pmzW0-Suki 2016 June..

T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E TT E R O F T H E J A PA N F O U N DAT I O N , M A N I L A
IN THIS ISSUE:
Upcoming Events
Cover Story:
Of Hopes and Dreams
by Tristan Nodalo
JFM 20th
Anniversary Series:
CCP-Japan Artistic Partnership
by Dr. Raul Sunico
Activity Report
Grants
Contributor’s Corner:
On Urban Congestion: A Personal Reflection from My Visit in Japan
by Raison D. Arobinto
In Focus:
Japanese Film and Animation
EIGASAI Schedule
ISSN 0118-7910
VOLUME XX ISSUE 1
JUNE 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 7 - August 21
EIGASAI: The Japanese Film Festival
Manila, Davao, Baguio and Cebu
EIGASAI enters its 19th year with award-winning contemporary films from Japan. Catch historic,
dramatic and inspiring films this year in Manila, Davao, Baguio and Cebu. EIGASAI also partners
with Cinemalaya for premier screenings of two independent Japanese films in their Asian
Section. There will also be Director’s Talks with Masato Harada (KAKEKOMI, Chronicle of My
Mother and The Emperor in August) and Hiroshi Shoji (Ken and Kazu).
More information on pages 19 to 22!
July 23
2016 J-pop Anime Singing Contest (Grand Finals)
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Watch out for the next sensations in the annual J-pop Anime Singing Contest where young
aspirants showcase their talents inspired by Japanese pop culture!
August 16
PuppetXchange:
Arts of Puppetry from Japan and the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines, Little Theater
3PM; 8PM
Bunraku is one of the traditional theater arts of Japan and the only one that involves
puppets. Here is a glimpse of the puppet tradition that will surely amaze you with its
stories. The Bunraku lecture and demonstration will also involve the presentation of the
developing puppet tradition of the Philippines by Teatrong Mulat.
August 25 – 28
10th International
Silent Film Festival in Manila
Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City
JFM together with Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes, the Philippine-Italian Association,
the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Embassies of Austria, France, Italy,
Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America present the 10th edition of the
International Silent Film Festival to be held on August 25 to 28. Hidenori Okada of the National
Film Center in Tokyo is invited to talk about the tricks and unwritten rules in watching and
understanding silent films; and also give an introductory talk about this year’s Japanese film
entry: The Foghorn directed by Minoru Murata before its screening on August 27.
September 17 and 18
The Best of Anime 2016
SMX Convention Center Manila
JFM is joining The Best of Anime 2016 as a book exhibitor. We showcase not only manga, but also
contemporary Japanese literature. For update and more details, visit our website or Facebook Page.
UPCOMING EVENTS
132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE
No.1 Dress
Photo by Hiroshi Iwasaki
June 30 - August 19, 2016
Tall Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Avant garde fashion designer Issey Miyake’s No. 1 Dress in all its gorgeously
pleated glory; the finely crafted children’s Bentwood Cycle made of local
beech wood; the seemingly floating airvase paper container – these three
and 97 more will be showcased at Japanese Design Today 100, the traveling
product exhibition proudly presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila
(JFM), in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and
with the support of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and JT
International (Philippines) Inc. It will be on view at the Tall Galleries of
MET Museum from June 30 to August 19, 2016. The exhibition was first organized by the Japan Foundation in 2004
and has been touring the world for the past 12 years. Its updated
version features 100 of the finest examples of Japanese design with
a focus on everyday products, 11 of which are postwar designs from
1950s to 1990s that had significant influence on the Japanese design
of today. Product categories range from Furniture and Housewares to
Healthcare; Apparel and Accessories to Transportation.
Chief curator Hiroshi Kashiwagi is scheduled to hold Design Dialogue at the
UP Diliman and the MET on July 1 and 2, respectively, to discuss Japanese
product design. There will also be a one-day workshop and another dialogue
on July 29 and 30, respectively, with Keiji Ashizawa of Ishinomaki Lab, whose
designs are included in the exhibition under the Disaster Relief category.
Japanese Design Today 100 will be on view alongside
an exhibition of fine locally crafted products by
distinguished Filipino designers. The cultural dialogue
through these exhibitions is timely, as 2016
marks the 60 Years of the Philippines-Japan
Friendship, as well as the 20th anniversary
of JFM’s establishment in the country.
BENTWOOD CYCLE
TYPE-01
02
COVER STORY
Organized by the Japan Foundation Asia Center, Hope and Dreams (HANDs!) Project is a bi-annual youth exchange program for
Asian countries to engage and mobilize young professionals and university students in the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR),
recovery and education.
This year’s 25 fellows traveled to Indonesia and the Philippines to communities affected by the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
(2004) and Super Typhoon Haiyan (2013). After a brief research hiatus, the fellows left for their second research tour in Thailand
to learn about environmental issues in disaster; ending the trip in Japan to meet with HANDs! General Adviser, Hirokazu Nagata,
to learn from survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake and to participate in Nagata’s flagship disaster education program, Iza
Kaeru Caravan, aimed at teaching children how to better prepare for natural disasters through games and activities.
One of this year’s Filipino HANDs! fellows is Tristan Nodalo, a journalist and producer for CNN Philippines. Before working with
CNN, Tristan worked for GMA Network and was part of the team covering Super Typhoon Haiyan. Their coverage won the network a
Peabody Award, a prestigious award in the field of broadcast journalism.
By Tristan Nodalo
“Education is a matter of building bridges.” – Ralph Ellison
The journey of the HANDs! 2015-16 started in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on October 5, 2015 and ended with a meaningful trip to
Tokyo, Japan on March 7, 2016. It was an experience of a lifetime – an unforgettable chapter in our lives. Other than the knowledge
we obtained from those research trips, the program became a venue for bonding, friendship, connection and unwavering passion.
Four weeks, four countries, four stories – stories of resilience, of rebuilding, of compassion, of hopes and dreams.
1
The wave: Tales of rebuilding Banda Aceh
I was still a college freshman student then when the 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami dominated the world headlines. Apocalyptic,
catastrophic and unimaginable were some of the words used to
describe the deluge. And in just one snap of a finger, the world
launched its biggest humanitarian effort at that time. The tragedy
triggered everyone from all corners of the world to sympathize,
to empathize, to help or even just to pray. Never in my wildest
dreams did I think I would set foot in Banda Aceh – the heart of
the 2004 devastation. But the HANDs! Project made it possible.
Photos from JFM
One of the most striking parts for me that night was Nagata’s
lecture about the wind, water and soil type of person in a
community. I was made to ask myself, “Am I a wind person,
bringing in new ideas; a water person providing nourishment
and support; the soil person, which is part of the community?
How do I want to make an impact, am I a giver or a receiver?”
The next day, we were brought to a beach called Lhok Nga, a
2
1
2
HANDs! fellows at Lhok Nga beach
Small group discussions at Banda Aceh’s Tsunami Museum.
COVER STORY: OF HOPES AND DREAMS
04
3
pristine and beautiful side of the ocean where the waves of the
Indian Ocean tsunami were generated – deadly and unforgiving.
4
On the final stretch of our trip we were introduced to TV
Eng-Ong, a community theater group. It was established to
inform people about the serious, local issues through humor
and drama. We were given a chance to perform and create
our own show, performing it for children and locals. I can say
that the experience was very rewarding. Yes, the language
was a huge wall dividing us to connect with our audience,
but I guess that’s the challenge of that activity – how do you
engage people when they don’t speak your language and
don’t understand you at all.
