Nichi-Bei News

New US Ambassador Roos Arrives in Japan

2009-08-19T09:19:00.004-05:00

The new US Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos, accompanied by his wife Susie and their two children, Lauren and David, arrived in Japan on Wednesday, August 19. In his arrival statement, the Ambassador said that, coming from California's Silicon Valley, where nothing is impossible and the future is now, he sees that Japan embodies the same bold spirit, and that there is nothing that the U.S. and Japan cannot accomplish through cooperation. Ambassador Roos said he looks forward to traveling Japan widely and meeting as many people as possible, furthering the mutual goals and interests of the U.S.-Japan relationship. He said that he and his family very much look forward to making Japan their home during their stay.

Ambassador Roos was confirmed by the Senate on August 7 and was sworn as Ambassador this past Sunday, August 16, by Thelton E. Henderson, Senior Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of California, in ceremonies held in Hillsborough, California. (See the above photograph.)

The US Ambassador to Japan, together with the Japanese Ambassador to the US, serves as the Honorary Patron of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC. We are working with the American Embassy in Tokyo to set a date for Ambassador Roos to speak to our members during a future trip to Washington.

Over 260 Students to Compete at 15th Anniversary Japan Bowl

2007-04-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Over 260 high school students from across the country will gather at the Marriott at Metro Center Hotel on April 12-13 to participate in the Japan Bowl, the national competition of Japanese language and culture. Some teams are travelling from as far as Guam and Hawaii to be here. The national championship rounds will be held on the afternoon of April 13, and a gala dinner will be held the same evening to honor the students.This year is the 15th Anniversary of the Japan Bowl, and there are a number of special developments. Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan has consented to be the Honorary Patron of the Japan Bowl. The America-Japan Society of Tokyo, in celebration of its 90th anniversary, is inviting the three senior-level finalist teams (nine students) for an educational visit to Japan. While there, the students will hold an exhibition Japan Bowl match, so our Japanese friends can see what the Japan Bowl is all about.

Here are the schools participating in the 15th Anniversary Japan Bowl:
Monta Vista HS of Cupertino CA
Samuel F. B. Morse HS of San Diego CA
Lynbrook HS of San Jose CA
Silver Creek HS of San Jose CA
The Harker School of San Jose CA
Brien McMahon HS of Norwalk CO
St. Alban’s School of Washington DC
Deerfield Beach HS of Deerfield FL
Riverwood HS of Atlanta GA
Woodward Academy of College Park GA
Columbus HS of Columbus GA
St. John’s School of Tumon Bay, Guam
Iolani School of Honolulu HI
Libertyville HS of Libertyville IL
Phillips Academy Andover of Andover MA
Eleanor Roosevelt HS of Greenbelt MD
Novi HS of Novi MI
Ashbrook HS of Gastonia NC
Townsend Harris HS of Flushing NY
Stuyvesant HS of New York NY
Mount Lebanon HS of Pittsburgh PA
Norwin HS of North Huntington PA
Classical HS of Providence RI
St. Mark's School of Dallas TX
The Woodlands College Park HS of The Woodlands TX
The Woodlands HS of The Woodlands, TX
Hayfield Secondary School of Alexandria VA
Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology of Alexandria VA
Lake Braddock Secondary School of Burke VA
Falls Church HS of Falls Church VA
Langley HS of McLean VA
The Potomac School of McLean VA
Oakton HS of Vienna VA.

Good luck to all of them !

Sakura Matsuri is Saturday, April 14

2007-04-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, April 14, the day after the Japan Bowl, we will host the 46th annual Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival, following the Cherry Blossom Parade.

The Matsuri will extend for six blocks through downtown Washington. It will stretch from 14th Street, near the White House, down to 10th Street, where the FBI Building is. On 12th Street, it runs from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue.

The Sakura Matsuri will have 20 Japanese and Asian restaurants, 30 exhibitors of Japanese arts and crafts, 15 vendors of Japanese products, and four stages, with over 20 hours of live performances.

What is new at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival this year?

Target is again sponsoring the Arts and Crafts area, and Target will feature a kabuki theme in its tent.

Last year the Matsuri started J-Pop Land to introduce modern, youthful Japanese culture. J-Pop Land is back for its second year, sponsored by Kabuki Home Entertainment, a company based in Maryland that designs and installs home theatre systems.

In order to help Americans learn more about this new phenomenon of anime, manga, DDR, video games, cosplay, and so on, there will be a special pavilion called “Experience J-Pop,” sponsored by Amway Japan and supported by the Japanese Embassy.

For the first time, we will have a Japanese cooking demonstration, sponsored by San-J sauces, and conducted by the Japanese Americans' Care Fund. We plan to host our first-ever sake tasting, sponsored by Hakutsuru.

Depending on the weather, there will be four geisha from Japan, thanks to the Japan National Tourism Organization, who will perform traditional dances at the Pennsylvania Avenue main stage and then meet with visitors afterward. The Pennsylvania Avenue main stage is sponsored again this year by ANA and WASH-FM.

Kirin beer joins us for the first time in 2007 as the sponsor of two “Kirin Ichiban Beer Gardens.”

The Matsuri will welcome a number of new sponsors this year, including Ito-en Tea. Toyota’s Mid-Atlantic dealers will display two new Tundra trucks, and Interesse will be conducting seminars on Japanese business etiquette.

American companies also are “presenting Japan.” There will be a special Japanese garden area on Freedom Plaza, with a Zen stone garden, a display of ikebana Japanese floral arrangements, and bonsai trees. This is supported by Garnier Nutritioniste.

For young children, the Japan-America Society will introduce its kamishibai theatre, which is sponsored by Flat Earth™.

We have two young music groups, Mitsumassyu and LIZ coming from Tokyo and two traditional performing groups from Okinawa. The very popular Tamagawa University taiko and dance troupe is returning.

The Japan-America Society is grateful to its many other supporters, including Southwest Airlines, Coca-Cola, CVS, Hills Pet Fit, Hitachi, Starbucks, Super H Mart, TEPCO, Toshiba, and the Japan Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

A complete run-down of this year’s Festival is at our special website, http://www.sakuramatsuri.org/.

National Cherry Blossom Festival is Underway

2007-04-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

The National Cherry Blossom Festival began on Saturday, march 31 and will continue until Sunday, April 15. For a complete list of events during the two-week Festival, go to
www.nationalcherryblossomfeastival.org

The Japan-America Society is a Partner of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Smithsonian Associates Hosts "Japan WOW!"

2007-04-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

A reminder that the Smithsonian Resident Associates, the educational arm of the Smithsonian, is hosting a series of programs on Japan called "Japan WOW!

"Japan WOW" will provide audiences of all ages a wonderful opportunity to not only experience the rich history, traditions, and cultural heritage of Japan, but also to become more familiar with the modern face of Japan, including her influence on culture through fashion and music and her breakthrough achievements in science and technology.

"Japan WOW" will continue until June 9. For more information, see their website at http://residentassociates.org/japan/index.aspx

Kamishibai Theatre to Debut at Sakura Matsuri

2007-04-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

When the Society's volunteers visit area schools, one of the most popular activities is kamishibai, the art of Japanese story-telling using paper cards. The Society's kamishibai set is small -- about the same size as the ones that story-tellers in olden days brought to the neighborhood on the back of their bicycles.

So that led to an idea -- why not make a larger-sized kamishibai theatre -- that would be visible to larger groups -- something that the Society could take to school international festivals? And why not use the technique of kamishibai to introduce students to Japanese culture?

The dream is now a reality. At this year's Sakura Matsuri, the Japan-America Society will present an original story on a jumbo version of the traditional kamishibai stage. The story is “Matsuri Meguri – A Merry-Go-Round of Japanese Festivals,” the adventures of two American children who explore Japan when their mother’s job brings them to Tokyo.

The story was written by Cheryl Ames with the help of Carolyn Gold, Cora Yamamoto, Shana Sandberg, Rebecca Butler, and translators Takako Yamanoha and Takamitsu Watanuki. The kamishibai theatre was designed and built by Rex Butler; the storyboard illustrations were created by Eunice Choi; and the original music is by Mamiko Hirai.

The Japan-America Society is grateful to Flat Earth™ Baked Fruit and Veggie Crisps for sponsoring the kamishibai theatre and making our dream come true.

Society Launches New Website

2007-04-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society has redesigned and rewritten its website, from top to bottom.

Check it out at www.us-japan.org/dc

We believe that the new site is much easier to navigate and use, and information from past years has been deleted.

The graphic design conveys a "sense of place," reminding visitors through its photographs that our Society is based in the Nation's Capital and has a strong connection to Japan.

Take a look, and let us know what you think!

Artist Mari Mihashi at the JICC

2007-04-03T13:51:00.000-05:00

Artist Mari Mihashi will present a special lecture on her extraordinary take on traditional Ukiyo-e art at the JICC on April 16 at 6:30 pm.

Ms. Mihashi does not use traditional woodblock printing methods to craft her works. Her use of brush, ink and paint make each of her depictions of the “floating world” a one of a kind masterpiece.

Ms. Mihashi will speak on the inspiration she finds in Japan’s many Shinto Shrines as well as her use of the tea ceremony to attain the proper state of mind to paint. Ms. Mihashi will demonstrate her artistic techniques by finishing a piece live on the JICC stage. This will be done in collaboration with Tsuruga Wakasanojo XI, Japanese Living National Treasure, Shinnai style Shamisen (a three-stringed traditional instrument) Artist.

A collection of Ms. Mihashi’s artwork is on display in the JICC gallery from April 2nd to June 8th, 2007. The Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm but will be closed April 6 and May 28.

Admission to this event is free, but reservations are required. You can RSVP to: jiccrsvpspring07@embjapan.org

The Japan Information and Culture Center is located at Lafayette Center III, 1155 21st street NW in downtown Washington.

Washington Toho Koto Society to Present 35th Annual Concert

2007-04-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

The Washington Toho Koto Society will hold its 35th Annual Spring Concert on Sunday, April 29 at 2PM at Guildenhorn Recital Hall/Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center of the University of Maryland in College Park. The concert is free.

Joined by music students of the University of Maryland, the Toho Koto Society will perform an afternoon of traditional and contemporary koto music. This year’s concert includes not only koto selections, but also combinations with shakuhachi (bamboo flute), shamisen (banjo-like instrument), flute and harp, and vocal, providing an insight to the versatility of the instrument.

The Washington Toho Koto Society is a traditional Japanese music ensemble which received a Special Award from the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 2003 for promoting mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and the U.S. through music. Lead by Kyoko Okamoto, the non-profit group promotes understanding and appreciation of Japanese music.

For more information, call 301-572-7088 or 202-944-9648 or visit the Society's website at
www.kotosociety.org

Will the Japanese Divorce Rate Go Up?

2007-04-01T06:37:00.001-05:00

New pension laws coming into effect in Japan could lead to an explosion in divorces, some experts are warning. The BBC reports that the new rules will make it easier for wives to claim up to half their husband's pension once the marriage is over.

The number of divorces in Japan has been rising for several decades, but the trend reversed four years ago when the new laws were first discussed. BBC says many experts believe that wives in unhappy marriages were waiting for the new laws to come into effect in April 2007.

