Twitter page and is the creator of the JETwit column Tadaima!
I was hungry, real hungry after work and was about 20 minutes early to the New York Museum of Art and Design near Columbus Circle to see the movie Cold Fish 「冷たい熱帯魚」, so I walked a block to Good Burger and grabbed an overpriced hamburger. As I arrived back to the museum, I sat next to Shree (name changed to protect the innocent) who was midway through a burrito. With minutes left before the movie started, we headed into the museum and down some wooden steps to the theater. Walking in I was pretty surprised; we were only accompanied by seven or eight other patrons. Little did I know that it was a blessing in disguise…fewer people to feel awkward around after the movie.
Oh yes, the movie. How do I write about Cold Fish? It’s a little difficult. I suppose I can do it like this:
Cold Fish is a film directed by the controversial Sion Sono (whose month-long, eight-film retrospective wraps this week at MAD) and stars Denden and Mitsuru Fukikoshi. The film is based on real murders that took place in Fukushima. The story begins well enough: A timid man named Nobuyuki (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) with a rebellious daughter (Hiraki Kajiwara) and a hot trophy wife (gravure idol Megumi Kagurazaka) is feeling disconnected and regretful. They own a tropical fish shop. Through an awkward circumstance they meet Mr. Murata (Denden) and his attractive wife (Asuka Kurosawa), both of whom also own a tropical fish shop.
From there, shit just gets weird. That’s the only way I can explain it, folks. And it wasn’t just because the film cut out four times while we watched it. (Apparently, there were Blu-ray issues…through most of the movie. The museum might want to buy a new player before they hold another festival.) Anyway, Mr. Murata decides to bring Nobuyuki on as a partner, but not before hiring his daughter at his shop and sleeping with his wife (who apparently enjoys rough treatment, to put it mildly).
As Nobuyuki is introduced as the new partner, the old partner finds himself exiting the business via a poisonous death. This is where things kick into the next gear, and Murata forces Nobuyuki to assist with the disposal of the body. The whole body disposal process is presented with great detail. I’m serious about this part—after watching this movie, I am fairly confident that anyone could make a dead body disappear.
The plot then dives deeper and deeper into the dark comedy that is Murata’s utter disregard for human life and the director’s utter disregard for your stomach. By the way, did I mention that this film is very graphically violent? If you aren’t into that kind of thing, find another show; this movie revels in its ability to test what you can deal with gore-wise. If you enjoy severed heads and genitalia being tossed around a bathroom, you’ve found your dream movie.
Ghibli’s 借りぐらしのアリエッティ (aka “The Secret World of Arrietty”) being released in US Feb 2012!
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Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, Kanazawa, 2006-11) is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the NY area available for full-time or consulting work.
I was so excited when I saw a friend post on Facebook this morning that the most recent Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli film, “The Secret World of Arrietty” will be in theaters in the US in February of 2012! I was lucky enough to see it in theaters in July of 2010, and I was blown away. You can watch the Japanese trailer here.
The story is based off the classic children’s novel “The Borrowers” by Mary Norton. Essentially, the Borrowers are kobito, literally “tiny people,” who live by borrowing the things they need from humans. They live under the floorboards or close to human’s houses so they can sneak in when no-one’s around to borrow what they need. The main characters are Arrietty and her family, the last remaining Borrower family in their area. One day, while borrowing sugar from the house, Arrietty is seen by the sick boy who’s come to visit the house for the summer. What will happen now that a human has seen her? The adventure begins!
Studio Ghibli films are always beautifully produced, but I thought that Arrietty was even a step above their normal production. The scenery from the garden around the house was exquisite… every leaf, flower and dew drop was so fresh and colorful that when you watch it on the big screen you truly feel you are the size of a Borrower, walking though the jungle of an overgrown garden. The soundtrack was equally amazing – ethereal and quirky, performed by the immensely talented French singer and harpist Cecile Corbel. I’m not one for buying movie soundtracks, but after I saw the movie I immediately went to the closest Tower Records and bought the “Kari-gurashi SONGBOOK” soundtrack, which has all of the best themes and songs from the movie on it. Check out the main theme here.
