The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles Newsletter
September, 2018: Breeze Issue #131

Greetings!

We have installed more than 80 photographs in our office for the new exhibition 'Tokyo Before/After,' and because of this our Japanese cinema screening this month will be taken place outside - in such diverse locations as a Japanese garden, a shopping mall, or even in the middle of a museum exhibition surrounded by Japanese classic cars! Ditch your tablets now and come enjoy a whole new 'movie-going' experience with us!

For those who are teaching or learning Japanese in schools, I have a few important announcements this month. First, this year's Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has started accepting applications. It looks like we are having an unusually high volume of inquiries this year, so please take an action early before all the seats are filled. Second, we have launched the Japan Foundation's 2018 Worldwide Japanese Language Survey. It will not only be a significant source of information for our own advocacy initiatives, but for our fellow foreign language teachers in this country as well who are also anxiously waiting for the survey result, because we all want more kids (and adults) in the United States to start learning a foreign language, that is to say 'any' foreign language.

Lately, we have been joyfully overwhelmed by the fact that almost all the events we organize have been sold out fairly quickly. You have my utmost gratitude and commitment to bringing you more fun and inspiration in the months to come!


Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
Hideki Hara, Director
 

Photography Exhibition: Tokyo Before/After
Thursday, August 30 - Saturday, September 29, 2018
Mon - Fri: 10am-7pm, Sat: 12-5pm
Admission Free

"TOKYO Before/After" features a selection of approximately 80 works, in which works by photographers who had captured images of Tokyo in the 1930-40s are presented in juxtaposition with those taken after 2010.

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Enjoy Outdoor Japanese Film Screening @The Source
"Your Name" (106 mins, 2016)
Friday, September 7 @8PM
Admission Free, No RSVP Required

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers, living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki's body and he, hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet somehow, it works.
They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint. When a dazzling comet lights up the night's sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection - a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other.
 
Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn't the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars?

Watch Trailer

Movie Night @Peterson Automotive Museum
"New Initial D Trilogy" (180 mins, 2014-2016)
Friday, September 14 @6:30PM
Admission Free, *Standard Parking Rates Apply. 
This Event is FULL!

Join us on September 14 for a viewing of the new Initial D trilogy, co-presented by The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles and the Petersen Automotive Museum. All three films will be screened over the course of the evening. Light refreshments and Japanese animation goodies bag (limited supply) will be provided.

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Enjoy Outdoor Japanese Film Screening @The Source
"Shin Godzilla" (120 mins, 2016)
Friday, September 14 @8PM
Admission Free, No RSVP Required

Make way for the ultimate homage to one of the most enduring legends of the big screen-Godzilla! The King of the Monsters is back in Tokyo for a city-crushing crusade that speaks to the very roots of the world-renowned franchise.
 
It's a peaceful day in Japan when a strange fountain of water erupts in the bay, causing panic to spread among government officials. At first, they suspect only volcanic activity, but one young executive dares to wonder if it may be something different... something alive. His worst nightmare comes to life when a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and begins tearing through the city, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. As the government scrambles to save the citizens, a rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side-the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.

Watch Trailer

Outdoor Japanese Movie Screening @Japanese Friendship Garden
"Your Name" (106 mins, 2016)
Sunday, September 16 @7PM
This Event is FULL!

Enjoy outdoor movie screening in Japanese Friendship Garden located in Brand Park, Glendale. Bring a blanket or chair for sitting on the lawn to watch the movie.
You may bring your own food and drink, and have a picnic under the stars!

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Enjoy Outdoor Japanese Film Screening @The Source
"Mameshiba" (106 mins, 2009)
Friday, September 21@8PM
Admission Free, No RSVP Required

A film adaptation of the TV series which depicts the journey of a middleaged man with a two-month old puppy in search of his mother who has run away from home. The film has a rich lineup of established actors from TV dramas, films and stage performances under their belts, including Jiro Sato who stars in this film.

One day Jiro (Jiro Sato), a 35-year old unemployed male who has never stepped out of his town, runs into Ichiro, a Mameshiba puppy with a red scarf around its neck. Ichiro turns out to be a puppy Jiro's runaway mother had sent for her family to come looking for her.

Come and Visit Us at the 16th Annual TARFEST
Saturday, September 22 @ 1-7:30PM (La Brea Tar Pits)

TARFEST is a premiere arts and culture event in Los Angeles and the Miracle Mile District. At the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles tent, you can enjoy Japanese cultural activities including uchiwa  (Japanese fan) making, kite making, and Amezaiku (candy sculpting) performance .

Enjoy Outdoor Japanese Film Screening @The Source
"A Tale of Samurai Cooking - A True Love Story" (121 mins, 2013)
Friday, September 28 @8PM
Admission Free, No RSVP Required

Dennai Funaki laid the foundations for Kaga clan cuisine in the Edo Period as a "kitchen samurai" who prepared food for the nobility. This heartwarming drama depicts the internal affairs of the Kaga clan from the perspective of a woman who marries Funaki's son. It features meals made according to the Funaki family's recipe collection "Ryori Mugonsho" and recreates the workings of samurai family kitchens at the time.