Japan's divorce rate is still quite low - around two divorces for every 1,000 marriages.

Geisha to Perform in Washington

2007-03-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

The Visit Japan Campaign and the Embassy of Japan are collaborating to bring a special event to the 95th Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC.

Members of the Japan Culinary and Culture Association along with professional Geisha from Tokyo will appear at the Japan Information and Culture Center ICC on Friday, April 13 at 6pm. The event will include traditional Geisha dance performances and lectures on traditional Japanese hospitality. The event will conclude with a photo opportunity with the delegation at the venue. Bring a camera! The evening is free and open to the public. Reservations are required to attend. To RSVP email your name and the number in your party to: jiccrsvpspring07@embjapan.org

The delegation will also perform a Geisha Dance for the public at the Japan-America Society's Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival on Saturday, April 14. Please come see them on the main stage on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, NW 12:15-12:45 pm. Following that, the geisha will meet with the public at the Japan National Tourist Organization's "Yokosoo Japan" tent.

First Wave of Chinese Teachers Hits US

2007-03-19T10:20:00.001-05:00

Thirty-four Mandarin-speaking teachers from China arrived in the United States in January as part of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program. The teachers will be placed in schools in 19 states and will teach at the high school, middle school, and elementary school level.

By 2009, the Program will bring as many as 250 qualified teachers from China to teach in American classrooms for up to three years.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is sponsored by China’s Office of Chinese Language Council International in partnership with the College Board. The Chinese Guest Teacher Program seeks to address the shortage of qualified Chinese teachers in the U.S. and meet the growing interest in Chinese among U.S. high school students.

The next group of up to 100 teachers will arrive in August 2007.

In a survey conducted in 2004, nearly 2,400 high schools expressed an interest in offering the AP (Advanced Placement) Chinese course in 2006-07. But many of these schools either are understaffed or have no teacher of Chinese, and many see no prospect of finding the teachers necessary to build their programs.

World to Japan: No "Sushi Police," Please

2007-03-18T05:16:00.001-05:00

AP reports that Japan has called off plans to police Japanese restaurants overseas for authenticity. Tokyo appointed a panel of food experts in November to discuss a certification system that would crack down on restaurants abroad that bill themselves as authentic Japanese, but fall short of culinary standards at home.

But the Agriculture Ministry panel now has called off the plan after receiving complaints - some from overseas - that the system was discriminatory.

The plan had been championed by Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who has accused overseas restaurants of using "culinary techniques and ingredients far removed from those of authentic Japanese food".

Executive Gender Gap Is Widest in Japan

2007-03-08T22:29:00.003-05:00

According to Reuters, Japan lags behind all countries in addressing the gender gap for top level executives. A global survey conducted by consulting firm Grant Thornton International found that 38 percent of companies worldwide have no women in senior management.

Nearly 70 percent of businesses in Asian countries boast high ranking women, while just over half of European businesses have women in top roles. but Japan came in last place out of the 32 countries surveyed, with just a quarter of businesses reporting women in senior positions.

Japanese Children Not Motivated to Study?

2007-03-08T22:26:00.001-05:00

Primary school students in Japan have little expectation for the future, and their motivation to study is low compared with Chinese and South Korean students, according to a survey by the Japan Youth Research Institute.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reports that the percentage of parents in Japan who tell their children that they will be able to get a good job in the future if they study hard was the lowest among the three countries.

More than 70 percent of respondents in Beijing and Seoul said they wanted to study hard for the future, while 48 percent of students in Tokyo gave the same answer.

According to the survey, nearly 80 percent of the children in China and South Korea said they wanted to perform well academically, but just 43.1 percent of the Japanese children gave that answer.

Visiting the Cherry Blossoms Gets Easier

2007-03-08T14:43:00.001-05:00

The District Department of Transportation and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for will offer "valet bicycle parking" during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

This year the valet parking program has been expanded from one site to two sites due to the popularity of last year's program.

Cyclists can leave their bikes free of charge at secure, staffed areas - at 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW, and at the southwest corner of the Jefferson Memorial - Saturdays and Sundays during the festival.

The program aims to help make cycling more convenient for festival goers and to reduce traffic congestion in and around the Tidal Basin and the District's downtown.

Botanical Art Exhibit at the National Arboretum

2007-02-26T15:21:00.001-05:00

Yoshitsugu Koyanagi is a celebrated botanical artist from Japan. His works have been featured in various showings in Japan and are displayed at a number of prefectural museums throughout the country. The National Arboretum is honored to have the privilege of hosting Mr. Koyanagi’s first exhibition outside of Japan. The exhibition continues until May 31.

An author as well as an artist, Mr Koyanagi has written five textbooks, and his work and articles have been published in botanical art books and magazines. He has received numerous awards for his works.

For directions and further information please call 202-245-4523, or visit http://www.usna.usda.gov/

Senator Inouye Honored at Annual Dinner

2007-02-12T17:46:00.000-05:00

Over 260 members of the Society and their guests gathered at the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue on January 22, as the Japan-America Society honored Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii at its 19th Annual Public Affairs Dinner.

Senator Inouye is the third most senior member of the United States Senate. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, he is known for his distinguished record as a legislative leader and as a World War II combat veteran who earned the nation's highest award for military valor, the Medal of Honor.

The Honorary Chairman for this year's dinner, which launched the Society's 50th anniversary year celebrations, was Senator Bob Dole. The Dinner Co-Chairs were Mr. Tetsuo Kadoya of Toshiba America, Inc. and Nao Matsukata of Alston + Bird, LLP.

The dinner was preceeded by the Society's Silent Auction.

The Society expresses its great appreciation to the Dinner's Patrons: Alston + Bird LLP; AMGEN; Boeing; Canon; Lockheed Martin; Mitsubishi International Corporation; Mitsui USA; Toshiba; and Toyota.

It also thanks the Dinner's table sponsors: The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd; Bill and Peggy Breer; The Embassy of Japan; The Federation of Electric Power; Hitachi, Ltd.; ITOCHU International Inc.; Keidanren USA; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.; and Tokyo Electric Power Company.

The Annual Public Affairs Dinner is a major source of support for the many educational, cultural, and public affairs programs that the Society presents throughout the year.

Celebrate Japan WOW with the Smithsonian

2007-02-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian Associates, the educational learning arm of the Smithsonian Institution, will be hosting a series of 25 programs on Japan beginning March 31 and ending June 9. The program list is below. You can click on any program title to learn more and register.

Celebrate Japan WOW with the Music of Rin
Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 6 p.m.
Interested in making Japanese music accessible to the American ear, the members of Rin combine the exotic and subtle sounds of traditional Japanese instruments with a contrasting framework of contemporary Western popular music.

Kurokawa Noh
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Noh is the classical, older symbolic drama. The stories are based in history or classical literature, structured around song and dance, and presented on a very simple stage.

Pictures of the Floating World
Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 2 p.m.The creation of Ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese paintings and woodblock prints first produced in the 1600s, is a tradition that has been embraced by such masters as Hiroshige, Hokusai, and Yoshitoshi.

Tokyo, Now and Then
Monday, April 16, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Tokyo is a flashy hyper-modern city that signifies up-to-theminute chic. But at the same time, it’s a historic castle town with a complexly layered fabric of intimate old neighborhoods.

Religious Traditions of Japan
Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 10 a.m.It is difficult to imagine what Japan would have been like without the religious traditions of Shinto and Buddhism, which have been a part of its cultural fabric since earliest times.

Manga to Anime: From Astro Boy to Spirited Away
Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 10 a.m.From the humble beginnings of a newspaper comic strip in 1946 to the highest-grossing film in Japanese history in 2001 (Spirited Away), manga (comics and print cartoons) and anime (animation) are now two of Japan’s biggest cultural emissaries.

Bonsai at Nat'l Arboretum
Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 10 a.m.The art of growing miniature trees, called penjing, originated in China and was adapted in Japan as bonsai. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum has developed one of the largest collections in North America.

The Japanese Art of Bonsai
Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 1 p.m.The art of growing miniature trees, called penjing, originated in China and was adapted in Japan as bonsai. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum has developed one of the largest collections in North America.

Sumi-e and Shodo: Traditional Japanese Ink Painting and Calligraphy
Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 10 p.m.In this course combining the Japanese art forms of sumi-e and shodo, explore the basic principles of classical Oriental painting and brushwork.

Japanese Kimono
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Kimono patterned with golden threads will surround you in the Gallery of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at this talk and private viewing of the 2007 National Cherry Blossom Festival kimono exhibition.

Bunraku: The Amazing Puppets Of Japan
Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:15 a.m.In a very special show for Japan WOW! at The Smithsonian Associates, Japanese puppetry artists introduce this ancient puppet technique to young audiences.

Bunraku: The Amazing Puppets Of Japan
Friday, April 27, 2007 at 11:30 a.m.In a very special show for Japan WOW! at The Smithsonian Associates, Japanese puppetry artists introduce this ancient puppet technique to young audiences.

Bunraku
Friday, April 27, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.The term bunraku refers to the puppet tradition of Osaka developed before 1600. The Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe presents four traditional pieces, using puppets one-half to full life-size.

Kodomo-No-Hi: Its' Children's Day!!!
Friday, May 4, 2007 at 10:15 a.m.Learn about Japanese Children's Day with Shizumi Shigeto Manale.

Kodomo-No-Hi: It's Children's Day!!!
Friday, May 4, 2007 at 11 a.m.Ages 6 to 10: Learn about Japanese Children's Day with Shizumi Shigeto Manale.

Kodomo-No-Hi: It's Children's Day
Friday, May 4, 2007 at 11:45 a.m.
Ages 6 to 10: Learn about Japanese Children's Day with Shizumi Shigeto Manale.

Kodomo-No-Hi: It's Children's Day
Friday, May 4, 2007 at 12:30 p.m.
Ages 6 to 10: Learn about Japanese Children's Day with Shizumi Shigeto Manale.

The Art of Origami
Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 10 a.m.Come celebrate spring by folding origami flowers, with a butterfly, swan, and jumping frog thrown in for fun.

Sogetsu Ikebana: Modern Japanese Flower Arranging
Monday, May 7, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.The elegance and aesthetic harmony of ikebana—Japanese flower arranging— have inspired poets and artists since its creation more than 500 years ago.

Moku-Hanga: The Japanese Woodblock Print
Monday, May 7, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Students in this class learn the history of the medium and the traditional Japanese method for making both black-and-white and multicolor woodblock prints.

Rooted in History: Traditional Japanese Villages
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Japanese villages from tropical southern Okinawa to remote northern Hokkaido trace their history back—at least in legend— for more than a millennium.

Soft Power, Global Cool
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Japan is one of the most influential of the world’s soft powers - indirectly influencing the world through cultural icons and ideas. With the spread of its goods and images, Japan has a new international face as the "king of cool" and is finding a new place in the world.

Beyond Sushi: Culinary Japan From Classical to Modern
Saturday, May 12, 2007 at 9 a.m.Japanese cuisine has been wowing the rest of the world for centuries, while Japanese chefs at home have modified their traditional methods to incorporate new ingredients and new food-preparation techniques.

Japanese Kimono
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Kimono patterned with golden threads will surround you in the Gallery of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at this talk and private viewing of the 2007 National Cherry Blossom Festival kimono exhibition.

