9000 Paper Balloons | Teaser
Deadly floating balloons in America? 👀 Artist Maiko Kikuchi and puppeteer Spencer Lott were just as perplexed when they learned about the Fu-Go Project—an incendiary balloon weapon deployed by Imperial Japan against the United States during World War II.
This stranger-than-fiction tale became the inspiration behind their poetic and eerie performance, 9000 PAPER BALLOONS, opening October 28 at Japan Society.
Watch the full teaser and secure your seats today! 🎈✨
🎟 japansoc.org/PaperBalloons
Mamoru Oshii's ANGEL'S EGG | Teaser
A rarely screened classic animation from legends Mamoru Oshii and Yosh*taka Amano, ANGEL’S EGG poses a riddle of salvation and hope within the depths of an apocalyptic maze.
Screening in-person Friday, October 14 at 7 pm as part of our #MonthlyAnime series🥚✨
(In Japanese with English subtitles)
🎟 japansoc.org/MonthlyAnime
英語で人をForeignerと呼ぶのは失礼ですか？
英語で人をForeignerと呼ぶのは失礼ですか？🤷♂️
If you’re a native English speaker, you’re probably aware that calling someone a “foreigner” isn’t the best way to make friends. The word “foreigner” embodies a deeper, darker nuance—which some native Japanese speakers learning English may not be aware of. Here’s Ben Milam, Japan Society’s bilingual ESL instructor, with some helpful tips!
📝🚨お申込み受付中📝🚨 日英バイリンガルの大人気アメリカ人講師・ベン先生による日本語話者対象の英会話です。JS語学センターでは、９/２０から様々なレベルのクラスを開講します。NYのジャパン・ソサエティーでしか受けられないオンラインの対話式授業に、世界中からご参加いただけます。
Registration is now open for our online Fall English courses, kicking off September 20! Learn more at the 🔗 below.
詳細・お申込 👉 japansoc.org/English
#オンライン英会話
#英語の勉強
#英会話
Toshio Hosokawa on Yukio Mishima's Hanjo
A sneak peek of our interview with Toshio Hosokawa—one of Japan’s most important living classical music composers—whose internationally celebrated opera HANJO makes its U.S. premiere at NYU Skirball this month!
Based on one of Yukio Mishima’s “Modern Noh Plays” (translated to English by Donald Keene), #Hanjo is a haunting tale of desire and loss against the backdrop of postwar Japan.
Watch the full interview next Wednesday, September 14 in “Yukio Mishima’s Hanjo,” an in-person opera talk featuring Catapult Opera founder (and HANJO conductor) Neal Goren and Italian director/choreographer Luca Veggetti. The event kicks off at 6:30 pm with an introduction to Mishima’s original script, culminating in a live singing of the opera’s centerpiece aria.
🎟 japansoc.org/Hanjo
Greetings from OKI: Music of the Ainu
Greetings from Ainu musician OKI and the members of the OKI DUB AINU BAND, who will be performing live at Japan Society on Friday, May 6 as part of their All-America tour 🥁👏
As we head into #AAPIHeritageMonth, we invite you to explore the diversity of Japanese culture through this in-person program spotlighting #AinuMusic — the music of Japan’s northernmost indigenous people.
🎟️ Learn more & secure your tickets at japansoc.org/OKI
OKI: Music of the Ainu
We're proud to celebrate #AAPIHeritageMonth in May with OKI, one of the best-known musicians of Japan's northernmost indigenous people, the Ainu.
For one night only on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm, OKI and his band will perform an in-person concert of traditional pieces alongside contemporary works from his just-released 2022 album, Tonkori in the Moonlight.
🎟 japansoc.org/OKI
Visit Japan Society with a Culture Pass!
Did you know that you can get into NYC museums for free with a library card? 🤫📚
Culture Pass is a program for cardholders of Brooklyn Public Library, NYPL The New York Public Library and Queens Public Library. Using their library card, New Yorkers can reserve a pass and get free admission to dozens of NYC cultural institutions—including Japan Society’s gallery!
Visit culturepass.nyc for more info🎟️✨
#SeeingMunakata
Waves Across Time: Traditional Dance and Music of Okinawa
Experience the traditional dance and music of Okinawa this spring! Featuring kumiodori, popular folk dances and live ensemble music, this vibrant in-person program invites audiences to relish in the rich history and heritage of Japan's southernmost prefecture.
