Name: Lecture Series: Deities in Japanese Art - #3 Wisdom Kings Vol. 1/3 @JapanFoundationLosAngeles
Uploaded: 2026-09-22T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: Lecture Series: Deities in Japanese Art - #3 Wisdom Kings Vol. 1/3

Lecture Series: Deities in Japanese Art - #3 Wisdom Kings Vol. 1/3

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2026-09-22 | Lecture Series: Deities in Japanese Art - #3 Wisdom Kings Vol. 1/3

My Keisho Nihongo, Your Keisho Nihongo: Interview with Yuuka Itoh

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-09-26 | Being a Keisho Nihongo/Japanese-as-a-Heritage-Language (JHL) learner, as opposed to a Japanese-as-a-Foreign Language (JFL) learner, can carry with it a set of unique challenges when there is a lack of local access to specialized education and community. Bicultural identity, especially in countries rich in diversity like the U.S., can factor into these learners' language acquisition and can be difficult for them to navigate. In this interview series, we talk with Keisho Nihongo learners about the personal challenges they faced and what helped them overcome those challenges. We hope that the advice, perspectives, and unique stories offered in these interviews will help and motivate other Keisho Nihongo learners throughout the U.S.

Japanese Architects Talk Series 3.「廃墟」HAI/KYO: Destruction and Rebirth of Japanese

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-19 | Japanese Architects Talk Series
“5 Dimensions of Japanese Architecture”
3.「廃墟」HAI/KYO: Destruction and Rebirth of Japanese

To discuss Japanese architecture, this talk series is organized around five concepts unique to Japan: MA, KANE, HAI/KYO, IN/EI, and SUKI. Renowned Japanese architects and scholars will speak at each symposium about their ideas on architecture and the works they have produced. This series offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Japanese architecture and its cultural concepts by featuring their insights, enriching your perspective on this distinctive architectural heritage through the lens of contemporary practice.

The third session will discuss the concept of 「廃墟」 (HAI/KYO). HAI/KYO refers to ruins that embody the remnants of historical destruction caused by disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, and wars, while also symbolizing themes of rebirth, recovery, and the creation of new urban landscapes.

Lecturers: Ken Tadashi Oshima, Alicia Volk
Moderator: Hitoshi Abe
Organized by Hitoshi Abe

Co-Organized by UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese studies
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA xLAB

The program, originally set for January 9, 2025, was postponed due to the wildfires in Los Angeles and we offered it as an online on April 16, 2025.

More details: jflalc.org/event-details.php/254/5-dimensions-of-japanese-architecture-3-haikyo

From Himiko to Itako: Female Shamans in Japan

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-15 | Shamanic practices in Japan are ancient and deeply rooted in myth. More importantly, across the centuries they have been mainly a female domain. Why does this specific role seem to be so closely connected with the female experience? What is the role that women played within institutional and folk religions in Japan?

With this lecture, Dr. Marianna Zanetta traces a brief history of female shamanism in Japan, with its connections with myths and ancient times. She also focuses on the present-day situation, what the role of the shaman has to say about society, and what answers they can offer to social needs.

Lecturer: Marianna Zanetta

Marianna Zanetta obtained her PhD at Sorbonne university in Paris with a research about itako shamanism in contemporary Japan. She conducted different fieldworks in Tohoku from 2012, with a particular attention to the Aomori prefecture and the folk practices of the region. Alongside the interest in female shamanism, she is researching the topic of death and dying in Japan, and how contemporary society deals with the new challenges in this pivotal theme. In 2017, she founded a cultural organization to promote Japanese culture and literature in Italy.

Form is Emptiness. Emptiness is Form. A Lecture and Demonstration by Yoshio Ikezaki

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-07 | Suibokuga (水墨画), also called sumi-e (墨絵), is a form of art that uses black sumi ink to paint on washi paper. This seemingly simple monochrome art form requires various brush stroke techniques which create and express the subtle nuances of light and shade onto a sheet of paper.

Artist Yoshio Ikezaki has been creating contemporary monochrome art works using sumi-e techniques for years, and he also makes his own washi paper and sumi ink for his art works. In a rare opportunity, Ikezaki will take guests behind the scenes of his creative process by showing how he prepares washi paper and sumi ink for his art work, after which he will treat them to a live demonstration in which he will produce the concepts of "the five different shades of black" or "Ma and Yohaku" right before their eyes.

This event is offered through a partnership with Kylin Gallery.

