Bi-Weekly Newsletter
May 21 - June 3, 2021
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Now open for registration!
Read more about all our events below!
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Our interview this week is with JET alum Quinn Annelin who was placed in Tochigi, a prefecture known for its strawberries! Check below to read an excerpt of the interview, or read the complete version on our website! |
Keep up with JSB on social media! |
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Recovering from Disaster: Resilience and the importance of social networks in Tohoku
Please join us for an event on wellness and social resilience in Japan's Tohoku region.
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CONSTANT CHANGE,
CHANGELESS CONSTANCY:
Japan in the Summer of its Olympics
Internationally renowned author, journalist, and TED talk favorite Pico Iyer in conversation with President Emeritus of JSB Peter Grilli.
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#EDAMAMECHAMP is an annual spring campaign to promote healthy eating through Japanese cuisine focusing on soy and to raise funds for teaching healthy eating to more children.
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Japan Society of Boston Featured Online Events |
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Friday, May 21, 2021
7:00 PM EDT
Visiting Japan is a long-held dream for many who have been drawn in by the charm of its rich culture. But what is it like to live in Japan? What motivates one to want to live there? What are some of the hurdles one faces when living in Japan for a long period of time?
The Japan Society of Boston is pleased to invite long-term Japan residents Ed Demling, Mandy B. Blue, and Don Johnson to talk about their experiences not only living in Japan, but from the perspective of differing professions, locations, ages, and countries of origin.
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Resilience and the importance of social networks in Tohoku
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Tuesday, May 25th, 2021
6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT
How does a community rebuild after a devastating disaster like the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011? How important is a strong social network in these recovery efforts? How are social networks supported in Japan? We'll be discussing these questions and more.
Please join us for an event on wellness and social resilience in Japan's Tohoku region. We'll be inviting professor and award-winning author Daniel Aldrich, Executive Director of World in Tohoku Mio Yamamoto, and Program Coordinator of Fukushima Cooperative Reconstruction Center Tsutomu Yamanaka to discuss their insights on Tohoku's recovery from the 3/11 disaster and what it has taken to rebuild. Moderating the discussion will be Allentza Michel, Founder and Principal & Creative Director of Powerful Pathways.
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in collaboration with Table for Two and
Japan America Society of Minnesota
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Saturday, June 5, 2021
5:00 PM EDT (4:00 PM CDT)
#EDAMAMECHAMP is an annual spring campaign to promote healthy eating through Japanese cuisine focusing on soy and to raise funds for teaching healthy eating to more children.
We are joining our friends at Table for Two and Japan America Society of Minnesota for #EdamameChamp. Come learn about healthy Japanese cuisine and enjoy some fun challenges using edamame!* Participants will also learn how to make miso ramen at home.
Table for Two's partner organizations will donate food education for 1 child per participant and/or photo posted. 1 participant or 1 photo posted = Food education for 1 child.
*This is a virtual event to challenge your chopsticks skills. To join the chopstick challenge, prepare two plates and a couple of edamame pods. If you don't have edamame, you can join with any kind of dried beans. You can also use two pencils if you don't have chopsticks.
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Internationally renowned author, journalist, and TED talk favorite Pico Iyer in conversation with President Emeritus of JSB Peter Grilli
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Tuesday, June 8, 2021
7:00 PM EDT
Born in England and traveled across the globe, Pico Iyer has spent much of his time since 1992 in a small town in Nara, Japan, and at a Benedictine hermitage in Big Sur, California.
In his new books, Autumn Light and
A Beginner’s Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations, Pico Iyer reflects on the changes as well as the changelessness and the paradoxes of his adopted home.
Join us as we catch Pico Iyer in conversation with his friend, Peter Grilli, as they reflect on their Japanese journeys and how it has influenced the way they think, write, speak and live their lives.
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In collaboration with Harvard Art Museum and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
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Tuesday, June 15, 2021
7:00 PM EDT
This event offers a close encounter with one of the best-known residents of the Harvard Art Museums, Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (c. 1292). In the 1930s, the sculpture was found to contain a group of relic-like objects, perfectly preserved thanks to the remarkable qualities of the hinoki cypress wood from which the sculpture is made.
Join conservator Angela Chang, horticulturist Stephen Schneider, and curator Rachel Saunders for three perspectives on Prince Shōtoku and the ongoing collaborative research into this extraordinary sculpture.
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Japan Society of Boston Other Online Events |
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
6:00 - 8:00 PM EDT
Do you love Japanese literature? Our goal at the JSB Members' Book Club is to strengthen the Boston community of Japan enthusiasts by coming together to discuss Japanese works. Join us for a conversation about the novel Autumn Light by
Pico Iyer.
