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BREEZE #92

JUNE, 2015: BREEZE ISSUE #92
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A Free E-Newsletter for Friends of Japan & Teachers of Japanese

GREETING FROM THE DIRECTOR

June is the month of rain in Japan. The rainy season usually starts in the middle of June and lasts for amonth in most areas except Hokkaido. In pre-war Japan, ‘June Bride’ had been commonly avoided in order
to avoid damaging kimonos worn by the marrying couple as well as the guests, and only became popularin the 1970s when this western concept was imported and utilized by the wedding industry to stimulate
sales during the traditionally quiet month. So let us pretend for a moment that it is raining outside during
the entire month of June in LA, so you can ‘chill out’ on the comfy chairs in our hall to watch Japanesecinema, engage in inspiring conversations with lecturers on Japanese culture, or get your hands dirty withall things Japanese in our workshops.
June is also the beginning of summer and we will be organizing another Japanese Language SummerCamp for Teens this year! If you are one of those parents who complain that the kids are only playing
Pokemon games all day, why not give them what they want, an authentic encounter with the culture thatbred Pokemon and hundreds of thousands of other cultural expressions, traditional and modern.
Our staff members here have many, many more ideas up their sleeves for future events. We will keep you
posted. Meanwhile, your comments or input for future programming are always welcome and appreciated.
Our ultimate goal is to make Japan and LA ‘a match made in heaven.’
Hideki Hara, Director

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PHOTO EXHIBITION: METAMORPHOSIS OF JAPAN AFTER THE WAR
JUNE 12 - JULY 19, 2015 (FREE ADMISSION)*PREVIEW PARTY ON THURSDAY, JUNE 11 @ 7:30PM
WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE ART GALLERY
In 1945, Japan made a new start as a defeated and devastated country after WW2. However, after only 20
or so years, the nation's society, economy, and culture underwent dramatic transformations. It is difficult tospecify precisely when the postwar period ended, but for the purposes of this exhibition, we define the"postwar" era as the period from the end of the war in 1945 to the year of the Tokyo Olympics, 1964. The 11
photographers introduced here were each active in this period of dramatic upheaval. Their work records
the transformation of society, and many of the photographs that they took are significant from an artistic
perspective in addition to being important records.
Read MoreLECTURE SERIES 28
DELICIOUS DEVOTION:
SOULFUL VEGETARIAN COOKING FOR THE BODY & MINDTUESDAY, JUNE 9 @ 7PM (JFLA AUDITORIUM)
On June 9, the Reverend Masami Asao, Dietician and Head of Akasaka Teran, a Buddhist vegetariancooking school located within Jokokuji Temple in Tokyo, will give a lecture regarding the origin,ingredients, and philosophy of Buddhism-based cooking. What is there to be learned or gained from shojin
ryori ,and how has it evolved over the many centuries it has been in existence? What ingredients are usedin this cuisine and how are they prepared to provide simple sustenance without skimping on flavor? She
will answer these questions and more in her lecture which is sure to stimulate both mind and palette.
Read More
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JAPANEMA: FREE JAPANESE CINEMA SCREENING
BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY HARUKI MURAKAMI"NORWEGIAN WOOD " (133MINS, 2010)
DIRECTED BY TRAN ANH HUNGMONDAY, JUNE 10 @ 7PM (JFLA AUDITORIUM)
Tokyo, the late 1960s. Students around the world are uniting to overthrow the establishment and Toru
Watanabe’s (Kenichi Matsuyama) personal life is similarly in turmoil. At heart, he is deeply devoted to his
first love, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi), a beautiful and introspective young woman. But their complex bound has
been forged by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Watanabe lives with the influence ofdeath everywhere. That is, until Midori (Kiko Mizuhara), a girl who is everything that Naoko is not -outgoing, vivacious, self-confident -- marches into his life and Watanabe must choose between his pastand his future.

