A number of inspiring joint improvisation and collaboration performances with Kei Wada and Miki Maruta led Chikudo Takahashi — the last apprentice of renowned master Chikuzan Takahashi, who established and spread the solo playing style of Tsugaru shamisen (traditional Japanese music instrument) — into forming the trio “Trinity” in 2006.  Experienced percussionist Wada enjoys collaboration work with artists from various musical genres, while also engaging in the direction and production of play accompaniments. Well-established Koto player Maruta handles a broad range of different music, from classical to contemporary, while Takahashi collaborates with a wide range of musicians, and boasts a reputation as a talented Tsugaru shamisen,Okinawasanshin and kokyu (Chinese fiddle) performer.

From Tsugaru folk songs, Asian and European music to the Beatles’ classics, Trinity’s new and uniquely arranged musical performance will surely be another treat for music aficionados.

“Sound Fusion” will also feature Japanese singer, Taiko Matsumuto and Filipino group, Bandang Malaya.

A mini concert will also be held on November 17 (Thursday), 4:00 pm at the William Shaw Theater in De La Salle University – Manila.

The event is free admission.  For inquiries and reservations, please contact the Japan Foundation, Manilathrough telephone numbers 811~6155 to 58, or email@jfmo.org.ph, or visit the website at http://www.jfmo.org.ph.

It is widely known that Japanese manga and anime are attracting global attention today as the leading media of Japanese visual culture. Starting from manga comics by Osamu Tezuka, the master cartoonist of postwar Japan, this country’s manga has established a distinctive style that is different from American comics or French bande dessinée. Once depreciated as children’s amusement or a subculture, the public perception of these media has been changed considerably in recent years. Japanese manga and anime are now regarded as the main culture as the soft power that represents Japan today.

The exhibition which will be on view from August 16 (Tuesday) to October 2 (Sunday) at the Ground Floor Gallery and at the Glass Lane and Luna and Amorsolo Rooms at the Third Floor of the Ayala Museum will showcase nine manga artists and their works including Ninomiya Tomoko (Nodame Cantabile); Harold Sakuishi (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad); Asano Inio (Solanin);  Anno Moyoco (Sugar Sugar Rune ); Igarashi Daisuke (Children of the Sea); Kuramochi Fusako (Five Minutes from the Station); Kyo Machiko (Sennen-Gaho); Matsumoto Taiyo (No. 5); and Wakaki Tamiki (The World God Only Knows). During the exhibition run, other activities including lectures and workshops will be conducted.

From its first exhibit in Art Tower Mito, Japan, the exhibition has traveled to Artsonje Center in Seoul, South Korea and to the Vietnam Fine Art Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam where it has received considerable acclaim.

Manga Realities: Exploring the Art of Japanese Manga Today is presented by Ayala Foundation and the Japan Foundation; additional support is provided by Lyric Piano and Organ, Acer and Via Mare.

For inquiries, please contact the Japan Foundation, Manila at telephone numbers 811.6155 to 58 or visit www.jfmo.org.ph.

Ayala Museum is located at Makati Avenue corner de la Rosa St. Greenbelt Park, Makati City.   The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday (9:00 am to 6:00 pm) and Saturday to Sunday (10:00 am to 7:00 pm).  For more information, please call Ayala Museum at telephone numbers 757.7117 to 21 or visit www.ayalamuseum.org.

To celebrate the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month this July, Japan Foundation, Manila and the Embassy of Japan, bring the two artists to the country for some rare, special performances. On July 20 (Wednesday), a free concert will be held at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati at 7:30 pm. The following day, on July 21 (Thursday), Aki & Kuniko will conduct a workshop at the College of Music in UP Diliman, followed by a performance at Conspiracy Garden Bar along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City at 9 pm.

Formed back in 2002, Aki & Kuniko has brought their unique world sound all over Japan and around the globe, from Europe to the United States, including on the main stage of “Open Strings,” the world’s largest acoustic music festival held in Germany. They have released two albums, HA-AKI & KUNIKO in 2003 on the German label Acoustic Music Records and Over The Top back in 2006.

Acclaimed by music critics, they have been described to “create an innovative musical partnership” and to have “original, genre defying work.” Listening to how Aki & Kuniko skillfully blend the notes from their two string instruments, seamlessly going from forceful to delicate to melodic, one can understand all the positive reviews. Watch them live for yourself on the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month.