The History of Japanese Theater: Kabuki
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Nohgaku, bunraku, and kabuki are the best-known theater arts of Japan. Their origins are traceable to shrine rituals and early dengaku (field-dances and songs), which evolved into major theatrical forms.

Japanese Fashion
Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 7 a.m.Study leader Nobue Isono, a highly respected Japanese fashion expert, takes you on a full-day trip to New York City - the fashion capital of the world - to explore the characteristics and current trends in Japanese fashion.

Robots, Science, Technology: Japan Creates the Future
Saturday, May 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.Get a glimpse of Japan’s latest creations, hear from some of its leading innovators, and discover why Japan loves its robots in this intriguing program.

An Inspiring Evening with Michio Kushi
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 7 p.m.In this special evening, teacher and author Michio Kushi, founder of the world-renowned Kushi Institute in Massachusetts, is interviewed about his life and career.

Japan and America—Partners Facing a Changing World
Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.Few nations have enjoyed such mutually beneficial relations as have Japan and the United States during the past 60 years. While the partnership between these two economic giants remains strong, both face important new challenges, as well as opportunities, in the days ahead.

Kyoto, Ancient Imperial Capital
Saturday, June 9, 2007 at 10 a.m.
Take an enchanting armchair stroll through one of Japan’s oldest and most beautiful cities, which served as the nation’s capital for more than a thousand years.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Announces Calendar

2007-02-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

In addition to the many activities taking place during the Smithsonian Associates "Japan WOW," the National Cherry Blossom Festival also will offer an array of Japanese cultural treats.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held this year between March 31 and April 15. In recent years the Festival, which celebrates Japan's gift of the cherry trees to Washington, also has become a celebration of Japanese culture.

Among the many Japan-related activities this year are the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival and the 15th Anniversary Japan Bowl, both sponsored by our Japan-America Society. In addition, the Library of Congress will be hosting an exhibit of modern Japanese woodbock prints, donated by the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ). The Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Arise again will display a magnificent collection of Japanese kimono. The Festival's opening day on March 31, held at the National Building Museum, will feature a wide display of Japanese arts and crafts exhibits for the entire family.

For a complete calendar of events during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, go to www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.com

Congress Takes Aim at Japan on Yen

2007-02-10T08:33:00.000-05:00

The Financial Times of London reports that House Democrats are pressing the Bush administration to persuade Tokyo to strengthen the yen, claiming the currency’s weakness is bolstering Japanese imports at the expense of US manufacturers.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, the House members alleged that Tokyo was pursuing a cheap currency to subsidise exporters.

The FT says that the pressure from Democrats sets up a confrontation with the US Treasury secretary, who argues the yen’s weakness reflects Japan’s economic fundamentals rather than a deliberate policy of manipulation.

Fly a Honda

2007-02-10T07:33:00.000-05:00

Honda Aircraft Co. will enter the world of small executive jets by building a manufacturing plant near Greensboro, North Carolina and investing as much as $100 million. The two-engine HondaJets weigh less than 10,000 pounds and generally seat five to seven passengers. The company plans to begin delivery of the $3.65 million aircraft in three years.

(from the Associated Press)

Tea Bowls "in Bloom"

2007-02-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

From February 3 to July 15, the Freer Gallery of Art will be presenting an exhibition of Japanese tea bowls featuring plants and flowers.

During the tea ceremony, painted images of seasonal flowers and auspicious plants link the tea bowl to the moment or meaning of the gathering. Such images first appeared on tea bowls made at Japanese kilns in the late sixteenth century. The decoration, inspired by vessels imported from China, Korea, and Southeast Asia, used iron–brown or cobalt–blue pigment brushed under the glaze. During firing, the colors tended to melt into the glaze, producing an irregular and muted effect. In the mid–seventeenth century, potters introduced a newer Chinese technique, painting rainbow–colored translucent enamels over the glaze. Both modes of decoration have enjoyed enduring popularity. This exhibition of decorated tea bowls and water jars focuses on the older mode, which skillfully uses a limited palette to evoke the full spectrum of nature's hues.

Landscapes in Japanese Art

2007-02-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

In addition to its exhibition of Japanese tea cups that feature plants and flowers, the Freer also will be hosting an exhibition of the Japanese art of landscapes. The display is open from February 3 to July 15, 2007.

Landscapes signified more than the beauty of the natural world to the Japanese people, who believed that their native gods had created the islands of Japan and come down to dwell in their mountains, rivers, and trees. Japanese artists developed distinctive styles of full-color painting that they often preferred to create images of the rounded, heavily forested hills that surrounded their ancient capital cities. From the thirteenth century onward, they also mastered Chinese ink painting techniques and adapted them to create landscapes of both China and Japan.

In Japanese ceramics from the sixteenth century onward, as techniques of glazing and application of pigments became more prevalent, landscapes became an important subject of ceramic design and appreciation.

This exhibition of twenty paintings and twelve ceramics explores the landscapes created by Japanese artists from the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Click for more info

A Cellphone for Every Japanese

2007-02-08T07:38:00.000-05:00

Kyodo News reports that the number of subscribers for cellphone services in Japan exceeded the 100 million mark for the first time in January.

Japan's population is 128 million.

Girls Power - Shojo Manga Exhibit

2007-02-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

The Japan Information and Culture Center, with support from the Japan-America Society, is hosting an exhibition of girls’ comics. "Shojo Manga" occupy a very special place in the world of Japanese comics. Not just tales of love, these illustrated stories empower the girls of Japan and aid them in traversing the intricate societal roles and expectations females face in Japan.

Featuring artwork from World War II to the present, the "Girl Power!" exhibit focuses on a period of Japanese history that has seen women’s position in society undergo drastic changes. That path is documented in shojo manga.

Curated by Dr. Masami Toku, Associate Professor of Art and Art History at California State University (Chico), "Girl Power!" has toured throughout North and South America.

The Japan Information and Culture Center is located at Lafayette Center III, 1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Japanese Films Top Foreign Movies

2007-02-06T07:35:00.000-05:00

Kyodo reports that Japanese films logged a record 107.75 billion yen in revenue at Japan's box offices in 2006, outpacing those of imported movies for the first time in 21 years.

The Japanese film boom also boosted the number of films released to a record 821 in the reporting year, up 90 over the year before.

As many as six Japanese films became huge hits making more than 5 billion yen at the box office in 2006, with the animation film "Tales from Earthsea" directed by Goro Miyazaki, the son of award-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki, ranking at the top with 7.65 billion yen in receipts. "Test of Trust Umizaru 2," whose domestic title is "Limit of Love Umizaru" came second with 7.10 billion yen, and "Suite Hotel" was third with 6.08 billion yen.

Japanese Tea, Flowers, and Music at Towson University

2007-02-05T11:58:00.000-05:00

Date: Saturday, March 31, 2007
Time: From 2 pm,
Location: Marder Studio Theater, Center for the Arts, Towson University

Audiences will enjoy an afternoon of elegant and tranquil presentations of a Japanese tea ceremony by Masako Miyahara (2 pm), Japanese flower arranging by Emi Furukawa (3 pm) and a performance of classical Japanese music by Yoshio Kurahashi, Ayako Kurahashi and Miyuki Yoshikami devoted to the theme of cherry blossoms and spring.

Admission is free for flower art; $5 for the tea ceremony; and $5 for the music program.

This program is held in association with the exhibition "Fired with Passion: Contemporary Ceramics of Japan in the Asian Arts Gallery, Center for the Arts" at Towson University. The exhibition runs from Saturday, February 10 through Friday, May 11.

For more information, call 410-704-2807 or go to www.towson.edu/asianarts

Prime Minister Abe Calls for Stronger US-Japan Ties

2007-02-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

Japan will pursue assertive foreign policies and strengthen its ties with the US and Europe in response to new security threats in the region, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a January speech.

"The security situation surrounding Japan has changed drastically with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles as well as a series of regional conflicts," Prime Minister Abe said. "To protect Japan's peace, independence and democracy and the lives of the Japanese, we need to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance."

(from AFP)

Japan's Oldest Person Turns 114

2007-02-05T05:29:00.000-05:00

Japan's oldest person, Yone Minagawa, has turned 114, celebrating her birthday at the nursing home in Fukuoka Prefecture where she now resides.

Born in 1893, she was widowed early and raised her five children by selling flowers and vegetables in a coal mining town.

And speaking of elderly women, the Asahi Shimbun reports that Japanese widows live longer -- elderly women who lived with their retired husbands had almost twice the risk of dying than women who lived by themselves.

Foreign Visitors to Japan at Record High

2007-02-04T05:32:00.000-05:00

An estimated 7,334,000 foreign travelers visited Japan in 2006, topping the 7 million threshold for the first time. Kyodo reports that arrivals from Asian countries marked the strongest increases.

Visitors from South Korea grew by 21.2 percent, from China by 24.3 percent, and from Singapore by 23 percent.

The number of travelers from Europe and North America did not grow significantly.

South Koreans accounted for 28.9 percent of all foreign visitors to Japan in 2006, followed by Taiwanese residents at 17.8 percent, Americans and Chinese at 11.1 percent each, and residnets of Hong Kong at 4.8 percent.

The number of Japanese people traveling abroad in 2006 was estimated at 17,535,000, the second highest number following a record marked in 2000, according to the Japan National Tourist Organization.

Music from Japan at the Freer

2007-02-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

Date: Saturday, February 24
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery of Art

(for a pre-concert gallery tour, meet at the Freer information desk at 6:45 pm)

Hear an all-star trio, direct from Japan, perform new and traditional music for the ancient Japanese lute, accompanied by flutes and percussion.

Joining Junko Tahara, a master of the rarely heard biwa, are Kohei Nishikawa on fue (Japanese flute) and percussionist Akikuni Takahashi.

All three are longtime members of the acclaimed Pro Musica Nipponia. Their program ranges from medieval narrative songs to a newly commissioned work by Masataka Matsuo.

Free tickets are required. Up to four tickets per person can be reserved (for a service fee of $2.75 per ticket and $1.25 per order) through Ticketmaster at (202) 397-7328, (410) 547-7328, or (703) 573-7328; at http://www.ticketmaster.com/; or at Ticketmaster walk-up locations.

Two tickets per person are also distributed (for no service fee) at the Meyer Auditorium beginning one hour before showtime, on a first-come, first-served basis.

A Happy New Year

2007-01-03T15:10:00.000-05:00

新年おめでとうございます

Happy New Year from the staff of the Japan-America Society of Washington DC.

This year marks our 50th Anniversary as a Society, and we look forward to celebrating with you at many special events throughout the coming year.

Ambassador John R. Malott, President and CEO
Yukiko Hino, Associate Director
Cheryl Ames, Educational Coordinator
Reiko Hirai, Special Events Coordinator

Japanese New Year Celebration in Washington

2007-01-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

Join the Japan Commerce Association, the Japan Information and Culture Center, and the Japan-America Society of Washington on Sunday, January 21 at the first-ever "Japanese New Year Celebration in Washington."

The event is organized by the JCA, with the support of the JICC and the cooperation of the Japan-America Society. It starts at 11 am at the Galleria at Lafayette Center, 1155 21st Street NW, and continues until 4 pm.

