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BREEZE #76

FEBRUARY, 2014: BREEZE ISSUE #76
A Free E-Newsletter for Friends of Japan & Teachers of Japanese

GREETING FROM THE DIRECTOR

When Etsuko and Joe Price were watching TV on March 11, 2011, the endless reports of hopeless scenes
from Etsuko’s native country devastated them both.
A couple of weeks later she saw a tiny pink plum blossom blooming in the middle of an otherwise
colorless and lifeless field which had been destroyed by the tsunami. Etsuko decided to bring their Edopaintings to Tohoku so that the people could be healed by the colorful screens and scrolls which illustrate
the idyllic lives of animals.
Last year, the Price Collection was exhibited for 6 months in Sendai, Morioka, and Fukushima. More than
350,000 people went to see it: a record-breaking number of visitors to those three prefectures’ museums.
I myself visited one of them and saw people excited to see not only the art but also the Prices themselves.
Talking with those individuals in Tohoku was an incredible experience for the couple. A number offishermen, hunters, and farmers familiar with the animals and plants offered the Prices their interpretations
and insights into the paintings. Above all, however, was Joe Price’s extraordinary encounter with one 12year-girl. When Joe asked her why she liked Ito Jakuchu’s paintings so much, she said, “Because they
don’t age…”
Now the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has started the display of the Price Collection at its
Pavilion for Japanese Art. Please do not miss this special opportunity to feel the ageless beauty of thelife depicted on colorful Edo period art.
Misako Ito, DirectorPrivacy - TermsPHOTO EXHIBITION: THE WORLD HERITAGE IN JAPANPART 1: JANUARY 28TH TUE. – FEBRUARY 22ND SAT.
PART 2: FEBRUARY 25TH TUE. – MARCH 22ND SAT.
VENUE: JFLA AUDITORIUM
From historical monuments to beautiful natural environments, currently, there are a total of 17 cultural andnatural sites in Japan registered as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Over 60 beautiful photographs ofthese sites were taken by renowned photographer, Kazuyoshi Miyoshi, is currently on display as a two-part
exhibition at JFLA through March 22nd during normal library hours.
Read MoreJAPANEMA: KUROSAWA'S TRANSPOSITION OF MACBETH
THRONE OF BLOOD (109MIN., 1957)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 AT 7PM
VENUE: JFLA AUDITORIUM
A vivid, visceral Macbeth adaptation, Throne of Blood , directed by Akira Kurosawa, sets Shakespeare's
definitive tale of ambition and duplicity in a ghostly, fog-enshrouded landscape in feudal Japan. As ahardened warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable, animalistic
performance, as does Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. Throne of Blood fuses classical Western tragedy
with formal elements taken from Noh theater to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.

JAPANEMA: NOMINATED FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY OSCAR!
CUTIE AND THE BOXER (82MIN., 2013)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 AT 7PM

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VENUE: JFLA AUDITORIUM
A reflection on love, sacrifice, and the creative spirit, this candid New York documentary explores thechaotic 40-year marriage of renowned "boxing" painter Ushio Shinohara and his artist wife Noriko. As arowdy, confrontational young artist in Tokyo, Ushio seemed destined for fame, but he is met with little
commercial success after he moves to New York City in 1969, seeking international recognition. When 19year-old Noriko moved to New York to study art, she fell in love with Ushio—abandoning her education tobecome the unruly artist's wife and assistant. Over the course of their marriage, their roles shifted. Now80, Ushio still struggles to establish his artistic legacy, while Noriko is at last being recognized for her own
art—a series of drawings entitled "Cutie," depicting her challenging past with Ushio. Spanning fourdecades, the film is a moving portrait of a couple wrestling with the eternal themes of sacrifice,disappointment and aging, against a background of lives dedicated to art.

SAVE THE DATE!
"THE GREAT PASSAGE" SCREENINGWEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 AT 7PM
VENUE: EGYPTIAN THEATRE (6712 HOLLYWOOD BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90028)
JFLA in collaboration with the Japan Business Association (JBA) and American Cinematheque presents thescreening of "The Great Passage," which was selected as Japan's entry for the Best Foreign Language Filmat the 86th Academy Awards. Details and ticket information will be available on the JFLA website soon.

FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015 JAPANESE LANGUAGE GRANTS
We are pleased to announce the start of our Fiscal Year 2014-2015 grant programs that we organize
annually in support of Japanese-Language Education in the United States. These include the following:

1. Japanese Language Learners Event Grant previously known as "Speech Contest Grant" (Deadlines:3/1/2014 & 9/1/2014)
2. Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant (Deadlines: 3/15/2014 & 9/15/2014)
3. Salary Assistance Grant for Japanese Language Courses (Deadline: 4/10/2014)
4. Japanese-Language Education Project Grant (Deadline: 2 months prior to project start date).
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JFLA IS SEEKING A PART-TIME JAPANESE-LANGUAGE LECTURER
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) invites applicants for our part-time lecturer position inJapanese language courses JF Nihongo. This position will be effective March/April2014, with teaching
duties beginning in July or September, 2014. With our many years of experience and achievements inJapanese Language Education, we started offering Japanese language courses in Los Angeles in 2012.
The courses will be based on "JF Standards," which our Tokyo Headquarters has been developing during
the past few years. We seek applicants who are committed to Japanese-language education and open to"JF Standard."