JAPANEMA: FREE JAPANESE CINEMA SCREENING
COMEDIC ROAD MOVIE ABOUT A CLASH OF CULTURES"SAKE-BOMB" (82MINS, 2013)
DIRECTED BY JUNYA SAKINOWEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 @ 7PM (JFLA AUDITORIUM)
A ʻʻSake-Bombʼʼ is a cocktail created by dropping a shot of sake into a pint of beer. It’s also a comedic
road movie about a sarcastic Asian American and his Japanese cousin. Sebastian (Eugene Kim) is a bitter,
self-deprecating wannabe Internet star from Los Angeles. He has recently been dumped by his girlfriend
and on the look-out for someone new. When his cousin Naoto (Gaku Hamada), a naive sake maker fromJapan, shows up to find his own ex-girlfriend, Sebastian takes him to Northern California to find her. They
are a clash of cultures waiting to happen. Someone has to break first. Together they meet a colorful groupof characters as they come to grips with who they are and the true nature of the girlfriends they are
pursuing.
*This film may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexuallyoriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements.
Official Trailer
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LECTURE SERIES 29
BREWING A COMMUNITY: A SAKE MAKER'S JOURNEY TO HER ROOTS AND BEYOND
THURSDAY, JUNE 25 @ 7PM (JFLA AUDITORIUM)
Rumiko Obata, sake brewery owner in Sado Island, Japan, will visit JFLA to talk about carrying on the
tradition of her family’s sake making business going back five generations. Obata wishes to share herpassion for the age-old tradition of sake brewing.
Read MoreRAKU: THE COSMOS IN A TEA BOWL
THROUGH JUNE 7 , 2015
PAVILION FOR JAPANESE ART, LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
The Japan Foundation and the Raku Museum are very pleased to announce Raku: The Cosmos in a Tea
Bowl, an exhibition presenting 450 years of Raku ware to be held at the Los Angeles County Museum ofArt.
Raku ware, a type of Japanese ceramics first made in the 16th century by founding father Chōjirō, hascontinued to be made by 15 successive generations of heads of the Raku family, and with its distinctive
aesthetic, holds an unparalleled place among Japanese pottery. Featuring work by past Raku masters andby the brilliant Honami Kōetsu, a close associate, as well as the wide-ranging activities (not limited toceramics) of the current master Raku Kichizaemon XV and pieces by his son Atsundo, the future family
head, this exhibition is a comprehensive survey of the unique aesthetic and philosophical realm of Raku
ware, providing fascinating glimpses into each of the eras it covers.
This exhibition presents 94 works, from the serene, monochromatic tea bowls of founder Chōjirō, whichmost directly reflect the wabi tea ceremony ideals of legendary tea master Sen no Rikyū, to the strikingly
original innovations of the current Raku master. We are confident that this first full-fledged show of Raku
ceramics on American soil will draw much attention and acclaim.
After its run in Los Angeles, the exhibition will travel to Russia and appear, with partially modified content,
at the Hermitage Museum and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Read More

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SUMMER CAMP FOR TEENSDISCOVER LITTLE TOKYOJULY 20 - 24
REGISTER NOW!
Step away from the classroom for a more interactive approach to language learning! Learn Katakana andsimple expressions in Japanese through fun activities such as exploring Little Tokyo and scavenger hunts.
For 14-18 year-olds with no prior experience in learning Japanese. 10% discount off of the tuition when you
register by Mon. June 15.

FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 JAPANESE LANGUAGE GRANTS
We are accepting applications for the following grants:
1. Japanese Language Learners Event Grant previously known as "Speech Contest Grant" (Deadline:
9/1/2015)
2. Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant (Deadline: 9/15/2015)
3. Japanese-Language Education Project Grant (Deadline: 2 months prior to project start date)
Read MoreFISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 JAPAN FOUNDATION TRAINING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
Long-term Teacher Training Program
Venue: Japanese Language Institute, Urawa
Duration: From September 28, 2015 to March 18, 2016
Participant: Ms. Jeanne Michaels (LaGuardia Community College, NY)
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Short-term Teacher Training Program
Venue: Japanese Language Institute, Urawa
Duration: From July 7, 2015 to August 27, 2015
Participants:
Ms. Yungchu Hsu (Lone Star College, TX)
Ms. Renee Paczkowski (Cass Technical High School, MI)
Ms. Sueyon Seo (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, WI)
Japanese Language Program for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields
Venue: Japanese Language Institute, KansaiParticipants:
2-month Course (6/10/15 - 8/5/15): Ms. Fang-Ru Lin (University of California, Los Angeles, CA)
6-month Course (10/7/15 - 4/6/16): Mr. Yoan Rosenziveig (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA)JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION UPDATE 19:
NEW LANGUAGE TEACHER CERTIFICATION WEBSITE!!
Teacher credentialing and licensing is a massively complex and ongoing process of training, tests,
evaluations, applications, fees, and let's face it – headaches. Getting certified to teach a foreign language
depends on your background, your subject, and your state's requirements. State department of education
websites are packed with complicated terminology, explanations and exceptions, and any teacher who hasgone through the process wants to scream, "Just give me a simple set of steps to follow!"
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