The admission charge is $5 at the door; children 12 years and under are free.

The celebration will include a wide range of traditional Japanese New Years games, cultural demonstrations, and musical performances.

And of course there also will be Japanese food and sake available for purchase !!

So come celebrate the New Year, Japanese-style, on Sunday, January 21.

Annual Dinner is Set for January 22

2007-01-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Preparations are well underway for the Society's Annual Public Affairs Dinner, which will be held at the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday, January 22.

The guest speaker will be the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, United States Senator from Hawaii and the next chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Technology, and Transportation.

Senator Bob Dole, the Republican Presidential Candidate in 1996, has agreed to serve as the Dinner's Honorary Co-Chairman, together with the Honorable Norman Mineta.

The co-chairs for the dinner are Tetsuo Kadoya of Toshiba and Nao Matsukata of Alston Bird.

The dinner will be preceded by a cocktail reception and silent auction.

Further information is available at the Society's website, at www.us.japan.org/dc .

Society Seeks an Assistant for the Japan Bowl®

2007-01-03T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society is now taking applications for a temporary position opening from January to April 2007 to assist the Director of the National Japan Bowl® to prepare and run the 2007 competition.

The Japan Bowl is a competition developed by Society to test the ability of high school students throughout America who are studying the Japanese language. 2007 marks the 15th year of the competition. The competition will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 12-13 in Washington DC and approximately 350 high school students will attend.

The Japan Bowl was modeled on a TV quiz show format and aims to make the study of Japanese challenging and enjoyable. Teams of students are asked questions regarding Japanese culture, grammar, kanji, katakana, kotowaza, and onomatopoeic expressions. The Japan Bowl Assistant must have fluency in both Japanese and English and have strong English-language writing skills. The Assistant will assist the Director in maintaining registration databases; recruiting and training volunteers; assisting with preparation of editing the materials; and assisting with logistics.

Until the end of April 2007 the Assistant will work an average of 30-40 hours each week at a starting hourly rate of $12, but with no health, pension, vacation or other benefits. Depending on the needs of the Society and the skills and experience of the Assistant additional responsibilities may be added, and the term of employment may be extended.

The Assistant must have the legal right to work in the United States; the Society will not seek any temporary workers visa on behalf of theAssistant.Interested applicants should send a letter of interest and resume to JASW by fax (202-833-2456) or email (jaswdc@us-japan.org).

Trustees Elect Their Officers

2007-01-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

At the Board of Trustees meeting on December 18, the Trustees elected the following as officers of the Society:

Chairman of the Board -- William Breer

Vice Chairman -- left vacant for now

Secretary -- Yoshie Ogawa

Treasurer -- William Piez

The Trustees also re-elected Dr. Satohiro Akimoto of Mitsubishi International Corporation and Nao Matsukata of Alston Bird to be the Trustees' representatives on the Executive Committee.

Society Elects New Trustees

2007-01-03T13:32:00.000-05:00

At the Society's annual general meeting on December 14, the membership elected Yoshihito Tabe of Itochu and Iwao Kimura of Toyota as new Trustees of the Society.

Re-elected to the Board were Trustees William Breer, Raymond Calamaro of Hogan & Hartson, Nao Matsukata of Alston & Bird, and Takashi Ohde of Hitachi.

At the Trustees meeting on December 18, the Board of Trustees elected Ryota Yoshimura of the Sumitomo Corporation to fill a Board vacancy.

We welcome our new Trustees to the Society.

Language School Starts on February 12

2007-01-03T11:20:00.000-05:00

The winter semester of the Society's Japanese Language School will begin on Monday, February 12.

The School will be offering instruction at nine different levels, from elementary to advanced, as well as the senior class in reading and discussion [ 日本語読解討論 ].

The Japan-America Society operates the oldest, largest, and -- according to so many of our students -- the best Japanese language school in the Washington DC area.

The deadline for registration is January 31. Further information, including class schedules, fee, textbooks, and the application form, can be found on the Society's website, at http://www.us-japan.org/dc/language/lsinfo.html

The Japan Bowl Is Now the Japan Bowl ®

2007-01-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

It's official! The United States Patent and Trade Office has granted the Japan-America Society the trademark rights to the name "Japan Bowl." So from now on, you will see that special ® mark after the Japan Bowl name.

The Japan-America Society of Washington created the Japan Bowl® fifteen years ago as an academic competition for high school students of the Japanese language. From the beginning the Japan Bowl drew interest from other Japan-America Societies and groups across the country, and the Japan Bowl soon became national in scope. This year's competition, which will be held on April 12 and 13, 2007, is expected to draw over 300 students from high schools throughout the United States.

The Society would like to thank Lynn Jordan and David Hill of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP for their services to the Society in achieving this milestone.

Japan's First Lady Has a Blog

2007-01-03T04:48:00.000-05:00

Japan's First Lady Akie Abe has started her own blog in which she comments on her activities as the wife of Japan's Prime Minister.

For those who are not familiar with the concept of blogs, Wikipedia describes them as an internet website where the author makes entries in the style of a chronological journal. They often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news, while others function more as a personal online diary.

Mrs Abe's blog is in Japanese and can be viewed at http://www.abe-akie.jp/.

Good Turnout for Society's Bonenkai Party

2007-01-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

Almost 100 members and friends of the Society joined our annual Bonenkai (Forget the Year) party on December 14. Thanks to Kenji Iwatake of the Sasakawa Foundation, we were able to use the large reception area in the Sasakawa building, above our offices.

Thanks also to Kirin and Sapporo for providing the beer for the evening, Southwest Airlines for the free "Home for the Holidays" air ticket, and Kenji Iwatake for providing food and sake for the event.

The Bonenkai was organized by the Society's Special Events Coordinator, Reiko Hirai, with help from a number of Society member-volunteers.

Norman Mineta Becomes Society's Honorary Chairman

2006-12-30T15:51:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has elected the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta as the Honorary Chairman of the Japan-America Society of Washington. Mr. Mineta has served as US Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton and Secretary of Transportation under President Bush, as well as a US Congressman for 20 years. He currently is Vice Chairman of Hill and Knowlton.

In December President Bush awarded Secretary Mineta the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. In doing so, the President said:

"Norman Mineta exemplifies the high ideals of service, integrity, and courage. Despite the injustice of living in an internment camp when he was a child, he later served his country in the U.S. Army and went on to become a mayor, Congressman, and Cabinet Secretary under two Presidents. The longest-serving Secretary of Transportation, he worked to improve the security of our transportation system and restore our confidence in air travel after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The United States honors Norman Y. Mineta for a life of selfless and distinguished service to our Nation. "

To read more about our new Honorary Chairman, please see the latest issue of "Washington Flyer" magazine at http://washingtonflyer.com/article/2006/november_december/The%20Sky.

Senator Inouye to Address Annual Dinner

2006-12-29T23:09:00.000-05:00

Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, one of the nation's senior political leaders and the incoming Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Technology, and Transportation, will be the guest speaker at the Society's 19th Annual Public Affairs Dinner, which will be held at the J W Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue on Monday evening, January 22.

Mark your calendars now -- invitations will be mailed in the near future.

Also on the calendar that evening is the Society's Silent Auction. The Public Affairs Dinner and Silent Auction are a very important source of support for the Society's many educational, cultural, and public affairs programs.

President Ford and Japan

2006-12-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society joins the nation in mourning the loss of President Gerald R. Ford.

President Ford set two "firsts" with respect to Japan.

Visits to Japan by American Presidents are now commonplace. But it is remarkable to know that Gerald Ford was the first incumbent American President to visit Japan, when he travelled to Tokyo in November 1974.

(Ulysses S. Grant was the only other US President to visit Japan, although his visit came two years after he left the Presidency.)

A year later, President Ford also welcomed the Emperor Showa (Emperor Hirohito) to Washington in October 1975. This was the first state visit by a Japanese Emperor to the United States.

As a US Navy officer in World War II, Ford had engaged in nine combat operations against Japanese forces in the Pacific. So the visit to the United States by Emperor Hirohito had a special meaning.

Emperor Weighs In on Japan's War Past

2006-12-24T07:50:00.000-05:00

In a speech marking his 73rd birthday, Japan's Emperor Akihito said the practice of mourning Japan's war dead can help younger generations better understand the past. He said he hoped facts about World War II would be correctly conveyed so the suffering his generation experienced would never be repeated.

"Now that the number of those who were born after the war increases as years pass by, the practice of mourning the war dead will help them to understand what kind of world and society those in the previous generations lived in," Emperor Akihito said.

However, BBC reports, the Emperor did not touch on how people should honour those who died in World War II. He also made no mention of the Yasukuni shrine.

Toyota Poised to Become World's #1 Carmarker

2006-12-23T06:36:00.000-05:00

After 75 years, the world automobile industry is about to get a new No. 1.

Toyota Motor Company of Japan has issued a 2007 forecast that would make it first in global sales, ahead of General Motors, which has been the world’s biggest auto company since 1931.

Toyota, which had not even built its first automobile back in 1931, expects to sell 9.34 million vehicles next year. That would exceed the 9.2 million vehicles that GM expects to sell worldwide.

Bush Signs Bill to Preserve Internment Camps

2006-12-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

President George W. Bush has signed a law that will provide funding to preserve internment camps where Japanese-Americans were confined during World War II.

The program will allow the Department of Interior to grant funds for historical research and restoration work at 10 sites in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

The internment camps housed more than 120,000 U.S. citizens and residents of Japanese descent under an executive order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Annual General Meeting on December 14

2006-11-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

The Society's Annual General Meeting of members will be held on Thuresday, December 14 at 12:00 noon in the Society's offices at 1819 L Street NW. There will be an election of trustees, and the Society's audited financial records will be available for inspection.

A notice to current members, including a proxy ballot, was emailed or mailed on November 30.

The Origins of the Japan-America Society

2006-11-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society of Washington will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2007.

As the capital of the United States of America, Washington DC has been at the center of the relationship between Japan and the United States for over 150 years.

But it was only in 1957 that a group of US State Department officers came together with friends at the Japanese Embassy to establish the Japan-America Society of Washington.

Its first official act was to host the new Prime Minister of Japan, Nobusuke Kishi, on June 22, 1957. (See photo above right.)

Stressing the importance of people-to-people ties, Prime Minister Kishi said, “You will agree with me that government-to-government relations are only one side of the picture. Equally, if not more important in tying our countries closely together, are the relations at private levels in the economic, cultural, and other fields.”

Standing with Prime Minister Kishi in the photo is the Society's first President, Ambassador Francis Sayre. He was the son-in-law and former private secretary to President Woodrow Wilson.

Prime Minister Kishi's grandson is the new Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.

Society to Host Bonenkai on December 14

2006-11-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society will host its traditional Bonenkai (End of Year) party on Thursday, December 14 from 5:30 pm.

Highlighting the evening will be a gift exchange, games, door prizes and lots of festive food and drinks! And it wouldn't be a bonenkai without Japanese beers, courtesy of Kirin and Sapporo, and lots of sake, too!

The Bonenkai will be held in the same building that houses the Society's offices:

LOCATION: 1819 L St NW, First Floor (entrance next to Mackey’s)
DATE: Thursday, December 14, 2006
TIME: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
DONATION: $15 @ the door

Registration is a must, and guests are asked to RSVP by December 12, 2006.

