Bi-Weekly Newsletter
August 24 - September 6 , 2020
|
|
Now open for registration!
Be sure to save the date for our upcoming event with Anime Boston on October 24th! More details will follow in our next newsletter!
Read more about all our events below!
|
JSB Staff Pick of the Week
With more time at home, we've asked our staff to pick some of their favorite Japanese movies and books. Here's the staff pick of the week:
|
A story of a Jesuit missionary sent to Japan in the 17th century. He endures persecution when Christians had to hide their religious belief. It depicts what it was like to be a Kakure Kirishitan which means "Hidden Christians."
A theological fiction by Shusaku Endo, 1966. English translation available. Made into a film by Martin Scorsese in 2016.
Find details and register for our members-only book club event here!
|
Join or Renew Your Membership
|
Keep up with JSB on social media! |
|
Japanese word of the week:
お盆 (おぼん)
obon
Obon Festival
Celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of August, or July in some regional areas, Obon is an annual Japanese tradition that honors ancestors and those who have passed away. Stemming from a Buddhist story of a son and his deceased mother, traditional Obon activities revolve around commemorating the spirits of loved ones.
From lighting mukaebi (迎え火), fires and lanterns to guide spirits home, to ohakamairi (お墓参り), visiting and cleaning family graves, memories of deceased family members are cherished during this summer tradition. The famous Bon Odori (盆踊り), dances to welcome the dead, are specific to each region's culture, with taiko drummers providing lively music for the dancers.
|
Facts about Hokkaido
Honoring the 30th Anniversary of the
Massachusetts - Hokkaido sister state relationship
|
Did you know...
Otaru is a major port city in Hokkaido and one of the most historic parts of the island. It was once the distribution center of Hokkaido, and in its prime had a larger population than even Sapporo. The famous Otaru Canal and the historic buildings surrounding it are now popular tourist attractions, as nostalgic as they are beautiful. Some of the old stone warehouses along the way are still standing from 100 years ago. Running alongside the canal is a romantic cobblestone path, lit up with 63 gas lamps at night.
Gas lamps are an iconic feature of the historic Otaru, and the glass industry known for producing oil lamps still thrives today. Kitaichi Glass Otaru, a long-famous company that started in 1901, is still developing original and one-of-a-kind glass products to this day. To this day, the company still creates and sells individually handcrafted kerosene lamps, the same product that gave the company its start.
|
In Otaru, you will find the “Kitaichi Hall,” a cafe lit up by 167 Kitaichi oil lamps. The warehouse, where it's housed, was once used to process fish products, and the old rails connecting the building to the old seafront can still be seen on the floor. |
|
 |
As a university student and JSB intern who is homesick for Japanese food, I will be exploring what Boston can offer for my ramen cravings. Please bear in mind that this is not a ranked list or endorsement, but rather the opinions of an intern with a ramen addiction. Having said all this, it’s time to go eat ramen and explore the Greater Boston area along the way (while social distancing)! |
Entry 1: Brooklyn Ramen
Brooklyn Ramen is a 博多 (Hakata) style Ramen store, which sits in the back corner of the Maruichi supermarket in Brookline. On this particular visit, I chose to go with the Brooklyn Ramen DIY Ramen Kit (Classic Tonkotsu for 2). I found that the tonkotsu broth in this kit was lighter than the other options in Boston, reminding me of my favorite ramen style from Kagoshima, where my family is from.
In this tonkotsu, the マー油 (maayu/black garlic oil) in the broth accented the sweet flavor of the corn and what I thought was a particularly sweet 味玉 (ajitama/seasoned soft boiled egg). The thickness of the noodles complemented the thinness of the broth, and チャーシュー (chashu/braised pork belly) is always great.
Read more of Daiki's Ramen Diary here!
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Event with Anime Boston! |
JSB is partnering with Anime Boston to host an exciting virtual event! Be sure to save the date on October 24th! |
Remember to check our next newsletter for more information |
|
|
|
Videos to Bridge Cultures |
|
Thanks to our wonderful participants, "Our Shared Japan" video is completed!
We hope this video will be a comforting reminder of memories made there, or an inspiration to keep working towards that first journey.
Thank you to our associate, Lamar Montgomery, for putting this together, and an especially big thanks to everyone who took the time to share these memories with us! We hope you enjoy!
|
|
|
Japan Society of Boston Online Events |
|
Thursday, August 27, 6:00 - 8:00 PM EDT
Our goal at the JSB Book Club is to strengthen the Boston community of Japan enthusiasts by coming together to discuss Japanese literature! This week, we'll be meeting to discuss Silence by Shusaku Endo.
Our book club is limited to members only, but don't worry, you can sign up here today! If you are already a member and interested in the group, please contact us to have your name added to the club mailing list.
|
|
|
Saturday, August 29th
5:00 - 6:30 PM EDT
|
Hosted online via Zoom
(you will be sent the ingredient list a few days before the event)
Oyakodon (親子丼), meaning "parent-child rice bowl," is a Japanese soul food that is often served at many fast-food lunch spots. It is made of chicken (the "parent"), eggs (the "child"), and onion, cooked in a dashi and soy-sauce broth served over rice.
Oyakodon originated in a shop specializing in chicken in Nihonbashi, Tokyo around 1890, and has since become a long-time favorite at restaurants and at home.
