Teman Baru Issue 58 - Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur

ISSUE NO.
58 June - July 2011
The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur
Melody of Four Seasons
Traditional Japanese Music by Shigeri Kitsu
25th Asia Pacific Roundtable
The ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Study (ASEAN-ISIS) and ISIS Malaysia are pleased to announce that the 25th Asia
Pacific Roundtable would be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 30 May to 1 June 2011. A blue ribbon list of security specialists, scholars
and policy-makers would convene at the Shangri-la Hotel to discuss and exchange views on the region’s security issues and challenges,
as well as to commemorate the silver anniversary of the Roundtable.
The 25th Asia Pacific Roundtable is one of The Japan Foundation’s Grant Program for Intellectual Exchange Conferences in 2011.
For the full program of the 25th Asia Pacific Roundtable, please visit http://www.isis.org.my
For registration information and further details, please contact:
Tengku Sheila, Director of Public Affairs and Conference Services at tsheila@isis.org.my or 603-26937904.
Japanese films in KKIFF 2011
The Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival 2011 (KKIFF 2011) is
the opening event for the annual Kota Kinabalu Arts Festival, and
will take place from 3 - 9 June 2011. The Japan Foundation,
Kuala Lumpur is proud to present 3 distinct Japanese films to be
screened on the final 3 days of the film festival (7 - 9 June 2011).
First in the line-up is One Million Yen Girl, which is about a junior
college graduate’s journey of self-discovery, as she decides to try
out a nomadic way of life by traveling from one town to another,
but not before saving up one million yen in each town. Next is 5
Centimeters per Second, a breathtaking and visually stunning
animated movie about the rift of separation between a boy and a
girl – magnified by the passage of time. Last but not least is
Departures, which won Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st
Academy Awards, as well as 10 Japan Academy Prize Awards
including Best Picture, Best Director & Best Screenplay. The film
follows a funeral professional's profound and sometimes comical
journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning
of life and living. All 3 films are in Japanese with English subtitles.
“One Million Yen Girl”
Date : 7 June 2011 (Tuesday)
Time : 7.30pm
Price : RM5
Venue : GSC Suria Sabah, Level 8, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall,
Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen, Kota Kinabalu
“5 Centimeters per Second”
Date : 8 June 2011 (Wednesday)
Time : 7.30pm
Price : RM5
Venue : Theatrette Ahmad Nisfu, School of Arts Studies,
Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu
“Departures”
Date : 9 June 2011 (Thursday)
Time : 7.30pm
Price : RM5
Venue : GSC Suria Sabah, Level 8, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall,
Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen, Kota Kinabalu
Point-of-Sale & Collection for movie tickets:
• Elite Optical, NO.1, Ground Floor Block A, Segama Shopping Complex, 88800 Kota Kinabalu
• voxPOP Boutique, M-1-120, 1st Floor, City Mall, Kota Kinabalu
* Tickets are sold at the above venues ONLY.
** Tickets are NOT sold at GSC Suria Sabah or Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Melody of Four Seasons: Traditional Japanese Music by Shigeri Kitsu
In conjunction with KL Festival 2011, The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) is inviting minyo (Japanese folk song) singer and taiko
drummer Shigeri Kitsu for a series of Traditional Music performances in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, from 10 to 14 July 2011.
Shigeri Kitsu started performing minyo since her childhood, and has participated in collaboration performances with artistes from a variety
of music genres including pop, jazz and world music. She has also put efforts to introduce and spread minyo & minyo drum to people,
and has been actively involved in lectures in universities and workshops for pupils in schools. She has performed overseas, including tours
to Los Angeles in 2002, Indonesia and Singapore in 2003, New York in 2004, Italy and Germany in 2008, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Kazakhstan in 2009 and Shanghai in 2010.
