S pr i n g 1 9 9 9/ Nu m ber 1 9

how do we lo ok ?
Since last spring, The Japan Foundation has
been engaged in our worldwide Overseas
Japanese-Language Education Organization
Survey. In the United States alone, our
Language Center in Los Angeles has received
more than two thousand responses to thequestionnaire; we are extremely appreciative.
We promised the respondents that we would
share the survey results and some analyses inthis edition of the BREEZE. However, we
regret to inform everyone that publicationof the results has been postponed until thesummer issue. How are things on theJapanese education scene in the UnitedStates, anyway? I would say that Japanese
language education in this country is in very
good shape. All of the numbers of current
learners, teachers, and organizations whooffer Japanese courses exceed the numbers ofprevious surveys, excepting the figures seenin surveys representing only the collegiate
level.
There is still a continuing increase inyounger learners. One of the reasons may
be that Japanese culture is now developing astronger presence in American daily life.
Further analysis is needed as to where
Japanese culture stands . Stay tuned!
I S AO T S U J I M OTO, D I R E C TO R

Japanese-Language Proficiency Test
Results in the US: Held December 6, 1998
Number of certified candidates(Total candidates in parenthesis)
LA
ChicagoNY

Total

Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 416(47)
25(65)
52(64)
33(53)7(26)
7(39)
36(49)
15(44)

10(29)
12(54)
21(41)
11(27)

33(102)44(158)109(154)59(124)

Total
1998

126(229)65(158)54(151)245(538)1997

129(244)

42(110)66(130)237(484)

TH E JA PA N
F O U N DAT I O N& L a n g u a ge C e n t e r
in Los Angeles

Quarterly

A Study of Japanese
FLES Programs in the
United States
Hiroko Kataoka andHiroko Furuyama with Sayuri Fretz

1
7

A Study of Japanese FLESP ro g rams in the United States

Announcements:
JFLA Summer Workshop
Mary Tsukamoto Academy
Call for paper
National Heritage Conference
JETRO Business Japanese
JLS Foundation

13
14

Library Opens Sat u rd ay

As a g i

Japanese Genre Film

Hiroko Kataoka and Hiroko Furuyama
are Academic Specialists at the JapanFoundation and Language Center in Los
Angeles. Sayuri Fretz is Assistant to the
Academic Specialists.
1 . I N T RO D U C T I O NJapanese language instruction in elementary
schools was a rarity in the United States
until recently. Since no historical study ofJapanese language programs at elementary
school is available, it is difficult to pinpoint
when and where they started. Prior survey
reports of the Japan Foundation Language
Center in Los Angeles revealed that there
were at least 48 elementary schools offering
Japanese in 1992, and at least 68 in 1994.
As we started to hear about programs andmeet more elementary schools’ Japaneseteachers, we felt it was time to learn about
elementary school programs, especially thosecategorized as “FLES” (Foreign Language in
Elementary Schools).
2. G OA L S A N D P U R P O S E S
We began this study with three goals in
mind. First, we wanted to produce somebasic statistics regarding such issues as thenumber of elementary schools teaching
Japanese, the ratio of FLES programs to(continued on page 2)(continued from page 1)

FLEX (Foreign Language Experience)or to Immersion programs, the number of elementary school students
studying Japanese, and the number ofteachers currently involved in teaching
Japanese at the elementary schoollevel. Our second goal concerned
answers to policy and content-related
questions such as the goals of the programs, teaching materials, and administrative and parental support. The
third goal was to find out who theteachers are, including their educational backgrounds, their native tongue,
and the difficulties they face.

This report describes the study andshares some of the results relating to
the first goal. A detailed report withcomplete results will appear at a laterdate.
3 . S T U DY M E T H O D
We began by compiling a list of 345
elementary schools that were knownor thought to teach Japanese. The list
came from several sources: the 1998
JFLC general survey list; the 1994
JFLC survey results; Japanese teachers,
professors, and State Department of
Education foreign language specialists
in various states; and, the survey list of
National Network For Early
Language Learning (NNELL) 1.

The next step was to see if thoseschools actually did offer Japanese asof the 1998-1999 school year. A limited number of schools was found tohave programs according to the 1998
JFLC general survey, and colleagues invarious states confirmed that someother schools offered Japanese. The
rest of the schools, which numberedover 200, had to be contacted by telephone in order to find out if the information we had in hand was up to date,as well as to determine the type of
p ro gram (i.e., FLES, FLEX, or
Immersion).