Other activities in the event are the 2011 Eiga Sai, which will screen several acclaimed Japanese movies in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao; and the traveling exhibit, “Japan: Kingdom of Characters,” which will showcase many manga and anime characters at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. All events are open to the public. For inquiries and more information, please contact JFM through telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58 or visit the website at www.jfmo.org.ph.

]]> http://jfmanila.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/a-different-kind-of-acoustic/feed/ 0 jfmanila AKI&KUNIKO http://jfmanila.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/especially-made-for-anime-and-manga-fans/ http://jfmanila.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/especially-made-for-anime-and-manga-fans/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:21:55 +0000 jfmanila http://jfmanila.wordpress.com/?p=491 Continue reading →]]> Among the many colorful elements that make up Japan’s popular culture, anime and manga are two of the most celebrated not only among the Japanese. With the immense popularity of Japan’s many animated works and comics extending to a worldwide audience, the Japan Foundation, Manila, together with the Embassy of Japan, celebrates the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month this July with the traveling exhibition, “Japan: Kingdom of Characters”.

The exhibit, to start on July 7 (Thursday) at the Tall Galleries in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, focuses on the characters that fill the world of anime and manga and how they have come to permeate into the daily landscape of Japanese life. Beyond Akihabara and Harajuku, ground zeroes for anime and manga geekery in Tokyo, one can find the characters even on bank passbooks and train passes, in supermarkets and vending machines. “Japan: Kingdom of Characters” gives Philippine anime and manga fans a chance to closely examine the cultural and historical background behind the Japanese love of characters and the future of characters in contemporary Japan.

Divided into three sections, the first part of the exhibit examines the changes in Japanese society from the 1950’s (when Astro Boy made his manga debut) to the present and the characters that have emerged in each decade—from the classic geek favorites Ultraman, Masked Rider and Mobile Suit Gundam to more recent beloved children characters Chibi Maruko Chan, Pokemon and Tamagotchi, among many others.

The second section showcases the bond the Japanese have with characters from a faithful reproduction of a high-school girl’s room completely filled with Hello Kitty. A final section, dubbed “The Future of Characters,” looks at the emerging forms of characters. It also gives a glimpse on some of the factors that play a vital role in their future development, such as the rise of new Internet and computer software and the prevalence of anime-based cosplay.

“We hope that through this exhibition, the viewer might come to better understand the close and extremely futuristic relationship that the Japanese people have with characters,” says Aihara Hiroyuki, President of Character Research Institute Co., Ltd in Japan.

Other activities included in the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month are the 2011 Eiga Sai, which will screen several acclaimed Japanese movies in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao; and a free concert and workshop featuring Japanese acoustic instrumentalists Aki & Kuniko in the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati City, College of Music in UP Diliman and at the Conspiracy Garden Bar in Quezon City.

For inquiries and more information on the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month activities, please contact JFM through telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58 or visit the website at www.jfmo.org.ph.

The exhibition is organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and supported by Toshiba (Philippines) Inc.

Japan: Kingdom of Characters is open to the public on July 8 and will run until August 20 at the Tall Galleries. The Met Museum is located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila. Museum hours are from Monday to Saturday, 9am – 6pm.  For inquiries, call 523-0613 or mail info@metmuseum.ph. Visit us www.metmuseum.ph and at www.facebook.com/met.museum.manila .

The film festival opens on July 1 at the Shang Cineplex in Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City with the acclaimed Japanese film Departures. The Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009 follows an out-of-work cello player who returns to his hometown and finds himself employed in ceremonial ‘encoffinating’ of the departed prior to cremation. It is not the most favored line of work in town, but his many encounters with death—some amusing, mostly heartbreaking—make for an unforgettable story.

Completing this year’s roster of films are other memorable Japanese movies including The Summit: Chronicle of Stones (a triumphant tale of the human spirit wherein a group of men are tasked to complete the map of their country by crossing Japan’s last unconquered mountain); The Chef of South Polar (a heart-warming comedy about a chef dispatched in Antarctica with a research team as he goes to great lengths preparing a table of delectable meals everyday—without fresh supplies!); One Million Yen Girl (a drama starring Japanese sweetheart Yu Aoi as a 21-year-old girl taking on various jobs and moving from one town to another after she saves one million yen); Your Friend (follows a writer who visits a school for his research on children with problems in this story of friendship and loss); Yunagi City, Sakura Country (based on a manga comic by Fumiyo Kono, portraying the tragedy that the atomic bomb carries beyond generations); Summer Days with Coo (an animated film that centers on the surprising tale of a tiny amphibious creature set against the Edo period and present-day Tokyo); Climber’s High (based on the Japanese bestselling novel about a press reporter who finds the meaning of life through his experiences of news reporting and mountain climbing); Feel the Wind (a successful portrayal of the intensity of long-distance relay marathons with a group of student runners from a fledgling track club trying to make it); and Villon’s Wife (an award-winning drama distilled from seven of Dazai Osamu’s works that showcase the energy of the people living in the chaos of postwar period).

