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Welcome to the February 2015 edition of Friends of Japan Featured in this edition: -
Canberra JETAA 2015 Shinnenkai BBQ Lunch
Sydney JETAA Shinnenkai – Manly Natsu BBQ Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens by Mayu Kanamori Japan Education Fair 2015 Japanese Noh Workshop Photographs of women by women, from the Gallery’s collection
Melbourne AIIA Talk by Peter Yates Melbourne Japanese Summer Festival Aftershocks: Experiences of Japan's Great Earthquake Japanese Art after Fukushima: Return of Godzilla Takahiro Iwasaki: Itsukushima Reflection Model
Brisbane The Japan Foundation Travelling Exhibition: How Did Architects Respond Immediately After 3/11? Traditional Japanese music in the Japanese Garden (BrisAsia Festival) Amigurumi Toyland (BrisAsia Festival) Japan Education Fair 2015 Brisbane's February Festival of Japan Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion Hiraki Sawa: O Hanga: Modern Japanese prints We can make another future: Japanese art after 1989
Adelaide Brush and Ink: Contemporary Asian Calligraphy at Art Gallery of South Australia Reconstruction: Drawing of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake 2011 the SHOW – journey to the Japanese Manga/Anime world Koto Music Concert: Japanese Landscapes Adelaide Fringe
Perth Mariko Mori: Rebirth / Artist Talk: Mariko Mori Perth Japan Festival 2015 AJS Tomodachi Lunch
Bonsai Society of WA and Bonsai Workshop Inc. Perth Kimono Club
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Hobart Anime Island Convention
Canberra
2015 Shinnenkai BBQ Lunch Date & Time: 8 February 2015 (12.30pm -) Venue: Nara Park/Lennox Gardens down by the water opposite the Yacht Club RSVP: [email protected] (If you aren’t a member, just ask for an invite.) It’s a little late, but with January being so busy for everyone how about a barbecue to catch up? We
will be having our 新年会 down at Canberra Nara Park at lunch time, Sunday February 8th. Hopefully this will be convenient for any families with kids to come along as it would be great to see you all! The Shinnenkai will be instead of our usual monthly Oshaberikai for February. JETAA Canberra will be providing a couple of cases of Japanese beer, sausages, kebabs, bread, condiments and some soft drinks. If you have any particular dietary requirements, please advise us! RSVP’s would be very much appreciated so we can ensure we have enough food and drink. There is nothing worse at a barbecue than the sausage/bread/drink ratio being wrong! As above, if you have any particular dietary requirements (vegetarian, gluten-free etc), please let us know so we can make sure we have you covered. Due to the recently opened Chinese garden, there are less BBQ’s available, so we will try and secure one at the end of the spit. The weather may not play well with us, so if you are interested in coming please consider joining the Facebook Group as that is where will be posting updates or postponement details. For more information, visit here or JETAA Canberra facebook page.
Sydney
JETAA Shinnenkai – Manly Natsu BBQ Date & Time: 1 February 2015 (1pm-5pm) Venue: Shelly Beach (Bower Street, Manly) Bring your swimmers and take a ferry to Manly for the annual “Shinnenkai” BBQ at Shelly Beach. BYO Food and Drinks, and let’s enjoying together. More details to follow – save the date For more information, visit here.
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Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens by Mayu Kanamori Date & Times: 10 February - 21 February 2015 (Monday-Friday: 7pm, Saturday: 2pm and 7pm) *10 & 11 February are previews. Venue: SBW Stables Theatre (10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross NSW 2011) Single Ticket Price: Adult $43, Concession, Senior, Preview, Groups 8+ $35, Under 30 $30 *Transaction fees of $4 for online bookings and $5 for phone bookings apply. (Phone bookings: 02 9361 3817 Online bookings: Click here) Japanese photographer, entrepreneur and inventor Yasukichi Murakami was the talk of the town in Broome and Darwin in the early 1900s, until the outbreak of the Second World War saw him and his family, like all Japanese in Australia, interned as enemy aliens. Murakami’s photographs were impounded and subsequently lost. Using photographic projections, video, original music and soundscape, Japanese-Australian photographer and writer Mayu Kanamori goes in search of Murakami’s lost photographs. Uncovering a fascinating story of unlikely friendships, thwarted ambition and unrequited love, Yasukichi Murakami stirs our collective amnesia about the history of the Japanese in Australia. Yasukichi Murakami is a meditation on love, truth and, in a digital age where cameras proliferate, the nature of photography. For more information, visit here.