Date & Venue (Free Admission)
Kuala Lumpur
Date : 10 & 11 July 2011
Time : 8.30pm ~
Venue : Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTic)
Kuala Lumpur
Date : 14 July 2011
Time : To be confirmed
Venue : To be confirmed
Kuching
Date : 13 July 2011
Time : 7.30pm ~
Venue : Experiment Theatre,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas)
*Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, this event had to be rescheduled from March 2011 to July 2011.
JUNE
The Weekend Japanese Film Show
“One Million Yen Girl” (2008, 121 min, Colour)
Saturday, 11 June 2011
starting 3pm
Director: TANADA Yuki
Starring: AOI Yu, MORIYAMA Mirai, Pierre TAKI
JULY
Suzuko graduates from a two-year college, but without any skills to speak of, she
becomes a job-hopping part-timer. Then she gets convicted for a trivial incident and
neighbors as well as her family treat her as a nuisance. Suzuko decides to save up one
million yen to leave for somewhere where no one knows her, and then to move onto
another town with another one million yen saved up. To this aim, Suzuko works as hard
as possible and save money. At a seaside town, she is an expert at making ice shavings,
and at a fruit growing town, she excels at harvesting peaches. As she moves from town
to town, she touches upon people’s kindness, and gradually matures.
“Hotel Hibiscus” (2002, 92 min, Colour)
Saturday, 2 July 2011
starting 3pm
Director: NAKAE Yuji
Starring: KURASHITA Honami, YO Kimiko, TAIRA Tomi
Hotel Hibiscus has only one guest room. At the hotel, 9-year-old Mieko lives happily with
her father, her mother, her grandmother and half brother and sister. On her way home
from school, Mieko saves a teenage boy named Notojima and he becomes the hotel's
sole guest. Along with her classmates, Mieko spends her days trying to find "Kijimuna the
Forest Fairy." One day, her mother and half sister depart for the States to meet her
sister's real father, leaving Mieko very busy with all the cooking and cleaning chores at the
hotel. She delivers a letter to her father, who's working at a pineapple orchard, and meets
a strange old man who calls himself "old Man Kijimuna." She also runs into a girl that's a
dead ringer for herself. Mieko's summer holiday is filled with all sorts of experiences.
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Library News
English Books
Arts and Culture
[Ikebana Style: 20 Portable Flower Arrangements Perfect for Gift-Giving (Make Good: Crafts + Life)] / by Keiko Kubo
(Paperback - Sep 21, 2010). Library Call No. 745.92 KUB
[The Japanese tea garden] / Berkeley, Calif.: Stone Bridge Press, ©2009. Library Call No. 712.0952 KEA
[New zen: the tearoom culture in modern Japanese culture] / London: Eight, 2007. Library Call No. 725.70952 FRE
[Felt friends from Japan: 86 super-cute toys and accessories to make yourself] / by Naomi Tabatha; translated by Leeyong Soo.
New York: Kodansha America, 2010. Library Call No. 746.0463 TAB
[Tokyo clash: Japanese pop culture] / by Ralf Bahren. Germany: Tandem Verlag, 2010. Library Call No. 306.0952 BAH
[Manga for the beginner shoujo: everything you need to start drawing the most popular style of Japanese comics] / by
Christopher Hart. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2010. Library Call No. 741.5 HAR
[Cherry blossoms of Kyoto: a seasonal portfolio] / photographs by Hidehiko Mizuno, Kayu Mizuno, Yasutaka Ogaway. Tokyo:
Kodansha International, 2009. Library Call No. 915.21864045 MIZ
Cooking and Recipes
[Okashi: sweet treats made with love] / by Keiko Ishida. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Cuisine, 2009. Library Call No. 641.860952
ISH
[Kitcho: Japan's ultimate dining experience] / by Kunio Tokuoka; photography by Kenji Miura; text by Nobuko Sugimoto; Translated
by Juliet Winter Carpenter. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 2010. Library Call No. 641.5952 TOK
