(image by ark on Flickr)

Children all around the world have grown up with the groundbreaking and iconic animations of Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy (or 鉄腕アトム Tetsuwan Atomu, literally meaning "Mighty Atom"). Astro Boy originated in the 1950’s and the popular character has since enjoyed enduring fame. Spawning dozens of films, the prolific work of Tezuka will celebrated at the Barbican to mark the 80th anniversary of his birth. An exhibition of films and drawings by the ‘God of Manga’ will run from the 18th to the 24th of September at the Barbican.

creator –創作者
literally –文字通り
enduring –耐えること
spawning – 産むこと
prolific –多産
exhibition –展覧会

‘Jazz on the Road’: live Japanese Jazz at The Old Queen’s Head in Islington featuring: Drugstore Cowboy (Live Band), Maki and Kola and the Jazzcotech Dancers. With guest DJs Patrick Forge, Koichi Sakai and Kay Suzuki. From 7pm to 2am, £5, nearest tube Angel.

( To get in the mood: check out the Japanese modern jazz quintet ‘What’s Up?’ – their album ‘Lost and Found’ available from Juno Records.)!

get in the mood -気分で得なさい

Fantastic! I have been dying to see this film on the big screen… Japanese photographer Mika Ninagawa’s directorial debut is a refreshingly different, bold and brash take on the enduringly popular ‘geisha’ genre. As refined and delicate as the traditional image of a Japanese courtesan may be, Sakuran is here to explode it! The film is based on a manga series created by Moyoco Anna about a feisty girl called Kiyoha who, quite literally, fights her way to the top. The story, teamed with Ninagawa’s trademark vivid colours and images, makes for a satisfying, sensory viewing experience.

The film plays at 6.15pm every evening (except Wednesday the 17th), with a 1.45pm show on Saturday and Sunday. You can book your tickets on-line at the ICA’s website. £8 / £7 concessions / £6 ICA members.

dying to see – (idiomイディオム) literally: 見るべき死ぬこと , but meaning 熱望した見ること
directorial debut – 監督上のデビュー
refreshingly –爽快に
brash – 性急
enduringly – 耐えること
explode – 爆発しなさい
feisty – おこりっぽい
literally – 文字通り
trademark –商標
sensory – 感覚

The year’s JETAA (JET Alumni Association) Careers Information Day (CID) is an invaluable event for returning JET teachers to meet representatives from companies and universities at the job fair, as well as attending talks on a wide range of topics, and of course, networking. Also, a CV surgery will be held in the afternoon, with expert advice for just £3.

I’ll be giving a talk in the afternoon on ‘Career and Life Planning’… at 4.20pm in Room B. The presentation is called ‘Taking Control of Your Life After JET’ and will point you in the direction of time-saving resources to help you decide what you really want to do with your life. Please do come along if you can, I’d love to meet you.

The CID 2008 will be held on the HMS President, by Tower Bridge, London (which is a naval headquarters not a boat, but has great views over the Thames!). Running from 12pm-5pm, it will be followed by an evening reception by the JLGC. Register to attend by emailing cidregistration@jetaa.org.uk.

Asakusa
265 Eversholt Street,
Camden,
London NW1 1BA
Tel: 0871 3328033

Why? Kazu absolutely loves this place. He’s been raving about the Yudebuta Ninniku Miso.

When? Friday 12th September, 9.40pm. This was the only reservation available a couple days beforehand. We stayed until 12.30pm though!

Impression: The place was really buzzing with youthful mixed-nationality groups when we arrived, rather dingy, with questionable décor. Authentic atmosphere, with Japanese menus up on the walls.

Prices: Cheap as chips! The food just kept coming, as Tanaka ordered more and more. I must admit was getting worried about the cost, especially as we had a gigantic bottle of sake too. In the end I was relived to find it was an affordable £19 per person (including the 12.5% service charge!).

Service: Erm… we did wait a full hour for our first dish to arrive! However, the waiting staff were courteous and efficient. The larger-than-life manager lady was charming.

Description of food and drink: A large bottle of Bishonen (Beautiful Boy) sake went down very well served in overflowing Masu (wooden box cups) with a pinch of salt of the rim.

Of particular note is the Sake Gashira – a salmon head with plenty of meat and a salty, crunchy underside, and the Shimesaba (vingared mackerel sashimi) boasted a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The Yudebuta Ninniku Miso dish was something I’d never tried before: soft, simmered slices of pork, to be eaten wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves with miso paste and slivers of raw garlic. Lovely. Pleasant Shimeji Bata Yaki butter-fried mushrooms had a bitter aftertaste which I liked.

The Agedashi-doufu (pictured) was just right, creamy and flavourful. The tempura was very nice, but the seemingly-microwaved takoyaki less so.

Toilets: Stinky. Nasty. The pink toilet paper matched the pink walls though!