FIGURE 1

Distribution of e l e m e n t a ry schools withJapanese pro g ra m s

Once the Japanese teaching schools
and program types were identified, we
contacted by phone Japanese teachersor those in charge of coordinating theJapanese program in order to learn
about the content of their programsin detail, using a prepared set of questions. Each interview lasted from 20
to 40 minutes. In total, we interviewed 74 teachers, of whom 47 wereteachers involved in FLES programs.
The collected data were recorded in adata base, which was then analyzed.
4. R E S U LT S A N D D I S C U S S I O N
4.1. Types of Japanese programs inelementary schools2
We found that 141 elementary
schools are offering Japanese in one
form or another during the 1998-99
school year. These Japanese programs
can be roughly categorized in three
types: Foreign
LanguageinElementary School (FLES), Foreign
Language Experience (FLEX) and
Immersion. Although there is morethan one definition for each of these
program types, we followed the definitions provided in Table 1.

TABLE 1DEFINITIONS OF LANGUAGE PRO G R A M SClass hours
per week in a year

Contents of the
class

FLES

More than 60
minutesMore focus on
language

FLEX

Less than 60
minutesMore focus on thefamiliarization ofcultureImmersionMore than half Content basedof instruction
is conducted inJapanese.

We found that more than one half of
the Japanese programs in elementary
schools are FLES. The number ofJapanese programs in each category is
shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS
FLES

75

FLEX

46

IMMERSION

12UNKNOWN*

8

TOTAL

141

The geographical distribution ofJapanese programs in elementary
schools is indicated in the map on
page 2 (Figure 1). It shows that the
majority of Japanese programs are on
the West and East Coasts. This tendency matches that of high school
Japanese programs. (See BREEZE #10 )4 . 2 .C h a n ges observed in the last six
years.
The JFLC conducted a similar but
less detailed survey in 1992 and again
in 1994. A comparison of the 1998
data with those of previous years
shows a clear increase in both thenumbers of schools and students: inthe last four years the number ofschools offering Japanese doubled andthe number of students, quadrupled .
(See Graphs 1 and 2. ) (1992 and1994 data are from BREEZE #1 and#10 respectively.)
Graph 3 (page 4) depicts the change
since 1994 in the number of schools
in each state where Japanese is offered.
The main increases occurred on the*We were not able to get detailed informationfrom these schools, therefore could not identify aprogram type.

GRAPH 1

GRAPH 2

Number of e l e m e n t a ry schools offering Japanese by ye a r.

Number of students studying Japanese in elementary schools by ye a r.
(continued on page 4)(continued from page 3)

west and east coasts of the UnitedStates, where the majority of the programs are located, although the emergence of new Japanese programs is not
limited to those areas.
We cannot, however, be simply overjoyed by the increase in the number ofschools offering Japanese language
programs and the increased number ofstudents studying in them. A further
comparison of the schools revealed
that only one half of the 64 schoolsthat offered Japanese in 1994 did so
in 1998, implying that half of the
programs died out in the last four
years. Of the 141 schools that currently offer Japanese, only 23 per centof them have been in existence since
1994; these are new programs that arepopping up like mushrooms after arain. (See Graph 4.)
4.3. More about FLES programs
Although we conducted a general survey of all elementary school Japanese
programs (FLES, FLEX, andImmersion), we would like to focus on
FLES programs for several reasons.
FLES is the most common of the programs; FLES is generally classified as“foreign language education” (while
FLEX is not); and, not much is
known about FLES programs in contrast to immersion programs, whichhave been surveyed through theJapanese
Immersion
Network
Project3.
Figure 2 depicts the distribution ofJapanese FLES programs in the
United States. The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of students
studying Japanese in those states. This
distribution parallels that of all elementary Japanese programs.
Through analysis of the data, wefound that not every school offers
Japanese at all grade levels. Of the 75
schools, 41, or 55 per cent, have a K5 program. The rest offered programs
that were shorter than six years. OverGRAPH 3C h a n ge in number of e l e m e n t a ry schools offering Japanese since 1994, by stat e.

GRAP H 4

Continuity and ch a n ge in the total number ofs chools that offer Japanese between 1994 and1998

one third of the schools (28 out of75) did not offer Japanese in kindergarten. The 34 schools that did notoffer a K-5 program offered combinations of several grade levels. (SeeGraph 5 on page 5.)
The average class time per week for all
schools offering FLES Japanese was114.3 minutes. The average class time
per week increased as grade level rose,and grade 5 Japanese classes on average met 1.4 times longer than kindergarten classes. Graph 6 (page 6) indicates the average amount of class timefor each grade level.
The length of class time varied fromschool to school, from 30 minutes to
600 minutes per week. (Our definition of FLES is that the class meets
60 minutes per week minimum, but
we included all schools in the FLES
category as long as at least one gradelevel met more than 60 minutes per
week. As a result, some schools having certain grade levels whose
Japanese classes met less than 60 minutes per week were neverthelessincluded in the FLES category.)
Graph 7 (page 6) shows the variationon the length of the third grade
Japanese classes as an example. Other
grade levels have similar distributions:

FIGURE 2

Number of elementary schools offering FLES
Japanese and their enrollments in each state.

the most frequently observed classtime was 60 minutes for all grade levels, followed by 90 minutes and 150
minutes.
FLES programs are offered not onlyat public schools but also at private
schools. Approximately 70 per cent of
FLES programs were held at publicschools, and, of the 24 private schoolsthat offered FLES Japanese, exactly
one half belonged to the Associationof Waldorf Schools.4 (See Table 3 onpage 6.)