For further information, see the Society's website at www.us-japan.org/dc .

Society Seeks an Assistant for the Japan Bowl

2006-11-29T13:14:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society is now taking applications for a temporary position opening from January to April 2007 to assist the Director of the National Japan Bowl™ to prepare and run the 2007 competition.

The Japan Bowl™ is a competition developed by Society to test the ability of high school students throughout America who are studying the Japanese language. 2007 marks the 15th year of the competition. The competition will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 12-13 in Washington DC and approximately 350 high school students will attend. The Japan Bowl™ was modeled on a TV quiz show format and aims to make the study of Japanese challenging and enjoyable. Teams of students are asked questions regarding Japanese culture, grammar, kanji, katakana, kotowaza, and onomatopoeic expressions.

The Japan Bowl Assistant must have fluency in both Japanese and English and have strong English-language writing skills. The Assistant will assist the Director in maintaining registration databases; recruiting and training volunteers; assisting with preparation of editing the materials; and assisting with logistics.

Until the end of April 2007 the Assistant will work an average of 30-40 hours each week at a starting hourly rate of $12, but with no health, pension, vacation or other benefits. Depending on the needs of the Society and the skills and experience of the Assistant additional responsibilities may be added, and the term of employment may be extended.

The Assistant must have the legal right to work in the United States; the Society will not seek any temporary workers visa on behalf of theAssistant.

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest and resume to JASW by fax (202-833-2456) or email (jaswdc@us-japan.org).

Society Appoints New General Counsel

2006-11-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society is pleased to announce that Ms Akemi Kawano, an attorney at Alston Bird, has agreed to serve as the Society's new General Counsel. She replaces Jeff Lepon, who has provided the Society with many year of outstanding service. Mr. Lepon will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Society's National Japan Bowl.

Ms. Kawano is an associate in the International Tax Group in the Washington, DC office. She focuses her practice on transfer pricing matters and the federal income tax consequences of domestic and cross-border transactions. She has been involved in negotiations of Advance Pricing Agreements and the resolution of transfer pricing disputes for multinational
corporations.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Kawano performed as a pianist in numerous solo, chamber music, and orchestral performances in the United States and Europe. She received her bachelors and masters degrees in piano performance from the Juilliard School and a doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

Ms. Kawano received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School in 2002, with honors. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar, and the Tax Section of the American Bar Association.

Ms. Kawano and Alston Bird will provide legal support to the Society on a pro bono basis, and the Board of Trustees and Society express their great appreciation to her and Alston Bird.

JICC Presents "Nobody Knows"

2006-11-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

The acclaimed movie “Nobody Knows” -- “誰も知らない” -- a film by Hirokazu Koreeda, will be shown at the Japan Information and Culture Center on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 6:30 P.M.

Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers. They have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, asking her twelve year-old boy to look after the others. And so begins the children’s odyssey, a journey nobody knows.

Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination towards the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage.

Based on true events that shocked Japan, this story of abandoned siblings is a "harrowing, tender film" (The New York Times) that "unfolds with leisurely beauty" (LA Weekly). Filmed over a year and featuring a performance by 12-year-old Yagira Yuya that won the Best Actor prize at the 2004 Cannes International Film Festival (first Japanese and youngest winner ever), this "haunting" (Newsday) tale is "heartbreakingly brilliant" (The Boston Globe).
Reservations required, admission is free.

Please email: jiccrsvpfall06@embjapan.org for reservations

The Japan Information and Culture Center is located at 1155 21st Street NW.

Almost 4 Billion Post Cards

2006-11-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Some 3.79 billion New Year greeting cards went on sale on November 1, Japan Post officials said.

It was the last time for Japan Post to release New Year greeting cards as it will be privatized in October 2007.

The number of New Year greeting cards for 2007, the Year of the Boar, is 7.2 percent less than the number Japan Post issued last year.

(from the Mainichi Daily News)

Japan Bowl Set for April 12-13, 2007

2006-10-30T12:49:00.000-05:00

The National Japan Bowl, the competition for high school students of Japanese from across the country, will be held on April 12-13, 2007.

The announcement was sent to high schools from Guam to Maine. You can read it here:
http://www.us-japan.org/dc/education/2007NationalJB/2007JBAnn.pdf

Next year is the 15th anniversary of the Japan Bowl, which is organized by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC.

The Society believes that it is important to recognize and encourage those high school students who have chosen Japanese as their foreign language. By inviting them to Washington at the time of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, we hope to strengthen their interest in Japan. We want to encourage them to continue their study of Japanese at the university level -- and to encourage them to continue their Japan connection in their adult lives, whether in business, academia, or public service.

Japan in a Suitcase Starts the 2006-7 School Year

2006-10-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Japan in a Suitcase, the Society's popular hand-ons learning experience for students in grades 1-3, is back for the 2006-2007 school year. A training session for the "Suitcase Volunteers" was held on October 14, and the first in-school program was held during the Leesburg Christian Academy's international festival week in Leesburg, Virginia on October 24.

Volunteers already are scheduled to visit 14 more classrooms throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area.

The Japan in a Suitcase program is organized by Cheryl Ames, the Society's educational coordinator.

More information about the program is available at a special website address, http://jisdc-jas.blogspot.com/.

Members and friends who wish to volunteer for the program can email Cheryl at jis@us-japan.org.

Teachers who would like to request a "Suitcase Visit" also should email jis@us-japan.org

Reischauer Scholars Program for High School Students

2006-10-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) is inviting interested high school juniors and seniors to apply to the Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP). Named after the former U.S. ambassador to Japan, Edwin Reischauer, the RSP will select approximately 25 exceptional high school juniors and seniors from throughout the United States to engage in an intensive study of Japan. Selected students will participate in an Internet-mediated course on Japan from February to June 2007.

Currently in its fourth year, this course provides students with a broad overview of Japanese history, literature, religion, art, politics, and economics, with a special focus on the U.S.-Japan relationship. Ambassadors, top scholars, and experts throughout the United States and Japan provide lectures via the Internet as well as engage students in online dialogue. These lectures and discussions are woven into an overall curriculum that will provide students with reading materials and assignments. Concurrent with the Internet-mediated course, students will develop individual research projects. Final research projects will be printed in journal format and students will be required to lead two presentations on Japan at their schools or in their communities. Students who successfully complete the course will earn Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) credit and a Certificate of Completion from SPICE, Stanford University.

Selected students will participate in 10 "virtual classes" via the Internet between February and June 2007. Students should expect to allot 2-6 hours per week to complete the lectures, discussions, readings, and assignments. Since this is a distance-learning course, however, students will be able to structure most of their work around their individual schedules. Although intensive, the RSP will equip participants with a rare degree of expertise about Japan that may have a significant impact on their choice of study and future career.

Completed applications must be postmarked by November 6, 2006. For more information and to download the application, please visit www.reischauerscholars.org.

Rakugo at the Sackler

2006-10-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 1 pm, come to the Meyer Auditorium of the Sackler Gallery to laugh along with the Japanese version of stand-up comedy.

Or should it be called "sit-down comedy?" It is the venerable tradition of rakugo. Rakugo demands tremendous versatility from solo performers who portray dozens of comic characters drawn from a repertoire of more than three hundred traditional and original stories.

The November 5 performance features stars from the Rakugo Arts Association, including the comedian Sanshotei Charaku and Japanese television legend Katsura Utamaru.

For more information, see http://www.asia.si.edu/events/performances.asp

Teacher Fellowships to Japan

2006-10-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Keizai Koho Center of Keidanren, Japan's most famous business organization, is again providing fellowships for American high school teachers to visit Japan .

The Fellowship allows teachers to learn first hand about contemporary Japanese society and enhance their classroom teaching of global perspectives. The tour date will be sometime in June or July 2007.

The ten day itinerary in Japan will include time in Tokyo; tours of major industrial and corporate facilities; meetings with key business leaders; meetings with government officials, educators, and business people; school visits; discussions with teachers and students; and a home stay with a Japanese family. Typically, there is at least one scheduled visit to a destination outside of Tokyo.

The Fellowship is open to high school classroom teachers of economics, social studies and history (grades 8-12), supervisors, specialists, and school administrators at the district and state levels; and faculty associated with 4 year colleges who are directly concerned with the training of K-12 teachers.

For further information about eligibility or to request an application, please contact: Keizai Koho Fellowship Program, Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, 600 Grant Street, Room 444, Pittsburgh PA 15219-2703 or see the NAJAS website at www.us-japan.org)

The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2007.

Toyota Also Offering Teacher Fellowships

2006-10-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

In 1998 Toyota partnered with the Institute of International Education to develop its first study abroad program for U.S. teachers in Japan.

Now in its eighth year, the Toyota International Teacher Program offers a new generation of professional development opportunities. In the 2006-2007 school year, Toyota will offer study visits to Japan, the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica. Each program will offer country-specific themes to help educators expand their professional skills, increase cultural awareness, and enhance their understanding of environmental issues around the world.

The fellowships are open to high school teachers in grades 9-12. The Toyota program includes a fully-funded 12 day professional development experience in Japan. It will take place June 22 - July 7, 2007 and provide 40 educators with an opportunity to bring ancient and modern Japan back to their classrooms. Participants will travel through Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and surrounding rural areas to examine Japan's history, education system, environment, and industry.

The application deadline is January 8, 2007. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Beautiful Day at the Aki Matsuri

2006-10-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

The weather was perfect on October 1 as nearly 2,000 people gathered in Gaithersburg, Maryland at the Aki Matsuri, or Fall Festival, organized by the Japan Commerce Association.

The Fall Festival, with its combination of food, children's activities, and entertainment, continues to grow in popularity every year.

The Festival was supported by the Embassy of Japan and a number of Japan-America Society volunteers. Reiko Hirai and Marc Hitzig of the Japan-America Society (pictured above) again served as the emcees for the stage program.

Reminder - Madame Butterfly at the Kennedy Center

2006-10-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

Placindo Domingo will conduct Puccini's classic opera Madame Butterfly during several November performances at the Kennedy Center.

The performances by the Washington National Opera will be on November 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 19.

Ticket prices for the opera, which lasts for three hours, range between $45 and $300.

For more information, go to the Kennedy Center website at http://www.kennedy-center.org/.

Visualizing Japan

2006-10-11T12:13:00.000-05:00

Professor John Dower of MIT has created a series of visually-stunning internet presentations on Japanese history, called "Visualizing Cultures."

The presentations use contemporaneous woodblock prints, postcards, and drawings to describe four periods in the history of Japan's interaction with the outside world:

-- Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan
-- Boomtown Yokohama - Foreigners in a Treaty Port
-- Throwing Off Asia, Asia Rising, Yellow Promise/Yellow Peril - Japan's Wars with China and Russia
-- Ground Zero 1945 - Survivors Drawings of Hiroshima

The exhibits can be seen at:
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027j/menu/index.html

Aki Matsuri is Sunday, October 1

2006-09-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

秋　まつり

Our friends at the Japan Commerce Association of Washington DC (JCAW) are organizing their annual Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) on Sunday, October 1 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm, 506 South Frederick Avenue, in Gaithersburg MD.