The wide-range of Japanese film genres will be shown with English subtitles. Admission is free. Screening venues are at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 (July 1 to 10), Gaisano Grand Citimall, Davao (July 22 to 24), Ayala Center Cinema 4, Cebu (August 2 to 7) and UP Film Institute (August 17 to 20).  For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please access the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58.

The 13^th Japanese Film Festival is organized together with The Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, UP Film Institute and supported by Lyric Piano, ClickTheCity.com and NET 25.

Marcel  Marceau (22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) was an internationally acclaimed French actor and mime most famous for his persona as Bip the Clown. He was also known as the founder of modern pantomime.

I knew I’d never get the chance to see Mr. Marceau perform in person.  But when I found out that the Japanese mime artist we invited to perform in Manila was trained by Marcel Marceau, I had a feeling this will be something great.

IIMURO Naoki is an award winning mime actor who graduated from the Ecole International de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau and the Conservatoire Niedermeyer d’Issy Les Moulineaux Ecole Nationale de Musique de Dance et d’Art Dramatique.  In his dual role as actor and producer, he takes an active role in many performances, thereby promoting pantomime in Japan.

Mr. Iimuro will be performing in Manila on June 14 and 15, 7:00 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City.  He might not be Marcel Marceau but he’s close enough for me. 

Rap in Tondo 2 is an expansion of a workshop series which started in 2010. The aim of the workshop’s expansion is to reach local rappers and hip-hoppers in the Philippine provinces which boast a vibrant rap and hip-hop scene. This expansion would be facilitated by rap and hip-hop artists from Manila who participated in workshops with German, French and Japanese partners and local Filipino rap and hip-hop artists. Mr. Jim Libiran, a Filipino film producer, recommends integrating the project into the peace movement in Mindanao.

Since 2010, Filipino rap and hip-hop group Tondo Tribe and German-French rap and hip-hop group Les Coudes Productions have been continuously coordinating and working on strengthening cooperation in the international hip-hop scene.

This year, the following German-French rap and hip-hop artist will become a part of Rap in Tondo 2 - MC Narco aka DJ Joe Kanga (Achille Dipita Toube), THE P.A.T (Ndongmo Tapondjou Patrick Bernard), and MICHEL aka FLY (Michél Andres Figueredo Hernandez).

Three (3) artists from Tondo — Shielbert Manuel, Filemon Dionisio, and Restly Perez – will also participate in the workshops. Shielbert Manuel performs and composes his own songs which can be heard and viewed on the internet via YouTube and/or Facebook. He is also involved in socio-cultural projects and programs, and organizes fundraising concerts with the youth. Filemon Dionisio and Restly Perez produced together with their band an album entitled “Human Rights”. Restly also composes songs which can be heard and viewed on YouTube and/or Facebook.

This year, the Japan Foundation Manila invited OMIYUKI CHANNEL to participate in Rap in Tondo 2. OMIYUKI CHANNEL is a producer duo consisting of Young-G and BigBen. The duo utilizes traditional Japanese musical instruments blending it with the latest music technology and instruments producing an eclectic sound. OMIYUKI CHANNEL has produced songs for Japanese and international artists.

The grand culminating concert of Rap in Tondo 2 will take place at B-Side (The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., San Antonio Village, Makati City) on Thursday, 26 May 2011 at 9:00 P.M. This special international rap and hip-hop concert will feature all the artists involved in the project since 2010.

Kim Hernandez, 1st Prize Student Division and Speech Contest Grand Prize

Louie Severo, 1st Prize Non Student Division and Outstanding Performance Award

The participants, winners and judges

QC High School

the winning schools

Day 1 of the 2011 Nihongo Fiesta was capped off with a one-hour concert of the Seshami Street Boys.  The duo presented their Japanese street style performance using the shamisen.  Pierre Ono and Torami Yasuto performed a series of musical numbers like a traditional Japanese song, their original composition, Freddie Aguilar’s song Anak, Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal and the theme from Voltes V which made the crowd go wild.