6
5
Photos © ©Jar Concengco
We visited mosques that withstood the brunt of the huge
tsunami. It’s an important structure not just to Banda Aceh’s
religion, but also serves as a reminder of their unwavering
faith. After the tragedy, disaster tourism was promoted and
a tsunami research center was built. These projects made
Acehnese people not just aware of the disaster, but also help
equip them against future disasters.
Philippines: A hope more powerful than a Super Typhoon
Nepalese HANDs! fellow, Bijay Shahi, sharing his prototype with the group.
HANDs! fellows participating in DEELs activities
5
Lunch with HANDs! fellows and one of our speakers, Kate Landry of Build
Change, Philippines.
6
The last group photo in the Philippines with Project NOAH and Celina Agaton
of Map the Philippines.
3
The trip to the Philippines started with an introduction to the
importance of co-working spaces, an in-depth discussion on
collaboration and the need for social innovation projects and
systems-change.
A day trip to Tacloban was also one of the highlights of the trip. It
was memorable for me because I was there on assignment when
Super Typhoon Haiyan happened. Tacloban was ground zero of
the typhoon’s devastation in 2013. We also spent a day learning
about the DEEL: Disaster Education through Experiential Learning
project, one of the HANDs! 2014-2015 country projects.
We spent time with Habi Education Lab, an NPO dedicated
to human-centered design research on education in the
Philippines. They taught us the importance of the design
process in developing projects, as well as understanding the
needs and values of the user by listening. Their workshop
taught us how to make empathy maps and how to use
different methods of research to empathize and identify
with your stakeholders.
Capping the five-day Philippine trip, we paid a visit to
Project NOAH, a government funded DRR system using
technology and hazard data, learning more about existing
innovative disaster programs by the national government.
4
Thailand: Building bridges,
breaking barriers
The Thailand trip kicked off with a special tour of Thai PBS. Thai PBS has TV programs dedicated to disaster preparedness and
how viewers can help in solving different environmental problems.
Travelling to Chiang Mai, we were given a chance to visit the
Earth Manual Project, a Japan Foundation exhibit on creative
DRR solutions. We conducted a short game/activity camp with
the local students. We enjoyed playing games with the kids, but
what made the activity remarkable was the inclusion of kids
with special needs.
Perhaps that’s one of the aims of HANDs!: make disaster
preparedness education inclusive. For me, for any project to
become effective, it should consider everyone – no one should
Japan: Life after the Great East Japan Earthquake
be left behind. Disaster preparedness education after all is
founded on inclusivity, in cooperation and collaboration.
After our mini-camp in Chiang Mai, we spent three days there
with the Makhampon theater group, facilitating workshops with
us on engagement with local communities, as well as visiting
these communities to learn about their problems and how it
affected their resilience during and after a natural disaster.
One community we visited dealt with issues of severe smog
due to regional fires, land grabbing, and statelessness. The
other community dealt with forest preservation. The visits
gave us a glimpse of how we will deal with communities in the
future. Any project to become successful should involve the
community in developing the project itself.
We ended our Thailand trip with another activity camp
called Red Bear Survival Camp, originally initiated by the Japan
Foundation, Bangkok. We developed our own games and
used them to teach Thai children about disaster risk reduction
(DRR). It was fulfilling and memorable and taught us a lot.
7
It was only my first month as a journalist when the Great East
Japan Earthquake happened in March 2011. I saw how the rushing
wall of water destroyed everything in its path – houses, people,
hopes and dreams. HANDs! brought us to Higashimatsushima in
Miyagi prefecture, heavily devastated by the tsunami.
The program gave us an opportunity to revisit these places,
speak with survivors and learn how they were able to cope after
the disaster. It’s heartbreaking listening to their stories of loss but
also inspiring to hear their stories of hope and unwavering faith.
We were again tasked to develop DRR education games, this
time for HANDs! General Adviser Nagata’s flagship program,
Iza Kaeru Caravan. This time we would play our games with
children and parents from Higashimatsushima.
For someone who is not a game person, making up games
was not really something I looked forward to. But after our
activities in Thailand and Japan, it gave me a new perspective
to consider. A game after all is universal. Like love, it can adapt
to different languages, to different cultures, to different
ages, and to different people. It moves people, it engages
communities, it unites differences.
We ended our Japan trip by presenting our initial ideas for
our own country projects, developed from all that we learned
during our research trips in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand
and Japan. Though it was tough to say good-bye to the new
friendships, it was definitely not the end but a beginning of a
new chapter. We all go home to our respective countries to
flesh out our ideas and hopefully create projects that bring us
all together again working for a common goal.
8
9
We proposed our final action plans to the Japan Foundation,
Manila on May 14, 2016 and if approved we would receive
funding and support to realize our projects. Other than
providing the framework of those projects, the HANDs! program
is also being founded on creativity, compassion, and inclusivity –
perhaps those are things that make it truly a standout.
Photos from JFM
For the Philippine fellows, HANDs! Project became a venue
for collaboration and new found friendship. Ace Aceron calls
it empowerment, Margaret Buenconsejo defines it as passion,
George Soriano thinks its infrastructure while Sarah Salazar
believes that there is a wave of possibilities. As for me? HANDs!
is an experience.
Opening remarks in Chiang Mai, Thailand for HANDs!
HANDs! fellows joined Red Bear Survival Camp to teach kids disaster
preparation through games and activities.
9
Philippines HANDs! fellows and facilitators from Makhampom Art Space
in Chiang Dao, Thailand, testing their new disaster education game with
local children.
7
8
True enough, it takes passion to empower others. And
by empowering others, we are paving the way for strong
infrastructures, resilient communities and never ending
possibilities. Indeed, this year’s Hope and Dreams (HANDs!)
Project is nothing short of an experience, a journey and a story.
COVER STORY: OF HOPES AND DREAMS
10
The group of the Philippine fellows was one of the most diverse
groups during the HANDs! trip. Our group was composed of an
engineer, a sustainability and development expert, an education
specialist, an arts practitioner and a journalist.
It may be hard at first to unite and combine different ideas from
different perspectives, but at the end of the day, I guess that’s what
HANDs! program was all about – collaboration, empowerment
and diversity.
11
12
Ace Victor Aceron
Education specialist, UNESCO
Q: What was the most memorable part of the HANDs!
trip for you?
13
14
The most memorable part of the trip for me was the
opportunity to deliver disaster education programs to children
in Indonesia, Japan and Thailand. There was diversity in
language, culture, age, personality, social status and physical
capabilities. As an educator myself, this gave me the chance to
explore, apply and test different approaches to teaching and
learning. It was challenging but ultimately rewarding.
Q: Did the trip somehow change your perspective and
opinion on how you see and handle things?
16
Photos from JFM
15
The program provided me with a comparative and global
perspective of education in practice. It also affirmed many
of my perspectives and opinions, especially in effective
project implementation. I believe that despite their seemingly
irreconcilable differences, people of the world can work
together towards a unified goal. We just have to respect
commitments, be open to change, and be humble enough to
accept praise and criticism.
George “Gino” Soriano
Engineer, Department of Public Works and Highways
Philippines HANDs! fellows playing their new disaster education game with
local children in Chiang Dao, Thailand.
11
HANDs! fellows listening to a talk at the Center for Remembering 3.11 inside
Sendai Mediatheque in Sendai City, Japan..
12
HANDs! fellows listening to survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake
from Higashimatsushima City, Japan.
13
HANDs! fellow Gino Soriano poses with volunteers and HANDs! mascot,
HANDs-kun!