GRAPH 5

Number of s chools that offer Japanese at each grade lev e l .

(continued on page 6)(continued from page 5)
TABLE 3
TYPES OF SCHOOLS T H AT OFFER
JA PANESE FLES

All of the “before/after school” category schools in the Table 4 offered
Japanese as an elective course.

PUBLIC

51

TABLE 5PRIVATE24

C O M P U L S O RY V S. ELECTIVE

TOTAL

75

JA PANESE FLES PRO G R A M S

Since many school districts do not
require FLES, not all the foreign language programs are incorporated into
regular class periods. Japanese was no
exception, and 10 of the 75 programs
were offered as before or after school
programs. (See Table 4).
TABLE 4I N C O R P O R ATION OF JA PANESE FLES INREGULAR CLASS PERIOD

Regular Class Period

65

Before/after school

10

TOTAL

75

Unlike secondary school programs, inwhich foreign languages are often electives through which students can takethe foreign language of their choice,elementary school programs often do
not offer such a choice. Japanese wascompulsory in 46, or over 60 per cent,of the 75 schools, as seen in Table 5.

GRAPH 6

Av e ra ge class time per week by grade lev e l

46

COMPULSORY
ELECTIVE

29

TOTAL

75

C O N C LU S I O N
As mentioned previously, this article
reports only a part of our survey
research. We are now looking into theteachers’ backgrounds and the difficulties they face. We are also learning
about program goals and objectives,teaching materials, and cooperationfrom administration and parents. We
have been visiting some FLES classrooms so we can report on what goeson in the classrooms also. The rapid
increase in the number of such programs may be exhilarating news, but
the large number of programs thathave evidently disappeared should be asobering indication of the challenges
these programs face. We hope that
our further study will shed some lighton the nature of these challenges andthe ways in which we can meet them.
Notes
1 We would like to thank Nancy Rhodes ofCenter for Applied Linguistics for generously sharing the NNELL data before
they were made public.
2 Although the definition of elementary/

primary school may differ by state andschool district, in this study the grades of
elementary school are defined as k-5.
3 An NEH funded project at the Universityof Oregon, 1994-1997, Hiroko Kataoka,
P.I.
4 According to their educational philosophy,

the Waldorf Schools require two foreign
languages, and they also train Japanesepeople from Japan to become educators
at Waldorf Schools.

GRAPH 7

Distribution of class time per week for third grade FLES programs

The Seventh Summer
W or k s h o p f o r P e d a g o g y- B r i n g i n g S t a n d a rd s i n t o Ja p a n e s e L a n g u a g e C l a s s r o o m s For K-12 School Teachers of Japanese at the Japan Foundation and Language Center in Los Angeles<Application already closed in March>
Goals
Workshop participants will improve their everyday teachingpractices by learning about the Standards for Japanese Language
Learning and how to apply the Standards to their classrooms.
Objectives
At the end of this workshop, successful participants will be able
to:(1) demonstrate their knowledge of the Standards forJapanese Language Learning;(2) create usable Standards-oriented learning scenarios
which are appropriate to their programs;(3) develop lesson plans and assessment tools based on
the learning scenarios that they have created;(4) create activities that enable the use of the learning
scenarios; and,(5) adapt current textbooks based on the Standards.
Content
The 10-day workshop will cover:(1) Principles:
Participants will become familiar with basic principles forstandards-oriented instruction.
(2) Application:
Participants will explore through demonstrations and discussions how to apply principles for Standards-oriented
instruction to their own teaching contexts.
(3) Text Analysis and Supplementary Materials:
Participants will analyze textbooks and supplementarymaterials including the ones currently used in theirschools. Participants will also create their own activities
to supplement commercially available materials.
(4) Teaching Plan Design:
Participants will set their own goals to improve theirteaching, create a teaching plan to achieve their goals, andimplement the plan in simulated teaching.
(5) Simulated Teaching Practice:
Each participant will demonstrate his/her teaching in 25
minutes presentations at the conclusion of the workshop;
the session will be videotaped and given to the participant
as a resource for self-evaluation.
(6) Self-Evaluation:
Each participant will view his/her own teachingdemonstration video and reflect on the teaching in relation to the goals he/she had set before creating the teaching plan.

Duration
Session 1 (main focus on K-8 teachers)
6/21 (Mon.) - 7/1 (Thurs.)