Disney will be releasing Arrietty in February. Although I’m a die-hard subtitle fan, I’ve been really impressed by Disney’s translation and dubbing for the other Ghibli movies. They bring in top-notch actors and really smooth out the dialogue while keeping close to the original meaning and feeling of the Japanese. Translation of movies has got to be one of the hardest jobs ever – it’s not just language but a whole different set of cultural cues that you’re translating for another audience. Arrietty will be voiced by Bridget Mendler and supported by a great cast including Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler, and Will Arnet.
I know that most of us have seen or heard of Miyazaki’s movies before – perhaps Studio Ghibli’s movies are part of what drew us to Japan. Movies, anime, and traditional artwork were the things that got me interested in Japan in the first place! What are some of your favorite Ghibli movies? Mine include:
Porco Rosso (紅の豚 Kurenai no Buta), the Casablanca-esque story of a mysteriously enchanted pig-cum-bounty hunter who swoops around the Adriatic saving school children and the hearts of beautiful cafe owners…
My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ Tonari no Totoro), a story of two little girls who move to a new house in the country with their father. Strangely enough, the house is inhabited by an amazing array or spirits that can only be seen by children, including the large, fuzzy, and toothy monster called Totoro and his friend the Cat Bus.
Howl’s Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城 Hauru no Ugoku Shiro), based on the Diana Wynne Jones YA book of the same name, is a light tale of love and magic with a twist of Miyazaki’s anti-war messages…
JET alum collaborates on documentary about photographers of Tohoku Disaster
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Here’s a unique and compelling short documentary–an academic non-profit venture–by JET alum Janak Bhimani (who has been studying at the Keio Graduate School of Media Design after hosting an online Japanese TV show in New York a few years ago) made with some of his Keio classmates. The film is about Tohoku post 3.11 from the point of view of the people who took photographs and was shown at a special session of the 2011 Tokyo International Film Festival. It was originally shown in 4K (which was part of Janak’s research).
Here’s the link: http://vimeo.com/31093347
lenses + landscapes from KMD 4KNarrative on Vimeo.
Janak says feel free to share with others as they’d like to get it shown in more places in Japan and elsewhere.
NHK coverage of JETAA Heartland film festival fundraiser from March 2011
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Here’s a link to coverage (including video) of JETAA Heartland’s Japanese Film Festival fundraiser for Japan earthquake/tsunami relief back in March 2011. The video features an interview with JETAA Heartland President Warren McAllen!
Here’s the video and article:
By: Beth Vaughn
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Two and a half weeks have passed since an earthquake struck Japan, triggering a huge tusnami that has killed more than 10,000 people. Another estimated 18,000 people are still missing.
Though time has passed, the disaster is still at the forefront of many minds in the Heartland.
All proceeds from the Greater Kansas City Japanese Film Festival Sunday afternoon at Johnson County Community College went directly to agencies working in the Japanese relief effort.
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association and the Heart of America Japan-America Society are putting on the event.
The film festival was planned even before the quake shook Japan. The original purpose was to promote Japanese flims in the Heartland and to grow a greater understanding of Japanese culture.
This year’s films include Chocolate Underground, Harimaya Bridge and Red Beard.
JETAA also plans to send volunteers to Japan in the coming months to help rebuild areas that now face devastation.
JQ Magazine: Four Cups of Sake, ‘Three☆Points,’ Two Beers, and One Night with Sora Aoi
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Sora Aoi at New York's Japan Society for the ‘Three☆Points’ premiere, July 15, 2011. (Justin Tedaldi)
By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Rick manages the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY)’s Twitter page and is the creator of the JETwit column Tadaima!
