Japan's Grand Master of Dance to Perform at George Mason University

The opportunity to experience a performance by one who has achieved the status of Iemoto is very rare outside of Japan. Direct from Tokyo on June 11, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at George Mason University’s Harris Theater, Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo II, Grand Dance Master of Japan, will perform a selection of classical dances that herald a true master.

Gary Tischler wrote in The Washington Diplomat, ‘Kikunojo demonstrates an idea of motion as near-stillness, action as serenity, movement as another kind of music.” In all of his work, Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo expresses the soul of Japan, creating lasting impressions of grace, eloquence and beauty.

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. Japanese television networks routinely document his nationwide productions as well as his international collaborations.

Tickets for Iemoto Onoe Kikunojo II's performance are $50, $40 and $35. Charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit http://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

This rare performance is presented by Onoe Ryu Dance® Enterprises and is sponsored by The Japan-America Society.

Don't Forget - Yankees vs Nationals on June 16

Hideki Matsui and the New York Yankees are coming to town, and the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, together with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Commerce Association, is organizing our 2nd Annual US-Japan Baseball Night. This game will be a sell-out for sure, but don’t worry — we have obtained 1,000 upper level infield tickets in Sections 519 to 522.

We sent out the announcement to our members on May 8, and ticket sales are going fast!

We hope you will join us as Americans and Japanese together celebrate another form of the close partnership between our two countries — yakyuu !

Tickets are $30 each. This includes not only the cost of the ticket to this premium game, but also a chance to win one of two round-trip tickets to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways. And just for fun, we will throw in a fan for free to keep you cool on a June night! Tickets are first-come, first-served and will be assigned row-by-row in the order your purchase is made. Please order your tickets together if you wish to sit with friends.

Still Time to Register for Language School

Registration is still 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. 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 Washington DC area.

Society Starts a New Pilot Program for Young Students -- "Japan at the Library"

"Visit Japan at the Library” is the Society's new summertime workshop for children ages 10-12. It is designed as an opportunity for children in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to get a more "in-depth" look at Japanese culture, language, art, and more.

The Society came up with the idea and is working closely with the Fairfax County Public Library system and the "Friends of the Fairfax County Libraries," a non-profit support organization.

Because this is the first time that we (or any Japan-America Society in the nation) have done this, we are treating it as a pilot program. We are sure that the demand will be great, but this summer we will be hosting the program in only two Fairfax County libraries. Next year, following evaluation of the program and the acquisition of funding, we hope to expand it more broadly throughout the region.

There are two different workshops, each lasting 90 minutes, which will be held on separate days at each library. Here are the locations and times for the programs; registration is handled by the libraries:

Great Falls Library

Tuesday, June 27, 10:30AM - 12PM
“Japanese Children – Language and Life in Japan”

Thursday, June 29, 10:30AM - 12PM
“Japanese Culture – Art and Festivals”

Address: 9830 Georgetown Pike Great Falls, VA Tel: 703-757-8560


George Mason Regional Library

Tuesday, July 11, 10:30AM - 12PM
“Japanese Children – Language and Life in Japan”

Thursday, July 13, 10:30AM - 12PM
“Japanese Culture – Art and Festivals”

Address: 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. VA Tel: 703-256-3800

For general inquiries about the program or other elementary school education programs such as “Japan-in-a-Suitcase” please contact Cheryl Ames at jisdc@us-japan.org

It's Official - Japanese Cuisine is Most Popular Asian Food

Our neighbors to the north -- in the Big Apple -- believe they are the gastronomical pace-setters of the nation (if not the world), and in this case we agree with them.

Japanese cuisine is now the most popular Asian food in New York, surpassing Chinese, according to the annual Zagat survey.

Tim Zagat said, "Japanese food has been going up like a rocket, while Chinese has stalled."

New Yorkers in the survey ranked Italian cuisine highest, followed by French and Japanese food.

Society Members Get Special Viewing of Hokusai Exhibit

Japan-America Society members had not one but two special opportunities to join a special private viewing of the Hokusai Exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

Almost 300 members and friends joined us on the evenings of April 21 and May 4 for a private tour of the exhibit and an introductory lecture by Ann Yonemura, the Senior Curator for Japanese art at the Freer and Sackler Galleries.