Our book club is limited to members only, but don't worry, you can sign up here today! If you are already a member and interested in the group, please contact us to have your name added to the club mailing list.
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Friday, June 4, 2021
6:00 to 8:00 PM EDT
Hosted online via Zoom
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)
The theme for this exchange is "drinks!"
Please join us for two hours of conversation, where you will be grouped based on your proficiency level. We hope you will take part in our community as we strive to bridge Japanese and American cultures.
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Saturday, June 12, 2021
5:00 to 6:00 PM EDT
$10 JSB Members / $15 Non-members
Hosted online via Zoom
Karaage (唐揚げ) is chicken that's marinated in soy sauce and fried. It is a popular dish that can be found in food stands at many festivals all over Japan, and there are even restaurants specializing in karaage.
Dashimaki tamago (だし巻き卵), or rolled omelette, is made by rolling a thin layer of egg into multiple layers. It is a variation of tamagoyaki, which is cooked the same way but uses different seasonings. Tamagoyaki became popular in the 1950s, after the government encouraged parents to give children more protein and farmers to keep more chickens. Eggs became very cheap and tamagoyaki became standard in bento boxes. Dashimaki tamago is made with dashi broth mixed into the egg batter and is popular in Japan's Kansai region.
JSB volunteer Masayo Kawaguchi is excited to show you how to make your own karaage and dashimaki tamago! You'll be able to enjoy two bento box classics on your next picnic. Be sure to bring your appetite for this next installment of our Easy Japanese Home Cooking series, and we look forward to seeing you there!
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Masayo Kawaguchi was born in Fukuoka and grew up in Osaka and Tokyo. When she was in Japan, she was a singer and an actor. She lived in New York for over 20 years, where she continued her studies in acting, and worked as an actor (a SAG-AFTRA member), a voice actor for anime, then later focused on reporting as a TV journalist. She moved to Boston a few years ago and has been an enthusiastic volunteer at the Japan Society of Boston. |
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Monday, June 21, 2021
7:00 to 8:00 PM EDT
and
Monday, June 28, 2021
7:00 to 8:00 PM EDT
Note: A minimum of
4 registrants is required to hold the class.
Registration is limited to 8 students.
Are you ready to visit Japan? This is a class for beginners who would like to learn basic expressions to navigate you during your trip. You will learn greetings, how to check in at the hotel, use the bus, train, and taxi, order food at a restaurant, buy souvenirs, etc. The price includes two sessions.
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Episode 11: Tochigi
Interview with Quinn Annelin
(Sano City, Tochigi 2005-2006)
Q: What are some of the things your prefecture is known for?
I think many people in Japan know Tochigi for its strawberries. Some of the famous cuisine is gyoza from Utsunomiya (the prefectural capital), and ramen from Sano (the city where I lived). I’ll admit I became a bit more discerning about ramen while living in Sano. Definitely the most well-known and famous location in Tochigi is Nikko. The town has lots of unique architecture and tons of history, including Nikko Tosho-gu, where the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu sits. It’s a popular tourist destination and easy day-trip from Tokyo (although I would recommend staying longer!). It was also a common spot for elementary school students from that part of Japan to take their school field trip.
Q: If you were to return to live in Japan, would you choose to live in that same prefecture?
I really liked Sano since it had a nice small-town feel, all of the day-to-day conveniences like a large shopping mall and good restaurants, and direct train access to the big city. Everybody in Tochigi was super friendly and it was easy to get around.
Q: How has your connection in relation to Japan changed since living in Japan?
I had studied Japanese in high school and college, so I had a close relationship with Japan even before JET - but I think my professional career was strongly influenced by my time there. My first job after JET was working at the Japanese Consulate in Houston, and after that, I moved into the airline industry where my role was very focused on the Japan and East Asia markets. I've been fortunate to have many opportunities to travel back to Japan in the 15 years since JET, and know my connection with the country will be life-long!
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JSB Staff Song of the Week
Asian Kung-Fu Generation is a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996. For its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotoh, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi.
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Online activities from Other Japan Societies |
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from the Japan Society Canada
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
7:00 - 8:30 PM EDT
Saskatchewan and Manitoba will launch the program on May 26th with the Protein Industries Supercluster where you will hear from local specialists on business trends in the industry. The session will have a technology focus and discuss things such as agri-food enabling technologies, including genomics, processing, and information technology.
Please join us to learn about the region and business opportunities, and for a chance to connect with key leaders in the region.
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Thursday, May 27, 2021
7:00- 8:00PM EDT (6:00- 7:00PM CDT)
A brief introduction to Ohara Ryu Ikebana is given to the participants. Then a workshop will be conducted with the participants, focusing on one of the introductory level forms of Ohara Ikebana. Review and critique will close the workshop.