Japan Education Fair 2015 Date & Time: 15 February 2015 (12pm – 5pm, last admission is at 4.30pm) Venue: Aerial UTS Function Centre (Level 7, 235 Jones Street, (Building 10) Ultimo Admission: Free This fair is for those who are interested in studying in Japan. You can get information about Japanese schools; Universities, Vocational schools, Japanese language schools. You are free to come and go at any time during exhibition time. Participants can experience the lesson of Japanese language and culture!! We will inform you all latest information about the event. For more information, visit here.
Japanese Noh Workshop Dates & Time: 27 February 2015 (6.30pm-9pm) 28 February 2015 (9.30am – 12pm) 28 February 2015 (2pm – 5pm) Venue: Rex Cramphorn Studio, Department of Performance Studies, University of Sydney Fees: Full workshop (all 3 sessions): $150, Individual sessions: $65 per session The Noh theatre workshop will introduce performing techniques of the Japanese classical Noh theatre with special emphasis on movement and music. The workshop will include a general introduction to Noh, supported by several videos, as well as practical, hands-on instruction in the techniques of music, movement and dance. No previous experience of Noh performance is required. Numbers are strictly limited to 20 participants, and preference will be given to those attending all three workshop-sessions.
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Miwa Yanagi Yuka 2000, printed 2007 from the
series My grandmothers, type C photograph
face-mounted onto Diasec, 160 × 160 cm,
purchased with funds provided by Geoff
Ainsworth AM 2014 © Miwa Yanagi
How to register: If you are interested, please fill in this form – Noh Theatre Workshop Registration – and email back to [email protected]. Or you can print and fill in the details and post back to us – please call 02 9351 1391 or email [email protected] for details. The workshop fees must be paid before 20 February 2015. If payment is not received in time, the organiser has the right to cancel your application. Payment can be made either by direct deposit or cheque – please email us for payment details. For more information, visit here.
Photographs of women by women, from the Gallery’s collection Date: 25 April – 5 July 2015 Venue: Art Gallery of NSW Admission: Free Commanding and demanding, this compelling group of works has both a humorous and a dark side. Most have been acquired recently and are being shown for the first time. Artists include Miwa Yanagi, Yvonne Todd and Anne Zahalka, among others. The exhibition examines the importance of photography as a medium for the construction of personas and the tension between photographic truth and its wilful manipulation. Featuring works from Australia and overseas, Loud! also celebrates the 40th anniversary of International Women’s Year, 1975.
Melbourne
AIIA Talk by Peter Yates: Will Abenomics get Japan out of a three-decade slump and what does this mean for Australia? Date & Time: 5 March 2015 (6pm-7pm) Venue: Dyason House, 124 Jolimont Road East Melbourne VIC 3002 Japan is one of Australia’s closest partners in Asia. From the ashes of World War II both countries have become remarkably close, both economically, strategically and socially. However, over the past three decades Japan has experienced zero-to-low growth and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attempt to reinvigorate the economy is a reflection of a struggling Japan. It seems that the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ is beginning to set. The country’s low-birth rate is beginning to have severe consequences for its demographics and its internal debt spells trouble for its economy. These problems require a major restructuring along with major societal adjustments. So, where is Australia placed in relation to Shinzo Abe’s reforms, termed ‘Abenomics’? And, how will it shape Canberra’s close relationship with Tokyo?
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To talk on this topic, the AIIAV is delighted to welcome Mr Peter Yates AM, Deputy Chair of Asialink, Deputy Chair of The Myer Investments Ltd, Chairman of the Royal Institution of Australia and was previously on the Australia-Japan Foundation. In 2011 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for services in the financial services industry, education, and to a range of arts, sciences and charitable organisations. Please book at least one day before if you plan to attend this event to assist with catering. Members $20 student members $10 Non-members $30 student non-members $15 For enquiries contact [email protected] or 9654 7271 AIIA members can register and pay for events via either the ‘login’ at the top right hand section of this screen or visit here.