Torami Yasuto

Pierre Ono

Torami singing Voltes V

The Seshami Street Boys

They were a delight to watch.  Not only did they play the instrument very well, they even added comedy in their performance… they even used a plastic doll to show that they can use ANYTHING as bachi. What really delighted the audience was that they boys were game in having their photos taken.  Everybody had a blast that night and that included the whole mall.

Torami using a doll for a bachi

The last day of the 2011 NF was literally filled with paper planes in all shapes and sizes.  The Paper Plane Workshop of Mr. Yoshinori Nishihara at the Grand Atrium attracted a lot of families and individuals (who happen to be at the mall that day) to attend.  Participants as young as 4 years old were taught 3 paper planes designs by Mr. Nishihara.

JFM staffs practicing their folding techniques

Mr. Yoshinori Nishihara

one of the youngest participant with his mom

the participants

The workshops became a family event with parents helping out their kids fold their paper planes.

Precious & Rickee making their planes

Colet, Millet and Nolo

JFM Asst. Director Yukie Mitomi teaching a young participant

The workshop participants

Although some of the participants felt that the workshop was too short (and a little too fast), everyone went home with happy, especially the young participants (and some “older ones”) who all received the paper hats made by Mr. Nishihra.

Paper hats from Mr. Nishihara

JFM Director Mr. Shuji Takatori and staff with their hats

The 2011 Nihongo Fiesta officially ends fiscal year 2010-2011 and what a way to end it.  The events attracted not only our regular audience but also enticed a lot of the mall goers to come and participate.  It was participated in by kids and adults alike and have created a great interest and appreciation to the Japanese culture and arts.

To everyone who attended, listened, got our fliers, stopped and looked at our event, domo arigatou!  Personal thanks to Louise (for the photos), Frances for being our Stage Manager and Direct Dub for the fantastic lights and sounds.

* As of this writing, I was informed by my 2 friends who brought their kids to the  workshop that their kids are still making paper planes.

Seshami Street Boys

The Seshami Street Boys was formed during their college days at the Tsukuba University.  The group composed of Pierre Ono and Torami Yasuto is known for their straightforward and comedic style.  Using the shamisen (a three-stringed musical instrument), the Seshami Street Boys have appeared in various events including street performance festivals such as the Daidougei World Cup and have become a staple of the Tokyo street scene. Repealing the ordinary, challenging its predecessors, and topping off records – the Seshami Street Boys is a must-see professional act can set the festive mood in any event.

The concert is part of the Nihongo Fiesta 2011 which also includes the 38^th Nihongo Speech Contest, the 3^rd Nihongo Quiz Bee – High School Students and the Paper Plane Workshop of Yoshinori Nishihara.

All Nihongo Fiesta 2011 events are open to the public. For inquiries, contact JFM at (02) 811-6155 or email@jfmo.org.ph. The event is made possible with the support of the Embassy of Japan, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, Inc. (JCCIPI), The Japanese Association Manila (JAMI), Japan Overseas Enterprises Association (JOEA), Association of Filipino Nihongo Teachers (AFINITE) and Delta Air Lines.

Dr. Patrick Flores

Ms. Marian Pastor Roces & Ms. Cora Alvina

Dr. Patrick Flores, Ms. Yeyey Cruz & Ms. Eileen Legaspi Ramirez

The discussions were informative, complex and even entertaining sometimes.  Questions were asked, issues were raised and even new terms “created” like the now famous “curatorial c” (as in curatorial confidence, conceit, etc.).    20 minutes were given to each participant to present their proposal and answer questions both from the mentors and their co-participant.

For an observer like me, it was interesting to hear the proposals for new exhibitions.  I have one time in my life thought of being a curator (I have actually worked as a curatorial assistant in NCCA years ago) so the comments and advice of the mentors did not only benefit the young curators but it also helped me.  While some of the concepts were well thought off and would just need the funding to have it realized, there were a few ideas that still needed some tweaking to actually make it work.  It was noticeable that some proposals could easily be incorporated with each other to make a new exhibit all together.

Mr. Bogie Ruiz

the participants

the mentors

the presentation

While the workshop was geared towards curatorial development, it was also a venue to select a participant for the JENESYS Program.  Only 1 out of the 21 curators will be selected for this program, as for the rest I’m sure we’ll see their works in one of the museums or galleries around.