Session 2 (main focus on 9-12 teachers)
7/26 (Mon.) - 8/5 (Thurs.)
10 days (excluding Sunday)
9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Eligibility
In-service K-12 school teachers of Japanese, both native andnon-native speakers, who reside in the United States andCanada are eligible to apply.

(Please note: Teaching assistants are not considered in-service teachers.)
Priority is given to those who have never attended any previous pedagogy
workshops at the JFLC.
Venue
The Japan Foundation & Language Center in Los Angeles(Santa Monica, California)
Teaching Staff
Academic Specialists of The Japan Foundation & Language
Center in Los Angeles.

H I RO KO K ATAO K A
H I RO KO F U RU YA M A
The workshop will also feature the following guest lecturers
who are experts in the field, with extensive experience in K-8 and
9-12 curricula.
YA S U - H I KO TO H S A K U , University of California at San DiegoJ U N KO H A NA I AG E NA , Aina Haina Elementary School, Hawaii(Session 1)
PAT R I C I A T H O R N TO N , University of Minnesota (previously
Minneapolis Public Schools), Minnesota (Session 2)
CreditParticipants can earn university credits from UCLA Extension(Education) or California State University, Long Beach (Japanese)
upon completion of this course. Details will be announced later.

The Mary Tsukamoto Califo rnia Language
A c a d e my is recruiting potential
Japanese language teach e rs
You can get a teaching credential tot e a ch Japanese in just one ye a r !
The Mary Tsukamoto California Language Academy,
in cooperation with the Teacher Education Institute,seeks to place six candidates in an accelerated credentialing program. Prospective teachers are able to earn a
California State University teaching credential in just
11 months, rather than the 1.5 to 2 years required bytraditional programs. TEI is a joint project between
CSU, San Francisco and the Elk Grove Unified School
District. It allows all coursework and field experiences
to be conducted within the Elk Grove Unified School
District.

Who are potential candidat e s ?
■■The Academy is looking for proficient speakers ofJapanese who might like to teach Japanese at the
middle or high school level.
The Teacher Education Institute’s next program
begins in June 1999. Graduates could begin teaching in July 2000. Applications are due immediately.
Background information, application forms andchecklist may be downloaded (www.tsukamoto.org)
or are available by calling the Academy staff at(916) 686-7797 ext. 7560 or writing to
The Mary Tsukamoto California
Language Academy.

You can get high quality instructiont a i l o red to the demands of teach i n g
Ja p a n e s e !

Attn: Mike Bott, Acting Director
9510 Elk Grove-Florin Rd.
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Through a partnership with the Japan Foundation, theMary Tsukamoto California Language Academy will
supplement TEI’s curriculum so that candidates meethigh quality standards for teaching and learning
Japanese.

Telephone. (916) 686-7797 ext. 7560
Fax: (916) 686-2889
E-mail: mbott@edcenter.egusd.k12.ca.us
Potential teacher candidates include individuals proficient in Japanese who have a desire to teach young
people in California schools. The required proficiency level of Japanese for non-native speakers ofJapanese is 1) an oral proficiency rating ofAdvanced or higher in ACTFL’s OPI (submit formal test results) and 2) Second Level performancein the Japanese Proficiency Exam. Native speakers
of Japanese must obtain a minimum TOEFL scoreof 580.

You may re c e ive assistance with job
placement!
There is currently a critical shortage of Japanese language teachers in California’s public schools. The Mary
Tsukamoto California Language Academy
is developing a program of assistance in California’s
public schools and will promote the placement of its
successful graduates statewide.
■

You need not have majored or minored in Japanese,but you should have some experience with theAmerican school system, either as a student, a parent, or as an assistant.

■

U.S citizens, permanent legal residents and international students with proof of valid visa status issued
before the start of the program.

Wh at are financial costs?
Tuition for the program is based upon a scheduleestablished by California State University (CSU). For
California residents the tuition is approximately$7,000. Tuition for out-of-state residents is approximately $17,000. Standard CSU financial aid and loans
may be available upon application through the
University. For more information, please call TEI at(916) 681-7512.

When does the pro g ram start ?

information, application forms and checklist may be
downloaded (www.tsukamoto.org) or are available bycalling the Academy staff at (916) 686-7797 ext.
7560 or writing to:
The Mary Tsukamoto California
Language Academy.