The Hokusai exhibition is the greatest collection of the artist's work since 1893 -- and it also has been the greatest and most popular exhibit in the history of the Sackler and Freer Galleries. By the time it closes on May 14, it is expected to have drawn over 200,000 visitors!

Sakura Matsuri Program Draws Raves

Lots of people have complimented this year's program for the Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival.

Volunteer Jeremy Sutherland worked with the JASW staff to develop the overall concept and write the content for this year's program. The stunning cover and also the graphic design for the inside pages were done by Eunice Choi, a senior at the Corcoran School of Art. A native of Korea, Eunice has had a long-time interest in anime and manga, but her professional interests and talents go far beyond anime.

Eunice also designed the cover and poster for this year's National Japan Bowl. She is indeed a very talented young professional with a bright future.

Japan-Related Organizations in Washington

The Japan Information and Culture Center recently updated its list of Japan-related organizations and retail outlets in the greater Washington DC area.

The list includes everything from art galleries and bookstores to travel agencies and tea ceremony classes.

This "Japan in DC" list is available on the JICC's website, at:

http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/washington_directory.htm

The list also can be downloaded as a 26-page PDF document.

Would you like to host a Japanese high school student?

Many of you have heard of AFS, a global, volunteer-based organization dedicated to celebrating and sharing the cultures of over 54 countries across the globe. For nearly 60 years, AFS has provided intercultural learning opportunities, and over 300,000 people have participated in AFS programs around the world.

AFS USA (http://www.blogger.com/www.afs.org/usa) has a very close relationship with AFS Japan (www.afs.jp). For many decades the two groups have been working together, providing opportunities for young people from both countries to learn more about the other's culture, history and language through exchanges and hosting programs.

This summer, AFS will be welcoming outstanding high school students from Japan eager to learn more about American culture and way of life as well as share their Japanese language, history, and culture with their family and local community. The students will spend the academic year at an American high school.

When you welcome an AFS student into your home, you are becoming part of a very special worldwide community. To find out more about hosting a Japanese student, call: 1-800-AFS-INFO or visit www.afs.org/usa.

AFS also offers fantastic programs for U.S. high school students to study in Japan and experience Japanese culture while attending a local school, living with a volunteer family and becoming part of their local community.

Sakura Sluggers Take the Field !

Did you know that the Japan-America Society has its own softball team? They're the Sakura Sluggers, and they play in the International Education League.

The team, which is coached by Ken Kurokawa and Todd Stewart, was scheduled to play its first game on Thursday, May 11 against Meridian House. Other members of the league include the Institute for International Education, Youth for Understanding, the Academy for Educational Development, and the International Research & Exchanges Board.

The Sakura Sluggers also take on local Japanese teams during the Ambassador's Cup Softball Tournament, which will be held this year on Sunday, June 11.

Japan's Labor Force Increases for First Time in Eight Years

The Economist of May 4, 2006 reports that in the year to April, Japan's labor force rose for the first time in eight years to over 66.5 million.

There are now more jobs on offer in Japan than applicants. Not all the jobs are permanent ones. Yet for the first time since the start of the decade, the number of full-time jobs on offer is growing again.

The Economist points out, however, that there is no disguising the strong regional bias to the employment picture. Job prospects are generally bright down Japan's main Honshu island, from Tokyo to Nagoya to Osaka and Kobe. In Tokyo, despite the capital's high business costs, there are 1.6 jobs for every applicant.

Meanwhile, in further-away places such as Okinawa and Hokkaido, there still is a job shortage. In Nagasaki, half of school graduates must leave in order to find work.

Japan's Child Population Hits New Postwar Low

TOKYO -- AP -- May 4, 2006 -- The number of Japanese children has declined to a new post-World War II record low amid the nation's falling birthrate, a government report said Thursday.

As of April 1, the number of children aged 14 or below totaled 17.47 million, 180,000 fewer than a year earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in an annual survey, marking the 25th straight year of decline in the nation's child population.

The ratio of children in the age group to Japan's total population of 127.78 million also fell to 13.7%, the lowest since 1950 when the government began taking the statistics.

Japan's current ratio of children is believed to be the lowest in the world.

Why?

from BBC News On-Line, April 26, 2006