The Aki Matsuri is one of the most popular events of the year for our members. The family-friendly festival features all kinds of Japanese food from tako-yaki to yakitori, as well as Japanese musical performances and games for the kids like the "goldfish scoop" and mizu yo-yo. To top it all off, there will be a host of prizes raffled off, including round-trip air tickets to Japan.

Admission is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. Food and game tickets also can be purchased in advance directly from the JCAW, provided payment is received by September 15.

The JCAW also is looking for volunteers for the festival.

For more information, please go to the JCAW website at www.jcaw.org or contact the JCAW office at 202-463-3947 or email akimatsuri2006@hotmail.com.

Tokyo's in the Race for 2016 Olympics

2006-09-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

Tokyo was picked Aug. 30 by the Japanese Olympic Committee to represent the nation in the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. If successful in its bid, Tokyo would be the first Asian city to play host twice, after first holding the Olympics in 1964.

Tokyo is expected to face stiff competition from the U.S., with San Francisco, Chicago and other locations still battling it out to be picked as America's candidate city.

(from the Nikkei weekly)

Opportunities for US High School Students in Japan

2006-09-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

YFU USA is currently accepting applications for one of its most prestigious full-year high school scholarships to Japan, the 2007 Japan-U.S. Mutual Understanding Scholarship Program for the 21st Century (JUMP). During this year long exchange experience, JUMP scholars will live with a Japanese host family and enroll in a local high school.

The application deadline for the scholarship is October 3, 2006 and to qualify each student must fit within the age range of fifteen to eighteen years old.

The American Overseas application is available for download on the YFU website at www.yfu-usa.org. For more information, please call 1-800-TEENAGE to speak with an Admissions Counselor.

Application Deadline and Eligibility Requirements

Early application is encouraged; the completed application must be postmarked by October 3, 2006. Prior language skills are not required. However, applicants must have a strong interest in Japanese culture and language. In addition, they must meet the following minimum requirements:

--Sophomore or junior class standing at the time of application
--Born between 12/1/88 and 1/15/92
--Academic grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
--Demonstrated qualities which are essential to intercultural adjustment such as flexibility, open-mindedness, curiosity, tolerance of failure, sense of humor, and ability to adapt to unfamiliar environments
--US citizen

Students are required to depart for Japan in early March 2007, returning early January 2008. The student must pay a $600 tuition contribution; the rest of the tuition is covered by the JUMP scholarship. Personal expenses for passport, visa, and spending money are not included.

Sakura Sluggers Win League Championship

2006-09-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society's very own softball team, the Sakura Sluggers, won their first-ever league championship on August 19, by doing the impossible -- beating the heretofore undefeated AED-2 team by a score of 8-3.

AED-2 has dominated the International Education League, winning the championship five of the past six years. So that makes the Sluggers' victory all the more impressive.

Congratulations to the Sakura Sluggers and their great coach, Marc Hitzig.

First Nuclear Powered US Aircraft Carrier to Japan

2006-09-07T04:42:00.000-05:00

Kanagawa Governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa said his prefecture has accepted the U.S. plan to deploy a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at the naval port in Yokosuka in 2008, the first-ever nuclear powered carrier to be forward deployed in Japan.

The ship is the 102,000-ton USS George Washington (pictured at left). The governor said he decided to accept the new carrier after learning that Japan and the United States will take the utmost care to ensure the public's safety.

The USS George Washington is currently based in Newport News VA. It is a Nimitz class carrier; its overall length is 1,092 feet (332.85 meters); it carries 85 aircraft; and there are 3,200 ship crew members and 2,480 air crew members aboard.

Madame Butterfly at Kennedy Center

2006-09-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

Placindo Domingo will conduct Puccini's classic opera Madame Butterfly during several November performances at the Kennedy Center.

The performances by the Washington National Opera will be on November 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 19. Ticket prices for the opera, which lasts for three hours, range between $45 and $300.

For more information, go to the Kennedy Center website at www.kennedy-center.org.

Japan in Washington

2006-09-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

Can you visit Japan without leaving Washington? That's what writer Emily Heil tried to do. Here is her experience, as described in the Washington Post of August 13.

SATURDAY. I'm aiming to capture two Japanese experiences: the country's lush landscapes and peaceful Buddhist temples, as well as Tokyo's bustling street scenes and high-velocity night life. I start out the day with green tea and a steaming bowl of miso soup at Teaism. Co-owner Michelle Brown suggests sencha , the most popular of Japan's green teas, which looks and smells like fresh grass clippings. I take breakfast in the lower level, where koi swim in a trickling fountain.

After a short walk, I'm at the National Japanese American Memorial, a monument to the Japanese Americans who fought in World War II, as well as to those held in U.S. internment camps. A graceful crane rises above inscriptions of quotations by prominent Japanese Americans, setting a lovely and melancholic mood.

Then it's on to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, two interconnected Smithsonian outlets that house the nation's largest Asian art collections in a serene setting of cool stone halls. I'm drawn to the wood-block prints of Kabuki actors in the exhibit 'Facing East: Portraits From Asia' (through Sept. 4). Apparently, beginning in the 18th century, Japanese people collected images of their favorite actors -- the precursor to the Tiger Beat pinups that graced my junior high locker.

For lunch, I head to Sushi Taro, where if you're lucky, you can snag the tatami room, an enclosed booth-like platform. You remove your shoes (don't wear your day-before-laundry-day socks!), then sit on mats clustered around the low-slung table. A mixed plate of sushi and sashimi makes a light but satisfying lunch.

Arise is a shop full of items so exquisite, they belong in a museum. The vast space makes for an absorbing hour of browsing. Among the inventory of furniture, art and clothing, my favorites are the kimonos. There's a whole room devoted to the rainbow-colored, flowing silk robes, both vintage and new, complete with obis (sashes) and tabi (split-toe socks).

I stop by the U.S. National Arboretum, which is home to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum ( penjing is the Chinese art of cultivating miniature plants, and the precursor to Japan's bonsai). The collection includes several stunning centuries-old trees.

Now that I've gotten my culture fix, I'm ready to reward myself. I drop by Tako Grill, which has one of the area's largest selections of sake, a delicate rice wine. Manager Jasper Caparas says his many Japanese customers like the nigori sakes, which are less filtered than other varieties. "They're a little on the sweet side," he says. For those looking for something more exotic, there's the hot sake garnished with the crispy broiled fin of a blowfish.

When my inhibitions are sufficiently lowered, I'm ready for karaoke. My landmark is a giant mural of a sumo wrestler: Yep, I'm at Cafe Japone, where the karaoke system includes 8,000 Japanese tunes in addition to a catalogue of English titles. Be prepared to fight your way through a crowd of college students and bachelorette parties to get behind the mike -- the competition can be tough. But your heartfelt rendition of "Sweet Caroline" is sure to win over the crowd.

SUNDAY. After last night's revelry, I'm in the mood for something a bit more, well, Zen. And I find it at the Ekoji Buddhist Temple. Don't miss the tranquil rock garden -- or the temple's interior, where intricate wooden Buddha sculptures are on display.

After I leave, I'm craving some indulgence. I head to the spa at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, which offers ultra-posh services such as a full day of body and skin treatments for $600. I opt for the manicure. It's $40, which is certainly more than my $13 lunch-hour mani routine. But the price proves worth it once I'm ushered into a small room with buttery walls and bowls of floating lotus flowers.

Lest I get too relaxed, I make a final stop at Sushi Go Round & Tapas. A conveyor belt parades sushi before patrons, who may pluck off a plate that appeals to them. It's an interactive experience that inspires not a little competitive spirit -- once you spy a platter of fat spicy tuna rolls, you want to make sure you grab them before your neighbor does. A few plates later, I'm ready to return home from my Far East sojourn.

TOTAL: $113

· $10 at Teaism (400 Eighth St. NW, 202-638-6010).
· Free at the National Japanese American Memorial (New Jersey Avenue and D Street NW, 202-530-0015).
· Free at the Freer Gallery of Art (Jefferson Drive and 12th Street SW, 202-633-4880.)
· Free at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (12th Street and Independence Avenue SW, 202-633-4880.)
· $18 at Sushi Taro (1503 17th St. NW, 202-462-8999).
· Free at Arise (5114 Roanoke Place, College Park, 301-486-1230).
· Free at U.S. National Arboretum (3501 New York Ave. NE, 202-245-2726).
· $10 at Tako Grill (7756 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-652-7030).
· $15 at Cafe Japone (2032 P St. NW, 202-223-1573).
· Free at Ekoji Buddhist Temple (6500 Lake Haven Lane, Fairfax Station, 703-239-0500).
· $45 at Mandarin Oriental spa (1330 Maryland Ave. SW, 202-787-6100).
· $15 at Sushi Go Round & Tapas (705 Seventh St. NW, 202-393-2825).

Yasukuni Shrine to Revise Museum's Claim of U.S. Provocation

2006-09-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

The Mainichi Daily News reports that the Yushukan, the controversial Tokyo museum run by the Yasukuni Shrine, will drop an accusation that the U.S. conspired and forced Japan into World War II by crippling its economy through embargoes.

But Hisahiko Okazaki, a historian and former ambassador to Thailand who serves as an adviser to Yasukuni, said there is no plan to change exhibits that critics say gloss over Japan's wartime atrocities in Asia. 'Regarding the exhibit on China and South Korea, I don't see any reference that requires a correction,' Okazaki said.

Think Tanks Expect Steady Growth in Japan's Economy

2006-08-16T04:29:00.000-05:00

Ten private think tanks expect Japan's economy to continue growing steadily in fiscal 2006, thanks to personal spending and corporate capital expenditures.

Their average estimate of growth for Japan's real gross domestic product growth is 2.5 percent for the fiscal year ending March 2007.

The same ten think tanks estimate that growth in the following year - through March 2008 -- will average 2.1 percent.

More Japanese Cars Now Made Overseas

2006-08-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

The number of vehicles manufactured overseas by Japanese automakers surpassed the domestic figure for the first time in fiscal 2005, according to data released July 31 by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Overseas production grew 10.6% year on year to 10.92 million units, while domestic output reached 10.89 million units.

Japanese Land Prices Rise for First Time in 14 Years

2006-08-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

The Financial Times reports that Japanese land prices rose for the first time in 14 years in 2005, signaling an end to the persistent asset deflation that had dragged the nation’s economy into recession in the early 1990s.

Data released by the National Tax Agency also showed that price gains were spread across Tokyo and four other cities – Chiba, Aichi, Kyoto and Osaka – underlining the strength of the recovery and alleviating concerns that it was limited to a few patches in the nation’s capital. In 2004, Tokyo had been the only prefecture in which land prices rose.

Land prices are expected to rise even more in 2006, according to Yoji Otani, a real estate analyst at Credit Suisse.

Society's New "Japan at the Library" Program is Great Success

2006-08-01T08:01:00.000-05:00

The Japan-America Society launched a brand new educational program this summer -- "Japan at the Library." The program -- probably the first of its kind in the country -- was conducted by our educational coordinator Cheryl Ames and the Society's volunteers in cooperation with the Fairfax County Public Library System.