14
Schoolchildren from Higashimatsushima City join in the activities for the
disaster education games.
15
At the Chiyoda Art Center in Tokyo, HANDs! fellows prepare for their
final presentations..
16
Philippines HANDs! fellows, Gino Soriano and Sarah Salazar, present their
idea for the action plan.
10
Q: How would you relate your HANDs! experience to your
current field/expertise?
I am now engaged in geohazard assessment for public works
projects. HANDs! helped me to think of safety in terms of
human dimension instead of just structural dimension.
Q: If there is one activity from the trip that you would like
to share and develop what would it be and why?
I like developing the city tour aspects of the trip. It shows how
the place recovered from the disaster. It also contextualizes all the
stories and accounts of the survivors into tangible experience.
continued on next page
06
Sarah Salazar
Margaret Buenconsejo Chavez
Director, Sipat Lawin Ensemble/ Arts practitioner
Sustainability Expert/ Greenpeace program assistant
Q: If there is one activity from the trip that you would like
to repeat what would it be and why?
Q: How would you relate your HANDs! experience to your
current field/expertise?
I would want to go back to Higashimatsushima to spend more
time being with the communities there and if possible, craft the
mini-project we were assigned to do (i.e. the one from our event
with Iza Kaeru Caravan) in collaboration with the locals (the youth
perhaps). It would be interesting to explore how we could create
activities that can be furthered/pursued sustained by the locals,
for a deeper, more meaningful exchange.
HANDs! and the role that I am performing with Greenpeace
are similar in the sense of regional integration where solutions
to problems on disasters and environmental issues are defined
collectively. There is a need for collective action because
disasters and the dire effects of environmental degradation are
indiscriminate which means the impacts transcends borders.
Q: Describe the HANDs! program in one word and explain
why you chose that word.
Possibilities. HANDs! is a generator of possibilities, not just
for DRR but humanity in general, as it pushes its participants
hailing from different regions, sector, fields, backgrounds, to
learn from and work with each other, evolve their respective
practices and kickstart innovations that will support as many
communities as possible.
JFM 20TH ANNIVERSARY SERIES
The year 2016 is a proud year for the Japan Foundation, Manila
and the diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines.
First, the Philippines and Japan enjoy 60 years of diplomatic
relations this year – continually fostering friendship through
cooperation and collaboration. Secondly, JFM celebrates its 20th
year anniversary since its establishment as the 18th overseas office
of the Japan Foundation on June 18, 1996.
To commemorate the friendship that JFM has shared with our
colleagues over the years, we have invited some of them to share
their stories, impressions and aspirations that would hopefully
contribute to creating new friendships and building stronger
relationships in the future.
Continuing its Anniversary Series in this issue, Dr. Raul Sunico
shares his journey with the Japan Foundation in the field of arts
and culture.
CCP-Japan
Artistic Partnership
DR. RAUL SUNICO
The artistic and cultural collaboration between the Philippines and Japan has always been a robust one –
reflecting the more encompassing scope covering the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It continues
to blossom today especially as the variety of artistic and cultural activities have grown in number. As the nation
having the clear edge in financial resources, Japan has expectedly and generously shared its artists, facilities, and
technical expertise with the Philippines, the results and benefits of which are clearly felt in our communities.
In November 2010, the Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) had extended an invitation to this writer, in my capacity
as the Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), for a two-week, fully-sponsored travel to
JFM 20 T H ANNIVERSARY SERIES
08
Japan in order to gain a first-hand exposure to its cultural and artistic activities, as well as meet with arts institutions
and their directors to share common experiences. The trip, part of Japan Foundation’s Invitation Program for Cultural
Leaders, was an opportunity to strengthen ties and explore new collaborations with Japan. The hospitality accorded
to me was extraordinary, where I had the freedom to choose the places to visit, the shows and exhibits to watch,
and the important arts and culture personalities to meet and discuss common concerns.
The CCP has been active in collaborating with the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation for the past
few years. In 2006, the JFM launched the Philippine-Japan Friendship Year with the CCP with a presentation
entitled Taiko!Tambol!. This featured the acclaimed Yamato ensemble of taiko drummers blending theater and
musical arts in tightly synchronized and expressive percussion numbers, with the special participation of the
Negros Drumbeaters from La Carlota.
In 2010, the Embassy of Japan, JFM, CCP, UP Film Institute, and ClickTheCity.com co-presented EIGASAI: 100
Years of Kurosawa, a two-week festival commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of the late great Japanese
filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa.
In celebration of the 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in 2013, a series of productions
were held at the CCP, including the solo performance of mime artist Naoki Iimuro entitled Time of Mime 2 in
February and a staging of the theatrical production entitled The Restaurant of Many Orders based on the same
titled novel of poet and author Kenji Miyazawa in October. It is the story of “nature vs. human,” featuring
contemporary dance, various vocalizations and several masks that allowed the actors to go back and forth
between animals and humans. In the same month, a concert that featured WASABI, a traditional Japanese
instrumental band, was organized. Capping the festivities was the presentation of the MAU: Japan-ASEAN
Dance Collaboration, which featured the Kelantanese dance from Malaysia, the stylized Mindanao dance from
the Philippines, the Balinese traditional dance from Indonesia, the Kabuki dance from Japan and the Chinese
Iiyuan opera from Singapore. It was choreographed by Fujima Kanjuro VIII, the Grandmaster of the 300-year
old Fujima School of Kabuki.
The strong Japanese cultural presence in the country reflects the depth of diplomatic relations between the
Philippines and Japan. Cultural diplomacy, heretofore lightly taken for granted in international negotiations,
remains a silent yet potent force in strengthening peace and global security. For one, there is a universal appeal
for the culture of nations to be disseminated and appreciated by each other. Furthermore, the arts often serve as
a diplomatic cushion in times of conflict and unresolved negotiations. As the major cultural coordinators of their
respective countries, JFM, together with the Embassy of Japan, and the CCP have forged a continuing partnership
in arts and artists exchange, ranging in the areas of performance, visual arts, technical support, history and
literature. The years of diplomatic relations between the two countries have greatly alleviated the memories and
vestiges of the Second World War, and cultural diplomacy has significantly contributed to this healthy atmosphere.
Raul M. Sunico is concurrently the President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Dean of the
University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. He is further involved with various organizations with
official roles in the Klassikal Music Foundation, Philippine High School for the Arts, Foundation for the Musical
Filipino, Youth Development Organization of the Philippines, and the Sunico Foundation for Arts
and Technology.
ACTIVITY REPORT
SPINNING MANILA:
J-POP LIVE!
February 27, 2016
Whitespace Manila, Makati City
Diana Garnet, Joe Inoue and THE BEATMOTORS brought
the house down last February 28 at the Whitespace Manila as
they performed their hits and a number of popular tracks from
well-loved Japanese animations that got the J-Pop enthusiasts
in the crowd heartily singing along.
Winners of JFM’s first ever cosplay photo contest, Spinning
Manila: Facebook Cosplay Photo Contest, were also announced
and awarded with prizes from Canon Marketing Philippines.
The concert was made possible by its media sponsors
HERO TV and WhenInManila.com. and the cooperation of
cosplay communities: Otaku Asia, The Cosplay Cafe, Naruto
Cosplayers Philippines and Cosplay.ph. Prior to the concert, all
three performers also appeared at the Nihongo Fiesta, JFM’s
annual festival of Japanese language and arts and culture, at
the Shangri-La Plaza.
