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週刊NY生活［English Edition］

VOICES From

THE NEW YORKERS
Americans Count TheirBlessings, but JapaneseLaborers Lament?
by Ashley MataramaTHESHUKAN NEW YORK SEIKATSU

JAPAN VOICECOOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints
Middle SchoolStudents of NJ
Japanese School
Exchange Friendshipwith Rutgers Prep

One ofthe
big
November holidays in theUnited StatesisThanksgiving,
but did you
know Japan
also has athanksgiving
holiday? Whereas the lastThursday of November isThanksgiving Day for Americans,(November 28 this year), Japan’s
Kinro Kansha no Hi or Labor
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated onNovember 23 every year. It’s akinto Labor Day in September.
Unfortunately this year, inan ironic twist, it seems Japaneselaborers did not get to have a day
off on the day meant to celebrate
them. The reason is that according
to Japanese law, only holidays thatfall on a Sunday are to beobserved on Monday, essentiallycreating a three day weekend. But
this year Labor Thanksgiving fell
on Saturday, so for those whowork Monday to Friday, it was nodifferent from their usual weekend
off.
Meanwhile, although thehistory of Thanksgiving has beena topic of contention, most present
day Americans see it as a time forloved ones to gather around thedining table and reflect. What
were you thankful for this year as
you ate your delicious meal?
The 23rd falls on a Monday
next year, for which the Japanese
will certainly be thankful!

2019年（令和元年）11月30日（土）The middle schoolers of The New
Jersey Japanese School (NJJS), led byPrincipal Haruhisa Usui, visited Rutgers
Preparatory School (RPS) on October 25.
At first the NJJS students were nervous,
but thanks to a warm welcome from theirdesignated partners at RPS, they wereable to get along perfectly. After a simple
introduction, the NJJS students attended
classes with their RPS partners.
Through two classes in the morningand one in the afternoon, the NJJS students experienced the differences
between the education styles of theUnited States and Japan. In history class,the students took a quiz on the iPadwith their partners. The students also
learned to introduce themselves in
French and talked about English grammar. Because the students at RPS werekind to the middle schoolers, they wereable to attend the classes with enthusiasm. During lunchtime, the middle
schoolers used their English speaking
skills that they have been learning tocommunicate with their partners.
During the free period, the middle
schoolers went around the school with
their partners, noting the differences
between their schools.

https://www.yomiuri-info.jp/daily_yomiuri/nys/

The middle schoolers who hadattended this exchange program in previous years were glad to reunite with
their past partners, who noticed thegrowth in their English skills. The firsttimers were nervous about their English
at first, but by the end of the day, they
were reluctant to leave. This event issomething special for the middle
schoolers as it encourages culturalinteraction between the United Statesand Japan. (Original article provided
by The New Jersey Japanese
School/Translated by Kanta Hakamata)Gallery owner Nana Onishi (left) explains the beauty of Obata Pink
by artist Yuji Obata (center) to art dealer Bertrand Epaud (right) of
The Dali Universe. Obata’s art focus is on cherry blossoms.

SAKURA SPRING Featuring OBATAPINK Fascinates New Yorkersat Onishi GalleryYuji Obata, an Arita ware artist, held his third exhibition atOnishi Gallery in Chelsea from November 12 to 23. He is a rare artist whomakes porcelain on a potter’s wheel and draws the decorations by himself.
He introduced his new work, “SAKURA SPRING,” based on his main
motif of cherry blossoms. On his pots, the blossoms bloom in full glory,

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delicate and magical. The tone of pink he created is called “Obata Pink.” It is livelyand beautiful, and it’s a color that barely any other artists can successfully master.
Many guests related to the art industry were invited to the reception which was heldon the 12th, including Bertrand Epaud, art dealer of The Dali Universe from France,and Stephen Globus, owner of Globus Chashitsu. Epaud said, “His creations make people’s minds refreshed −very detailed and delicate. He controls the beauty of his art.
His works are masterpieces.” Epaud was seen telling his client over the phone how
wonderful Obata’s work is. Obata said, “Cherry blossoms are the main motif of mywork. I want to create more pieces aboard.” He promised to return to the starting line
and be more active in the art scene.
(Article and Photo by Ryoichi Miura/Translated by Chikako Iwasaki)

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