So I’m here to give you my Three☆Points review. I’m sure you’ll find it somewhere down there. I mean I could just write you about the movie. but that would be unfair, it would be out of context, it would be devoid of what makes this process fun. You see, New York’s Japan Society once again pulled out all the stops for their JAPAN CUTS film festival, and tonight was its apex; the American Premiere of Three☆Points, with a Q&A from actress Sora Aoi and director Blah Blah something Japanese. Not to mention an after party with a DJ, food, and all the beer you can drink. Reviewing things has its perks. If for some reason you don’t know who Sora Aoi is, please, by all means, look her up, Google her. Try doing it at work, under unfiltered pictures. Have your boss and co-workers gather around. It’ll be totally appropriate.
But anyways, there I am at Megu, the uber-fancy restaurant in the Trump World Tower next door to Japan Society. It was Restaurant Week in NYC, so two friends of mine and my girlfriend accompanied me there for a pre-show meal. Little did I know the dinner would be so light on “meal” and heavy on sake-tasting. It was supposed to only be three sakes but they messed up and gave us four. Not so much a problem, but at a place where a single person can easily drop $200 on a meal, going for Restaurant Week and only paying $35 a person results in a curtailed dining experience, no matter how delicious.
So after demolishing a breaded asparagus, a smattering of fresh sushi and a fantastic green tea crepe, I stumbled over to Japan Society ready for my date with destiny. Of course, that would need a moment, since four sakes meant I needed to use the men’s room. The line was out the door, though. People had come out en masse to see Ms. Aoi. I waved to a couple of the volunteers I knew as I jogged down the stairs towards the bathroom. My girlfriend was along for the fun as well, and she darted into the women’s room.
On exiting I lingered, waiting for my girlfriend. I watched where the serpentine line ended; at the opening to the 300-plus seat, meticulously clean theater in Japan Society. I knew both the ticket takers. I debated in my head as to if I should attempt to cut all the eager people in line with a high five to score good seats and impress my girlfriend. My “don’t be a douche” motto rendered this plan a bad idea, and instead just patiently, drunkenly waited for the poor girl who got stuck dating me.
Jen Wang (Miyagi, 2008-09) is a lab tech in Dallas and a staff writer for the Japanese music website Purple SKY. Her love of cosplay and her junior high school students inspired the name for her own Japanese pop culture blog, Hibari-sensei’s Classroom.
Since there have been a couple posts here about JAPAN CUTS film festival in New York, I thought I would write about a Japanese movie I saw at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas last week. The festival was in its 10th year and ran from July 14-21. Among the Japanese films screened was the 2010 live-action adaptation of the popular shoujo manga series, Kimi ni Todoke (in English, From Me to You).
Haruma Miura as Shota Kazehaya and Mikako Tabe as Sawako Kuronuma
Filled with a young actors, the movie seemed like a typical high school romance in which shy loner Sawako Kuronuma, who is made fun of for her resemblance to Sadako of The Ring, catches the eye of class heartthrob Shota Kazehaya. However, it is more a story about Sawako coming out of her shell and forging tight bonds with the people who reach out to her. The muted colors and leisurely pace make the film light and gentle, yet there are moments that remind us that adolescence years can contain heartache. More importantly, Kimi ni Todoke reminds us that a little kindness can go a long way.
For a complete review of the film, click here.
WIT Life #176: 悪人
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WITLife 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 together with her own observations.
First off a huge OMEDETOU to the Japanese women’s soccer team for winning the World Cup over the weekend! I watched the game with the Japanese delegation I have just begun interpreting for, and needless to say it made our night. The victory has been a nice boost of encouragement for the country, and is something all of its citizens can take pride in.
The Japan Cuts film festival at Japan Society is going strong in its second and final week, and in my next few entries I hope to discuss some of the great movies I’ve been seeing. But today I’d like to talk about another interesting film that made its New York premiere when it was screened last week as part of the Nippon Eiga series sponsored by ANA. It was 悪人 (Akunin) or Villain, and featured the two amazing actors Satoshi Tsumabuki (as the villain) and Eri Fukatsu (as the woman who falls in love with him). It was directed by Sang-il Lee who also made Hula Girls, another movie that was screened as part of ANA’s series a few years back.