🗓️ Friday, March 18 at 7:30 pm—followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception
🗓️ Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 pm—followed by an artist Q&A
🎟️ http://ow.ly/jkof50IciMW
Shikō Munakata’s Heart Sutra
One of the most well-known and recited of all Buddhist holy texts is the Heart Sutra, also known as Heart of the Prajna-Paramita Sutra. Artist Shikō Munakata was a devout follower of Buddhism, and the sutra was an inspiration for several works on display in “Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing.”
Learn more about the Buddhist philosophies, motifs and figures at the heart of Munakata’s oeuvre with D. Max Moerman, professor and chair of Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, in a special YouTube premiere event on Tuesday, March 8 at 6 pm. #SeeingMunakata
✨👉 Register in advance to tune in: http://ow.ly/pe2l50IahKb
🚨 Don't miss the final days of the exhibition before it closes on March 20. The gallery will be open Monday-Sunday during closing week—learn more about extended hours here: http://ow.ly/g5ch50IahVK
Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing - The Sōsaku-hanga Movement
A self-taught artist who revolutionized the woodblock print, Shikō Munakata was closely associated with two major Japanese art movements—the Mingei (folk art) movement, founded by Yanagi Soetsu in the 1920s, and the Sōsaku-hanga (creative print) movement, which marked a departure from traditional ukiyo-e production and aesthetics.
Here, curator Tiffany Lambert dives into the shifting ideologies of Munakata’s era. #SeeingMunakata
👋 ✨We’re in the final weeks of “Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing,” on view through March 20. Learn more & plan your visit today: japansociety.org/arts-and-culture/exhibitions/shiko-munakata-way-of-seeing
Shomyo: Buddhist Ritual Chant—Spiral Mandala Ceremony
Japanese composer Yu Kuwabara discusses the ancient art of shomyo, a ritual form of Buddhist chant that traveled along the Silk Road to China, eventually reaching Japan in the sixth century.
"Shomyo: Buddhist Ritual Chant—Spiral Mandala Ceremony" kicks off tomorrow at 6 pm with performances through Sunday, February 27!
For this one-of-a-kind immersive audio program, Brooklyn-based media designer Tei Blow will transform Japan Society’s stage into a dreamlike soundscape featuring the ethereal voices of Shomyo no Kai—Voices of a Thousand Years, as well as the lyrics and graphic score of Kuwabara’s shomyo piece Spiral Mandala Ceremony.
🎟️✨Learn more & secure your seats today: japansociety.org/arts-and-culture/performances/shomyo-buddhist-mandala-ceremony
A-30 second clip from one of the earliest anime films to come out of Japan, Jun’ichi Kōuchi’s "The Dull Sword" (なまくら刀 / Namakura Gatana)—initially released in 1917.
The one-reel silent film, which was miraculously rediscovered in an Osaka antique shop in 2008, follows an unlucky samurai who buys a dull sword and attempts to use it to bully the townsfolk.
If you're fascinated by the history of Japanese anime and manga, don't miss our upcoming webinar, "Japanese Pop Culture: Connecting the World through Manga and Anime" on Feb. 15 at 7 pm EST. Join us as experts unpack the historical development of anime and manga, as well as the current state of the industry, from pen to paper to screen.
Advance registration required: http://ow.ly/WOsY50HQVNh
📷 Restoration by Sumerias Fain. Watch the full digitally restored version of "The Dull Sword" in the National Film Centre's archives: animation.filmarchives.jp/works/playen/100183
Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing - Hara: A Line at the Foot of Mt. Fuji
Curator Tiffany Lambert discusses Shikō Munakata's "Tōkaidō Series," highlighted by a stop at Hara (Mt. Fuji). Evidence of Japan's rapid modernization can be seen in the streak of white at the foot of the mountain, commemorating the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, completed in 1964—the year of the Tokyo Olympics and also the year that Munakata completed the series. #SeeingMunakata
✨ Stay tuned for more deep dives into "Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing," on view through March 20 at Japan Society ✨
🎨 Learn more & plan your visit: japansociety.org/arts-and-culture/exhibitions/shiko-munakata-way-of-seeing
Sharaku Apple Carving by Miya Katayama
Ukiyo-e inspired apple art by Miya Katayama🗡😋
This carving is based on a woodblock print by Tōshūsai Sharaku, famed for his portraits of kabuki actors. Little is known about the enigmatic artist, who was only active between 1794 and 1795, prompting some to believe that Sharaku was the renowned printmaker Katsushika Hokusai using another name.