TPAM - PERFORMING ARTS MEETING IN YOKOHAMA
February 6 – 14, 2016
Yokohama, Japan
Started in 1995 as Tokyo Performing Arts Market, TPAM
celebrated its 20th holding this year. Since 2011, TPAM has
organized diverse programs and international meetings on
performing arts at cultural facilities in Yokohama. Artists, festival
directors, producers of venues, facilitators, company managers,
presenters and all kinds of professionals engaging in creation
of contemporary performing arts get together at TPAM to
exchange information, discuss issues and build network. There
were 716 professionals who participated in TPAM 2016: 292
from 40 countries and 424 from Japan. From the Philippines,
Tess Jamias (Kolab Co.), Ea Torrado (Daloy Dance Company) and
DLS Pineda (Philippine Star) were invited.
Baling by Mark Teh (Malaysia)
Since 2015, TPAM has focused on Asia, making various attempts to disseminate more Asian contemporary performing arts and to
make them more familiar to audiences in Asia and the world. This year, it had an opening performance of Dancing with Death by Pichet Klunchun (Thailand), an experimental theater production of Baling by Mark Teh (Malaysia) and some Asian productions with the
direction of Tang Fu Kuen (Singapore) and Jooyoung Koh (Korea) among others.
© Kazuomi Furuya/TPAM – Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama 2016
The four-man band opened the concert with a bang,
prompting the Business Mirror's Rodel Alzona to write in
his March 5, 2016 column titled Stadium Arcadium: "(THE
BEATMOTORS) blasted their way through a nine-song set
list carrying the swagger and confidence of a real rock n'
roll band...Their performance was one for the ages." Up
next was Joe whose song numbers were peppered with his
signature quirks and cool antics that entertained the crowd.
Last to perform was Diana, a budding recording artist best
known for her hit song Spinning World, which was used as
an ending theme song for Naruto Shippuden. The Manila
first-timer's songs and kawaii demeanor won the Filipino
audiences over. She also became an inspiration for Nihongo
learners for her fluency in the Japanese language despite
growing up in the US.
ACTIVITY REPORT
10
AYJO JAPAN TOUR
January 26 – February 2, 2016
Tokyo, Fukushima, Miyagi, Japan
year, the AYJO hoped to send a special message of cheering up
and showing constant support for recovery from the disaster.
© Tomoko Hidaki
Despite seeing the surroundings damaged by disaster, the
AYJO received a hearty welcome from the people in the area.
Some members even forgot the woes of the environment
because of their own excitement with seeing snow for the
very first time.
After their exciting tour in Southeast Asia, the Asian
Youth Jazz Orchestra (AYJO) greeted 2016 with a tour in Japan.
Starting with a concert in Tokyo, the AYJO travelled to the
Tohoku region to hold concerts in Fukushima at the Iwaki
Alios Performing Arts Theater and in Miyagi at Shichigahama
Kokusaimura. The Tohoku region has been chosen for the tour
significantly because of the remaining memory of the great
earthquake and tsunami that struck the region in 2011. This
Watching young musicians from various Asian countries
admire and vividly express jazz music truly excited many of the
audiences from various ages. They also enjoyed the concerts,
thanks to the support and efforts of each host city in inviting
and encouraging city residents to catch the performances.
With this Japan tour, the AYJO has finally completed its one
year cycle. And just as the people of Tohoku look forward to a
brighter future, the AYJO project shares this promise.
Find out more about the AYJO project at its official website
here: http://jfac.jp/en/culture/events/ayjo-program-2/
BUILDING GENEROUS STRUCTURES:
DIY & DISKARTE WORKSHOP
March 14 – 18, 2016
Bohol, the Philippines
One of the major lessons after the Great East Japan
Earthquake on March 11, 2011; the Bohol Earthquake on
October 15, 2013; and Supertyphoon Yolanda on November
8, 2013 was the importance of community in post-disaster
recovery. With help from government agencies, local and
international NGOs and other aid organizations, it is the
community that must be enabled for sustainable post-disaster
recovery and future resistance.
This has been the foundation of the Japan Foundation’s
project Building Generous Structures and the premise of its
collaborating partners’ practices, Ishinomaki Lab and ClassAct.
Ishinomaki Lab started out as a furniture building workshop for
the local community of Ishinomaki City, which was devastated
by the tsunami and earthquake on March 11. Some of their
activities included running a design workshop to provide training
for mastering design skills and putting ideas into shape, as well as
harnessing the spirit of DIY (Do It Yourself) and design.
ClassAct Foundation is currently exploring a model of aid
architecture in Bohol, Philippines, where they are involved in
the rebuilding of schools and the initial programming within
them as part of the design recovery process, what they have
identified as the “container and content” of community places.
Together with community members from Tubigon and
Tagbilaran in Bohol, Philippines, Ishinomaki Lab and ClassAct
spent one week exploring ideas of DIY and the Filipino theory
of diskarte in post-disaster scenarios. At the end of the week,
they designed and built furniture that refines the concept of
what it means to make diskarte, to design in distress, to accept
and overcome.
WORK
IN
PROGRESS
Lisa Ito-Tapang and Alice Sarmiento
JF Asia Center launched a curatorial development project called Condition Report. Lisa Ito-Tapang and Alice Sarmiento were selected to represent
the Philippines who recently joined the first meeting and study tour in Japan. After some more study tours in ASEAN countries, Condition Report will
produce group-curated exhibitions in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila, as well as solo curatorial projects, which will conclude by late 2017.
Alice Sarmiento (AS): Hi Lisa! Why don't we start with you
telling me about the project you proposed at the curatorial
workshop, late last year?
AS: Among the contemporary issues being addressed
in Japan's art scene during our visit, what caught
your attention?
Lisa Ito-Tapang (LT): I am interested in how local social and
grassroots movements contribute to the visual culture of
collective resistance: what images and strategies originate from
below, so to speak. The project provides a window to continue
research related to this and to support work which I think
should be documented and exhibited.
LT: One recurrent concern that many of the contemporary art
exhibitions delved into was the question of war and disaster on
a global scale, as well as the multidimensional depth of trauma,
sufferance, and healing this entails. The aftermath of Hiroshima
and Fukushima, for instance, would be examined in the shows
Discordant Harmony (Hiroshima MOCA) and Takashi Murakami’s
500 Arhats exhibition (Mori Art Museum).
AS: Interesting. I remember when we presented our revised
proposals in Tokyo, one of the senior curators commented
about the left-leaning politics in many of the proposals. What
did you think of that?
LT: Some of the other proposals seem to be informed by
cultural left thinking or critical theory, and I’m looking forward
to how they all turn out.
AS: So am I. It's extremely necessary to me that contemporary
art corresponds with contemporary realities outside of the
market, which is why my proposal on housing had everything
to do with the gendering of domestic space and the
commodification of dwelling. It can be very difficult to see the
art in that, but this is also a proposal for what art and artists
can do. I saw a lot of this in the work of artists like Koki Tanaka,
whose most recent show documented the experience of being
among strangers in a communal setting. Thematically, this also
came up in the Art Projects we encountered again and again,
notably that of Jun Kitazawa, who builds campfires! Maybe
this is because we were there in winter, but the image and
metaphor evoked by a campfire really stuck with me.
A second related issue threading through several of the
shows was the connectedness between the constructing of
histories and the accounting of loss – whether personal or
collective. I think this was seen in Futoshi Miyagi’s project,
American Boyfriend, and Simon Fujiwara’s solo exhibit, White Day
(Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery). And, third, another interesting
highlight of some shows and works was the question of
design, production and sustainability, distilled in the Zakka
exhibition (21_21 Design Sight) and the entire experience of
visiting 3331 Chiyoda.
