Join us at the Samuel Ullman Museum for a presentation on Japanese Literature and a screening of “Tokyo Girl.”
Free snacks and refreshments will be provided. Come try Japanese confectionaries! This event will be a great opportunity for those interested in learning more about Japanese literature, history, and film.
Click here for the Facebook event page.

5:30-6:30 Japanese Literature Presentation & Snacks

6:30 – 8:30 Movie Screening: Tokyo Girl

8:30 – 9:00 (Optional) Hanashikai – Socialize with other guests

Tokyo Girl (東京少女) is a drama-romance-scifi film and representative of most Japanese movies: “The occurrence of an earthquake in Japan is not unusual. What would be, however, is the existence of a hole through time and the passage of a phone through which two people – one hundred years apart – can communicate. When a schoolgirl comes into communication with an aspiring writer, who is studying under poet and novelist Soseki Natsume, the most unlikely of romances ensues.” -IMDB

Admission: Donation at the door (Any amount is appreciated!)
**JASA Members enter free!

RSVP on our website here: http://jasaweb.org/?page_id=1548 or email intern@jasaweb.org.

If you are able to make it for one of the events but can’t stay for the whole evening, don’t worry! Just let us know in your RSVP.

 

This program is funded by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership as part of a long-term project to build a Japanese community around the Samuel Ullman Museum. We are grateful for their support!

On Saturday, June 23rd, author Sucheta Rawal gave a reading of her book “Beato Goes to Japan” for local families at the Samuel Ulman Museum. The book features a fictional version of her cat Beato traveling to Japan and learning about Japanese culture with Kazumi-san, a character based off her real life friend. The real life Kazumi-san attended the event and gave origami lessons to the children, teaching them how to make paper cranes. JASA gave our “Japan in a Suitcase” presentation and offered Japanese snacks to the visitors. Thank you to everyone for coming and learning about Japan!

Keep an eye out for our other events and more chances to learn about Japanese culture!

You can RSVP here for our upcoming events.

For more information about the author, and a series of Beato books, visit here

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our first anime trivia and movie night at the Samuel Ullman Museum.  Our trivia from the event, both the questions and the answer key,  are available here:
Anime Trivia Questions & Anime Trivia ANSWERS.
Please enjoy the trivia! We hope to see you at our next event!

JASA is collaborating with the Birmingham Public Library to host the innovative guitarist and composer Hiroya Tsukumoto!

Hiroya will be performing a free concert at the Birmingham Public Library, August 7^th at 6 PM, as a part of JASA summer programming. For more information, see the Library’s Facebook event page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1701253059969846/

“Hiroya takes us on an impressionistic journey”   -Boston Herald

Born and raised in Japan, in 2000 he received a scholarship to Berklee’s College of Music and came to the United States.  Hiroya has released six albums and has performed with Esperanza Spalding, The Kennedys, Joe Jencks (Brother Sun), Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Brooks Williams, and Jim Kweskin.  For more information on Hiroya and his music, check out his site at http://www.hiroyatsukamoto.com/

The Alabama community is saddened by the passing of Dr. Bob Wendorf, 70, on May 22, 2018 in Birmingham, Alabama following a brief illness.  He held a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Illinois and was teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Wendorf spent the past 25 years studying the art of Bonsai and was a board member and the president of the Alabama Bonsai Society.  He was a frequent volunteer at the Birmingham Botanical Garden’s Japanese garden and tea house and kept his own Japanese style garden in his backyard.  Dr. Wendorf’s family asks that any donations be sent to the Japanese Garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham, AL 35223, or to The Karl Wendorf Scholarship Fund at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35213.
Read more about Dr. Wendorf’s life and work here

Consul General Takashi Shinozuka presented recognition and appreciation award to Daikin America President Yasuhiro Utsumi at Daikin’s Japanese Festival in Decatur

On Friday, May 25th,  Daikin America received a recognition and appreciation award at the Daikin Festival in Decatur, AL from the Consul General of Japan in Atlanta, Takashi Shinozuka. This prestigious award is given to those who have made outstanding efforts to promote goodwill and advance business, cultural interchanges, and mutual understanding between people of Japan and America.

Daikin America has continuously supported local Japan-related organizations around Alabama such as the Japan-America Society of Alabama and tirelessly promoted grassroots relationships between Japan and America. One of their significant contributions to local communities is the Daikin Festival in May where people learn about Japan through music, food, and cultural activities.

Additionally, Daikin offers a Japanese homestay program to local teachers and students. Those who have been selected as participants will stay at Daikin employees’ houses in Japan for 10 days to become immersed in Japanese culture.

Winter Days– From the recently passed Director Isao Takahata of Studio Ghibli fame, the film is based on one of the renku (collaborative linked poems) in the 1684 collection of the same name by the 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya– Takahata’s last film, based on the folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, the movie features breathtaking animation and an emotional story.

The Makioka Sisters– Adapted from Junichiro Tanizaki’s classic novel, the film follows the decline of the once-prominent Makioka family.

Tokyo Olympiad– This impressionistic documentary of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi– In this documentary, revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father’s legacy.

The Twilight Samurai– Nominated for the academy award for foreign film in 2002, this historical drama follows Seibei Iguchi a low ranking samurai turned bureaucrat and the subsequent turmoil that ensues in his life.

YOJIMBO– In this comedic samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa a rōnin arrives in a small town where competing crime lords vie for supremacy. The two bosses each try to hire the newcomer as a bodyguard.

Godzilla– The original monster movie, a fire-breathing behemoth terrorizes Japan after a bomb awakens it from its centuries long sleep.

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness- A documentary offering an inside look at Japan’s most famous animation company, Studio Ghibli.

Tokyo Idols– A recent documentary examining Idol culture.

 

Which movie do you want to see for our movie night? (映画会で見たい映画を選んでください) * Winter Days (冬の日) The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) The Makioka Sisters (細雪) Tokyo Olympiad (東京オリンピック) Jiro Dreams of Sushi (二郎は鮨の夢を見る) The Twilight Samurai (たそがれ清兵衛) Yojimbo (用心棒) Godzilla The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (夢と狂気の王国) Tokyo Idols

The Alabama community is saddened by the passing of Dr. Ichiro Miyagawa, a former professor of physics at the University of Alabama and a resident of Trussville, AL.  Among numerous other awards and merits, in 1998 Dr. Miyagawa received the JASA’s Samuel Ullman award.  He is survived by his children Dr. Shigeru Miyagawa (Reiko) of Boston, Haruyo Miyagawa of Birmingham, and Mari Songer (Hal) of Clay, and four grandchildren.  Read more about Dr. Miyagawa’s life and accomplishments here.

Are you a tutor? Do you have experience with ESL and an interest in working with Japanese families and children? Do you speak Japanese and want to share your knowledge with Alabama natives with an interest in Japan? If any of these apply to you, you’re in luck! We’ve received many inquiries from Japanese families looking for English tutors and from Americans interested in learning Japanese on the side.

If you have experience as an English or Japanese tutor and would like to work with more Alabama students, send us your resume at executivedirector@jasaweb.org!

Stay tuned for more information.

Country Day School will be hosting an International Festival in Huntsville on March 10. We are going to give a presentation in the Great Hall about Japanese culture, tradition, and lifestyle for students coming to the event. This is open to the public, so visit the festival and enjoy our presentation as well as various performances from different cultures!