Attn: Mike Bott, Acting Director
9510 Elk Grove-Florin Rd.
Elk Grove, CA 95624
Telephone: (916) 686-7797 ext. 7560
Fax: (916) 686-2889
E-mail: mbott@edcenter.egusd.k12.ca.us

The Teacher Education Institute’s next program begins
in June 1999. Graduates could begin teaching in July
2000. Applications are due immediately. Background

The Japan Foundation Urawa’s Journal“Japanese-Language Education Around the
Globe”
Tenth Call for Papers
The tenth volume of Japanese-Language Education Around the Globe, an academic journal issued by the JapanFoundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, is scheduled for publication in June 2000.
The Institute is now inviting contributions from around the world. Anyone is qualified to submit papers, regardless of nationality, sex, age, or affiliation. Contributions from non-native speakers of Japanese are especially welcome. In order to include papers from as many different contributors as possible, those who wrote papers for thelast issue (including co-authors) may not contribute to the next issue.
Contributors must request a copy of our Style Guidelines and submit a clear description of their proposed contribution to Japanese-Language Education Around the Globe.
DEADLINE: SUBMISSIONS MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN JULY 30, 1999

Submissions or inquiries should be sent to:
Research and Information Division
The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute, Urawa
5-6-36 Kita Urawa, Urawa, Saitama 336-0002, JAPAN
Tel: 048-834-1184 Fax: 048-830-1588

T H E N AT I O NA L H E R I TAG E J A PA N E S E L A N G UAG E
E D U C AT I O N C O N F E R E N C E
The California Association of Japanese Language Schools(CAJLS) will host a national heritage Japanese language
education conference on May 27 and 28 (Thursday andFriday) at the Japanese American Cultural Community
Center (JACCC) and Japan-America Theater in Los
Angeles.
The objective of this conference is to ascertain the status ofheritage Japanese language education in the United States
and thereby establish a common base for the formation of anational organization for the promotion of heritage
Japanese language education in the United States
The two-day conference will be comprised of five parts.
PA RT I - Plenary Session(1st Day - 12:10 p.m. ~ 2:50 p.m.)“ T H E C O N T E X T O F JA PA N E S E A S A H E R I TAG E L A N G UAG E ”

Dr. Richard Brecht (The National Foreign Language Center),
Professor Hiroko Kataoka (CSULB/Japan Foundation), Professor
Kazuko Nakajima (University of Toronto), plus three additional
speakers presenting the Japanese American perspectives (the JANM,
the JACL, and the vernacular paper)
PA RT II - Panel Discussion(1st Day - 3:00 p.m. ~ 5:15 p.m.)“ T H E R E A L I T Y O F JA PA N E S E LA N G UAG E E D U C AT I O N I N T H E
FI E L D - D I F F E R I N G P E R S P E C T I V E S ”

PA RT I V - General Discussion(2nd Day - 9:15 a.m. ~ 12:00 noon)
General discussion on the question of the NAHJLE fo rm ation with the discussion focusing on (1) objectives, (2) organizational
structure, (3) timetable, (4) identification of interim officers (orsteering committee members) and their tasks, and (5) finance.
PA RT V - Reception
While the primary host of this conference is the CAJLS,
many organizations will be involved in this conference invarious capacities. The supporting organizations include
the following: Hawaii Nihongo Kyoiku-kai, JACCC,
JACL (PSW District), JANM, Japan Foundation (LosAngeles), JCCSC, JETRO (Los Angeles), National
Council of Organizations of Less Commonly Taught
Languages, National Foreign Language Center, NankaKenjin-kai Coordinating Council, Nikkei Federation(Coordinating Council of Japanese Community Centers),
TTB (“Ties That Bind”) Conference, and others.
All concerned parties, particularly those involved in the
hoshukou and nihongo gakko operations and teaching areurged to attend this very important conference. The registration fees are: $ 20 for individual registrants (including a
box lunch on the second day), $50 for schools, and $100
for institutions not identified officially as supporting organizations. For those interested in attending the Part III
portion only, tickets will be sold at the Japan-American
Theater for $5 each.

PA RT I II - Panel Discussion(1st Day - 7:00 p.m. ~ 11:45 p.m.)“ JA PA N E S E L A N G UAG E I N T H E JA L I F E - TO DAY A N D
TO M O R ROW”

Professor Yuji Ichioka (UCLA-History), The Rev. Mas Kodani(Senshin Buddhist Church), Professor Karen Yamashita (UCSCLiterature), and two additional speakers (each representing the
JACCC and the business or legal community).

For more details about the conference, please contact:
T H E NH J L E C O N F E R E N C E
Attention: Dr. Itsuki C. Igawa, President-CAJLS
3929 Middlebury Street, Los Angeles, CA 90004
TEL (562) 402-4315 Direct
FAX (562) 402-8394 Direct
E-Mail <icigawa@kincyb.com>

A N N O U N C E M E N T

JETRO to Conduct the“JETRO 4TH Business Japanese Language
Proficiency Test”
W O R L DW I D E O N S AT U R DAY, J U N E 5 , 1 9 9 9The JETRO test is designed to objectively measure and evaluate the proficiency of the non-native
Japanese speakers who are using Japanese for business communication. Realistic situations in business arereflected. It is the first international test certifying Japanese listening and reading skills for business organizations and academic institutions. Please visit our web site at www.jetro.org/losangeles/ for further
information.
Date:

Saturday, June 5, 1999

Fees:

Level I
Level II,
Level III
Level I & II
Level II & III$50.00$35.00$35.00$70.00$60.00

Test Locations (Contact):
Atlanta

ChicagoApplication Period:
Wed., 2/8 to Fri. 4/9/99

New York

Los Angeles

Honolulu

Salt Lake City

JETRO, Atlanta
Tel:(404) 681-0600

Fax:(404) 681-0713

JETRO, Chicago
Tel:(312) 832-6000

Fax:(312) 832-6066

JETRO, New York
Tel:(212) 819-7762

Fax:(212) 819-7781

JETRO, Los Angeles
Tel:(213) 624-8855

Fax:(213) 629-8127

JETRO, Los Angeles
Tel:(808) 395-2314

Fax:(808) 396-7111

JETRO, Los Angeles
Tel:(801) 585-3651

Fax:(801) 585-3351

A P P L I C AT I O N R E QU E S T F O R M
Name:Company:
Address:
City:

State:Tel:

Fax:

Email:Zip:

JLS

Foundation

Jap a n e s e L a ng u a ge S ch o l a rs h i p Fo u n d at i o n
February 1, 1999
The JLS Foundation is cur rently accepting applications forthe year 2000 scholarships. The JLS Foundation wasestablished in 1998 to encourage teachers of the Japanese
language as well as to generate international cultural
exchange. The year 2000 scholarships, which will be presented on Saturday, September 4th, 1999 by Masashi
Sada, will be the first awards. These awards will enable theawardees to experience residency in Japan. Each awardee
will receive a $5000 value scholarship which includes
roundtrip airfare from the USA to Japan (coach class).
Opportunities to participate in educational programs andactivities in Japan may include:
1) The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute,
Urawa’s short term training program. This is a twomonth intensive course for foreign teachers of theJapanese language. The Spring session (starts in midMay) is designed for teachers engaged in primary andsecondary education and those who teach younger children. The Winter session (starts in mid-January) is
designed for teachers engaged in higher education andadult education. The Summer session (starts in thefirst week of May) is open to teachers of any level
education.
2) Hokkaido International Foundation - Homestay andStudy Program in Hakodate, Hokkaido Japan. The
Japanese Language and Culture Program is an intensive
eight week language course which begins in mid June.
Academic credit may be possible for this program.
Cultural courses such as calligraphy, flower arrange ment, tea ceremony, and martial arts are also available.
3) Attend Masashi Sada’s summer Peace concert in
Nagasaki on August 6th.
Awardees will have the liberty of selecting other study
opportunities, or a free schedule in Japan. They are notobliged to participate in these programs.
After their Japan trip, each scholarship awardee will be
required to submit a report to the JLS Foundation about

their experience in Japan. Each awardee will also have the(optional) opportunity to attend the annual ATJ
Conference to address the conference about their scholarship experience in Japan.
Q UA L I F IC AT I O N S

1. Non-native Japanese speaker. It is desirable that candidates have a proficiency in Japanese of at least Level 3
in the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (Nihongo
Noryoku Shiken) or its equivalent (intermediate - midlevel according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines);AND
2.a.In-Service Japanese language teacher in any schoollevel; OR
2.b. Graduate student studying Japanese language education
3. Must be available for an oral interview in person or byphone.
4. Must be able to attend the award ceremony to be held
on Saturday, September 4th, 1999 in Los Angeles.
Award will be presented on stage by Masashi Sada at
his concert at the Japan America Theatre. (Roundtrip
airfare and hotel for 2 nights to attend this event willbe sponsored by The Japan Foundation and Language
Center.)R E Q U I R E D A P P L I C AT I O N D O C U M E N T S

1. Completed application for m
2. Current resume
3. Official college transcript sent directly from the college
to the JLS Foundation
4. Two letters of recommendation
5. One essay on “What I will do in Japan if I win thisScholarship.” The essay must be two typewritten pages(8-1/2” x 11”, double spaced) in English.
DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION

The deadline for submission of the required documents is
May 15, 1999, to the JLS Foundation, 6630 Sunset
Boulevard, Hollywood California 90028. Two winners
will be selected - one from the Southern California area
and one from anywhere in the USA. Selection will beannounced by July 25, 1999.

R E M I N D I N G

Y O U

O F

The Nihongo Libra ry Opens
E v e ry Th i rd Sat u rd ay of the Month
Beginning April 17, 1999, the Nihongo Library will extend its hours by opening on the third Saturday of the month. While thiswill make the library more accessible for our current users, primarily teachers and educators of the Japanese language, we are also
happy to welcome the general public to come and use the library during our new hours.
The Nihongo Library's collection is focused on Japanese language teaching which includes reference titles and other materials on
Japan related subjects. Users may access both language and culture related books, periodicals, and audio-visual materials. According
to our current policy, the Nihongo Library card may be issued to teachers involved in Japanese language education in an educational institution (permanent card); and people who are involved in any cultural activities and programs with Japan (temporarycard.)
OPEN HOURS :Monday through Friday, 10:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.
Third Saturday of the month: 10:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.