Non-Fiction
[The secrets of Noh masks] / by Michishige Udaka; photography by Shuichi Yamagata. Tokyo; New York: Kodansha International,
2010. Library Call No. 792.0952 UDA
[Seppuku: a history of samurai suicide] / by Andrew Rankin. New York: Kodansha America, 2011. Library Call No. 394.880952 RAN
[The Pacific War: from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima] / editor, Daniel Marston. Oxford; Long Island City, N.Y.: Osprey Pub., 2010, Library
Call No. 940.5426 PAC
Library News
New CD List In The Library
Album Name : ALIVE
Artiste Name : キマグレン (Kimaguren)
Release Date : July 2010
Total Songs : 13
Album Name : GLORIA
Artiste Name : YUI
Release Date : Jan 2010
Total Songs : 4
Album Name : 戻れない明日
(Modorenai Ashita)
Artiste Name : Aiko
Release Date : Feb 2010
Total Songs : 4
Album Name : ALWAYS
Artiste Name : 中島美嘉
(Mika Nakashima)
Release Date : Jan 2010
Total Songs : 6
Album Name : Love yourself
～君が嫌いな君が好き～
Artiste Name : KAT-TUN
Release Date : Feb 2010
Total Songs : 6
Album Name : Olympos
Artiste Name : LANDS
Release Date : Jan 2010
Total Songs : 9
Album Name : 5years
Artiste Name : 木村カエラ
(Kimura Kaela)
Release Date : Feb 2010
Total Songs : 17
Album Name : 愛すべき未来へ
(Aisubeki Miraihe)　Artiste Name : EXILE
Release Date : Dec 2009
Total Songs : 15
Album Name : BEST
Artiste Name : FUNKY MONKEY BABYS
Release Date : Feb 2010
Total Songs : 24
Album Name : Dear…/MAYBE
Artiste Name : 西野カナ (Kana Nishino)
Release Date : Dec 2009
Total Songs : 3
Album Name : 桜の栞 (Sakura no Shiori)
Artiste Name : AKB48
Release Date : Feb 2010
Total Songs : 5
Album Name : Past ＜ FUTURE
Artiste Name : 安室奈美恵
(Namie Amuro)
Release Date : Dec 2009
Total Songs : 12
Album Name : 20th Anniversary Best LIFE
Artiste Name : 槇原敬之
(Noriyuki Makihara)
Release Date : Jan 2010
Total Songs : 15
Album Name : Ken's Bar II
Artiste Name : 平井堅 (Ken Hirai)
Release Date : May 2009
Total Songs : 15
JENESYS Program 2010 / 2011: Social Welfare
Being selected as a participant of the JENESYS program is a great experience to share. My 12 days in Japan were filled with meaningful
experiences and my knowledge was enhanced as well.
I arrived at Narita International Airport at about 7:30am on 26 February 2011, but the program officially started on 27 February 2011. First
was an orientation session, which included a briefing on the Japan Foundation and also the coordination of the JENESYS Program. We
then began the presentation of Country Reports from 13 countries from all around Asia, and also Australia and New Zealand.
On 28 February 2011 we went to Hokkaido by plane via Haneda Airport. The experience was so exciting – I was awestruck by the view
from the top of the mountains of ice and snow that covered almost all parts of Hokkaido. First, we had the opportunity to go to the Ainu
Association for Preservation in Urakawa. Here we received useful information about the traditions of the Ainu people.
On 2 March 2011, we went to the Institution for the Aged. Over there, we received new knowledge
about how the Japanese central government and local governments joined together in Urakawa to
provide for the elderly. We were also given explanations concerning the operation of the homes for the
elderly, and we were briefed on the Daily Service Centre for the Elderly. After visiting those homes, we
went to the Nursing and Prevention Center where people with disabilities are cared for. Here we were
given a description of their management and a number of workshops tailored to train people with
disabilities to be independent.
Next, we were taken to Warashibe, Institution for
Physically Challenged. On this visit we were given a
description of the management and activities that
can be done here. We had the opportunity to see
how the horse therapy is run and feel how
therapeutic horse riding is done.