THE JAPAN FOUNDATION STANDARD FAMILIARIZATION WORKSHOPLIVONIA, MI: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014 (9:00AM - 4:00PM)
SEATTLE, WA: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014 (9:00AM - 4:15PM)
We will be organizing two JF Standard Familiarization Workshops at the Hinoki International School in
Livonia, MI and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Ms. Tomoyo Shibahara, Japanese language
adviser at the Japan Foundation, Sao Paulo, will speak about the JF Standard and compare it with ACTFL
Standards. She has worked on many courses for Japanese language teachers and developed teachingmaterials including the Marugoto textbook series.
Register for Seattle, WA2013 JLPT RESULTS UPDATE
Online results are now available for those who took the 2013 JLPT. Visit the AATJ website for Instructions
on how to access your scores. You will need your registration number that was on your voucher and the 8digit numerical password provided during registration. Login to your JLPT Online Account if you forgot
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your registration number or password to retrieve that information. Hard copies of your score report will
also be mailed out by the end of February.
Read MoreREMINDER: 2014 JET MEMORIAL INVITATION PROGRAMSEND A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TO JAPAN FOR TWO WEEKS THIS SUMMER
This is a friendly reminder that there is less than a week remaining to register for the National Japanese
Exam (NJE), which is a requirement to apply for the JET Memorial Invitation Program. The exam isorganized by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and both members and non-members areable to register their students for the test this year. There is a new video of the NJE Webinar that featuresan orientation and Q&A session by the test developers covering all aspects of the exam. If you missed thison January 12, you can watch it on the AATJ Website.
Note: The NJE deadline is Saturday, February 8 at 5:00pm Eastern TimeNEW INFORMATION CENTER ACQUISITIONS
We recently purchased some new books and DVDs in our library so make sure to drop by to check out thenew materials. The books are divided into four categories including Books in English, Books in Japanese,Japanese-language study materials, and Children's Books. Our annual library membership fee is only $2
and you get a free cloth book bag when you become a member!

JFLA LECTURE DVD ARCHIVEYOU CAN WATCH THE LECTURE YOU MISSED!!

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Video recording of select JFLA lecture series organized in 2013 will be available on DVD to watch in ourLibrary. If you missed a lecture or want to watch one again, please come to our information center towatch it on one of our media stations. For details, please contact our .

JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION UPDATE #3: GOOD NEWS FOR JAPAN BOWL© AND
IMMERSION EDUCATION
Keep an eye on the National Japan Bowl© website because the due date for applications has been
pushed back to February 15 due to a special announcement – the top five teams of all three levels willvisit Japan through the KAKEHASHI Project. That’s a total of 45 students who will win an overseas trip thisyear! That’s bound to get the competitive juices flowing in Chevy Chase, Maryland in April.
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EVENT REPORT: JF NIHONGO TEA TIME JANUARY 18, 1PM AT JFLAOn Saturday, January 18, 2014, over 30 Japanese language learners joined us here at JFLA for ourextremely popular Tea Time event. Participants had the opportunity to chat with other learners and ourvolunteer native Japanese speakers. Our JF Nihongo Course Instructors also gave the participants asimple lesson on greetings and organized a bingo game where participants interacted with each other.
The volunteers also worked with the participants to write new years resolutions in Japanese and as agroup they gave a presentation promoting an aspect of Japanese culture that they enjoyed. This was thesixth Tea Time Event we organized and it officially kicked off the Winter Term of our Japanese language
courses. We will have more information on Spring Term by the end of February so please check back thenif you are interested in learning Japanese.
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KAKEHASHI PROJECT VISITS JFLA
The auditorium at the JF Library sure was lively on January 14th! Over 100 Japanese students from Odate
Homei High School (Akita), Kobe City Jr. Technical College (Hyogo), Izumi High School (Osaka), and Inage
High School (Chiba) visited our offices during their 2-week visit to the U.S. This group was part of themassive KAKEHASHI Project, a youth exchange program promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ofJapan (MOFA) and co-organized by the Japan Foundation and the Laurasian Institution. Every year, 2,300
high schools students from America visit Japan and 2,300 Japanese students visit America. A daunting
task to organize, but worth it!
Read More

J-LEAP REPORT PART 5/6
For the 2013-2014 school year, we have 11 assistant teachers (AT) at various schools around the country as
part of the Japanese Language Education Assistant Program (J-LEAP). This is the third year of this program
where assistant teachers are invited for up to two years to aid in strengthening the Japanese language
program at their respective schools. This month, we will feature the reports from the following ATs, whowill describe their experiences at American high schools.
Haruka Nitani, Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, MD)
Moe Takahashi, Lake Oswego High School (Lake Oswego, OR)2013 JET MEMORIAL INVITATION PROGRAM: PARTICIPANT ESSAYS PART 6/8
In July of 2013, 32 US high school students participated in the JET Memorial Invitational Program (JETMIP). They travelled to Japan for a two week study tour of the Tohoku region, focusing on the cities ofRikuzentakata and Ishonomaki. These were the cities that Montgomery Dickson and Taylor Anderson wereassigned during their tenure as JET Assistant Language Teachers. Sadly, they lost their lives during theGreat East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March, 2011 and JET-MIP was created to commemorate theirPrivacy - Termswork. Participants took part in exchanges with local elementary, middle and high school students as well

as local community groups with the purpose of fostering friendship and goodwill between both countries.
Each month, we will feature four essays written by the participants describing their experiences in Japan.
Click below to read about their unforgettable journey.
Andrew Ryfa
Anna Schneider
James Tran
Lisa Trieu

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