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JETAA Pub Night at Crane and Tortoise - Thursday 6th May!
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We've got a great new venue - plus a new day of the week (Thursday) that doesn't clash with Champions League midweek international matches!

If you haven't been to the Japanese pub/restaurant the Crane and Tortoise, this is the perfect chance for you to try their authentic, tasty Japanese food and drinks. Do come along to chat with fellow former JETs... and you can even practice your Japanese - all the staff there are actually Japanese!

Date: Thursday 6th May
Time: from 6:30pm
Venue: Crane and Tortoise, 39 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8PR. The closest tube is Chancery Lane and you can find a map here: http://www.jetaa.org.uk/events/pub-night/

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Japanese Embassy Events this Spring
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There are plenty of events at the Embassy to keep you busy this spring. In particular, the first Wednesday of the next three months will feature free film screening nights at the Embassy of Japan in London, the first being on Wednesday, May 5th.

See the Embassy of Japan in London webpage for details of how to register. http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/ (Now the JETAA Pub Night has been moved to the first Thursday of the month, there's no reason not to go to both events...)

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Japanese Garden Party - Sunday 23rd May
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Don't miss this family-friendly day out at the annual Japanese Garden Party. The Mini Matsuri is held to celebrate the long history of Anglo-Japanese relations and is supported by the Hammersmith & Fulham council, the Japan-British Exhibition 100 Committee, the Japan Society, and the Japanese Resident Association.

There will be: Wadaiko/Bon-Odori/Okinawa Eisa/Enka singing/a Marshall Art Demo on stage; Tea Ceremony/Kamishibai/Garden Tour/Origami and Shodo Workshops; plus Japanese food/Japanese gifts/Information stalls!

The Japan's first major exhibition to the West took place in White City, London in 1910. The Japanese garden was created as a part of the exhibtion and today the garden still stands exactly in the same place as 100 years ago. This festival celebrates the centenary of the creation of the garden and the Japan-British Exhibition 1910.

Date: Sunday 23rd May
Time: 12 noon-4pm
Venue: Hammersmith Park Japanese Garden, South Africa Road, White City, London W12

These dark, bitterly cold winter evenings are seriously perfect for catching up with your movie viewing. Why not see one of the many excellent Japanese films playing in London throughout January and February?

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'Still Walking' Hirokazu Kore-eda: Opens 15th January at BFI
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This beautiful film follows the random details of a Japanese family - a 'home drama' - through a 24-hour reunion at the parental home. Still Walking (Aruitemo Aruitemo) captures the tensions and dynamics of family life with a wonderfully perceptive eye.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank

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Yasujiro Ozu Season at the BFI : 1st January - 28th February
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A prolific film-maker, best known for his 1953 film Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari), Yasujiro Ozu first entered the film business in 1923. BFI celebrates his career with screenings of many films, including Tokyo Story and Late Autumn on extended run.

Also at BFI now, you can catch one of the dozen films influenced by Ozu's artistry (including Still Walking and many other international films).

http://www.bfi.org.uk/ozu

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'Ponyo' New Miyazaki Film: Opens 12th February at Curzon Cinemas
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Miyazaki fans will be thrilled to hear Ponyo (Gake no ue no Ponyo) will be showing from 12th February at Curzon cinemas at locations around London. A film about a goldfish inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, Ponyo is Studio Ghibli's latest masterpiece!

Can't wait? If you've got little ones, try BFI's 'Film Funday' on 31st of January. There's a Ponyo workshop from 12pm in the Foyer, followed by a preview of the film at 2pm.

http://www.curzoncinemas.com/

http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank

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'Takeshis'': From 12th February at Curzon Cinemas
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Beat Takeshi's examines identity and celebrity in his fascinating 2005 film entitled Takeshis'.

See the Curzon website for more information about the film.

http://www.curzoncinemas.com/

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2010 Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme Girls on Film
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(above, scene from Non-Ko)

9 February 2010 - 17 February 2010
This year's Japan Foundation annual touring film programme looks at contemporary Japanese cinema made for, about, and by women. This film season is produced and organised by the Japan Foundation with advice from Jasper Sharp (editor of Midnight Eye - a Japanese Cinema website).

See the Japan Foundation's website for information on how to enter their competition for a pair of free tickets to each film. They are also seeking evaluators, who will receive a complimentary ticket in exchange for their feedback on a questionnaire.

http://www.jpf.org.uk/

The latest, coolest Japanese films crowd into London every autumn for your viewing pleasure. And catching London's Japanese film season is perhaps even better than seeing films in Japan! Why? Here, the Japanese films are subtitled in English!

Here's 5 steps to all knowing you need to know:

1. BAFTA'S PREMIERE JAPAN 09: 9TH - 11TH OCT 2009

Premiere Japan 09 will, for the fifth consecutive year, screen the best and most recent films to come out of Japan selected by the world-renowned East Asian film critic, Tony Rayns, and film scholar and critic, Alexander Jacoby. It will be held at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LN on 9, 10 and 11 October 2009.