Fukatsu received the Best Actress award at the Montreal World Film Festival last year for playing this role, a worthy performance. She and Tsumabuki always have great chemistry (I loved them in Read More
JQ Magazine: Film Review – ‘Sword of Desperation’ and ‘The Last Ronin’ at JAPAN CUTS 2011
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A scene from 'Sword of Desperation,' screened in New York last week as part of the JAPAN CUTS film festival. (Courtesy of Japan Society)
By Paul Benson (Fukui-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Paul is a New York-based freelance translator who has handled assignments ranging from securities law to cookbooks.
This past week I had the pleasure of seeing two films in Japan Society’s annual JAPAN CUTS film festival. The festival runs from July 7-21, with 32 films (nearly all of them premieres). I was instantly drawn to JAPAN CUTS’ only two jidaigeki 時代劇 samurai films in the series, Sword of Desperation 「必死剣鳥刺し」 and The Last Ronin 「最後の忠臣蔵」. The films were wonderful, and I encourage you to seek them out.
Sword of Desperation (2010, dir. Hideyuki Hirayama) is a poised and powerful film of feudal intrigues and expert swordsmen, a fine addition to the chanbara チャンバラ (“sword-fighting”) genre. Set in the Edo Period (1600-1868), Sword of Desperation has all the genre’s usual devices: a gradual build-up to an outburst of action, an alienated master swordsman, and conflicts of duty and heart.
The film’s first half beautifully establishes the circumstances, characters and their relationships. Etsushi Toyokawa plays the character Sanzaemon Kanemi, a master swordsman, who serves the daimyo Tabu Ukyō (Jun Murakami). At the start of the film (set three years ago), Kanemi murders his master’s favorite concubine, Lady Renko (Megumi Seki), just after the annual spring Noh performance. It soon becomes clear that Kanemi acted to stop Lady Renko from further manipulating the daimyo and damaging the domain’s administration. Kanemi is given a light sentence—a year of house arrest and a meager pay decrease—and he is allowed to return to service afterward. Yet, he soon finds himself losing his wife Mutsue (Naho Toda), faced with the affections of his niece, and lost in the intrigues of others, a situation to which blood is the only way out.
While the pacing of the film might feel disjointed and sluggish to the unfamiliar, anyone acquainted with the chanbara genre is in for a treat. The previous two chanbara films I’ve seen are When the Last Sword Is Drawn 「壬生義士伝」 (2003, dir. Yōjirō Takita) and Sword of Doom 「大菩薩峠」 (1966, dir. Kihachi Okamoto). These didn’t disappoint, and neither does Sword of Desperation. The film has beautiful sets and scenery, a simple but moving plot, and a great twist at the end.
Justin’s Japan: Superstar Sora Aoi Appears This Week at Japan Society’s JAPAN CUTS 2011
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'Three☆Points' star Sora Aoi will appear at New York's Japan Society July 15 with the film's director Masashi Yamamoto. (Courtesy of Japan Society)
After doing boffo box office last week with sold-out screenings of Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, Battle Royale and the Gantz duology, Japan Society’s JAPAN CUTS 2011 will reach the boiling point this Friday (July 15) with a very special guest: international cause célèbre Sora Aoi. With a career spanning nearly a decade in Japan’s adult video (AV) industry, Aoi (whose stage name translates to “blue sky”) has also moonlighted in television dramas, film and mainstream entertainment, even enjoying success in China as a pop singer.
The actress will appear at Japan Society supporting her latest drama, Three☆Points, with its director Masashi Yamamoto helming a Q&A. The pair will also join a special after party after the screening to meet fans personally. Other Special guests slated for the rest of JAPAN CUTS include The Seaside Motel director Kentaro Moriya, A Liar and a Broken Girl director Natsuki Seta (both July 16), and Haru’s Journey director Masahiro Kobayashi (July 20).