Maid Haru (Aya Ueto) is a talented cook but stubborn, which leads her to divorce her husband after a year. However, she is asked by Kaga clan "kitchen samurai" Dennai (Toshiyuki Nishida) to marry his son and heir Yasunobu (Kengo Kora), and works to remedy his lack of culinary skills.

Save the Date
Lecture - Shin Hanga and America:
Yoshida Hiroshi's Journey from Painter to Print-Maker
Tuesday, October 9, 7pm

In this lecture, Dr. Kendall Brown professor of Asian Art at California State University, Long Beach traces how oil painter Yoshida Hiroshi revived his career and helped launch the "new print" movement by utilizing his skills as an artist, maven and entrepreneur. It concludes with his late works of Japanese and Asian subjects, suggesting his complex relationships to "Eastern" and "Western" cultures.

Exhibition - Block Prints of Hiroshi Yoshida
Wednesday, October 10 - Wednesday, October 31

As a painter, Hiroshi Yoshida traveled the world extensively during the turn of the twentieth century and captured landscapes and the lives of everyday people in his paintings. He later resurrected his artwork in the form of woodblock prints and this exhibition futures a collection of Yoshida's first-edition woodblock prints that represent beautiful and romantic sceneries from Japan, North America and many other countries.

JF Nihongo Fall 2018
September 8 - November 17
Register Now!

Study Japanese this fall!  The registration period for our JF Nihongo Fall term is still open!
People interested in learning Japanese at JFLA will have three beginner-level Japanese-language courses.  In each class, students will learn concepts and communication skills which are essential to having a well-rounded understanding of everyday Japanese! Don't miss it! Only a few seats are still available.

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Performing Arts Japan 2019 - 2020
Call For Applications
Deadline: October 31, 2018

The Japan Foundation is now accepting project proposals for Performing Arts Japan (PAJ) touring and collaboratrion grants for the 2019 - 2020 fiscal year. Application deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST, October 31, 2018.

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2018 JLPT in the US
Test Date: Sunday, December 2
Registration Period: Monday, August 27 - Monday, October 1
Test Fee: $60
Register Now!

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is an internationally accredited language examination that is offered in five different levels, designed to measure a person's Japanese-language skills. In the United States, it is administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and will be held at 18 cities across the country.This year, we will be offering the test at Seton Hall University in Newark, New Jersey, for the first time. For more information, please visit the site below! 


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2018-19 JAPANESE LANGUAGE GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

We still have grant programs available during our Fiscal Year 2018-19 to support Japanese-Language Education in the United States.

They include the following:
  1. Teaching Material Purchase Grant (Deadline: 9/15/2018)
  2. Japanese-Language Education Project Grant (Deadline: 2 months prior to project start date)
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Japanese Language Education Update #58:
2018 Survey on Japanese Language Education Begins This Month

This month we will launch our 2018 Survey on Japanese Language Education! In this survey we investigate the state of Japanese language education in the United States.
 
This survey is important because its results help all those involved in Japanese education learn about the critical trends in Japanese language education. It therefore also helps inform policy on how to support the field. Moreover, it enters the Japanese program into our public database to increase its visibility to help people looking for schools teaching Japanese. Results from the last survey can be viewed here.
 
If you are a Japanese teacher or administrator and you haven't been contacted about our survey already, please email us soon so that we can have you ready to contact! Email us at [email protected]. Any questions can also be directed to this email address, and we would be happy to assist you.
 
The survey will be available in mid-September.

International Charter Academy of Georgia Receives JFLA Grant

Congratulations to International Charter Academy (ICA) of Georgia on its newly established Japanese/English dual language program. Many thanks to Consul-General Shinozuka for presenting the Japan Foundation's grant check during the Opening Ceremony. We hope our grant support will provide a strong foundation to build a lasting environment for all current and future students at ICA and wish them best of luck during the school year!

J-LEAP (Japanese Language Education Assistant Program) 
2018-20 Cycle: Six Young Native Japanese Language Teachers to be Dispatched to the United States

The Japan Foundation dispatched six native Japanese Assistant Teachers (ATs) to K-12 institutions in cities across the United States which offer Japanese language courses. The Japanese Language Education Assistant Program (J-LEAP) program will allow these ATs to reside and teach in their respective cities for two years until the end of July, 2020.  

J-LEAP, now in its eight year, is a program that was launched by the Japan Foundation in 2011 as part of an initiative to strengthen U.S.-Japan youth exchange programs. ATs are invited to the U.S. to "team teach" in Japanese language classrooms with Lead Teachers (LTs) for up to two years. J-LEAP was proposed during the Japan-U.S. summit in November 2010 between former Prime Minister Naoto Kan and President Barack Obama. Upon arriving in Seattle, WA in July 25th, the six ATs participated in a five-day orientation and training session until July 29th after which they departed for their respective host cities. During the orientation, the ATs were joined by their respective LTs as well as the six AT/LT pairs from the previous year.  

Starting in November, we will be publishing reports from one AT every month in Breeze so please be sure to check back and read about these J-LEAPers' experiences!