If you love Japanese art and culture, don't miss "Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing"—now on view through March 20, 2022. With his bold, spontaneous, and sketch-like lines, Munakata revolutionized the woodblock print, working across mediums to produce a diverse collection of expressive works. #SeeingMunakata
Learn more about the exhibition: http://ow.ly/vUNK50HhSwW
Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia
A haunting butoh duet, quantum mechanics, and dancers who twitch to the sound of a ticking clock.
New York City’s anticipated Contemporary Dance Festival returns for its 19th installment in January, spotlighting performers from Japan and East Asia.
Secure your tickets today: http://ow.ly/XM5350HaMCX
Cooking Up (Trailer)
Husband's mistress or a missing house cat? The real and the surreal come together at a small French restaurant in #CookingUp, written by emerging playwright Shoko Matsumura and directed by Jordana De La Cruz. Showing Monday, Dec. 6 at Japan Society.
🎟Tickets on sale now: http://ow.ly/vTw050GVVze
Watch the trailer for a sneak preview of the play👇
Cooking Up (Trailer)
Husband's mistress or a missing house cat? The real and the surreal come together at a small French restaurant in COOKING UP, written by emerging female playwright Shoko Matsumura and directed by Jordana De La Cruz. Showing Monday, Dec. 6 at Japan Society.
🎟Tickets on sale now: http://ow.ly/br2650GVVkS
Watch the trailer for a sneak preview of the play👇
Flash Forward: Debut Works and Recent Films by Notable Japanese Directors
Kicking off on Dec. 3, #FlashForward presents an intimate look at six of Japan’s best-known directors, from Naomi Kawase to Masayuki Suo. Stream the entire online slate with the All-Access Pass—on sale now through Dec. 2 only. Available at film.japansociety.org 🎟
Miss the big screen? In collaboration with the National Film Archive of Japan, we’re also presenting two exclusive in-person screenings of works by master filmmaker Sadao Yamanaka in our auditorium.
🍿Tange Sazen and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo (1935)
🗓 Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7 pm
🍿Priest of Darkness (1936)
🗓 Friday, Dec. 17 at 7pm
Secure your seats today: http://ow.ly/A7hn50GP8nK
Learn Shodō (Japanese Calligraphy)
50 seconds of shodō, or Japanese calligraphy🖌✨The current era of Japan's official calendar, "Reiwa" comprises two kanji characters: rei (令), meaning "fortunate," and wa (和), meaning "peace" or "harmony."
Registration is now open for Winter Shodō! Learn key skills and create beautiful pieces at home with our 5-week online course, taught by master calligraphers.
Learn more & register here: http://ow.ly/M6Bq50GJRWT
Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing
With his bold, spontaneous, and sketch-like lines, Shikō Munakata (1903-1975) developed an innovative style that revolutionized the woodblock print, liberating it from the conventions of Japanese ukiyo-e masters before him.
Lesser known, perhaps, is the true breadth of the artist’s oeuvre. Spanning from prints to calligraphy, sumi ink paintings, ceramics, and beyond — Munakata’s powerfully expressive works make him one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century.
Opening December 10, “Shikō Munakata: A Way of Seeing” is a presentation of over 100 path-breaking works organized from Japan Society's rare collection.
Learn more & plan your visit: http://ow.ly/r0Y250GGjNU
#SeeingMunakata
Adjusting to the New Normal: COVID-19 & Mental Health
How can organizations acknowledge the mental impact of adjusting to the #NewNormal? Mental health expert Jeremy Hunter provided his insights last week during "Adjusting to the New Normal: COVID-19 & Mental Health"— a live webinar co-organized by the OIST Foundation.
We were joined by Okinawa-based counselor Kaori Itokazu and cognitive scientist Mark M. James, whose work focuses on the role of technology in enabling social connection throughout the pandemic.
