Sakura Matsuri - The Crowds Still Came

It was perhaps the worst weather in years, but somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people still came to see the Society's 45th Annual Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival, and they loved it. In fact, almost half the respondents to our on-line survey rated the Festival as "great."

As one visitor said, "I am so impressed--I had a wonderful time. The food was delicious, I bought a lovely handpanted cherry blossom picture, and I loved watching all of the performing arts and taiko troupe. I had a great time, and I will be attending again next year."

Our latest addition, J-POP Land, which featured popular Japanese youth culture, was a hit. "J-POP Land was amazing!" said a message on our website, and another wrote, "J-Pop land... really kept the festival fresh. It motivated me to come again this year to see something different and more youth-oriented at the festival. I hope you continue to include it!"

Special thanks are owed to Reiko Hirai, the Society's Sakura Matsuri Coordinator; Lyle Blanchard, the Sakura Matsuri Chairperson; our 18 committee chairs, and the over 350 volunteers who came to help on a cold, rainy Saturday.

We'll back again next year -- so mark your calendar for Saturday, April 14, 2007.

Photograph: The Washington Toho Koto Society provides the traditional opening of the Festival. Photograph by Eric Gushee.

Society to Sponsor Performance by Grand Master of Japanese Classical Dance

The opportunity to experience a performance by one who has achieved the status of iemoto or Grand Master status is very rare outside Japan.

But on June 11, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at George Mason University’s Harris Theater, Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo II will perform a selection of classical dances that herald a true master.

Critically acclaimed throughout his homeland, Onoe Kikunojo II is the Iemoto of the Onoe Ryu School of Dance in Japan. This school combines elements from the classical dance forms of Noh and Kabuki, imbuing them with new levels of discipline, power, and creativity. Renowned Kabuki actors, as well as stars of stage and screen, consider him a teacher, mentor and source of creative energy.

The Japan-America Society is proud to sponsor this performance by the Iemoto, in cooperation with the George Mason University Center for the Arts and Onoe Ryu Dance Enterprises.

Tickets for the performance by Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo II are $50, $40 and $35 and can be purchased by phone at 888-945-2468 or by visiting www.tickets.com.

The Harris Theater is part of the Center for the Arts complex located on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University at the intersection of Braddock Road and Route 123. Paid parking is located in the deck adjacent to the Harris Theater on level 3 and free parking is located in University Lot K. Visit www.gmu.edu/cfa for further details.

For more information on the Onoe Ryu School of Dance and Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo II, see
http://www.onoedance.com/index.htm

Summer Semester at Language School Starts June 5

Registration is now open for the June 5-August 15 summer semester at the Society's Japanese Language School.

Classes are held once a week in the late afternoon and early evening. But for those who want a more intensive experience this summer, there are two special sections of Intensive Japanese at the Elementary I and II levels, which will meet twice a week.

For further information, including class schedules and the registration form, go to
http://www.us-japan.org/dc/language/lsinfo.html

The Society's language school, now in its 42nd year, is the oldest Japanese language school in the area.

US-Japan Baseball Night with the Yankees - June 16

We will soon be sending out the announcement about how to buy tickets for the Second Annual US-Japan Baseball Night.

This year it's the New York Yankees playing the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium on Friday, June 16 from 7:05pm.

The Society will organize the outing together with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Commerce Association.

The Yankees game will be a sell-out for sure, but we have 1,000 infield tickets.

Everyone who joins us that evening also will have a chance to win one of two round trip air tickets to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways.

So mark your calendar for June 16 and join us as we celebrate "US-Japan baseball relations."

Classical High Takes Top Honors at National Japan Bowl

The Japan-America Society hosted the largest-ever National Japan Bowl at the University of the District of Columbia on March 25-26. Over 90 teams from thirty-six high schools across the country competed in this national competition of Japanese language and culture.

The competitors included six schools from California, two from Texas, two from Florida, and nine from the Northeast. The District,Virginia, and Maryland fielded a total of ten teams.

Funding for the National Japan Bowl came from the United States-Japan Foundation, The Freeman Foundation, The Japan Foundation, The Embassy of Japan, and Mr and Mrs Hisao Inoue. Additional support came from the University of the District of Columbia, the Japan Commerce Association, Kamada Foods International, NTT, and the Marshall & Lispenard Green Educational Fund.

Almost 100 volunteers assisted during the two-day event, including 31 people who provided cultural demonstrations in everything from anime to haiku to the martial arts. A very popular attraction was the omochi tsuki (or mochi pounding) organized by Mr Masuda of TEPCO and 15 Japanese volunteers.

Following are the winners at each level. (Level 4 is the highest level of study, and the winning team gets a trip to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways and the America-Japan Society of Tokyo.)

Level 4

1st place - Classical High School, Providence RI
2nd place - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria VA
3rd place - Stuyvesant High School, New York NY

Level 3

1st place - Stuyvesant High School, New York NY
2nd place - Monta Vista High School, Cupertino CA
3rd place - Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon, Norwalk CT


Level 2

1st place - Classical High School, Povidence RI
2nd place - Lynbrook High School, San Jose CA
3rd place - Stuyvesant High School, New York NY

Kabuki Returns to Washington in 2007

Kabuki is coming back to Washington.

As part of our 50th Anniversary Year celebrations, the Japan-America Society is making plans to sponsor two performances of Japan's greatest theatrical art.

We will keep you informed as our plans develop.

But for now --

SAVE THIS DATE -- July 26, 2007

The beach cottage can wait.

Background Briefing on the Japanese Military

The Council on Foreign Relations recently published a useful on-line briefing on Japan's military.

It provides background information on such topics as Article Nine of Japan's Constitution and the likelihood of change; the status of Japan's military; Japanese public opinion; the likelihood of remilitarization; and US views.

To read it, please go to the CFR website at www.cfr.org/publication/10439/