LT: What other issues do you think were addressed by the
visits and exhibitions?
AS: I like that you brought up design and considered the art
historical terms in which we saw everything. It's not easy to
come away with something concrete after visiting 21 spaces
in nine different cities, but to bring up design would highlight
how looking at contemporary art is not only about seeing
what people create, but seeing how it does – or does not
– address human needs. I was interested in how design and
humanity were addressed at the shows in the Minatomachi
ACTIVITY REPORT
Potluck Building in Nagoya, like in Panorama Garden, curated
by Hiroyuki Hattori – who used the garden as metaphor in
showing how something can grow around an art object. This
helps us move past the negative reading of object creation in
art as a practice that serves markets and collectors, and into
thinking about objects in terms of the spaces and communities
that are built around them.
LT: I also learned a lot from the way curators of the museums,
such as the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo,
responded to and activated their archives and permanent
collections of modern art. Among these, what were the more
memorable collections in your opinion?
AS: I was fascinated by how each museum seemed to collect
from a particular period, or lean towards a specific style,
like how the National Museum of Art in Osaka had a sizable
collection of Abstract Minimalism, or abstracts, in general. I
really liked Takashi Murakami's Super-flat Collection, because
aside from showing how his mind works, it was also a good
survey of contemporary Japanese and Western art.
AS: I'm also interested in what you saw being conveyed
overall through the program. If you could sum it up in one
word, what would it be?
LT: Maybe not in one word. But weighing in all the visits, talks
and exchanges during the trip, I think the program helped
convey the need to develop models of curatorial practice that
respond to different institutional contexts, histories of art and
critical reflection of contemporary realities.
LT: How would you sum up your experience of the
program? Also, what aspects of the study tour do you feel
resonate with art practice in the Philippines?
AS: It’s funny, but I like to assess these kinds of programs
based on my eating habits throughout – how many meals
were shared, where it comes up in art practice like, again,
at Minatomachi. Food is a good indicator of how we came
together as a group, as well as the balance between the life
of the mind and of the body. This has a lot to do with why I
really liked Miraikan, because of how it humanized science
and technology, reminding us that we need to strike a balance
in the way we nourish ourselves. It also went beyond the
stereotype of Japan as the land of the robotic technocrat.
What was your favorite city?
LT: Each city has its own specific characteristics which I
appreciated. It’s hard to generalize beyond the specific art
spaces that we went to, as we were very mobile most of the
time. I think Fukuoka, for instance, was special because of
the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum’s collection and mandate:
how it was able to bring together works of modern and
contemporary Asian artists and contribute to drawing out
connections across timelines, countries and socio-political
contexts through this collection.
I agree that connecting art, society and science and technology
was a major theme across many of the cities we visited,
from the Yamaguchi Center for Art and Media (YCAM)
in Yamaguchi and the Institute of Advanced Media Arts
and Sciences (IAMAS) in Ogaki to the Miraikan and NTT
Intercommunication Center in Tokyo. Here, we saw not
only what technological advancements were capable of as
innovative material or media for new art but also how they
also serve as important markers of larger cultural and social
shifts within Japan.
AS: Actually, I really liked how there are clear efforts being
made to humanize art spaces, whether these were "alternative"
venues or large institutions. There is something about the scale
at which art is presented that made it accessible to its public.
What do you think?
LT: The art initiatives that we saw did provide different models
of public accessibility. These range from the designing of
exhibition spaces that attract and efficiently manage the large
influx of foreign and local tourists, seen in the 21st Century
Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa; to the adaptive
reuse and local activation of small abandoned community
structures as seen in the projects by Minatomachi Art Table and
other artist initiatives in Nagoya. Across the places we visited,
exhibitions were obviously carefully planned and designed with
the aim of enhancing the public’s experience of art in mind. Of
course, these stages of intention and implementation should
not be the only gauges of achieving public accessibility, but
at least these are the ones that can be directly influenced by
curatorial vision and practice, more or less.
AS: Lastly, how do you think these efforts relate to your
own practice as a curator in the Philippines?
LT: The experience made me think about what is possible
when operating under very different institutional, cultural
and even political contexts in the Philippines. I still have a lot
to learn about curatorial practice, so all of what we saw and
experienced helps.
Also, I treasure the interactions with other participants from
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and the
JF staff who shared so much of their own stories, practice,
thoughts, and aspirations in our very informal but frequent
discussions. Much respect for these people.
12
GRANTS
ANIMEHANESYON
POWER OF OWNERSHIP:
October 15 – November 15, 2015
SM Aura, BGC, Taguig City
SOLO EXHIBITION BY YOSHINORI NIWA
EXHIBIT – LUPLUPA VILLAGERS
AND THE RIVER CREATURES
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR’S
WORKSHOP
January 10 – March 9, 2016
Café by the Ruins Dua, Baguio City
February 29 – March 2, 2016
PETA Theater, Quezon City
A TASTE OF GUTAI: CURATOR’S
TALK WITH SHOICHI HIRAI
THREE, TWO, ONE...ARAI!
March 13, 2016
Ayala Museum, Makati City
January 9 – February 5, 2016
1335MABINI, Manila
March 20, 2016
Abelardo Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City
GRANTS
TRACING THE CONTOURS OF A RAPIDLY
CHANGING EAST ASIA:
ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES
March 10 – 11, 2016
Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros, Manila
UNDERSTANDING JAPAN
THROUGH IAI-DO
March 14 – 17, 2016
Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City
THE JAPAN FOUNDATION ACCEPTS GRANT APPLICATIONS
The JFM, in its continuing endeavour to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding, is accepting
local grant and small-scale support program applications in four major categories: 1) Arts and Cultural Exchange; 2)
Japanese-Language Education Overseas; 3) Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange; and 4) Strengthening Cultural
Exchange in Asia, for the whole year. For more information, please visit www.jfmo.org.ph/grants
ANNOUNCEMENT: JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
The second of the bi-annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test (New JLPT since 2010 – N1, N2, N3, N4 & N5) – the
world’s largest-scale Japanese language test, will be administered on Sunday, December 4, 2016 in three different sites –
Manila, Cebu, Davao. Application period will be held from August 3 to September 2. For more details and updates, visit our
website at www.jfmo.org.ph or follow us on Facebook at f/jfmanila.
ABOUT THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, MANILA
The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 by special
legislation in the Japanese Diet and became an Independent
Administrative Institution in October 2003. The mission of
the Japan Foundation is to promote international cultural
exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and
other countries.
As the 18th overseas office, the Japan Foundation, Manila was
founded in 1996, active in three focused areas:
1 ) Arts & Cultural Exchange
2) Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange
3) Japanese­Language Education Overseas
Address: 23rd Floor, Pacific Star Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
corner Makati Avenues, Makati City, 1226 Philippines
Tel: +632.811.6155 to 58
Email: email@jfmo.org.ph
The Japan Foundation, Manila’s Library
The library, established in 2007, is open to researchers/
borrowers from Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00
p.m.; Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; closed on Sundays,
and on legal and duly declared special holidays of both Japan
and the Philippines.
14
CONTRIBUTOR’S CORNER
Last year, Raison Arobinto from the University of the Philippines – Diliman joined
other fellows from the Philippines and around Southeast Asia in Japan to undergo
a ten-day trip and cultural immersion through the Japan Foundation’s Invitation
Program for Young Intellectuals in Southeast Asia focusing on the common issues
of rural revitalization.