Come again? Absolutely. Overall, a surprisingly wide variety of tasty dishes with a few outstanding ones. We had a really fun evening in the laid-back atmosphere. But I wouldn’t go if I was in a hurry to get served.

raving – literally: わめくこと, but meaning 非常に熱狂的に話すこと
beforehand – あらかじめ
buzzing – literally: ぶんぶんうなること, but meaning にぎやか
dingy – 薄汚い
questionable décor – 不審な装飾
authentic – 本物の
cheap as chips – (idiom イディオム) 非常に安く
erm…- エト…
larger-than-life – (idiom イディオム) 印象的で、か重大な非常に課すこと
boasted –自慢される
courteous –礼儀正しい
bitter aftertaste – 苦いあと味
seemingly - 表面上は
stinky –臭い
outstanding – 優秀

Tomorrow evening at 6pm, there is to be a free recital by the Japanese trio Kayako Minamino (flute), Anna Hashimoto (clarinet) and Ayako Kanazawa (piano), at the Royal Academy of Music. They will perform JS Bach's Trio Sonata in G, Rikuya Terashima's New Work for Solo Clarinet, Shostakovich's Four Waltzes and Saint Saens' Tarantella.

Book your free tickets by calling the box office on: 020 7873 7300. The event will be held at Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London.

Visit the Royal Academy of Music’s website for more information.

recital – 演奏会

This free exhibition entitled Zen Calligraphy and Painting by Yamaoka Tesshū marks the 120th anniversary of his death.

22 hanging scrolls by Tesshū, as well as work by two other contemporaries, can now be seen in the Toshiba gallery of Japanese Art at the Victoria and Albert museum, until the 14th December. Tesshū’s work shows a fascinating progression, and finally, a rapid change after his enlightenment at the age of 45.

But what is Zen calligraphy?

Beyond thoughts, emotions and expectations lies the state of mushin (no-mindedness). Only in this state can true creativity arise, rather than from conscious effort. The works of Yamaoka Tesshū inspired Hitsuzendo - The Way of the Zen Brush. In Hitsuzendo, calligraphy must connect the individual to the highest reality.

calligraphy –書道
progression – 進行
enlightenment –啓発
mushin – 無心
Hitsuzendo –筆禅道

The London Japanese Conversation Meetup Group will be getting together for a one-off special weekend event on Saturday the 4th of October. Life is a Japanese-run bar and restaurant with a Happy Hour from 6pm to 8pm (Kirin at £2 a pint!). Until 11pm there will be Japanese conversation, and then 11pm to 2am the DJs will turn the music up transforming the night into a club event!

Life Bar is at 2-4 Old Street – closest tube stations are Barbican (left from Station up Aldersgate Street). The venue is on the corner of Goswell Road, Clerkenwell Road, Aldersgate Street and Old Street. See London Eating for a review of Life.

You can join The London Japanese Conversation Meetup Group at Meetup.com… they meet the second Tuesday of every month for casual Japanese conversation at a London pub.

'The Way of Tea' is another great free event as part of the Japan-UK 150 festival!

This special event will be taking place at the Clore Education Centre at the British Museum from 1.30pm to 6pm on Friday 26th September 2008.

Matcha green tea tasting will take place in 4 sessions throughout the afternoon, and a tea ceremony demonstration and illustrated talks will take place from 3pm to 4.30pm at the BP Lecture Theatre.

The tea will be served by members of the Urasenke Foundation, who work to disseminate Chado, the Way of Tea, in the UK.

You can book tickets online, or call the box office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181.

demonstration - デモンストレーション
illustrated - 説明される
disseminate -広めなさい

This event is presented by ResCen (Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts) to celebrate contemporary dance in the Japan and the UK. ResCen is currently focusing on Japan in their research, aiming to forge new connections with Japanese artists.

There will be performances, panel discussions, workshops and presentations over the course of four days at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Japan Foundation and the Place in central London.

Top Japanese artists Kentaro!!, Un Yamada and Natsuko Tezuka will show work and discuss their practice alongside UK-based artists including Saiko Kino and Chisato Minamimura.

Find out more at the ResCen website, or at the Japan-UK 150 website.

contemporary – 現代
forge – 炉

By way of a reminder, if you are planning to take the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) this year on 7th of December, you will need to get your application in by Wednesday 1st October.

The JLPT is held at SOAS – you can find a page of frequently asked questions here.

The JETAA (JET Alumni Association) holds a pub night at Fluid Bar in Farringdon on the first Wednesday of every month.

Fluid is a funky Japanese inspired bar well-known for its interesting cocktails (Wasabi Martini, Sake Sling, Mortal Combat to name but a few) and also for its tasty sushi menu, and later on in the evening JETAA will provide some for you free!

The pub night starts at 7pm, but if you arrive early you’ll be in time for happy hour (6-7pm) with cheap cocktails and 2-4-1 on beers.

Check out Fluid Bar’s website for more information and directions.