Melbourne Japanese Summer Festival Date: 8 March 2015 Venue: Federation Square The Summer Festival or ‘natsu matsuri’ is an annual event throughout Japan and comes to life once more here in the heart of Melbourne, Federation Square. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has grown enormously, its attendance reaching 15,000 people in 2014. Traditionally held to honour one’s ancestors, the festival features the ‘bon odori’, a dance performed in a circle whilst wearing cotton kimono known as ‘yukata’. At the Melbourne festival, visitors are encouraged to learn and join in the dance. In addition, the festival showcases a number of performances, including Taiko Drumming, Shamisen and martial arts! The festival will also be packed with a wide range of stalls with traditional Japanese games, activities and food – including the favourite sushi, okonomiyaki and bento. Another big attraction of the day will be the chance to win one of the fantastic raffle prizes, including the first prize to fly to Japan! For more details, please visit here.
Aftershocks: Experiences of Japan's Great Earthquake Date: 1 September 2014 - 8 March 2015 Venue: the Noel Shaw Gallery, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne Aftershocks: Experiences of Japan’s Great Earthquake explores the impact of Japan’s deadliest natural disaster on everyday lives through objects from the University of Melbourne’s East Asian Rare Materials Collection. In the 1920s, Tokyo was an economic, administrative and political hub. But at two minutes to noon on 1 September 1923, the city was devastated. A massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Kantō region, flattening the cities of Tokyo, and Yokohama, killing approximately 120,000 people and rendering a further 2.5 million homeless, all in one day. This cataclysmic event sent out far-reaching aftershocks that irrevocably altered both the Tokyo skyline and Japanese society. Aftershocks brings together previously unexhibited postcards, diaries and maps with contemporary images and narratives from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami to powerfully communicate the devastating scale and ongoing impact of both natural disasters. Highlights of this bilingual exhibition include historical commemorative postcards, children’s
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Takahiro Iwasaki, Reflection Model (Itsukushima) 2013-2014 Japanese cypress wood, bass wood, wire. ©Takahiro Iwasaki, courtesy of the artist and ARATANIURANO Felton Bequest, 2014
drawings produced in the aftermath of both disasters and prints of the Japanese god of earthquakes, the giant mythical catfish namazu. For more information, visit here.
Japanese Art After Fukushima: Return of Godzilla Date & Time: 20 March – 30 May 2015 (9am - 5pm) Venue: RMIT University Gallery Entry: Free In light of Japan’s nuclear past and present, the threat of atomic annihilation has long influenced
Japanese artists.
This exhibition will focus on the work of artists responding to the events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011 and its environmental implications. The massive radioactive monster Godzilla looms large in popular culture, originating in a series of live action Japanese (tokusatsu) films in the 1950s, where it emerged from the sea to destroy Japanese cities. The nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were fresh in the Japanese consciousness and the character was seen as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, when a tsunami tore through the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the potent image of Godzilla and his anti-nuclear subtext again forces people to question nuclear power. Japanese Art After Fukushima: Return of Godzilla is part of the Art + Climate = Change 2015 festival celebrating and identifying Australian and international artists working with environmental ideas. For more details, please visit here.
Takahiro Iwasaki: Itsukushima Reflection Model Date: 5 December 2014 – 6 April 2015 (Closed Tuesdays) Venue: Level 1 Mezzanine, 180 St Kilda Road Asian Art Temporary Exhibitions NGV International Entry: Free Takahiro Iwasaki is recognized as one of Japan’s new generation of emerging young artists, who creates intricately detailed models that reinterpret contemporary cityscapes and iconic historic buildings. In recent years, his artworks have been featured in numerous international art fairs and major exhibitions, with sculptures from his Reflection Model series receiving the greatest attention. The Reflection Model series focuses on seven of Japan’s most sacred buildings that all have an intimate visual relationship with the reflections they cast in the water that surrounds them. Playing with this striking visual relationship Iwasaki constructs precise three dimensional models that are
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exhibited suspended, in a way that combines the actual building with its illusionary reflection to create one complete form. Commissioned for the National Gallery of Victoria, the third and largest work in the Reflection Model series takes as its subject the Shinto shrine of Itsukushima, located on the tidal flats of Japan’s Inland Sea. For more information, visit their website.