The Society's popular "Japan in a Suitcase" program introduces students in grades 1-3 to Japanese life and culture. This new library program is aimed at slightly older children -- in grades 4-6 -- and provides a more in-depth exposure to Japanese culture. Among other things, the students practice Japanese calligraphy (see above) and woodblock printing, and even learn how to make "onigiri" (Japanese rice balls). They engage in discussions about the difference in daily life between Japan and the United States and also learn how Japanese children celebrate their holidays.

The libraries also set out a special display of all of their books on Japan, aimed at young readers. At George Mason library, all of the books were checked out by the young students just after the class, so the students interest and exposure about Japan continued.

This year's program was experimental and was conducted in four sessions at George Mason and Great Falls regional libraries. We are now evaluating the program for possible expansion in 2007.

Japanese Language School Fall Semester Starts September 18

2006-08-01T07:47:00.000-05:00

日本語学校の秋学期は９月１８日にスタート

The fall semester of the Society's Japanese Language School will begin on Monday, September 18. In addition to its normal classes -- from beginning to advanced -- the Society will offer for the first time preparatory classes for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which has become the international standard for measuring Japanese language skills.

The class schedule will be posted on the Society website around mid-August.

Membership Dues Raised from August 1

2006-08-01T06:01:00.000-05:00

The Society's membership dues have not gone up since -- well, no one can remember!

But our expenses certainly have.

So we conducted a survey of membership rates at the major Societies across the United States and found that our dues were the lowest of all.

The Board of Trustees voted at their last meeting to raise general membership dues, effective August 1. However, it directed that the revised dues should be set at the average rate among the six major Societies in the United States (New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). So our dues still are lower than some of our big city counterparts.

The new rates are $60 for individual members and $80 for families; $25 for students and $40 for seniors; and $150 for sustaining members.

150 Years Ago This Month - Townsend Harris Enters Japan

2006-08-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Townsend Harris arrived in Japan 150 years ago this month, the first American diplomat to reside in Japan. After two years of negotiations marked by deadlock and cultural clashes, he successfully negotiated the "Treaty of Peace and Commerce," or the so-called Harris Treaty, in 1858, which secured trade between the United States and Japan and opened the ports of Kobe and Yokohama. It also allowed Americans to reside in these ports and at Edo (present day Tokyo).

Japanese Troops Complete Iraq Assignment

2006-08-01T05:59:00.000-05:00

AFP reports that the final batch of Japanese troops returned from Iraq on July 25.

The mission, where 600 Japanese troops helped provide water supplies and medical assistance for residents in Iraq's Muthanna province since January 2004, was the first of its kind since World War II.

During their mission in Iraq, the Japanese troops suffered no casualties and did not fire their weapons. The mission relied on British and Australian troops for protection as the Japanese troops were barred from using force.

Despite the withdrawal of ground troops from Iraq itself, Prime Minister Koizumi has promised to keep operating its Kuwait-based air force mission transporting goods and personnel for the US-led coalition to Baghdad.

AFP continues: "Japan, bidding to expand its global role to more than just a major economic power, has been gradually increasing its military position. It sent troops to Cambodia in 1993 as part of a UN force and dispatched a 1,000-strong force -- its largest since World War II -- to Indonesia and Thailand after the 2004 tsunami disaster."

CSIS Report on Transforming the US-Japan Alliance

2006-08-01T05:58:00.000-05:00

The Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) issued a report on July 12 called "New Roles and Missions -- Transforming the US-Japan Alliance."

The report says that a key principle of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty—the notion that the United States is primarily responsible for regional security and that Japan plays a secondary role—appears increasingly anachronistic when Japan is exploring new ways to expand its contributions to international security.

The joint statement released during the recent Bush-Koizumi summit reaffirms a strategic commitment to define the security relationship in a global context and also welcomes advances in bilateral security coordination that will better position the alliance to meet new threats.

CSIS says that the great potential to expand Japan’s role in the alliance confronts numerous logistical, institutional and legal questions that could affect the extent to which Japan can implement envisioned roles and missions.

To read and download the report, go to http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/060712_jcp.pdf

Do You Sudoku? Playing the Numbers Game

2006-08-01T05:56:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian Associates are sponsoring an all-day seminar on Saturday, September 30 called "Do You Sudoku? Playing the Numbers Game" with Grand Master Wayne Gould.

Novice and more advanced sudoku enthusiasts will have the opportunity to sharpen their skills in this all-day program from 10 am to 4 pm led by Wayne Gould, the man behind the sudoku craze in America. As the writer of the original sudoku program for computers, Gould is the foremost expert on this addictive puzzle.

The seminar is designed so that participants of all levels gain something, but those who want to break through from easy to medium, or from medium to hard puzzles, will find the day particularly rewarding.

A selection of Gould's sudoku books will be available for signing at the end of the program. General admission tickets are $131; Resident Smithsonian Associates pay $85; and senior members are $77. For more information, see the website at

https://residentassociates.org/test/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=55042

US Embassy Business Guide to Japan is Online

2006-08-01T05:55:00.000-05:00

A 139-page business guide to Japan, prepared by the US Embassy in Tokyo, is now on-line.

The report, called the "Country Commercial Guide Japan 2006," says that U.S. firms will find excellent markets for their goods and services in Japan across a broad range of sectors.

-- Financial services will continue to be a growth area as Japan works through its banking problems and attempts to make its capital markets more efficient.

-- Firms in the energy business will find new opportunities as Japan deregulates its power generation market and studies the privatization of the national oil exploration company.

-- Japan's population is aging, and there are growing opportunities in the "silver services" sector, services for the increasingly healthy, affluent seniors.

-- Japan’s government has an ambitious program to increase the use of information technologies throughout Japanese society, which will open up new opportunities for U.S. suppliers of IT equipment and services.

The Embassy says that Japan’s consumers are rich, sophisticated and highly diverse in their interests and tastes, and U.S. firms that can find a way to cater to those tastes and interests will find that the world’s second largest market can be very profitable.

To download the report, go to http://buyusainfo.net/docs/x_5818157.pdf

Japan Foundation Seeks Applicants for Performing Arts Grants

2006-08-01T05:54:00.000-05:00

The Performing Arts Japan (PAJ) program was started by the Japan Foundation to promote Japanese performing arts in the United States. PAJ supports the initiatives taken by U.S. nonprofit organizations to expose geographically diverse American audiences to Japanese performing arts, and encourages collaborations between Japanese and American artists.

The Japan Foundation is now accepting grant proposals for fiscal year 2007-2008.

The Touring Grant assists the presentation of Japanese performing arts in the U.S. and Canada, emphasizing locations outside major metropolitan areas, and the Collaboration Grant allows collaborating artists to create new works with the potential to develop into a touring project. PAJ will fund up to 50% of the project costs.

Applications are due by October 13, 2006 for projects taking place between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2008. For guidelines and an application form, visit the Japan Foundation New York Office's website (http://www.blogger.com/www.jfny.org/jfny_paj.html).)

Japanese Companies in US Go on Hiring Spree

2006-08-01T05:52:00.000-05:00

So says a Wall Street Journal-Nikkei article of July 17.

It says, "Japanese firms operating in the U.S. have started hiring. It is a seller's market because in the U.S., Japanese companies are not as popular as their U.S. and European counterparts. They attract fewer job seekers, and fluency in Japanese and English are a must for top jobs."

The Nikkei Business Daily asked President Scott Tsukasa Sato of New York-based employment agency Pasona NA Inc. about this niche in the U.S. job market. He said that hiring is active in a wide range of industries, from information technology to manufacturing and finance, particularly the automotive sector.

Geographically, Sato said, job demand is increasing primarily in the Midwest, where many auto-related Japanese firms operate. Smaller firms, those with around 500 employees, have begun serious hiring in the U.S. for the first time.

Government Babysitters?

2006-08-01T05:50:00.000-05:00

The Yomiuri Shimbun of July 20 reports that in an effort to curb the declining fertility rate, the Japanese Government is considering plans to make it easier for working mothers to hire a babysitter.

Under the plan, the government would provide financial assistance to cover the cost of using a babysitter--a heavy burden for many parents--by partial subsidization, and by introducing a tax exemption scheme according to the amount spent. College students would be hired to fill the babysitting positions. The government hopes to start implementing its plans in fiscal 2007.

Most babysitter agencies charge about 1,500 yen per hour, and, according to the All-Japan Babysitter Association, which has a membership of 110 companies to dispatch babysitters, an estimated 40 percent of users spend more than 50,000 yen per month on babysitting.

Japan Foreign Trade Essay Competition 2006

2006-08-01T05:30:00.000-05:00

The Japan Foreign Trade Council is sponsoring the JFTC Essay Competition 2006 to encourage students, younger researchers and business people to express their opinions on matters of national and international importance. One Grand Prize of 1 million yen and three Second Prizes of 200,000 yen will be awarded to the best four submissions, as selected by the distinguished judges. In addition, the Grand Prize Winner will be provided with an air-ticket to Tokyo in order to attend the award ceremony on January 9, 2007.

You can find a flyer on the program at http://www.jftc.or.jp/english/discourse/index.html

First-Ever Japan-America Summer Picnic

2006-07-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

Join us on Saturday, July 22 from 3:00 to 7:30 pm at historic Fort Ward in Alexandria for our first-ever “Natsu-Atsu” summertime picnic. It will be a Japan-America cross-cultural event featuring summertime foods from both countries, from onigiri and yakitori to hot dogs and corn on the cob – plus ice tea, lemonade, beer and wine.

Join us later in the Greek amphitheatre for a rocking concert by Nen-Daiko, Washington’s greatest taiko Japanese drum troupe.

There will be plenty of activities for children, visits to the Fort Ward Civil War Museum, and lots of time to walk the 43-acre park and see the Civil War cannon and defenses.

To top it all off, we will be giving away two tickets on Southwest Airlines (to anywhere it flies) plus a $50 gift certificate for J-Life International, an on-line store of Japanese products.

There is ample parking available in the park grounds, or you can park next door at St Stephen’s & Agnes School and walk directly into our picnic area. We have reserved the entire southwest area of the park for our event. (See the attached map.)

For more information, and to make reservations, please go to our website at http://www.us-japan.org/dc/programs/NatsuAtsu.pdf. Your friends and guests are most welcome to join us. Tickets are $25 for members and their guests and $30 for non-members. Children 8 and under are $12. Reservations should be made by July 16.

To learn more about historic Fort Ward, please go to http://oha.alexandriava.gov/fortward/. Fort Ward is just one mile from I-395 and is very near the Inova Alexandria Hospital.

Society Staff Invited to White House Welcome for Prime Minister Koizumi

2006-07-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

The White House invited the staff of the Japan-America Society to be part of the welcome ceremony for Prime Minister Koizumi when he met with President Bush on June 29.

It was a wonderful recognition by the White House of the important role that the Japan-America Society in our Nation's Capital plays in promoting friendship and greater understanding between the American and Japanese people.

Smiling above are the Society's Associate Director Yukiko Hino (L) and Special Events Coordinator Reiko Hirai (R).

Collaborative Japan-America Poetry Reading

2006-07-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

Noted Japanese poet Yoko Danno has collaborated on a new book of English poetry with a young American, James C. Hopkins. The two poets will give a selected reading of their collection "The Blue Door" on Thursday, July 13 at 'Chapters: A Literary Bookstore,' 445 11th Street NW (near Metro Center).