Watch the full program here: http://ow.ly/aLNZ50GzOCE
SHEEP #1 Trailer
Inspired by the writings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Sachiyo Takahashi's (Nekaa Lab) inventive performance follows the adventures of a sheep in search for the meaning of life. Watch the trailer for a sneak preview of SHEEP #1 — opening November 4 at Japan Society👇🐑
Reserve your tickets today: http://ow.ly/mo1S50GxHEu
Zen and Japanese Spiritual Practices
Easing into the weekend with Bay Area artist Yuki Kawae's Zen garden creations 😌
Rock gardens, or karesansui ((枯山水), originated in medieval Japan with the rise of Zen Buddhism. The raked sand represents ripples in water while larger fixtures symbolize islands, mountains and trees.
If you want to learn more about Zen and Japanese spiritual practices, don't miss our live webinar on October 19 at 7 pm EDT. Scholars and practitioners will explore Zen's role and perception in Japan and the West, differences in practices, and the path forward in a post-COVID world.
Register for the free event: http://ow.ly/e76e50Gsr9e
Sneak peak of Japanese artist Sachiyo Takahashi’s (Nekaa Lab) microscopic theater performance about a sheep in search for the meaning of life. In this dreamlike fable, Takahashi manipulates tiny figurines, which are magnified in real time and projected onto a screen with live music accompaniment ☁️🐑
Showing November 4–7 at Japan Society in NYC. More info + tickets here: http://ow.ly/hNyD50GrDZc
Japan House: Fifty Years Ago Today
Taking a few steps back to 1971 with Japan Society President & CEO Joshua W. Walker as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our home and headquarters, Japan House.
"As in 1971, the time to act is now and our opportunities are as great as the challenges of 2021. It's up to us to work together on new, critical connections to take us through the next 50 years."
Read more about this pivotal moment in the Society's history and U.S.-Japan relations in Dr. Walker's latest piece: http://ow.ly/Y6GZ50GfttM
“THE NOSEBLEED chronicles my journey of confronting what I think is one of the biggest failures of my life.”
With previous sold-out showings at Brooklyn Arts Exchange and The Public Theater, Aya Ogawa's autobiographical play is a turbulent and touching tribute to fractured family ties and the director's experiences growing up in the U.S. as a Japanese immigrant.
Co-presented with The Chocolate Factory Theater, THE NOSEBLEED kicks off on October 1 and runs through October 10 at Japan Society in NYC.
🎟 Get your tickets today: http://ow.ly/kXKq50G2zqO
IFC Center - Wife of a Spy
If you missed our JAPAN CUTS Centerpiece presentation of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's period drama WIFE OF A SPY, you can catch its theatrical run at IFC Center starting today! Starring Yu Aoi, recipient of our CUT ABOVE Award, this dizzying spy tale of suspicion & betrayal during WWII is not to be missed.
🎟️ Tickets: http://ow.ly/jJjT50GbsuO
60 seconds of koi swimming about and enjoying the water as elegant Japanese irises fondly watch over them | Repost Portland Japanese Garden 🍃
Japanese people have long praised koi (carp) as "the king of river fish." Rice farmers in Japan's Niigata Prefecture began selectively breeding koi for ornamental purposes as early as the 1820s. Koi ponds would go on to become one of the most common features of the #JapaneseGarden.
Learn more about one of the world's oldest land art forms in "The Japanese Garden: Living Classroom of Nature, Architecture & Culture"— a free webinar on September 28 at 7PM EDT. Co-presented with the Portland Japanese Garden.
🌾👉 Register here: http://ow.ly/YqSz50G8xyx
An aspiring actor returns home to a wife harboring a monumental secret in Anshul Chauhan’s atmospheric drama — LEO'S RETURN (2021) — now streaming in the U.S. and Canada as part of #JAPANCUTS 🎬
✨TONIGHT at 8PM EDT ✨Don't miss our Instagram Live Q&A with Anshul Chauhan + directors Mayu Nakamura (AMONG FOUR OF US) and Masami Kawai (ZONA).
For this discussion, we wanted to bring together filmmakers from the festival's Shorts Showcase whose work in some way responds to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated crises in Japan + beyond. Tune in at 👉instagram.com/japansociety
Stream the films before at film.japansociety.org.