Lecturer and Artist: Yoshio Ikezaki

Yoshio Ikezaki was born in Japan in 1953 and active in both US and Japan since 1986. He is an internationally exhibited visual artist and educator. He is a master Sumi ink painter and also a master papermaker of Japanese tradition. His paintings and sculptures are grounded in Japanese aesthetic principle and philosophies, crafts and materials, interpreted in a contemporary context.

He has more than 50 selected solo exhibits and over 100 group exhibits in museums and galleries in many countries, including USA, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and more for 40years.

He is a former professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena CA U.S.A and Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles CA U.S.A between 1987- 2012. He was also lecturer at Tama Art University and Musashino Art University in Tokyo Japan for many years.

Japanese Architects Talk Series 5.「数寄」Suki: Microcosm of Tastes

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-06 | Japanese Architects Talk Series
“5 Dimensions of Japanese Architecture”
5.「数寄」Suki: Microcosm of Tastes

To discuss Japanese architecture, this talk series is organized around five concepts unique to Japan: MA, KANE, HAI/KYO, IN/EI, and SUKI. Renowned Japanese architects and scholars will speak at each symposium about their ideas on architecture and the works they have produced. This series offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Japanese architecture and its cultural concepts by featuring their insights, enriching your perspective on this distinctive architectural heritage through the lens of contemporary practice.

The fifth session will discuss the concept of「数寄」 (SUKI). SUKI originally signified a love for poetry in the Heian period, but evolved to primarily denote the refined aesthetic and cultural appreciation associated with the tea ceremony, reflecting a nuanced relationship between art, architecture, and the appreciation of beauty.

Lecturers: Reijiro Izumi & Kunio Kirisako
Moderator: Hitoshi Abe
Organized by Hitoshi Abe

Co-Organized by UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese studies
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA xLAB

This program was held and recorded at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles on June 11, 2025.

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/274/5-dimensions-of-japanese-architecture-5-suki

Japanese Architects Talk Series 4.「陰影」IN/EI: Images of Japanese Architecture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-06 | Japanese Architects Talk Series
“5 Dimensions of Japanese Architecture”
4.「陰影」IN/EI: Images of Japanese Architecture

To discuss Japanese architecture, this talk series is organized around five concepts unique to Japan: MA, KANE, HAI/KYO, IN/EI, and SUKI. Renowned Japanese architects and scholars will speak at each symposium about their ideas on architecture and the works they have produced. This series offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Japanese architecture and its cultural concepts by featuring their insights, enriching your perspective on this distinctive architectural heritage through the lens of contemporary practice.

The fourth session will discuss the concept of「陰影」 (IN/EI). IN/EI refers to the concept of shadows that highlights the importance of darkness as a vital element in representation, contrasting with the Western focus on light and clarity, and emphasizing the true essence of architecture and form.

Lecturers: Tohru Horiguchi, Liam Young
Moderator: Hitoshi Abe
Organized by Hitoshi Abe

Co-Organized by UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese studies
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA xLAB

This program was held and recorded at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles on May 16, 2025.

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/264/5-dimensions-of-japanese-architecture-4-in-ei

Japanese Architects Talk Series 2.「矩」Kane: The Canon of Japanese Architecture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-06 | Japanese Architects Talk Series
“5 Dimensions of Japanese Architecture”
2.「矩」Kane: The Canon of Japanese Architecture

To discuss Japanese architecture, this talk series is organized around five concepts unique to Japan: MA, KANE, HAI/KYO, IN/EI, and SUKI. Renowned Japanese architects and scholars will speak at each symposium about their ideas on architecture and the works they have produced. This series offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Japanese architecture and its cultural concepts by featuring their insights, enriching your perspective on this distinctive architectural heritage through the lens of contemporary practice.

The second session will discuss the concept of「矩」KANE: The Canon of Japanese Architecture. In Japanese architecture, the notion of 矩 (kane) serves as a guiding framework for practicing, norms and measurements are harmonized to create a unique aesthetic order. The speakers will talk about how this modular system affects the way they think and design.

Lecturers: Takaharu Tezuka & Yui Tezuka, Don Choi
Moderator: Hitoshi Abe
Organized by Hitoshi Abe

Co-Organized by UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese studies
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA xLAB

This program was held and recorded at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles on December 10, 2024.