Please note that for Saturday visits, you may be asked to sign in and sign out at the security desk located on the first floor of theWater Garden's East Tower building (2425 Olympic Blvd.) A security person will assist you to the sixth floor where the libraryis located.
H O L I DAY S :February 15, March 22, May 2, May 31, July 5, July 20.
(Fall and Winter '99 holidays will be announced.)

Borrowing: Items may be borrowed for up to three (3) weeks. The maximum number of items which may be checked at any one
time is:3 books (monographs, flash cards, realia, maps, slides)
3 periodicals (magazines and journals)
2 audio-visual materials (audio cassette tapes, video cassette tapes, laser discs and CDs)
Circulation by mail: The library is able to circulate materials by mail to serve members outside of the Los Angeles area. Members
may request items by mail, fax, phone or e-mail with their library card number.
For more info rm ation, please contact the library via phone (310) 449-0027, fax (310) 449-1127 or e-mailnihongolib @jflalc.org. The Library Web page can also be found at http://www.jflalc.org/nihongolib/nihongolibrary.html.

R I M I YA N G , E I I C H I I TO, L i b ra r i a n
K E I KO M A RT I N, L i b ra ry A s s i s t a n t

AS A G I
NEWS ON ARTS & CULTURAL PROGRAMS AT THE JAPAN FOUNDATION IN LOS ANGELES

T H E DAYS O F D I S C OV E RY
: J A PA N E S E G E N R E F I L M S
by Chris D.

Chris. D. (aka Chris Desjardans) is a self-educated scholar on
Japanese cinema, with particular focus on Yakuza (gangster), andperiod movies. He has also been a singer/songwriter/producer on
at least 18 albums for his own bands The Flesh Eaters, Divine
Horseman and Stone-By-Stone. In 1991 he began working on
YAKUZA EIGA: A complete encyclopedia of Japanese Gangster
Films, for which he received The Japan Foundation Artist
Fellowship in the fall of 1997. Chris D. now plans to publish
this voluminous work by the end of the year 2000.
He helped American Cinematheque in Los Angeles organize aseries of retrospectives. In 1996, Hideo Gosha: The Days of
Snow and Blood, The Bloody Trail of Spaghetti Westerns; in
1997, Outlaw Masters of Japanese Modern Filmmaking, and in
1998, The Wandering Gambler: The Films of Tai Kato.
He is currently a Co-Programmer and Shipping/Traffic
Manager at American Cinematheque and is in preparation with
P ro g ramming Manager Dennis Bartok for the Outlaw Series II,
due out this coming May .
The series will be shown at the Cinematheque’s newly opened
franchise: the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. For the
program and location info rm ation, please call American
Cinematheque at 323-466-3456(FILM), at ex. 2.

I H AV E B E E N I N T E R E S T E D in Japanese cinema since mycollege years in the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1990 I
really realized the scope, the variety, the very existence of
thousands of films. Like many other American film students, I was introduced to Japanese film through the worksof, first, Kurosawa, and later, such directors as Mizoguchi,Ozu, Oshima, Shinoda, Imamura, and Gosha. Seven ver y
profoundly different directors. However, I had not beenaware of the vast proliferation of Japanese motion picturesin a variety of genres.
Unfortunately, the academic and critical establishment haslong looked down their noses at genre films. There weresome exceptions such as Andrew Sarris and Japanese critic,
Tadao Sato. But it wasn’t until the last decade that a growing number of film scholars and critics have actually started
to take genre films seriously.
Late in 1989, I drove down to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles
in search of video stores featuring Japanese films unreleased
here in the U.S. in subtitled form. Specifically, I was trying
to find some critically respected horror films such as Shiro
Toyoda’s YOTSUYA KAIDAN (Yotsu-ya Ghost Story aka
Illusion of Blood) (1965), Satsuo Yamamoto’s BOTANDORO (Ghost story of Peonies and Stone Lanterns) (1967),
Nobuo Nakagawa’s JIGOKU (Hell) (1961) and the two
jidai-geki/chanbara film series KOZURE OKAMI (Lone
Wolf and Cub) with Tomisaburo Wakayama and NEMURIKYOSHIRO (aka Sleepy Eyes of Death) with Raizo Ichikawa.
Ultimately, I was looking for any jidai-geki not directed by
Kurosawa or Mizoguchi (which were readily available elsewhere) and any Japanese horror film from the 1960s. I waslargely frustrated in my mission.
One thing I did discover was an amazing selection of yakuza(Japanese gangster) pictures from the 1960s-1970s period.