After lunch we had the opportunity to visit
Bethel House (Institution for Mentally
Challenged). Here, the opportunity to ask
questions
about
employment
opportunities, support aspects and my
observations on the Social Skills Training
(SST) meeting have provided new
knowledge on social welfare. We also visited some of the placements in the vicinity of the
home run by Bethel House. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to visit Café Bura Bura
which is managed by Bethel house. This café is one of the most popular cafés in Urakawa.
On 5 March 2011 we departed back to Tokyo. We spent the next three days in Kamakura.
I touched Sakura with my hand – it’s wonderful, nice and I appreciated Sakura as Japan’s
national flower. I had the opportunity to feel the spring season – it’s so beautiful. In our last
night in Japan, we celebrated with a party, and all participants received a certificate from the
Japan Foundation.
Muhamad Khairul Anuar Bin Hussin, a special education teacher from Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor, was invited to Japan under the
JENESYS Program 2010 / 2011 for 12 days, from 26 February to 9 March 2011, under the theme of "Social Welfare: Self Reliance of the
Socially Vulnerable and Symbiosis with the Globalized Community".
“To Japan We Care” by the Sunway Group
Thinking about all the victims who had been hurt and lost in their
hearts due to the tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the
management of Sunway Pyramid Group organized a community
program called “To Japan We Care”, which began from 27
March 2011, with support from the Japan Foundation, Kuala
Lumpur. Sunway Pyramid in Subang Jaya, Sunway Giza in Kota
Damansara and Sunway Carnival in Penang came together to
encourage people to fold more than a thousand origami cranes,
as well as share their wishes
and morale support by
writing messages on the
cranes’ wings for the victims
and families of the tragedy.
Thousands
of
origami
cranes have been folded and
displayed at the concourse
of the malls.
Public Lecture Series on Japanese Studies by Professor Watanabe Yorizumi
The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian Association of Japanese Studies (MAJAS) had successfully organized a series
of public lectures on Japanese Studies from 14-18 March 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah. The lectures, titled “The Possibility
of FTA in North East Asia and Implications for ASEAN”, were delivered by Professor Watanabe Yorizumi, a professor of International
Political Economy from Keio University, Japan. This event was also jointly organized by Universiti of Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur, Universiti
Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in Sabah.
The first lecture was held at Dewan Kuliah A, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya on 14 March 2011. It was
moderated by Professor Dr. Lee Poh Ping, President of MAJAS, and almost 200 people attended, including lecturers, students and others.
Before the lecture started, there was a 2 minute silence as a mark of respect for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Professor
Watanabe gave a very powerful and informative lecture and satisfied most of the audience members in the hall. Before leaving to Penang,
Professor Watanabe was accompanied by the Director and staff from the Japan Foundation, to pay a courtesy visit to Dato’ Dr. Mahani
Zainal Abidin, Chief Executive of Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) in Kuala Lumpur.
On the next day, Professor Watanabe delivered his lecture at Dewan Persidangan Universiti, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. Around
120 people attended the lecture in the morning, which was followed by a press conference in the afternoon. Most of the audience
members gave a very good response to the lecture by giving comments and posing many questions during the Q&A sessions. The public
lecture series continued all the way to Sabah as the final venue. Almost 100 people attended the lecture at Gallery, Universiti Malaysia
Sabah (UMS) on Friday morning, 18 March 2011. Professor Watanabe was given a very warm welcome by the audience and staff of the
University.
This public lecture series had been followed by fruitful Q&A sessions in every venue which underlined some similar economic challenges
that are faced by Japan and East Asia in the current period of global financial and economic crisis. Professor Watanabe, in his personal
comment, encouraged Malaysia to join or to enter into negotiations of an Asia-Pacific trade agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) Agreement, with the objective of shaping a high standard, broad-based regional agreement in the Asia Pacific region.