Brisbane
The Japan Foundation Travelling Exhibition: How Did Architects Respond Immediately After 3/11 (The Great East Japan Earthquake)? Date: 2 February 2015 - 20 February 2015 (7 days a week, 10am-5pm) Venue: the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus (2 George St, Brisbane, QLD 4000) Entry: Free The Consulate-General of Japan, Brisbane, together with The School of Design, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) will be hosting a exciting exhibition in February which outlines the architectural response to the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011. The exhibition will collaborate with related events “Design for Grieving, Memorial and KIZUNA” composed of “Lost Homes Project” by Osamu Tsukihashi, “Emergency Shelter Exhibition” by Jun Sakaguchi and “Installation Art for Tohoku” by Naomi Kasumi. This exhibition planned to coincide with the first anniversary of The Great East Japan Earthquake, sets out to introduce the world to the diverse range of projects launched by architects throughout the region. Divided into three sections (First Phase: Emergency Responses, Second Phase: Temporary Housing, and Third Phase: Reconstruction Projects) representing the phases of projects that were implemented or planned from the period immediately after the disaster to the present, the exhibition also includes a number of restoration proposals submitted by foreign architects. The displays consist of panels that summarize each project with a written outline, drawings, and photographs in addition to related materials such as videos, models, and furniture and cardboard shelters that were actually used in the evacuation shelters.
For more information, visit here.
Traditional Japanese music in the Japanese Garden - BrisAsia Festival Date & Time: 8 February 2015 (11am-1pm) Venue: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha (152 Mount Coot-tha Road, Mount Coot-tha) Admission: Free Takako and Carl are excited to present an interactive concert/demonstration using koto and shakuhachi in the Japanese Gardens at Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha.
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They will play from the solo repertoire of both instruments, as well as playing duets from classical to modern to originals. Takako and Carl will provide some cultural background to Japanese music and their instruments as well as provide context for the pieces they perform. Visitors are encouraged to talk to the musicians, ask questions and even try the instruments. This is a part of BrisAsia Festival. For more information, visit here.
Amigurumi Toyland Dates: 13 February – 15 February 2015 Venue: Burnett Lane Peek into the super cute world of amigurumi as the nooks and crannies of one of Brisbane's oldest laneways reveals a secret wonderland. Amigurumi is the popular Japanese art of knitted and crocheted small stuffed animals and adorable anthropomorphic creatures. Head to Burnett Lane from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 February 2015 to see this yarn menagerie of amigurumi peeping out from their hidey holes to say hello. This is a part of BrisAsia Festival. For more information, visit here.
Japan Education Fair 2015 Date: 14 February 2015 (11am – 4pm, last admission is at 3.30pm) Venue: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, P1 Room
(Corner Merivale and Glenelg Street, South Bank, QLD) Admission: Free This fair is for those who are interested in studying in Japan. You can get information about Japanese schools; Universities, Vocational schools, Japanese language schools. You are free to come and go at any time during exhibition time. Participants can experience the lesson of Japanese language and culture!! We will inform you all latest information about the event. For more information, visit here.
Brisbane's February Festival of Japan Date: 15 February 2015 Venue: Roma St Parklands, Brisbane As the popularity of Japanese culture continues to grow around Australia, the search for authentic, quality Japanese experiences is something more and more Australians desire. Brisbane’s February Festival of Japan promises to satisfy everyone from the novice to the knowledgeable.
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With food stalls hosted by some of Brisbane’s top Japanese restaurants, artworks by exceptional Brisbane-based Japanese artists, Japanese music and dance performances by the finest in the area, cultural demonstrations, fashion shops and so much more. Located in the stunning Roma St Parklands, Kisaragi-Sai will take you on an unforgettable journey of Japan right in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD. For further information, please contact [email protected]
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion Date: 1 November 2014 – 15 February 2015 Venue: Gallery of Modern Art, Cultural Precinct, South Bank, Brisbane Tickets: Adult $21.50, Concession $17.50
‘Future Beauty’ explores the tremendous innovation of Japanese fashion designers from the early 1980s to the present. With nearly 100 garments featured in the exhibition, ranging from the classic and elegant to outrageous, this will be a fascinating experience and rare opportunity to view these unique creations first hand. Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on world fashion in the late 20th century. Designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto revolutionised the way we think of fashion today. Their works will be shown alongside examples by the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, a protégé of Kawakubo, together with the pioneer of the ‘Ura-Harajuku’ movement Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara, Fumito Ganryu, Matohu, Akira Naka, Mina Perhonen and mintdesigns. Curated by eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the esteemed Kyoto Costume Institute in Japan, this exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty. For more information, visit the website.