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Thursday, May 27, 2021
8:00 - 9:00 PM EDT (6:00- 7:00 PM MDT)
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Friday, May 28, 2021
4:00 PM EDT
In this workshop presented by Teruko Nesbitt, kids will learn how to make one or more easy origami designs using basic materials commonly found at home including paper (printer paper or newspaper) and scissors.
Suggested Age Range for Workshop: 8-12
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Non-JSB Online Activities |
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The Yoshinori Hagiwara exhibition, “Symphony in Persimmon, Black, and Yellow,” will be on view from April 24 through May 30, 2021, at Pucker Gallery.
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Click to view the exhibition catalog |
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Saturday, May 22, 2021
7:00 - 8:00 PM EDT
Please join Pucker Gallery Artist Yoshinori Hagiwara, Scholar and Professor Andrew Maske, and Gallery Director Bernie Pucker, with the aid of friend and translator Mugi Hanao, for a discussion of what was and what is the Mingei Tradition. The event will feature an up-close video on Hagiwara's artistic process and references to the foundational history of the "Unknown Craftsmen." Panelists will then engage in a conversation on Hagiwara's relationship to and the extension of an important ceramic tradition.
This event will also feature a haiku contest! Write your best haiku based off one of Hagiwara's new pieces featured in the e-catalog Symphony in Persimmon, Black, and Yellow. Submit your haiku and the details of the piece that inspired it to rose@puckergallery.com by Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 PM EDT to be entered for a chance to win a beautiful, single-flower vase in a kaki glaze by Yoshinori Hagiwara himself!
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
4:00 PM EDT
Join us in plunging into an intricate web of tangled lines and inky blotches to emerge in a lotus pond bathed in moonlight, as Yurika Wakamatsu examines Lotus in Autumn (1872), an exceptionally large and immersive ink painting by the Japanese woman artist Okuhara Seiko. Rising from the depths of muddy pools, lotuses have long been cherished for their unsullied pink blossoms crowning slender green stems at the height of summer. But in Seiko’s painting, leaves unfurl into broad, broken parasols, while seed pods hang from dry, bent stalks. This exploration reveals how Lotus in Autumn twists conventional pictorial and literary tropes to invite the viewer to appreciate the unconventional while drifting among autumnal lotuses with the painter.
Professor Wakamatsu’s presentation will be followed by a response from a specialist in neo-traditional Japanese painting, Professor Victoria Weston of UMass Boston, and a moderated conversation with Harvard College Professor Melissa McCormick.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
1:30 PM EDT
In conjunction with the release of the first book-length study of the film in English, Grave of the Fireflies (BFI Film Classics) in May, we invite the author, Alex Dudok de Wit, a journalist with expertise on Japanese anime, to explore his findings and the significance of this title. With critical analysis contextualized by the film’s production background, he will focus on Isao TAKAHATA’s contribution to the animation genre, moving away from the more common spotlight on Hayao MIYAZAKI’s work.
His presentation, which will include a live reading of short passages from the book, will be followed by a conversation with Dr. YOSHIOKA Shiro, lecturer in Japanese Studies at Newcastle University, who specializes in MIYAZAKI and Studio Ghibli’s animation.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
3:00 - 4:00 PM EDT
Please join the JACL DC Chapter as we welcome back to Washington DC the new Japanese Ambassador, Koji Tomita!
Ambassador Tomita will share goals for working with the Japanese American communities, provide an update on recent Japan-US events, as well as share some of his personal interests and experiences.
A Q&A session will be included. If you would like to pose a question for Ambassador Tomita, please submit your question to this form for collection. Due to time constraints, all questions submitted may not be asked.
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Thursday, May 27, 2021
2:00 - 3:30 PM EDT
Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki can now be considered household names around the world, but it wasn't always that way. In the early days of global distribution with 1997's Princess Mononoke, major companies like Disney and Miramax were reluctant to take risks on a then-largely unknown animation studio.
For the second episode of our special “Studio Ghibli series," we will take a closer look at the early days of Ghibli's global distribution which were crucial to setting the tone for many subsequent releases of Miyazaki's works.
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(COVID19 ワクチンを学ぶ)
**Event in Japanese only**
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Friday, May 28, 2021
7: 00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Free on Zoom. Please register by May 26.
Speaker: Satoshi Kashiwagi, Ph.D., M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Hosted by JB Line, Inc.
Sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan in Boston
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Our students, Global Business majors studying at Showa Women's University in Tokyo, Japan, are embarking on semester-long business projects.
Each group has a cross-cultural learning objective, as well as a business twist.
An essential part of their project is discussions and feedback from people in the US.
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