ON URBAN CONGESTION:
A Personal Reflection
from My Visit in Japan
Raison D. Arobinto
Economic success, a better living environment, a pool of
opportunities, career growth and entertainment, among
others, are the terms associated with the ecosphere people
believe are found in urban areas. For this reason, people
seemed to be pulled like a magnet from rural communities to
places where these vast opportunities are achievable. However,
as this phenomenon continues, side by side conundrums
such as terrible traffic, over crowdedness, expensive goods
and services and high criminal rates also occur. This status
quo in the metropolis has already alarmed political analysts,
academicians and the government as a whole and continues to
pose a challenge not only to the leaders and authorities but to
the individual citizens as well.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the city
has a population of 6,038 persons per square kilometer (2012)
while the Philippine census in 2010 revealed that Manila has
19,137 persons per square kilometer. As a result, both cities face
problems on transportation, energy consumption, food supply
and housing shortage, among others.
In this disquisition, I will narrate my brief yet memorable
journey to Japan where I personally witnessed how the
Japanese government was at full force in trying to address
or alleviate, if not totally solve these pressing concerns.
I participated as one of the Philippine delegates at the
2015 Invitation Program for Young Intellectuals in Southeast Asia
sponsored by the Japan Foundation. The program was a
ten-day field trip and cultural appreciation from December
9 to 18 in the various prefectures of Japan, with the theme
“Revitalization of Rural Communities and Creating New
Values.” It aimed to promote and deepen exchange between
experts, as well as build and strengthen networks, in order to
establish joint and cooperative initiatives in Asia toward tackling
these alarming social issues. One way to address this is to bring
attention to regional revitalization which is now a top priority
of the Japanese government. This is very timely and indeed
relevant for countries facing population issues like Japan and
the Philippines.
In the briefing given by Ayusawa Yoshifumi, Assistant
Counsellor from the Cabinet Office, four strategies were
highlighted: 1) Generate stable employment in regional areas;
2) Create a new inflow of people to regional areas; 3) Fulfill
the hopes of the young generation for marriage, childbirth
and parenthood; 4) Create regional areas suited to the times,
preserve safe and secure living and promote cooperation
between regions.
While both countries do not share the same burden on
population counts, they have a similar challenge on urban
congestion. Tokyo and Metro Manila are two of the cities
which have the highest urban population densities in the world.
During the series of lectures, we tackled issues of Japan’s
depopulation, the possible decimation of some prefectures,
its super-aging society and the implications of these issues on
the country. Aware of these challenges, Japan’s Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe launched a comprehensive strategy for overcoming
population decline and regional revitalization in 2014.
Indeed, these strategies are very interesting and remarkable.
However, our personal encounter with the community in
the regional prefectures, particularly in the Noto Peninsula
where we visited farms, winery and other factories, we have
observed that there is an insufficient interest and support from
the people, whether from the urban or the rural community,
for locally made products – hindering the business sectors
from settling in and establishing trade and products in these
localities. In addition, transportation and communication
services are not as efficient in some remote places, which
prevent potential settlers and tourists from traveling to and
dwelling there.
As suggested in my presentation on the culmination day, I
see the need to create new values towards appreciation of
CONTRIBUTOR'S CORNER
2
Photo courtesy of JF HQ
Photo courtesy of the writer
1
16
Photo courtesy of the writer
3
Delegates from Southeast Asia at the Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, Japan
Lecture on Regional Revitalization with Prof. Takaho Ueda of the Gakushuin University
3
The delegates wearing their national costumes during the culmination day with
Prof. Ueda and his student, Amy
1
2
life in the rural communities by promoting it through popular
ways (i.e. social networking sites). In addition, there is a need
to rectify the common perception that rural dwellers are less
civilized and less sophisticated people. We have to address this
at the legislation level through policy integration of urban-rural
migration and rebrand the negative thinking about people
living in remote places. This is possible especially in this modern
era where there are plenty of ways to transform negative terms
into more euphemistic thoughts.
One classic example is the discourse on lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT) issues. Once it was a taboo subject
and people are not open to talk about it. Today, it is an open
book and some people are starting to recognize and respect
the concept attached to being part of the LGBT community.
This was possible because of widespread promotion and
education. This means therefore that if we work hand in hand
and have an adequate interest in promoting rural life, we can
also transform the rural-urban migration to urban-rural.
According to some urban planning experts, there is a
possibility that Manila will be inhabitable four years from
now if we cannot address the concerns on transportation
and overpopulation of the city. It is with this insight that
I see an urgency to revitalize our own regional and local
communities. I know it is not an overnight endeavor but the
Philippine government should strengthen its programs and
policies on regional and local revitalization. These could be
done by generating stable employment in rural areas through
providing support for agriculture, factories, food and local
product promotion and other incentives necessary to attract
urban dwellers to go back to their original places. In addition,
the government should develop modern infrastructures in
the rural communities, provide reliable transportation and
communication services so that the locals will not have to
migrate to urban areas.
On a personal note, I really admire the Japanese government
for having this kind of program that has paved the way for
exchange of intellectual opinions from and among young
scholars of Southeast Asia. My participation in the program has
opened doors for me to reflect on pressing global social issues.
As a population major student, I share the pain in seeing my
community suffering from the results of negligence by the
government to provide effective means to address these kinds
of problems. However, these problems, as I see them, also stem
from the unwillingness of the people to cooperate and work
for the welfare of the entire humanity. I do not intend to judge
anyone but because of our nature of egocentricity, we have
these tendencies to work for our own welfare alone even if
it will destroy the environment and the world as a whole. I do
hope that our government will act on this matter before time
runs out. I wish all of us to work hand in hand for inclusive
growth towards a prosperous and harmonious society.
Lastly, I would like to grab this opportunity to express my
gratitude and appreciation to the Japan Foundation for
this wonderful experience. From the preparation stage,
accommodation, lectures, tours, food, transportation to the
culmination day was a blast! And of course, the warm and
welcoming people of Japan whom I will always miss.
Raison D. Arobinto is a working graduate student from the Population Institute of the University of the Philippines-Diliman,
Quezon City. He is a licensed Shari’ah Counselor and currently works as a Desk Officer at the Office of the Special Envoy on
Transnational Crime (Camp Crame, Quezon City), Office of the President.
IN FOCUS: JAPANESE FILM AND ANIMATION
One of the best means to capture and view the traditions and
culture of a society different from one’s own is through the lenses of
the cinema. The Japan Foundation, in its mission to bring Japanese
arts and culture closer to audiences from around the world, shares
the richness and creativity of Japanese film and animation.
JFM has been carrying out this tradition since its launch. It has
continuously brought the Filipino audience the latest in Japanese
contemporary cinema, from comedy, drama, romance, horror,
animation and independent films. Indeed, Japanese film and
animation has both influenced greatly Philippine pop culture –
from Battle Royale to Pokemon.
Through Japanese film and animation that has captured the
hearts of many Filipinos, JFM hopes to cultivate a shared culture
of mutual understanding through the narratives of its many
characters, fictional or based in reality.
In this issue’s In Focus, Filipino film expert Tito Valiente shares what
Japanese film and animation has to offer to its audiences today.
MEN
G
N
U
O
TY
,
OF SAIN
COCKROACH PRINCESS
AND WO
RLD WAR
IN BETW
EEN
Tito Valien
Buddha and Christ are on vacation in Tokyo! The two
icons of the two so-called big religions of the world find
themselves in an ordinary apartment somewhere in the suburb
contemplating not about the faith they have spread but where
they can go for a walk. Along the way, Buddha and Jesus find
themselves struggling – and having fun and amusement – with
the views and events in Japanese modern society. By no means,
this narrative can be a beginning of the rewriting of the history
of religion.