Hiraki Sawa: O Date: 17 July 2014 – 15 March 2015 Venue: Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) Entry: Free Hiraki Sawa’s video works are subtle reflections on ideas of time and motion, travel and dislocation. Having lived between London and Japan for many years, cultural mobility has formed a key reference in Sawa’s work, with his narrative sequences often about journeys into real, subconscious or imagined worlds.In recent years, Sawa’s practice has expanded into elaborate multi-screen installations, enabling him to explore multiple narratives and perspectives. O 2009 is a beautiful and thought-provoking video and sound installation that considers cycles of time and movement through immersive imagery, including the surface of the moon, the interior of an
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Tetsuro Sawada, Japan b.1933 / (Untitled) 1983 / Screenprint on
woven paper, ed. 88/95 / Purchased 1984 / Collection:
Queensland Art Gallery / © The artist
abandoned house, and the landscape of central Australia, accompanied by an evocative soundtrack by Dale Berning. For more information, visit their website.
Hanga: Modern Japanese prints Date: 16 August 2014 – 26 April 2015 Venue: Queensland Art Gallery Entry: Free This exhibition showcases over sixty works from the Gallery’s collection of Japanese prints created after 1950. It highlights the ongoing importance of the printmaking tradition in Japan, where artists continue to draw from centuries-old techniques and imagery, while innovating and experimenting with new forms and technologies. ‘Hanga: Modern Japanese prints’ features works by some of the leading Japanese printmakers over the past sixty years. These include some of the main proponents of the sosaku-hanga (creative print) movement, Kiyoshi Saito and Kawano Kauro, who developed processes that diverged from the ukiyo-e and later shin-hanga (new print) traditions, as well as artists who found fresh ways to reconfigure traditional imagery and modes of production. Experiments with abstraction and graphic design are also featured, which broadened the established minimalist palette to embrace bold colours and compositions in a range of internationally influenced styles. The exhibition also includes works by artists who have become important figures in the broader context of contemporary art. Prints by Masami Teraoka, Lee Ufan, Ay-O, Tadanori Yokoo and Tōkō Shinoda provide examples of practices that crossed genres and had great influence outside Japan. Capturing a range of methods and techniques, ‘Hanga: Modern Japanese prints from the Collection’ celebrates the rich colours, subtle textures and refined designs of an art form that continues to hold an important place in Japanese art, and demonstrates why Japan is a world leader in the innovation of the printmaking medium. For more information, visit their website here
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We can make another future: Japanese art after 1989 Date: Now until 20 September 2015 (10am – 5pm) Venue: Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane Entry: Free
‘We can make another future: Japanese art after 1989’ surveys the art of Heisei, the current era in the Japanese imperial calendar, through the presentation of around 100 works by over 40 contemporary Japanese artists, drawn from the Queensland Art Gallery Collection. Increasingly cosmopolitan in character and operating with an unprecedented level of international mobility, the art of this period offers a sophisticated reflection on the social conditions behind art’s production in Japan and the anxieties that accompany them. Beginning in 1989, Heisei has seen significant challenges for Japan, as the country has negotiated the collapse of the ‘bubble’ economy and a social uncertainty exacerbated by a series of man-made and natural disasters within a rapidly changing region. But it has also been the period of ‘Cool Japan’, with widespread international interest in Japan’s contemporary cultural production, while opportunities have emerged for closer engagement with its neighbours in the Asia Pacific. As well as 25 years of Heisei, 2014 also marks 25 years of the Gallery’s public engagement with the contemporary art of Japan through the landmark 1989 exhibition ‘Japanese Ways, Western Means’, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art series, and other exhibitions, along with the development of a significant collection of works by some of the period’s most important artists. ‘We can make another future’ draws on the specific composition of the Gallery’s Collection to propose several overlapping frameworks for considering this fascinating period in Japanese history through the art of an extraordinary time. The exhibition explores the emergence of an aesthetic of the digital sublime; responses to the rich field of consumer culture and new technologies of representation and communication; and critiques of national and sexual identity, which through figuration and performance attest to the central role of the human body in contemporary social life. Accompanied by a comprehensive exhibition catalogue, ‘We can make another future’ is a view of contemporary Japan from a specific institutional perspective, but one constructed from a deep history of collective research and ongoing engagement. For more details, please visit here.