There were movies from both types of yakuza eiga — theninkyo (chivalrous) and the jitsuroku (true document). I
rented a few on the sole basis of the astonishing video box
art. I was stunned. Despite not being able to understandJapanese, I was mesmerized.

I also wanted to address such issues as movie yakuza vs. reallife yakuza, the social, cultural and political ramifications of
the genre, similarities to other tall tale genres such as
American film noir, Italian spaghetti westerns and American
black action films.

There was a certain intangible feeling in all of the films that
hooked me unlike anything else. The only other films that
could compare were jidai-geki/chanbara (samurai swordplay)opuses - also Japanese in origin.

I took two semesters of Japanese language at UCLA
Extension in 1991-1992. Although I’m still unable tospeak more than a few words, I am able to translate film
credits, recognize the names of hundreds of actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers and musicscore composers, pick out many film titles and key words,
recognize from a synopsis/review (in Japanese) whether afilm is yakuza, jidai-geki, home drama, comedy, etc., I understand stroke count in kanji and can use a Japanese-English
kanji dictionary with increasing rapidity. I can romanize
hiragana and katakana. All through the constant perusal ofJapanese film, books on film and film journals (specifically
KINEJUN 1950-1980 which is available in the USC
Cinema/Television reference library).

Whether featuring the humble, noble outlaw (ninkyo) or the
more contemporary, over-the-top, rage-filled losers unable
to fit in even with other gangsters (jitsuroku), the yakuza film
has a mythic, tall tale quality distilled through a transcendental nihilism and a set of formulas so rigid it all but confounds rational analysis. Director/screenwriter, Paul
Schrader’s comment on yakuza films: “The art of the genre
occurs within in its structures. Only when one understands
that icons are supposed to be two dimensional does thestudy of their shape and form become interesting.” is mostappropriate.
It is fascinating to me that these films became so popular in
1960s Japan. Literally hundreds and hundreds were
spawned before finally slowing down circa 1976. Why were
they so popular? What collective chord did they strike in
the Japanese — particularly the young Japanese male —psyche? Why do the films, even the more mediocre efforts,
exercise such a profound charisma upon the viewer? Why domost of the yakuza films produced since 1985 not possessthat same magic? I wished to at least attempt to answer
these questions when I began writing my book, YAKUZAEIGA: An Encyclopedia of Japanese Gangster Films
1956-1980.

When I first began work on the book I had no idea it would
develop into such a massive undertaking. As it stands now
with 95 % of the text completed, it runs approximately 500
pages. And that’s before illustrations. I originally wanted toinclude a photo still or poster reproduction for every entry— something which is just not possible. Nevertheless there
will be an abundance of pictorial material. It was to thisend that I journeyed to Japan in the Fall of 1997 on a JapanFoundation fellowship grant, staying in Tokyo for twomonths collecting movie posters, photo books and photo
stills that I can use in illustrating the encyclopedia.
Although stills were hard to come by, I was very gratified tofind an immense selection of yakuza eiga posters from1960s-1970s era. That time was a real Golden Age all over
the world for the now largely extinct painted film poster.
Japanese movie studios, especially, employed a large contingent of unsung master illustrators during this period.
I believe that upon completion this book on yakuza eiga
(which will also include such jidaigeki yakuza as the Zatoichi
film series and Jirocho film series) will be the most exhaustive work ever written on the subject in either English or
Japanese. It is my hope and my goal that film enthusiasts,
both the younger Japanese and the non-Japanese westerner,
will rediscover what is truly one of the most lushly fertile
areas of genre film — yakuza eiga. I hope to eventually do
the same with a book on Japanese jidai-geki/chanbara.

Chris D. (center) with director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Humanities) and
Dennis Bartok of American Cinematheque, during the Outlaw Masters Series I of
Modern Japanese Filmmaking series in Hollywood, summer 1997.

Japan is the only other country in the world that possesses afilm legacy as old, as prolific in quantity and quality, as richin diversity as the United states. I feel it is time for the restof the world to realize it.

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162< FAC U LT Y >The Japan Foundation & Language Center in Los Angeles announces
the departure of Mr. Alan Kita, Program Associate on Arts & Culture
Programs, as of February, 1999 and Ms. Naomi Iino, Assistant to the
Director, as of March, 1999. The Foundation is grateful for Mr.
Kita’s service for the past six and a half years and for Ms. Iino’s one
year. We offer them best wishes for their future. As of April, theFoundation welcomes Ms. Naoko Watanabe, in the capacity of Program
Associate. Ms. Watanabe has had a variety of successful experiences ini n t e rn ational programs in the U.S. She will oversee the LA office’s pro grams activities, with particular focus on arts and culture.

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Phone:(310) 449-0027,
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