The story about Saint Young Men (Seinto Oniisan) is part of an
animation series that may be shocking certain generations
but pleasing anime buffs. Released by Kodansha way back but
completed as a volume in 2015, the anime was produced in
2013 and found its popularity in the Philippines from then on.
One way to enjoy the anime is to find in the adventures of
the two religious icons, both very young and hip, a kind of
liberating effect. There is levity in their actions even as Jesus is
imagined as more uptight than Buddha. The explanation of the
makers is that they have less knowledge about Jesus than they
do with Buddha. Fair enough. It is said by anime buffs that in
the second series of the animation Jesus has a more rounded
personality. It won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, a manga
prize given annually by the Asahi Shimbun.
te
The notion of satori or enlightenment is both experienced by
Buddha and Jesus in two different ways. Charming is the only
way to describe the difference. One wonders though how the
other religions would react if their Prophets are made subjects
of some animated films.
In the Japanese Studies Program of the Ateneo de Manila
University, I have been teaching Japanese Cinema. Each
semester, together with the syllabus for the students, I line up a
number of films to be watched and analyzed. I tell the students
that in my class, they will learn how to "read" cinema. Handling
a film class is a boon by itself. Finding out what can engage the
class or shock them is a rare gift a film teacher can get from
those who love films.
One of the films that was meant to shock was Aku no Kyouten,
which literally translates as Lesson of Evil. The film has been
described as a "slasher film," which means it is characterized
by violence and killing, senseless at most and flamboyantly
executed to entice the generally young audience. The film
is directed by Takashi Miike, who has a cult following among
cineastes and stars Hideaki Ito. The actor is noted for a lean
mean body and a face that is strong and full of power. All
throughout the violent scenes, the reference to Germanic
culture, i.e. intellectual decadence, is heightened by the
constant playing of the theme from Bertolt Brecht's Three-Penny Opera.
IN FOCUS
Ito as Seiji Hasumi, playing the lead character, shows his
physique at the beginning, a seductive avatar of death and
gore. By implication, he kills his parents and his mentor. One
night, while the students are preparing for a school festival, Ito
goes on a killing rampage. He stands unthinking and shoots
everyone in sight. He calls students who recognize his voice
as that of their beloved and, well, secretly loved and desired,
teacher. They all go out of hiding and are then met with shots.
They all fall, bloodied.
With only two surviving at the end, the camera looks at the
face of the killer/teacher who promises that this is just the
beginning. I asked the technician to turn on the light and
anticipated the shocked and gloomy faces of my students.
“That wasn’t bad,” one of the brightest commented. “There
are more shocking things than this one, Sir,” another added.
The most recent Tokyo International Film Festival held last
October 2015 was an opportunity to know the development
in animations. There were amazing technologies that were
beyond my specialization. But in one booth, I paused and
lingered long enough, for there was magic in that place.
Cockroach Princess, the title said.
As I inspected the buttons showing a young girl in pink gown,
one of the producers approached me. Is this the story of a
monster? He shook his head. The anime is about a young
princess who is stricken with a disease. She is given a blood
transfusion, and the blood is that of a cockroach, an insect
noted for its invincibility. The princess lives on but transforms
into a cockroach every now and then.
A different point of view is the offering of a film called The Emperor in August. In Japanese, the film bears the title,
Nihon-no Ichiban Nagai Hi or "Japan's Longest Day."
The film, a historical drama, chronicles the days leading to the
surrender of Japan and the moments lived on in those months
and days by Emperor Showa. For those who are familiar with
how the media and the Japanese society treat the Emperor or
the notions of reverence for the figure, the film is both a breath
of fresh cinematic air and a cautionary tale. The Emperor
is played by Masahiro Motoki and there begins the charm
and conceit of this film. Strikingly handsome to the point of
cuteness, Motoki imbues the Emperor with vulnerability and
sweetness that is unthinkable, let us say, some twenty years ago.
One of the lead characters in this historical drama is the Prime
Minister of that crucial period, Kantaro Suzuki. The political
figure is played by the veteran actor, Tsutomu Yamazaki. An
interesting point to make is that Masahiro Motoki played the
assistant undertaker to the funeral parlor owner of Yamazaki in
that excellent film, Okuribito.
The film, The Emperor in August, which was released in 2015, is
directed by Masato Harada. It is a film that will usher a Japan
looking more kindly at itself, with plenty of nostalgia, for the
past. This has been the trend in many films that had the foreign
audiences in awe of this artefact called Japanese cinema.
I wonder where this sense of forgiveness and longing is coming
from. I am certain though that the world out there, loving
Japanese cinema, will once more feel the tension between
beauty (of film) and the reality of memory (of history).
The Japanese always have a rare and unique penchant for perspectives.
Tito Genova Valiente is a public anthropologist, film educator and film critic. He
teaches in both Ateneo de Manila University and Ateneo de Naga University. He
maintains two columns for Business Mirror, one on the Opinion page and the other on
Lifestyle Valiente recently received the Gawad Alagad ni Balagtas for Achievement in
English Essay from UMPIL (Unyon ng Mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas/Union of Writers in
the Philippines). Valiente is the Director of the Institute of Bikol History and Culture in
Ateneo de Naga. He is a member of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the premier
and eldest critics group in the Philippines.
18
EIGASAI:
THE JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL
July 7 - August 21, 2016
Manila, Davao, Baguio and Cebu
EIGASAI is the Japanese film festival hosted in the Philippines and presented by the Japan
Foundation, Manila, co-organized by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and its consular
offices in Cebu and Davao.
Launched as the Japanese Film Festival in 1997 and adopted the title EIGASAI a year later, it has
grown to become one of the largest and most popular film festivals all over the country. Held
as an annual free event starting every July in line with the celebration of the Philippine-Japan
Friendship Month, EIGASAI showcases a vast variety of cinematic delights from drama, anime
to newly released films recently screened in Japan.
EIGASAI also brings guests from Japan for special talks and discussions. In 2015, Yuya Ishii,
director of the Opening Film Our Family, graced the Opening Night and held a Director’s Talk
following the screening of his movie in Manila. In 2016, EIGASAI is partnering with the Cinemalaya
Philippine Independent Film Festival for the first time where two award-winning Japanese films will
be featured in its Asian Section. This year also features the period film, KAKEKOMI by Masato
Harada, the same director of The Emperor in August, which will also be screened on July 8 at CCP. Harada joins EIGASAI in its opening
night and will give audiences a chance to learn about his films and direction at his Director’s Talks schedule on July 8 and 9.
The Japan Foundation, Manila continues its promise to bring outstanding films from Japan through EIGASAI and at the same
time nurture a culture of film appreciation of both Japanese and Filipino films through its aligned programs such as the student
exchanges for film, among others.