Sachiko Kazama, Japan b.1972 / Nonhuman crossing 2013 / Woodcut, sumi ink on Japanese paper on wood panel, unique edition /
Two panels / The Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection of Contemporary Asian Art. Purchased 2014 with funds from Michael Sidney
Myer through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery / © The artist
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Adelaide
Brush and Ink: Contemporary Asian Calligraphy Date: Now Showing Venue: Gallery 21 at Art Gallery of South Australia, North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000
detail: Hiroko Watanabe b. 1970, Nagoya, Japan, Calligraphy installation (ritaisho) 2012, Nagoya, ink on Japanese paper (washi) Private
Collection
Brush and ink: Contemporary Asian calligraphy presents recent works from Japan, Mongolia and China portraying a subtle play of words and imagery, depicted in black and white, and imbued with a new sense of energy. For the first time in Australia the Art Gallery will present the monumental, calligraphic installations of artist and commercial designer Hiroko Watanabe (b. 1970, Nagoya, Japan). Watanbe’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions throughout the world including The power of expression (The national art centre, Tokyo) in 2012. Included in Brush and ink are a selection of recent works by Mongolian calligraphers, which evoke the natural landscape and the heart of the Mongolian people as well as calligraphy from some of Shandong’s most well-known calligraphers. This display is developed in Collaboration with the Embassy of Mongolia and Canberra, the Confucius Institute at The University of Adelaide and features as part of the Oz Asia Festival. For more details, please visit here.
Reconstruction: Drawing of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake 2011 Date: 13 February – 13 March 2015 Venue: North Adelaide Community Centre Presenter: The Garage International & Keisuke Watanabe The 100m mural is a work resulting from the 1000 km journey Watanabe took one year after the
earthquake along the coast devastated by the earthquake/tsunami. He drew non-stop for 10 days.
This masterpiece has been exhibited in various galleries and museums worldwide. A homage to the
survivors. A work of love and prayer depicting the strength of the survivors who struggle to pick up
bits and pieces of their lives and to recreate and start again.
For more details, please visit here.
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the SHOW – journey to the Japanese Manga/Anime world Dates: 17, 21 & 24 February 2015 Venue: Town Hall, Adelaide Tickets: Please check ticket prices here. ToRmansion takes us to a hilarious Japanese manga-like world. Their beautiful, well-trained body movements creates ceaseless theatrical expressions evoking a sense of wonder and joy of watching. A great theatrical experience filled with unique ideas and plenty of expressions which stimulate your imagination. A sensational hit in Avignon Festival. Unmissable! For more details, please visit here.
Koto Music Concert: Japanese Landscapes Adelaide Fringe Date: 19 – 21 February 2015 Venue: Town Hall, Adelaide Tickets: Please check ticket prices here. “This concert would feel easily at home on any WOMAD stage, and the masterful manipulation of so many strings appears deceivingly simple in the hands of these highly experienced exponents of the Koto. Simply close your eyes and journey to the land and people of Japan.” An evening of serenity, grace and power from Japan. For more details, please visit here.
Perth Mariko Mori: Rebirth Date: 8 February – 29 June 2015 Venue: Art Gallery of WA, Perth Tickets: Please check prices and more detailed information here. Tokyo-born, New York and London-based Mariko Mori is one of the most important artists of our time. Through an exploration of themes, such as life, death and rebirth, her work resonates with audiences around the world. Rebirth is an immersive, contemplative experience composed of installations, glowing LED sculptures, photographs, drawings and videos. Quiet and beautiful, this thoughtful and absorbing exhibition takes us from a sculpture symbolising the eternal cycle of life to the creation of a pulsing white hole - where stars are born. Emanating positivity and generating wonder, Rebirth celebrates our existing balance with nature and gently places you between the earth and the wider cosmos.
Mariko Mori Transcircle 1.1 2004 detail.
Stone, Corian, LED, Real time control
system, 33.6 cm in diameter: each stone:
110 x 56 x 34 cm. Courtesy of Mori Art
Collection, Tokyo. Photo by Richard
Learoyd.