A courtesy visit to ISIS,
Kuala Lumpur
From Lecture Hall A, University of Malaya
At Gallery, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
At DPU, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Professor Watanabe at a press conference
in USM Penang
FILM FESTIVAL
C E N T E N N I A L R E T RO S P E C T I V E
The stage of the Opening Ceremony
Film posters on display
JFKL’s Akira Kurosawa Film Festival was held from 10 – 20 March 2011 at Dewan Kuliah Utama, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan
Malaysia (ASWARA). As this festival was a retrospective of Akira Kurosawa’s films, in addition to a celebration of his 100th birth anniversary,
24 titles out of all his 31 films were screened and 19 film posters were exhibited outside the hall.
The official ceremony was held on 14 March 2011. With a wonderful drum performance by ASWARA students and a slide show of some
iconic scenes from Kurosawa’s films, the festival was officiated by YB Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz, Deputy Minister of Information,
Communication and Culture, Malaysia.
On each Saturday during the festival, there were also special talks by Mr. Adman Md Salleh, Mr. U-Wei Haji Saari, and Mr. Chris Chong
Chan Fui for the audience to get a better understanding of Kurosawa’s films.
Among the 1418 visitors to the festival, there were some enthusiastic Kurosawa and Japanese film fans who tried so hard to arrange their
schedule so that they would not miss this opportunity to watch Kurosawa’s films on a big screen. We would like to thank all the visitors to
the festival, ASWARA’s lecturers and staff, and all the sponsors, for making this festival happen.
The 27th Annual Japanese Speech Contest (Open Category)
A golden opportunity to show your talent in Japanese and win
yourself an all expense paid trip to Japan!
Closing Date: 10 August 2011 (Wednesday)
Participation is simple. Gather your thoughts and put them into writing, in Japanese
of course. Complete the application form and submit it together with your
manuscript to us before the closing date. Terms and Conditions apply. Shortlisted
entrants will be invited to compete in the above contest.
Application form and rules & regulations of the contest are available on our
homepage.
Details: www.jfkl.org.my or call JFKL at 03-2284 7228
On the left is Mr. Chai Kok Seng, winner of last year's speech
contest, receiving a prize from Mr. Mazlee from Panasonic. Looking
on in the middle is H.E. Masahiko Horie, the previous Ambassador
of Japan to Malaysia.
JFKL organizes this contest with the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, the Japanese Chamber of Trade & Industry, Malaysia (JACTIM) and the
Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur, in cooperation with the Japan Graduates’ Association of Malaysia and in conjunction with the 5th Annual
Japanese Language Festival (Sep 24-25)
JFKL Japanese for Specific Purposes Courses in
1) Pre-Advanced Listening
(20 hours)
2) Pre-Advanced Grammar
(20 hours)
3) Pre-Advanced Reading
(20 hours)
The general objective of these courses is to provide participants with the required prior knowledge and skills of an advanced-level student.
In the reading and listening courses, participants will learn to understand the contexts of various genres. In the grammar course, they will
learn to consolidate their knowledge of the various grammatical items used in the pre-advanced level and their appropriate usage.
In a recent class of the Reading Course, participants enjoyed one of Japan’s best sellers, “The Little Girl at the Window” written by
KUROYANAGI Tetsuko. They were able to feel the inner emotions of the author through her choice of expressions. From the photos, you
could see how motivated they became when they realized that they were able to read a Japanese novel!
The above 3 courses also address the language demands of the newly reformatted JLPT. In view of the changes in the JLPT, we will also be
conducting familiarization courses from N5 to N1 in August 2010. Details are available on the JFKL homepage.
JFKL Holiday Notice
Please be informed that JFKL will be closed on the following day:
4 June (Saturday)
Birthday of Y.P. Agong
“TEMAN BARU” is distributed to JFKL members.
JFKL membership is available upon application. Membership fee is RM10 per year.
Mid Valley
The Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur (JFKL)
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18th Floor, Northpoint, Block B, Mid-Valley City, No. 1, Medan Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2284 6228 Fax: (03) 2287 5859
Homepage: http://www.jfkl.org.my E-mail: jpcc@jfkl.org.my
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