For more information about this year's EIGASAI, visit our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/JFmanila
SHANG CINEPLEX CINEMA 2
Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA, Mandaluyong City
JULY 7 (THURSDAY)
KAKEKOMI
駆込み女と駆出し男
7:30 PM
(Invitational)
JULY 8 (FRIDAY)
The Great Passage
舟を編む
Chronicle of My Mother
わが母の記
The Little House
小さいおうち
JULY 10 (SUNDAY)
1:00 PM
海街diary
Our Little Sister
1:00 PM
4:00 PM
ビリギャル
Flying Colors
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
紙の月
Pale Moon
7:00 PM
JULY 9 (SATURDAY)
JULY 11 (MONDAY)
The Great Passage
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
1:00 PM
舟を編む
1:00 PM
August in Tokyo
4:00 PM
クロスロード
Crossroads
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
小さいおうち
愛の小さな歴史
KAKEKOMI
駆込み女と駆出し男
Director’s Talk with Masato Harada
The Little House
7:00 PM
EIGASAI
(CONT.) SHANG CINEPLEX CINEMA 2
Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA, Mandaluyong City
JULY 12 (TUESDAY)
The Boy and the Beast
バケモノの子
The Great Passage
舟を編む
Chronicle of My Mother
わが母の記
JULY 15 (FRIDAY)
駆込み女と駆出し男
4:00 PM
小さいおうち
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
クロスロード
Crossroads
7:00 PM
JULY 13 (WEDNESDAY)
Crossroads
KAKEKOMI
1:00 PM
The Little House
1:00 PM
JULY 16 (SATURDAY)
1:00 PM
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
1:00 PM
小さいおうち
4:00 PM
海街diary
Our Little Sister
4:00 PM
Flying Colors
7:00 PM
駆込み女と駆出し男
クロスロード
The Little House
ビリギャル
JULY 14 (THURSDAY)
The Boy and the Beast
KAKEKOMI
7:00 PM
JULY 17 (SUNDAY)
Chronicle of My Mother
1:00 PM
わが母の記
1:00 PM
わが母の記
4:00 PM
ビリギャル
Flying Colors
4:00 PM
Pale Moon
7:00 PM
紙の月
Pale Moon
7:00 PM
バケモノの子
Chronicle of My Mother
紙の月
ABREEZA MALL CINEMA
Ayala, Davao City
JULY 22 (FRIDAY)
The Great Passage
舟を編む
The Little House
小さいおうち
KAKEKOMI
駆込み女と駆出し男
JULY 24 (SUNDAY)
1:30 PM
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
1:30 PM
4:30 PM
ビリギャル
Flying Colors
4:30 PM
7:30 PM
舟を編む
JULY 23 (SATURDAY)
ビリギャル
Flying Colors
1:30 PM
海街diary
Our Little Sister
4:30 PM
Pale Moon
7:30 PM
紙の月
The Great Passage
7:30 PM
20
FDCP CINEMATHEQUE
Davao City
JULY 26 (TUESDAY)
Crossroads
クロスロード
JULY 29 (FRIDAY)
5:30 PM
JULY 27 (WEDNESDAY)
Chronicle of My Mother
わが母の記
愛の小さな歴史
5:30 PM
JULY 30 (SATURDAY)
5:30 PM
JULY 28 (THURSDAY)
August in Tokyo
Chronicle of My Mother
わが母の記
5:30 PM
愛の小さな歴史
August in Tokyo
3:30 PM
Crossroads
5:30 PM
クロスロード
CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES
CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
JULY 8 (FRIDAY) – Little Theater
日本のいちばん長い日
The Emperor in August
7:00 PM
Director’s Talk with Masato Harada
9:30 PM
AUGUST 6 (SATURDAY) – Little Theater
Ken and Kazu
ケンとカズ
AUGUST 10 (WEDNESDAY) – Tanghalang Huseng Batute
6:15 PM
Director's Visit with Hiroshi Shoji
August in Tokyo
3:30 PM
AUGUST 12 (FRIDAY) – Tanghalang Huseng Batute
AUGUST 9 (TUESDAY) – Little Theater
愛の小さな歴史
Ken and Kazu
ケンとカズ
9:00 PM
August in Tokyo
愛の小さな歴史
3:30 PM
SM BAGUIO CINEMA
Baguio City
AUGUST 11 (THURSDAY)
Flying Colors
ビリギャル
AUGUST 13 (SATURDAY)
7:00 PM
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
1:30 PM
KAKEKOMI
駆込み女と駆出し男
4:30 PM
Our Little Sister
7:30 PM
海街diary
AUGUST 12 (FRIDAY)
The Great Passage
AUGUST 14 (SUNDAY)
1:30 PM
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
1:30 PM
小さいおうち
4:30 PM
愛の小さな歴史
August in Tokyo
4:30 PM
Pale Moon
7:30 PM
舟を編む
舟を編む
The Little House
紙の月
The Great Passage
7:30 PM
EIGASAI
FDCP CINEMATHEQUE
Baguio City
AUGUST 15 (MONDAY)
Chronicle of My Mother
わが母の記
2:30 PM
Crossroads
5:30 PM
クロスロード
AYALA CENTER CEBU CINEMA
Cebu City
AUGUST 17 (WEDNESDAY)
AUGUST 20 (SATURDAY)
The Little House
バケモノの子
The Boy and the Beast
小さいおうち
7:00 PM
KAKEKOMI
駆込み女と駆出し男
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
AUGUST 18 (THURSDAY)
AUGUST 21 (SUNDAY)
Flying Colors
Pale Moon
ビリギャル
4:00 PM
Our Little Sister
7:00 PM
紙の月
7:00 PM
海街diary
AUGUST 19 (FRIDAY)
August in Tokyo
愛の小さな歴史
7:00 PM
UP FILM INSTITUTE
UP Diliman, Quezon City
AUGUST 17 (WEDNESDAY)
AUGUST 19 (FRIDAY)
The Boy and the Beast
ビリギャル
Flying Colors
1:00 PM
バケモノの子
Our Little Sister
4:00 PM
駆込み女と駆出し男
7:00 PM
ケンとカズ
海街diary
The Great Passage
舟を編む
AUGUST 18 (THURSDAY)
Chronicle of My Mother
KAKEKOMI
Ken and Kazu
1:00 PM
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
AUGUST 20 (SATURDAY)
The Boy and the Beast
わが母の記
1:00 PM
バケモノの子
クロスロード
Crossroads
4:00 PM
小さいおうち
4:00 PM
August in Tokyo
7:00 PM
紙の月
Pale Moon
7:00 PM
愛の小さな歴史
The Little House
1:00 PM
22
Celebrating
60 Years
of Philippines-Japan Friendship
and
20 Years
of the Japan Foundation, Manila
facebook.com/jfmanila
@JFmanila
@jfmanila
Website: www.jfmo.org.ph
EDITORIAL STAFF
Uesugi, Hiroaki
editor - in - chief
ISSN 0118-7910
Volume XX Issue 1
June 2016
Portraits by Jar Concengco
Koide, Tetsuya
associate editor
Aquino, Cecilia
Constantino, Cyril
Kurokawa, Ami
Ocampo, Marc J.
Okeda, Mariko
Samson, Roland
Tindugan, Fiona
Valle, Kathleen
staff
Suki is a newsletter published by the Japan Foundation, Manila located at the
23rd Floor, Pacific Star Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, corner Makati Avenues,
Makati City 1226, Philippines, with telephone numbers (632) 811-6155 to 58, fax number (632) 811-6153; and email address at email@jfmo.org.ph.
Suki is published three times a year and is duly registered as printed matter mail
at the Makati Central Post Office under Permit No. 1074-97 NCR dated June 16,
1997. It is distributed free of charge to individuals and organizations interested
in Japanese Studies, International Cultural Exchange and Intellectual Exchange,
among others.
The opinions expressed in the feature articles are of the authors and not
necessarily of the organization. Reproduction in whole or part of Suki articles is
prohibited without permission from the author and the Japan Foundation, Manila.