Upcoming Japan-Related Events

There are a number of Japan-related events coming up in the next several months, and I’ll post reminders and additional information as the time for each draws close, but for now I’ll just post all the information I have.

First, the next film in our Japanese film series will be this coming Thursday, Febuary 5th. Because many people have class until 2:15, I’ll be starting a bit later than last time, at around 2:30... and because the film is a bit shorter than the last one, we should still finish up by 4. The film will be Tokyo Godfathers, an animated feature by Satoshi Kon. And yes, I am still trying to find a room in order to allow us to alternate between Wednesdays and Thursdays for those who are unable to attend.

On February 7th, the Grand Rapids Public Museum will be hosting the DTE Ethnic Heritage Festival to celebrate the various ethnicities living here in western Michigan. I’m not sure how much of a role Japan plays in this, but I know it does include a showcase of costumes from various cultures, including Japan.

A new student group, the Japanese Culture Association, has been formed, and the first official meeting will be held on Monday, February 9th at 5pm. The first meeting will be in Kirkhof Center room 1104 and it will basically be for introductions and thinking about the direction of the club. Anyone interested in joining should log into Stuey, watch the brief video about student groups, and take the quiz to become an official member. But even if you haven’t yet become official, feel free to attend the official first meeting. Anyone interested in Japanese culture (and hey, who isn’t?) is welcome.

On February 10th, there will be an Asian New Year celebration from 6-9pm in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center. While Japan now observes only the Western solar calendar rather than the Lunar New Year, much of the cosmology associated with it still informs the Japanese conception of the new year. The celebration will feature food samples and performances from various Asian cultures. The celebration is a part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration which will be going on throughout the semester.

The Japanese Language Group (J-Chat) meets once a month, every third Monday at 7pm at Schuler’s Books on Alpine. Each meeting features a presentation on some aspect of Japanese culture followed by conversation practice. Anyone interested in Japan is welcome, regardless of ability level and the next meeting will be on February 16th.

On March 11th the Omihachiman Committee will be hosting “Konbanwa GR,” a silent auction, raffle, and Japanese dinner accompanied by traditional music at the Tokyo Grill. As many of you know, The town of Omihachiman in Shiga prefecture is one of Grand Rapids’ five sister cities, and the Omihachiman Committee is involved in quite a few Japan-related events in the area, including J-Chat and Ethnic Heritage costumes mentioned above. “Konbanwa GR” is a fundraiser that will help them to continue to host such events.

On April 14th, the Japanese composer Uematsu Nobuo will be coming to the DeVos Performance Hall, where his music will be performed by the Grand Rapids Symphony. Uematsu is best known as the composer of the music from the Final Fantasy series. And for an additional fee, it is also possible to meet Uematsu in person after the performance. See here for additional information.