JAPAN FOUNDATION WORLDWIDE

When Chinese president Hu Jintao visited Japan this May, Japanese and Chinese governments signed the joint statement that required each government to establish a cultural center in the counterpart. Based on this statement, the Japan Foundation, Beijing, restarted with its new Chinese name “北京日本文化中心 (the Beijing Japan Culture Center).” The center’s opening ceremony was held in Beijing on October 10 inviting over 200 guests, including Chinese government officials, scholars, and artists, as well as representatives from the Japanese Embassy and companies. Hisashi Michigami, Minister of the Japanese Embassy to China, gave a congratulatory speech by stating that the establishment of the center symbolized the new start of Japan-China relations in cultural exchange and wishing further success in any future endeavor of the center.

At the ceremony, a band Soothe performed and set the audience alight. "Soothe" is a band of 5 male performers: Tsugaru shamisen, guitar, bass, Japanese drum, and drum. They were sent by the Performing Arts Division of Japan Foundation for a tour in China. Soothe gave a concert on October 11 at the Minorities Culture Palace Theater in Beijing with over 1,000 audiences, mainly young Chinese people, who were enthralled by the band’s sound of various genres of traditional and modern music, including Japanese traditional music with Shamisen solo, call-and-response by shamisen and Japanese drum, and contemporary music by all 5 musicians.In addition to the performance, a video jockey “DaDaKingZ” projected live paintings and improvising video collage, which transformed the hall into a surreally unique space.

As a brand-new center of Japanese culture, the Japan Foundation, Beijing, is planning to offer further diversified programs, including screenings of Japanese films, Japanese pop music concerts, and a series of lectures for Japanese language educators, to deliver various aspects of Japanese cultures to Chinese citizens, especially younger ones.

According to the Federal Government of Brazil, over 2,500 events have been held this year throughout the country relating to the Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange (the centennial of Japanese emigration). This June was the pinnacle of the cerebration, when His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito visited Brazil to meet prominent figures in Brazil and to participate in the commemorative ceremonies in 8 cities including Brasilia, the capital of the country. Prince Naruhito also actively met people from Japanese-derived community. The commemorative ceremony in Sao Paulo gathered approximately 40,000 people.The Brazil-Japan Cultural Week from June 14 to June 21 recorded 120,000 audiences and 170 events to introduce Japanese culture. Among this large-scale project, the sennin daiko (thousand drums) performance and Japanese music concert by Orquesta Jazz Sinfonica do Estado Sao Paulo (Sao Paolo State Jazz Symphonic Orchestra) were televised in Japan.

In addition to support implementation of the Brazil-Japan Cultural Week project, the Japan Foundation, Sao Paulo, welcomed 21 performing arts events and specialist exchange activities in first half of the fiscal year 2008-2009. For example, Japanese Traditional Music Concert Tour in South America by Kifu Mitsuhashi (shakuhachi), Nanae Yoshimura (koto) and Mika Danno (sangen) achieved successin two cities in Brazil. Contemporary Dance Tour in Brazil by Miyako Kato Dance Space in 5 cities was another successful event. In addition to works by Japanese dancers, such as SAND TOPOS by Akira Kasai, Kim Itoh and Miyako Kato and Miyako Kato’s solo NIKKI, new work Laughing Soil, co-production with Brazilian dancers were performed.This collaboration made the tour a good showcase for the 100th anniversary of cultural exchange. There also were many dances by Brazilian artists to pursue the physical performance of Japanese. In particular, “Wabi Sabi” by Japanese-Brazilian choreographer Suzana Yamauchi was covered by Mainichi Shimbun in Japan and attracted attention.

At the International Book Biennal of Sao Paulo in August, Japan was one of the honored countries. The Japan Foundation supported to provide a large booth to introduce Japan, and to host a lecture by Ms. Akiko Kurita, the founder and managing director of Japan foreign-Rights Centre, on the subject of the publishing business in Japan, as well as to host a panel discussion by experts in the publishing business in Brazil on the theme of prevalence of Japanese literature in Brazil.

Regarding the Japanese language projects, “Japanese Karaoke Caravan” toured 8 cities in Brazil, and is very popular among Brazilians who are learning Japanese. Japanese language is prevailing in Brazil through Japanese pop music. Japanese animation, manga (cartoon), and costume play also have a major impact, and often appear on Brazilian media as the symbols of Japanese modern culture. As many Brazilians extend their interest in Japanese culture to Japanese cuisine, around 600 Japanese restaurants are in business in Sao Paulo, which makes the city as one of the world’s leading consumers of Japanese cuisine. Under such circumstances, the Japan Foundation, Sao Paulo, started the series of events titled “Saberes dos Sabores (Wisdom of Taste)” in 2006, to promote the culture of Japanese cuisine in Brazil. Events include lectures by famous chefs and leading figures in gastronomic culture, and tasting of Japanese foods. In parallel with implementation of advanced Japanese studies, the Japan Foundation, Sao Paulo, is also making efforts to provide activities to promote understanding of Japanese culture among ordinary Brazilian people.

From Thursday 26 – Sunday 27 September 2008, the Japan Foundation London Office partnered with the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts at Middlesex University for the conference entitled Artists Open Doors: Japan/UK, in order to celebrate and investigate state of the art contemporary dance in Japan and England.

The conference included performances, panel discussions, workshops and presentations to stimulate debate on key issues, such as: understandings of ‘contemporary’; contemporary practice in Japan; structures, support systems, agencies and artists; community arts practice; and cultural policy. Attended by artists, arts professionals, academics and students from the UK, Japan and beyond, the event grew out of the current Japan-focused research projects conducted by Middlesex University, helping to forge new connections with Japanese artists and agencies by examining their engagements with both audiences and policy. The conference was one of the largest gatherings of Japanese dance specialists ever held in the UK.

Marking the UK-Japan 150 celebrations, the 3rd seminar of our Movers and Shapers series on October 14th saw Professor Ian Nish give a fascinating account of the life of Sir Ernest Satow. Considering his achievements as both a diplomat and a linguist, Professor Nish made a compelling case for viewing Satow as a key figure in the history of relations between the UK and Japan. From sympathetic contacts with the Satsuma and Choshu leaders of the Meiji restoration, up to the signing of Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1902, Satow’s influence was significant and prolonged. During the lively question and answer session that followed Professor Nish's presentation, it became clear that a family descendent of Ernest Satow was in the audience, providing a welcome but unexpected perspective for the large and enthusiastic audience. Having already looked at the figures of William Adams and Thomas Glover, the Movers and Shapers series will next move on to consider the scholar Basil Hall Chamberlain and his work in Tokyo at the end of the 19th century, before perhaps turning to influential cross-cultural Japanese figures of a similar era, such as Mori Arinori.