All films—most of them New York premieres–are primarily shown in Japanese with English subtitles, some with actor/director intros and Q&As and after parties.
For more on the remaining cuts, click here.
Japan Fix London: Hyper Japan – Interview with Mary Moreton
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Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, writing and translation.
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It’s not surprising that London has changed a lot during the years I’ve been away in Japan. Being the “most populous municipality in the European Union”, rapid development, modernization and globalization are to be expected. However, it still throws me of guard when my British friends now drop ‘katsu-don’, ‘kirin beer’, and ‘kawaii’ into everyday conversation. I know those words weren’t part of my vocabulary before I took off for my life as an ALT!
For a recently returned expat like me, it is a huge comfort to see Japanese culture so widely embraced in my home city. Which is why I was particularly excited to hear about HYPER JAPAN, a three day event promoting all the different aspects of Japanese culture that make it so appealing to us in the west. Determined to get my ‘Japan-fix’ to fight off the homesickness, I applied for a volunteer position and was delighted to discover one of the Hyper Japan team, Mary Moreton, was a fellow ex-JET. Not one to miss a chance to share JET stories, Mary kindly agreed to meet me one soggy London afternoon.
Hi Mary, sorry for dragging you out in this! Could you start by telling me a bit about your time on JET – why you applied, where you were based?
I was a CIR in Aomori City CIR from 2002 – 2005. I studied Classical Japanese Literature at University, which was a really interesting course that I enjoyed a lot, but not necessarily a degree that could lead straight to a clear career path. I wasn’t interested in working in say finance in the city like many of my friends, and I had spent time in Japan before (I did a year out in Osaka), so I decided to apply for JET.
How did you find Aomori compared to your experience of living in Osaka? I would imagine it to be quite different!
Yes, it was completely different to my previous experience of living in the city. I remember in my first week, there was another girl from UK who was based at the kencho, and we decided to meet up and explore one day. We walked around for about 10 minutes until we realised there really wasn’t much to see! It was totally different from my experiences of urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.
What did you do after JET?
After returning from JET, my first job was as a PA for the European director of a Japanese electronics company where I was working in a mainly Japanese environment. Even though I had left Japan, during my working day, things weren’t too different. Although I felt that my unique point was my Japanese ability, I did not necessarily want to restrict myself to working for Japanese companies. I then went on to work for a British based Insurance broker. I worked in their Japanese department, so I was still using Japanese but not working in a completely Japanese environment as I had been used to. I had always been interested in translation, so in addition to working, I decided to do a part-time MA in translation. In the end I had to quit my job to focus on my dissertation in the last term.
With my MA finished I then decided to do freelance translation and signed up with several Japanese agencies. Not all of them gave regular work, and there were certain areas of translation (technical) that I couldn’t do, but after settling into a good relationship with a few coordinators, I managed to find my niche. Through that I did some work for the Sushi Awards, which led to my current position with Cross Media. Once again I am working as the only native English speaker in a Japanese company, but I enjoy it a lot as I get to promote all the things I love about Japanese culture and cuisine, and share it with a whole new audience.
Could you tell us a bit about the background of Hyper Japan?
The Eat-Japan Sushi Awards have been around for a few years. Japanese food is a lot more popular now in the UK than when I left in 2002 to go to Japan. Now there are so many places around where you can try Japanese food, and there is a lot more scope to promote it – which is where the idea for the sushi awards came from.
Japanese anime, manga and games have always had a fanbase in the UK and the rest of Europe, and there is a large Japan Expo held in Paris which mainly focuses on these aspects of Japanese culture.
I think most people think that Japan is cool, but not necessarily for just one thing. There are separate events to cater for cosplay, anime, and sushi fans, however there wasn’t anything that brought all these together – which what Hyper Japan attempts to do. In the same way that people who live in Japan experience the old and the modern co-existing harmoniously (you could find a Shinto shrine next door to a pachinko parlor), Hyper Japan aims to showcase both the contemporary and classic sides of Japanese culture under one roof.
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