Mariko Mori Primal Memory 2004.
Lucite, 25 x 126.8 x 129.6 cm.
Courtesy of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE,
Tokyo and Sean Kelly Gallery, New
York. Photo by Richard Learoyd.
Mask (part of Primal Memory
installation), 2004. Acrylic plastic,
12.5 x 13.5 x 6 cm. Collection of
Tokyo University Museum
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Artist Talk: Mariko Mori Date: 8 February 2015, 2pm- Venue: State Library Theatrette Ticket: $15 Join us for an exclusive afternoon talk by leading international artist Mariko Mori as she delves deeper into her practice and brings light to Rebirth.
Perth Japan Festival 2015 Date: 7 March 2015 (1pm-8pm) Venue: Forrest Place, Perth CBD In WA, there are many Japanese nationals working and studying and also some are living on a permanent basis bringing up their Australian families. The numbers are growing, reflecting the long history of friendship between Aussie and Japanese people. In Perth, there are several Japanese community based organisations and groups helping hands to people in need. The Japan Festival Association in Perth Inc. (“JFAP”) was established in 2013 as a non-profit organisation with an aim to raise the overall Japanese profile in WA. As part of its activities JFAP reached out to these groups to look for a way to become more closely involved with and to contribute to this beautiful multi-cultural society. After a series of meetings, the idea of Japanese “MATSURI” (meaning “festival” in Japanese) was launched as an opportunity to realise this dream. With the cooperation from City of Perth, Rio Tinto, Woodside, Aussies and Japanese friends, the 1st MATSURI in Perth took place in February 2014 at Forrest Place in the Center of Perth CBD. It attracted an estimated 10,000 people and was hailed as a great success, bringing a distinct Japanese flavour and sense of matsuri to the people of Perth. The matsuri is a free event with lots of fun for kids and families as well as adults, offering a great opportunity for the Perth community to experience one of the most important cultures of Japan. For more details, please visit here.
AJS Tomodachi Lunch On the first Thursday of every month, the Australia-Japan Society of WA holds a Tomodachi Lunch. The lunch is held at 12:00pm at Jun Restaurant, 568 Hay Street, Perth. See here for more details.
Bonsai Society of WA and Bonsai Workshop Inc. Meetings of the Bonsai Society of WA are held on the last Monday of each month and include demonstrations, lectures, films, advice and a display of members’ tree. The Bonsai Society also holds regular workshops and other events. For more information please click here. Meetings of the Bonsai Workshop Inc. are held on the last Saturday of each month. Members can bring their trees to work on, receive advice and watch others at work. For more information please click here.
Perth Kimono Club The Perth Kimono Club aims to bring together people living in or visiting Perth who wish to share the joy and beauty of wearing a Japanese kimono. You may have been wearing kimono all your life or you may have never worn one before, either way you are still welcome to join. Click here to find out more about the club and upcoming events.
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Hobart
Anime Island Convention Dates: 21 & 22 March 2015 Venue: Wrest Point Convention Centre, Hobart Passes: Please check ticket prices here. AICon stands for Anime Island Convention and is Tasmania’s longest running pop culture convention,
with a focus on the Japanese Anime Industry. The event is held over a weekend in March in Hobart
each year and is run by a Not-For-Profit University Society called TasPop (the Tasmanian Pop Culture
Society).
The convention features a variety of cultural demonstrations, competitions, theatre sports,
costuming, fashion, video game tournaments, panels, a good range of traders, an auction, anime
screenings and more! AICon is also a great place to meet new people with similar interests and is
known as a friendly and approachable convention.
For more details, please visit here.
February 3rd is the day before the calendric beginning of spring (Setsubun no hi) in Japan, and people scatter parched beans (usually roasted soy beans) at home to drive out evil spirits and summon good luck. When throwing the beans, people shout “Out with the demons, in with good luck!” (Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi!). Quite often a family member is asked to wear a demon mask and children chase them around while throwing beans. Some temples and shrines also hold their own Bean-Throwing Festivals and many local people go and pray for good luck. After bean-throwing, people eat the same number of beans as one’s age to pray for their good health. In Kansai area, there is a tradition to eat a sushi roll (Ehō Maki) while facing the direction considered to be auspicious that year.
