JAPAN FOUNDATION WORLDWIDE

The Japan Foundation, Seoul, in collaboration with Kookmin University Zeroone Design Center, organized an exhibition entitled “Tadanori Yokoo Poster Exhibition” from August 30 to September 30. Tadanori Yokoo, currently residing in Japan, is one of the most successful Japanese artist and graphic designer. The exhibition presented graphic art works from 1965 when Tadanori bid farewell to modernism design. The Zeroone Design Center exhibited works from 1965 to 1998, and the Japan Foundation, Seoul presented works from 1999 to 2007. At the opening ceremony, a dialogue session between Shoji Katagishi, curator at the Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, and a Korean art critic was presented under the title “The direction of contemporary graphic design in Japan and the works of Tadanori Yokoo.” The one-man exhibition of the artist held for the first time in Korea created a perfect opportunity to develop deeper understanding of the Japanese stream of popular culture and contemporary design in Korea.

The Japan Foundation, Seoul also co-organized with CineQuaNon Korea (CQN) the “CQN Selected Masterpieces of Japanese Cinema” screening a series of 16mm Japanese major films with Korean subtitles from its collection. The screening took place at CineQuaNon; a movie theatre designated by the Korean Film Council as a theatre dedicated to art films. The first series featured a retrospective of the world-famous Japanese director Shohei Imamura, and was screened every Friday from September through October.

Shohei Imamura, who made his debut with the film "Stolen Desire" in 1958, has lead the Japanese new wave movement together with movie director Nagisa Oshima in the 1960s. Imamura won high appraisal form the world, and was awarded the Palme d’Or (Grand Prix) at the Cannes International Film Festival for “Stolen Desire” in 1982 and “The Eel” in 1997. The Shohei Imamura Retrospective featured 8 films, and the Japan Foundation, Seoul is planning to unfold a variety of special showings, along with inviting movie directors to undertake dialogues with people of the Korean film industry.

The Japan Foundation, Mexico is one of the Foundation’s smaller overseas offices. Because it lacks facilities for holding cultural events on its premises, the Mexico office  generally hosts such events in collaboration with various cultural and arts institutions around the country.

In July 2007, for example, the Mexico office joined with Cineteca Nacional to hold a special screening of ten films by Japanese director Shohei Imamura, attracting a total audience of 3,200. Then, from July to September, the Foundation produced an Exhibition of Japanese Traditional Pottery at the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz. The museum is known for its collection of relics from the ancient Olmec culture of Veracruz, and the exhibition provided a valuable opportunity to introduce traditional Japanese arts to one of Mexico’s important regional cities.

In October, the Foundation hosted two concerts in Mexico City featuring the duet of Tomoya Nakai and Fumie Kunogi, two young artists of the 25-string koto. The performers played to full houses at both the little theater of the Palacio de Bellas Artes and another city-administered theater. The enthusiastic response of both audiences reflected their appreciation for this exquisite blend of traditional and contemporary Japanese music.

In November the Foundation cooperated with a publishing company to present workshops by Taro Gomi, an author of children’s books, in Mexico City and Guadalajara. The participants -- adults as well as children -- appeared to enjoy having their creativity sparked by Mr. Gomi’s presentation.

The Japan Foundation, Mexico also collaborated in a number of other cultural events around the country, including Japanese-language speech contest, an academic conference on Japan, and a seminar on performing arts in which Japanese artists participated.

The Japan Cultural Institute in Cologne, founded in 1969, introduces Japanese culture by actively utilizing its facilities, which include a library housing approximately 20,000 books related to Japan, a multi-purpose hall and an exhibition space. Regular screening of Japanese films under specific themes is one of the popular events at the Institute. Other events include concerts of traditional Japanese music, lecture/demonstration on Japanese food culture such as tea, “Dialogue Exhibition” which exhibits works of German and Japanese artists under common themes, and lectures given by well-known writers such as Haruki Murakami. With introduction of contemporary Japan as the main objective, the Institute is striving to promote understanding of Japanese culture among as many and as broad a range of people as possible through these events.

Besides these original projects, the Institute also participates in joint projects with the City of Cologne, such as the “Music Night in Cologne” and the “Museum Night in Cologne.” In areas outside of Cologne, the Institute works with various German cultural agencies in an effort to develop new activities through joint projects which are not simple one-way relationships. The Institute organizes Japanese lessons, ranging from beginners’ class to advanced class; the “Shinkansen Course,” a speed learning course introduced in 2007, has become a very popular course.

As the Institute will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its founding in 2009, the Institute will endeavor even more to promote cultural exchange between Japan and Germany, on the foundation of Japanese-German friendship that has been built up over the years.