There will be a wine reception at 6:00 pm, followed by the poetry reading and book signing beginning at 7:00 pm.

Ms Danno has travelled to the United States from Kobe especially to join in this reading.

The Japan-America Society is honored to join Chapters in announcing the publication of their new work.

Society to Offer Prep Course for the JLPT

2006-07-05T16:44:00.000-05:00

Get ready! For the first time, the Society's Japanese Language School will offer preparatory courses for Japanese language learners who want to take the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The JLPT evaluates and certifies the language proficiency of non-native speakers of Japanese.

The exact starting date in September for our courses has yet to be set, but the JLPT test itself will be on Sunday, December 3, 2006 at Georgetown University. For information about the test, go to http://www.jflalc.org/?act=tpt&id=8

We believe we are the first and only language school in the Washington area to offer a JLPT preparatory course. For information about our JLPT prep courses, look for an announcement in August from the Society.

Japan Passes Italy as Most Elderly Nation

2006-07-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

The Japanese Government said on June 30 that Japan had surpassed Italy as the world's most elderly nation, fueling concerns over the effects of a rapidly aging population on the world's second-largest economy.

People aged 65 or older accounted for 21% of Japan's population in 2005, the Ministry of International Affairs and Communication said in a preliminary report.

The ratio of people under 15 also hit the world's lowest level at 13.6%, dipping below Bulgaria's 13.8%, according to the report, based on a nationwide census taken last year.

The Wall Street Journal says that the plunging birth rate and an expanding elderly population pose serious concerns for Japan as it struggles to tackle a labor shortage and eroding tax base.

Japan's population dropped in 2005 for the first time on record, spurring a spate of measures to encourage women to have more babies. The government began a five-year project to build more daycare centers, while encouraging men to take paternity leave. Towns and villages have also launched matchmaking services to get more people to marry.

The country's birthrate in 2005 stood at a record low of 1.25 babies per woman, far below the 2.1 rate needed to keep the population steady.

2nd Annual US-Japan Baseball Night

2006-07-04T07:02:00.000-05:00

Society staff members do their best to make everyone "happi"

at the Yankees-Nationals game

Almost 1,000 members and friends of the Japan-America Society joined a sell-out crowd at RFK Stadium on Friday, June 16 and watched the New York Yankees come from behind to beat our hometown Washington Nationals 7-5.

While we were disappointed that the great Hideki Matsui was sidelined by a wrist injury and did not join the Yankees for the Washington trip, there was no shortage of fans who wanted to see the Yankees play in Washington for the first time since 1971. All three games in the weekend series were sell-outs and drew the biggest crowds to RFK since basbeall returned to Washington last year.

The Society also was honored to invite 120 military members from Walter Reed Hospital (the US Army Medical Center) to join us for the game as our guests. This included wounded soldiers as well as Army medics who soon will be deploying to Iraq.

The lucky winners of the free round-trip airplane tickets to Tokyo, courtesy of All Nippon Airways, were Belinda Sterling of Virginia and Hirohide Takaseki of Maryland.

Society Trustee Outlines Plan for US-Japan Economic Integration

2006-07-03T13:16:00.000-05:00

Matthew Goodman, a Japan-America Society trustee and a consultant with Stonebridge International, has co-authored a Financial Times article with former National Security Council officer Michael Green ("Why Saying Sayonara is the Hardest Thing to Do", June 27) that lays out a plan for economic integration between the United States and Japan.

Goodman and Green write, "we share the scepticism of many US-Japan experts about the feasibility - or desirability - of a [free trade agreement - FTA ] at this time."

"The idea is not ambitious enough: with few formal trade barriers between them, a conventional FTA would add little to US or Japanese economic welfare...At the same time, an FTA is probably overly ambitious in light of current political realities."

"Until both sides - but especially Japan - are ready to open fully their agriculture markets, a free trade agreement would be incomplete and politically untenable...."

"A more realistic approach would be to work on the 'building blocks' of an eventual comprehensive agreement. The two governments could seek to negotiate a series of smaller deals that addressed the underlying structural obstacles to full economic integration, covering services, investment, customs procedures and so on."

"In particular, the two governments could productively work on convergence of regulatory standards such as those covering healthcare products and services, financial services, and intellectual property. "

Goodman and Green conclude, "as the world's two biggest economies, with shared values, the US and Japan have much to agree on. Moreover, they could set the pace for global standards..."

The Freer and Sackler Feature Japanese Art - Three Times Over

2006-07-03T07:50:00.000-05:00

The Freer Gallery and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution have three new exhibits featuring Japanese and other Asian art.

"Facing East: Portraits from Asia" is on display from July 1–September 4, 2006. This exhibition explores how portraits expressed cultural identities in Asia and the Ancient Near East over the millennia. Paintings and sculptures of Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese empresses, Japanese actors, Indian rajas and a host of other subjects reveal how the identities, importance and power of historical subjects were diversely constructed, understood and represented. The exhibition raises questions not only about visual culture in Asia, but also, more broadly, about practices of representing the self the world over.

"Freer and Tea: Raku, Hagi, Karatsu," on display from July 1, 2006–January 1, 2007, features the tea ceremony ceramics that Charles Freer collected by 1906.

"Freer—A Taste for Japanese Art," on display from July 1, 2006–January 1, 2007, celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of Charles Lang Freer's gift of his collection and museum to the United States. It features a selection of 31 paintings, calligraphy, wood sculpture, lacquer, and ceramics from Freer's Japanese art collection.

For two decades from 1887, when Freer bought his first Japanese painting, his interest in Japanese art grew deeper, as he sought to increase his knowledge of Japanese and Asian art and to understand the aesthetic harmonies between art of different historical periods and cultures.

Although he was encouraged in these interests by his friends -- the artist James McNeill Whistler and the scholar Ernest Fenollosa -- Freer relied on his own judgment and consciously resisted the decorative porcelain and gold lacquerware popular among Western collectors. Instead, he focused on painting, ceramics, Buddhist sculpture, and lacquerware from earlier periods, forming a collection of some 1100 Japanese works of art dating from the eighth through the nineteenth centuries.

Highlights of this exhibition include a Heian period (794–1185 Buddhist sculpture, a thirteenth-century Buddhist narrative handscroll, Miracles of the Bodhisattva Jizō, Moonlight Revelry at Dozō Sagami, by Kitagawa Utamaro, Fisherman and Woodcutter by Katsushika Hokusai, calligraphy by Hon'ami Kōetsu, paintings by Ogata Kōrin and ceramics by his brother, Kenzan.

Tokyo Area Continues to Grow; Osaka Shrinks

2006-07-02T18:32:00.000-05:00

The Mainichi Daily News reported that the population of Kanagawa prefecture, which includes Yokohama and Kawasaki cities, has passed Osaka to become the 2nd highest in Japan.

The population of Kanagawa Prefecture is 8,823,227, some 2,142 people more than that of Osaka Prefecture, officials said.

While the gap is not that large, it is seen by many observers as a further indication that Japan's economic and population dynamics are dominated today by the greater Tokyo region -- and that the outlying regions continune to fall behind.

82% of Japanese People "Like Americans"

2006-07-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

The Pew Global Attitudes project has been surveying public opinion in several countries around the world since 2001. It is most famous for its reports on the decline in America's global image since 2002 and especially since the war in Iraq was launched in 2003.

In its most recent report, issued on June 13, 2006, the Pew Project indicates that 66% of the Japanese people hold a favorable opinion of the United States. While that is a drop from 77% in the year 2000, it is still the highest rating that the US received among the 14 countries surveyed.

The Pew Project has discovered that there is a difference between attitudes towards America as a country and attitudes towards the American people. Many people are more critical of US government policies than they are of the American people. For example, only 32% of the Japanese people say they have confidence in President Bush's international leadership, and only 26% support the US-led war on terror today -- a major drop from the 61% figure recorded in 2002.

But when the Japanese were asked whether they held a favorable opinions of Americans as people, 82% said yes. No other country surveyed held Americans in such high esteem.

As for American opinions of Japan, our Pacific ally gets a 66% favorable rating, a slight increase from last year's rating.

Washington Post Raves about Laurel's Work

2006-07-02T04:56:00.000-05:00

The June 24 Washington Post devoted half a page to the exhibit of art work by the Society's former Executive Director, Laurel Lukaszewski -- and even compared her to America's greatest glass artisan, Dale Chihuly.

The Post said that Laurel's work, featured in an exhibition called Shiroi Kuroi " straddles the divide between craft and high art. Lukaszewski's approach to her material -- she uses hard-fired white porcelain and black stoneware -- gives her work the illusion of transcending its medium. It's as if she transformed hard stone into something entirely more alive and lively. And the matte-surface minimal objects that result speak more to form than to color; about half the works are black, the other half creamy white. "

The Post added, "Many of Lukaszewski's works are made of coiled pieces of fired clay. The coils interlock to form hanging, freestanding or wall-mounted sculptures. The massive, 16-foot-tall hanging piece that commands the gallery's double-height entrance is an impressive sight, its 350 pounds of interlocking porcelain coils coming together in an organic form suggesting a cocoon or Spanish moss. The stone curls hang off central metal supports that are practically invisible. The work itself hangs, almost too simply to be safe, from a single hook. Up close, individual coils are almost magically deceiving. Varying in diameter from a quarter-inch to about a half-inch, the components look as if they're made of anything but fired stone."

"As I moved through the exhibition," the Post art critic said, "I had to remind myself of what I was looking at. Lukaszewski's manipulation is really that good. Some of these pieces -- the 16-footer in particular but a number of other hanging works as well -- suggest the bravado of Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures. These pieces, too, would be comfortable in a hotel or corporate lobby; they're easy on the eyes and have big presence. Yet they are subtle enough in color and demeanor that they subvert some of their own bluster (which means they're not much like Chihuly after all."

Laurel's exhibition continues through July 29 at the Project 4 Gallery, 903 U Street NW, in Washington (tel: 202-232-4340). The gallery's hours are 2-6 pm Wednesday-Friday and noon-6pm on Saturdays.

Green Tea Is Good for You, Say Yale Researchers

2006-07-01T06:07:00.000-05:00

Reuters reports that green tea could be responsible for the lower cancer rate and better heart health in Asia.

While smoking is a well-known cause of heart disease and lung cancer, the rates of these diseases have remained inexplicably low in Asian countries where smoking is common. But researchers say there is growing evidence that green tea is one piece of the puzzle.

Writing in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Yale University researchers detail the body of evidence linking green tea to better heart health and a lower risk of cancer.

No one is suggesting that smokers ignore the danger of the habit and simply drink green tea. But research indicates that the tea’s high concentration of antioxidants called catechins may offer a range of health benefits, according to Dr. Bauer E. Sumpio and his colleagues at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

2006-06-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

Last Chance for the Yankees-Nationals Game !

日米・野球大観戦

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 is close to a sell-out, but we still have some upper level infield tickets in Sections 519 to 522.

So 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.

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.

There are only a few days left, so check our website at http://www.us-japan.org/dc/programs/2006baseball.pdf or call us at 202-833-2210.