EAST CURRENT: Koto & Shakuhachi Performance

Koto and Shakuhachi are musical instruments that represent Japan's traditional performing arts. Young Koto player Mieko Miyazaki, who have acquired traditional techniques and continues her pursuit for exerting the full potential of the instrument, teamed up with Shakuhachi player Dozan Fujiwara to offer a wide variety of repertories ranging from classical/tango pieces to "Haru no Umi" by Michio Miyagi and traditional Japanese tunes dating from the Edo Period.

When: March 11-March 23, 2004

Where: San Diego, Tijuana, Chicago, Seattle, & Arizona

Samurai Film Festival/The Films of Raizo Ichikawa - August 15th, Los Angeles

Raizo Ichikawa, the quintessential samurai actor who made more than 150 films before his death at age 37 at the George and Sakaye Aratani Japan America Theater in Little Tokyo:

11:00 AM "Bentenkozo" (The Rascal Benten) c 1958 Kadokawa Pictures, Directed by Daisuke Itoh,(Daiei, 85 min)
The exciting tale of Benten-Kozo showcases the charm and talent of Raizo Ichikawa. Benten-Kozo and his brave cohorts save various characters from the heavy hand of lord Koinuma.

2:00 PM "Nemuri Kyoshiro Shobu" (The Fight) c.1964 Kadokawa Pictures, Directed by Kenji Misumi, (Daiei, 83 min)
Kyoshiro Nemuri(Raizo Ichikawa) is a talented and righteous samurai who save the life of an old man in peril.

5:00 PM "Kiru" (To Cut) c. 1962 Kadokawa Pictures, Directed by Kenji Misumi, (Daiei, 71 min)
This classic film tells the turbulent tale of Shingo Takakura (Raizo Ichikawa), a samurai engulfed in the forces of love, jealousy, and revenge.

Panel Discussion on Japanese Pop Culture

Sunday, September 26, 2004, 3:00 - 7:30 p.m.
at the Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028

Admission: free

Overview:
The Academy Award garnered by Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" last year seemed to signal that Japanese animation had gained full acceptance in America, and even that "Japanese pop culture" is becoming part and parcel of American culture in the early 21st century.

The theme of this panel is the current state and future potential of
Japanese pop culture in the U.S. The goal is to look at Japanese pop
culture on the whole, to increase awareness of its current momentum and appreciation of its potential influence on America.

Program:
3:00 p.m. Free Film Screening ('METROPOLIS' of Osamu Tezuka)

5:00 p.m. Panel Discussion

6:30 p.m. Reception

Presented by:
Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
American Cinematheque
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles

"RAKUGO" in English - Yose Japanese Vaudeville in Los Angele

The Rakugo Artists Association presents Rakugo in English. Rakugo is a centuries-old professional way of storytelling that depicts ordinary people's lives with a comical twist at the end. The group of performers visiting UCLA from Japan includes the veteran Rakugo artist SANSHOTEI Charaku, a Kamikiri (paper-cutting artist) expert HAYASHIYA Imamaru, and an Ohayashi (musical accompaniment) artist KOMORITA Hiroko. The performance will be followed by an informal reception.

WHERE: Lenart Auditorium at the UCLA Fowler Museum on the UCLA Campus (Parking $7 at Lot #4)
http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/incEngine/?content=cm&cm=maps

WHEN: Wednesday, November 10, 2004, 7:00 pm

ADMISSION: Free!

SUPPORTED BY: The UCLA Center for Japanese Studies & the Japan Foundation