This year there will be screenings of six films yet to be released in the UK. Tickets are £5 - £7.50.

In addition to the Japanese film screenings on Saturday and Sunday, in between films, there will be the opportunity for all the family to try their hands at Japanese games, origami, calligraphy as well as dress up in Japanese yukata.

Activities start at 2 pm and run all afternoon until 5 pm on both Saturday and Sunday in the David Lean Room. Everyone is welcome to join in!

2. JAPANESE FILMS AT THE 53rd LONDON BFI: 14TH - 29TH OCT 2009

The new Astro boy, Bare Essence of Life Ultra-Miracle Love Story, Kamui, and City of Life and Death are amongst the BFI's offerings this year!

Book online before tickets sell out!

3. JAPANESE FILMS AT THE 17th RAINDANCE FESTIVAL: 30TH SEPT - 11TH OCT 2009

There is a Japanese film screening every day of the film festival!

Since 1998, Raindance Film Festival has continued in its strong support for
Japanese filmmaking, with its Way Out East section the largest annual
showcase for new Japanese cinema in the United Kingdom, screening at least
ten recent features and documentaries annually.

The 17th Raindance Festival, held between 30 September - 11 October 2009, this year turns its spotlight on the rising number of women filmmakers in Japan, with a special selection of five features and one shorts program from some of the country's most exciting talent.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Individual tickets

Apollo Cinema (Piccadilly Circus)
19 Lower Regent Street 
London 
SW1Y 4LR
£12.00 / £8.00 concession from Main Box Office at apollocinemas.com
or call 0871 220 6000

4. BARBICAN'S JAPANIMATION: UNTIL NOV 2009

On the 26th of October, the Barbican is screening Sword of the Stranger, with director Masahiro Ando and producer Mashiko Minami both in attendance for a discussion after the screening. The event will be hosted by Helen McCarthy, co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia.

On 26th November there are two whimsical anime films: Ponyo on the Cliff By The Sea (by Hayao Miyazaki), and Mai Mai Miracle.

5. MIDNIGHT EYE - THE LATEST AND BEST IN JAPANESE CINEMA

Last but not least... if you are a fan of Japanese cinema you should visit the Midnight Eye website. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay on top of what's happening. The editor at Midnight Eye is Jasper Sharp, who is also The Raindance Festival's Japanese programmer. This is the site to find out about the latest and best in Japanese Cinema!

Image from 'Pleasures of the Flesh'

This retrospective of Nagisa Oshima's work running at BFI Southbank between September and October 2009 will include all Oshima's features and some of his equally personal TV work.

Introduction by Tony Rayns:

'If Nagisa Oshima is less famous now than he was in the 1960s and 1970s, that's a sad reflection on the vagaries of distribution and availability. Tony Rayns welcomes back the astounding films of Japan's foremost modern master.

There's one crucial difference between Nagisa Oshima and other great Japanese film-makers. Oshima has plunged into Japanese culture, history and politics as deeply as the next man - deeper, in fact, than most - but he's never accepted that he is defined by his own Japanese identity. Unlike most Japanese, he swims against the tide. He doesn't accept consensus views on anything; he faces up to contradictions and insists on thinking his own way through them. Of course, this contrariness is reflected in his films.'

Visit http://www.bfi.org.uk to read the rest of the article and to find out more...

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Tel: 020 7928 3232

The Cult Japan season at the ICA is running through July until the 1st of August. Tickets are £8 / £7 concessions / £6 ICA members. All films are £5 for everyone all day Monday! See the Institute of Contemporary Arts website or more details and to book online.

Ichi, Director Fumihiko Sori, Japan 2008, 120 mins
7 - 16, 18 - 20, 22 Jul 2009

Tokyo Gore Police, Director Yoshihiro Nishimura, Japan 2008, 109 mins, Cert 18
17 Jul, 1 Aug 2009

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Director Paul Schrader, US/Japan 1985, 120 mins, Cert 15
10 - 13, 15 - 16, 18 - 19, 21 Jul 2009

Ping Pong, Director Fumihiko Sori, Japan 2002, 114 mins, Cert PG
18 - 19 Jul 2009

Chanbara Beauty, Director Yohei Fukuda, Japan 2008, 80 mins, Cert 18
18, 31 Jul 2009

Part of the International Buddhist Film Festival at the Barbican which is taking place from 7th to 17th May 2009.

Kihachiro Kawamoto: The Puppet Master (PG)

'Japanese animation beyond anime: The renowned Kihachiro Kawamoto is regarded as the master of Japanese puppet animation. Famous for his beautiful, expressive puppets, Kawamoto integrates the traditional art forms of Noh, Bunraku doll theatre, and Kabuki into a unique aesthetic to exquisite effect.'

Playing 9th May 2009, 6pm in Cinema 3. Book online here.

Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy culminates in this beautiful film. Shinnojo, the court food taster (played by Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura) goes blind. His wife tries to support him but is seduced by a feudal boss. Shinnojo wants revenge for this betrayal and plenty of stunning swordplay ensues…

Released in Japan in 2007, the film is subtitled. Playing evenings at this ICA, tickets are £8 / £7 Concessions / £6 ICA Members. At the ICA, it’s £5 for everyone all day Monday!

The legendary ‘pink films’ of 1960s and 1970s Japanese film-making are celebrated in December with thirteen films selected by Matt Palmer and Jasper Sharp. The aesthetic achievements and highly erotic (sometimes lurid and extreme!) content of these films is for those who are not easily offended.

Although the first Japanese screen kiss came in 1946, by the mid-fifties taiyozoku (or ‘Sun Tribe Films’), focusing on post-war Japanese teen decadence, showed screen eroticism far beyond anything seen in American cinema the same time. A prime example of this phenomenon is Crazed Fruit/Kurutta Kajitsu (1956) by Ko Nakahira (the still above is from the film).

See BFI Southbank’s website for more information about the films and screening schedule.

Fine, Totally Fine (Zen Zen Daijobu) will be screened at the ICA for six days only. Proving popular at the Raindance festival earlier this autumn, you’ve got another welcome second chance to catch this light-hearted comedy directed by Yosuke Fujita.

Click here to read more about the film.

The BFI 52nd London Film Festival brings together fascinating glimpses into human nature all around the world, and includes an eclectic selection of recent Japanese films.

‘German + Ame’ (German + Rain) tells the story of a strong-willed sixteen-year-old heroine Yoshiko (nick-named ‘Gorilla Man’ by her unsympathetic boss!) who fights against what she sees as wrong… up to a point. Directed by Satoko Yokohama (Japan, 2007), ‘German + Ame’ is playing Friday October 24th, 7pm at Studio BFI Southbank.

‘Nishi no Majo ga Shinda’ (The Witch of the West is Dead) is based on a hugely popular, prize-winning novel by Kaho Nashiki. The touching film recounts a junior high school student’s trip to see her eccentric English grandmother in the countryside. Directed by Shunichi Nagasaki (Japan 2008), the film shows at 1.30pm Sunday 26th at the Odeon West End and 1.45pm Thursday 30th October at NFT1 BFI Southbank.

‘Yah Chayka!’ is directed by Shuntaro Tanikawa – Japan’s greatest living poet - and Wakako Kaku – a former ‘rock chick’ and is almost completely composed of still photographs that explore deep themes of human emotions. Teamed with short surrealist film ‘Babin’, the two will be showing on Wednesday 29th October at 8.45pm at NTF3 BFI Southbank, also on Thursday 30th October at 1.45pm at NFT” BFI Southbank.

You can book online, by calling 020 7928 3232, or get tickets in person at the Box Office at the BFI Southbank. You can also queue for standbys, which are available 30 minutes before screenings.

Japanese Alumni of The University of the Arts London have created a series of short films to be screened on their newly refurbished Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art & Design. This open-air cinematic experience will take place on Thursday, 9th October 2008 at 7.30pm.

In collaboration with the Japan Society and the Embassy of Japan, this event will bring together Japanese students and the London arts community to enjoy films, food, and music from contemporary Japanese DJs.

There will be traditional Japanese food stalls selling great festival food such as takoyaki, yakitori, okonomiyaki and yakisoba… as well as free drinks and goodies from the sponsors.

The event is free, but registration is necessary. Email events@japansociety.org.uk or call the Japan Society office at 0207828 6330. Find out more at The Japan Society website.

(image from Fine, Totally Fine / Zen Zen Daijobu)

A not-to-be-missed opportunity to catch some independent film from around the world, the Raindance Film Festival 2008 features ten Japanese films!

Now, I… (Ima, Boku Wa) is written and directed by 23-year-old Yasutomo Chikuma. It is based on his experience of the modern social phenomenon of NEETs (not engaged in employment, education or training). Chikuma plays the main character Satoru, a reclusive, video-game addicted ‘NEET’. Now, I… will be shown at Cineworld, Shaftesbury Avenue, on Friday, 10th October at 4.30pm.

Fine, Totally Fine (Zen Zen Daijobu), another popular choice for the film festival, is a comedy written and directed by Yosuke Fujita. An eclectic mix of characters star in the film: Terao is a part-time manual labourer who dreams of opening a haunted theme park, Hisanobu is an over-polite hospital manager, and Akari is a geeky girl who loves fish sausages. Fine, Totally Fine will be screened at Cineworld, Shaftesbury Avenue, Thursday, 9th October at 9.15pm.

In addition, three other Japanese titles, Adrift in Tokyo, This World of Ours and Tokyo Wings of Defeat are in the running for Jury prizes in the International Feature, Debut Feature and Documentary categories respectively.

For times of other screenings and venues, visit the Raindance Film Festival website. You can also buy tickets online.

not-to-be-missed -ないにあ逃される
opportunity - 機会
independent -独立
social - 社会
phenomenon - 現象
reclusive - 孤立した
eclectic - 折衷的
screened -示されている

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