JAPAN FOUNDATION WORLDWIDE

The Japan Foundation, Manila focuses on introducing Japanese culture and teaching Japanese language especially for young people against the backdrop of recent, increasing interest in Japanese pop culture. Last February we held three major events: Nihongo Fiesta; WADAIKO performance; and the 1st National Bento Competition simultaneously at EDSA Shangri-la Plaza Mall. These events entitled “J-Taste at The Shang!” were held for two days and attracted a total of more than 10 thousand audience.

Nihongo Fiesta, a festival for many students and working people learning Japanese in Philippines, was held this year for a third year. The Fiesta is enhanced and attracts more participants every year to be a well-known event among Japanese learners. In the 35th Nihongo Speech Contest, Ms. Maricel Bornilla’s speech “Transcending a Japayuki” won outstanding performance award in the non-student division. The first ever Nihongo Performance Contest had 8 participating groups, total 200 high-school, college and working Japanese learners, enjoyed J-Pop, traditional and original dance, and cosplay.

In the First National Bento Competition held on the second day, traditional yet very common Japanese lunchbox Bento was the focal point, and Japan’s famous train lunch are exhibited. Charaben, vividly reflecting modern sense of bento in Japan, was also demonstrated and at the same time, Filipinos competed to showcase home-grown ingredients and products and to prepare intricate and artistic bento. Eight pairs of chef contested to put Filipino taste and wit in the Japanese lunchbox to produce totally new bento.

The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles invited Mr. Nobuaki Tomita, a kimono stylist active in the industry of film and television program, and a kimono dresser Ms. Kaoru Kumaki from Japan to hold Kimono Lecture and Demonstration “KIMONO: SEA OF SILK “ total seven times from March 11 through March 17 in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orange County. They visited five locations in seven days and attracted participants more than expected in each location.

Mr. Tomita brought about a dozen of gorgeous costumes including 12-layered ceremonial kimono in Heian Period and samurai’s kamishimo in Edo Period used for Japanese movies and television programs and modern kimonos and obis for which landscapes in Hollywood, San Francisco and the Japan Alps are designed.

In each location, 7 to 8 local citizens were asked to come as models. Mr. Tomita selected kimono suited for each model and Ms. Kumaki dressed them up for the show. Then kimono show suitable for audience in each location was held.

We received messages of gratitude form high school students learning the Japanese language and models who wore kimono for the first time, saying the event became a good memory.

In the event; moreover, the process of kimono production was demonstrated to show how a roll of cloth is processed to be a kimono, winding a cloth around one of the participants.

After the lecture, pictures of models in kimono and participants were taken and the event was so entertaining and glamorous that it was covered by some media.

We hope many people living in the US will get familiar with Japanese culture through various events in the future, as in the past.

A number of concerts are held every day in Rome at various places including traditional Rome Opera House, Auditorium designed by architect Renzo Piano with large, medium and small halls and nearly ten event spaces, small jazz clubs and churches.

Under such circumstances, the Japan Cultural Institute in Rome plans music concerts that people can listen only here, even if they are small in scale.
ESPLORAZIONI JAZZ (Exploring Jazz) by pianist Aki Kuroda, Alessandro Carbonare, first-chair clarinet player of Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and others was performed last year. The audience in the packed hall was excited many times about music that they can probably not able to listen at any other place. NutRocker, a rock version of Nutcracker and a jazz version of Brahms’ clarinet sonatas are the examples of that kind of music they played. In concert of Hidajimbo, a unit of Japanese drum and percussion, held at a space which is usually used for exhibition, more than 300 people were packed in especially prepared 150 seats. The concert was a great success with a lot of people and excitement. It reawaked the realization that Japan produces various kinds of music including traditional Japanese music and players in those genres and each one of them is at a high level.

For spring and summer 2008, a concert of bamboo flute and samisen will be held on April 23. A concert of Tsuru to Kame + Akira Sakata, a unique combination of folk music unit (Tsugaru shamisen and drum) and saxophone, and a duo recital of Vadim Tchijik (violin) and Sayaka Funakoshi (pianoforte) will be also held. To conclude this season, Jazz from Japan 2008 by XUXU (pr. Shushu), a cappella group of four Japanese female singers is scheduled.