Be sure to bring your appetites for this next installment of our Easy Japanese Home Cooking series! We hope you can join us as our very own Naoko Takayanagi teaches her favorite recipe for this tasty comfort food!
|
|
|
Friday, September 4th
6:00 to 8:00 PM EDT
Hosted online via Zoom Meetings
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)
Our language gatherings have become so expansive that we now have participants all the way from Japan! We hope you will take part in our community as we strive to bridge Japanese and American cultures.
Please join us for two hours of conversation, where you will be grouped based on your proficiency level. Next week's theme will be folktales and legends! We look forward to hearing the stories you grew up with!
|
|
|
Online activities from other Japan Societies across the US |
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Shofuso is a 17th century-style Japanese house with associated residential gardens that reflects the history of Japanese culture in Philadelphia.
Take a morning serenity break from working at home to check out our virtual group tours held every other Tuesday at 11am.
For one peaceful hour, a Shofuso visitor services associates will guide you through the house, the gardens, and pond to see the koi. Virtual group tour registration is $10 per person (free for JASGP members) and will be held on Zoom.
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 25, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EDT
(12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT)
Since the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic air travel has slumped, international passenger traffic has decreased by 95% in some markets, and losses amount in the billions of dollars. As the airline industry grapples with uncertain revenue streams and government stimulus packages, it must also adopt new measures to ensure health and safety on aircraft and in airports.
Additionally, many potential passengers will not return to flying until there is an effective vaccine to stem the spread of coronavirus. Join us for a discussion on the short-term impact and the long-term implications for air travel with leaders from major air carriers and one of the busiest airports in the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Webinar 1: Surviving to Thriving Mindsets in the Workplace and at Home
|
Wednesday, August 26, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EDT
(4:00 - 5:00 PM PDT)
(Thursday, August 27, 8:00 - 9:00 AM JST)
In this webinar hosted by the Women’s Leadership Counts co-chair, Aska Naito, we invite Executive Coach and International Coaching Federation LA Chapter President-Elect, John Volturo and Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist and Owner of Meraki Fitness, Anna Stavaridis to discuss how leaders in organizations and households can thrive during these unprecedented times affecting all of us.
Presentations will help curate empowering mindsets focusing on self-leadership both for the mind and body, and how to use them to navigate better at home and in the workplace. At the end of their presentation, there will be a Q&A and brief discussion touching upon current challenges surrounding parenthood one may face during the pandemic from our guest speakers.
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday August 26 at 7:30 PM EDT
(4:30 PM PDT)
Over the past two decades, Japan’s leading manufacturing firms have made a quiet transformation, away from mass-producing household brand names and towards global leadership in deep-tech, highly advanced materials and components. While this has made them less visible to the average consumer, it has also turned them into technology anchors of many Asian and global supply chains. Learn about the new “Japan Inside” approach in this conversation between Ulrike Schaede, author of recently published Japan’s Business Reinvention, and Toshihiko Omote, Senior EVP at Nitto Denko Corporation, one of Japan’s top “stealth” innovation leaders.
|
|
|
Thursday, August 27, 1:30 - 2:30 PM EDT
(11:30 AM - 12:30 PM MDT)
A U.S.-Japan trade agreement was signed on 10/19/2019 and went into effect on 01/01/2020. We are honored to hear from Consul-General of Japan in Denver, Ms. Midori Takeuchi and CEO of Cattlemen's Beef Board Greg Hanes on the impact of this agreement on the U.S.-Japan beef market.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, September 2 at 9:00 PM EDT
(8:00 PM CDT)
For the first time ever, the Otsukimi Moon Viewing Festival will be presented in a virtual format. This program will have a special collaboration with two of the Japan-America Society’s community partners, the Dallas Japanese Association and the Fort Worth Japanese Society. There will also be unique programming from Sendai city in Japan, which has been an international friendship city with Dallas since 1997. Please note that this event will be live streaming via YouTube.
|
|
|
Non-JSB Online Activities |
|
|
|
From Sunday, September 13 at 7:00 AM
(8:00 PM JST)
until Wednesday, September 16 at 8:00 AM
(9:00 PM JST)
The famous castle town of Odawara city, Japan, will hold it's first ever online event at a Japanese Castle hosted by Odawara Tourism Co. Ltd. These events are meant to connect, educate, and inform those interested in Japanese culture and history.
The Noh program is titled as 'Aoi no Ue', which is based on the book "Aoi no Maki" in the "Tale of Genji". The performance will feature Kanze-style Shite-kata (the main role) played by Kanze Yoshimasa, a famous Noh actor who appears in many Noh performances worldwide. His stunning video performance filmed at Odawara Castle will be streamed simultaneously worldwide.
Before and after the Noh program, Odawara's local Japanese drum performance "Hojo Daiko" and the ninja show "FUMA NINJA Legend of ODAWARA", which was well-received at the performances in Vietnam last year, will showcase to make the event even more exciting. An English guide will also be given to participants.
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, August 27, 4:00 - 5:15 PM EDT
(3:00 - 4:15 PM CDT)
Gender equality and women’s empowerment remains an important issue in both the United States and Japan. This webinar will explore four women leaders and their personal journeys to success. In Part I, in her talk entitled, “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment,” Consul General Kayoko Fukushima will speak about her experiences and share observations from her former role as the first Director of the Japan Liaison Office of UN Women. Part II will consist of a panel of three women which highlights each of their individual and unique experiences as businesswomen in the South, with comparative discussions on working in a major Japanese corporation.
|
|
|
|
|
Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.9 meters, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