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/214/5-dimensions-of-japanese-architecture-2-kane

Japanese Architects Talk Series 1.「間」Ma: Time and Space in Japanese Architecture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-08-06 | Japanese Architects Talk Series
“5 Dimensions of Japanese Architecture”
1.「間」Ma: Time and Space in Japanese Architecture

To discuss Japanese architecture, this talk series is organized around five concepts unique to Japan: MA, KANE, HAI/KYO, IN/EI, and SUKI. Renowned Japanese architects and scholars will speak at each symposium about their ideas on architecture and the works they have produced. This series offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of Japanese architecture and its cultural concepts by featuring their insights, enriching your perspective on this distinctive architectural heritage through the lens of contemporary practice.

The first session,「間」MA: Time and Space in Japanese Architecture, addresses the concept of MA, a Japanese concept that defines the interval or space between two entities, encompassing both temporal and spatial dimensions, and serves as a foundational principle in various aspects of art, architecture, and life.

Lecturers: Tezzo Nishizawa & Hitoshi Abe
Moderator: Michael Osman
Organized by Hitoshi Abe

Co-Organized by UCLA Terasaki Center for Japanese studies
UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design, UCLA xLAB

This program was held and recorded at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles on October 29, 2024.

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/205/5-dimensions-of-japanese-architecture-1-ma

JAPAN AND KAMI 3. Shinto and Japanese Life as seen at Meiji Jingu Shinto Shrine, Tokyo

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-07-24 | In this lecture, Moriyasu Ito, who has served as a Shinto priest at Meiji Shrine, an institution widely known to Americans, will introduce Meiji Shrine while discussing what a shrine is, what kami is within Shinto, the relationship between Japanese life and Shinto, and Shinto from an international perspective. He will contextualize this information based on his global experiences.

This is the third lecture in a four-part series that will explore the various relationships that exist between Japanese culture, Shinto, and its deities.

Lecturer: Moriyasu Ito

Moriyasu Ito is a Shinto priest of Meiji Jingu. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from the Faculty of Law at Kyoto University, he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). He was posted to Canada and Pakistan, and worked in the Southwest Asia Division and other departments in MOFA. He joined Meiji Jingu at the age of 35 to become a Shinto priest. Thereafter he has many experiences in foreign countries, such as one month in Assisi, a heavily Catholic-oriented city in Italy and spending four months at Brigham Young University in Utah, which is supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon). Seeing and attending various religious rituals and dialogues, he is seeking the meaning of Shinto as his capacity at Meiji Jingu.

JAPAN AND KAMI 4. From Spirited Away to Death Note: Kami in Popular Anime

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-07-17 | From the mysterious river spirit in Spirited Away to the shinigami realm of Death Note, anime has become a powerful vehicle for exploring Japan’s ancient spiritual traditions. Join us for an illuminating lecture examining how contemporary anime brings Shinto kami—the divine spirits of Japan's indigenous religion—to life for global audiences.

This presentation will analyze the cultural significance and artistic interpretation of kami across anime, exploring how traditional Japanese spirituality is reimagined, adapted, and sometimes transformed for modern storytelling. Whether you're an anime enthusiast, student of Japanese culture, or curious about the intersection of ancient beliefs and popular media, this lecture offers fresh insights into how sacred meets secular in Japan’s most influential animated medium. This session is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, supernatural anime, and Japanese cultural studies.

This is the final lecture in a four-part series that will explore the various relationships that exist between Japanese culture, Shinto, and its deities.

Lecturer: Dr. Jayson Chun

Jayson M Chun is a Professor of History at the University of Hawaii – West O‘ahu, where he specializes in East Asian popular culture and explores the transnational history of entertainment across the Asia-Pacific region. His research examines how popular culture crosses borders and connects diverse audiences throughout Asia and beyond.

Professor Chun is the author of a book on Japanese television and has published articles on the historical development of J-pop and K-pop music. He writes for and co-edits The Pop Pacific, a blog dedicated to transnational popular culture, including anime and music. He has delivered lectures on anime and music to universities internationally, including online and in-person presentations to institutions in the United States, Slovakia, Japan and Korea.

With over 20 years of experience teaching college courses on anime, Professor Chun brings both scholarly rigor and genuine enthusiasm to his subject. As a devoted anime fan himself, he offers unique insights into the cultural phenomena that shape our interconnected world.

JAPAN AND KAMI 2. Lady Blue Dragon at Kami Daigoji

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-05-15 | Seiryū Gongen is the name of a dragon deity believed to have traveled to Japan from China in the early ninth century. Since her storied arrival in Japan, Seiryū has become the focus of a rich tradition of localized worship at a Buddhist temple in Kyoto Prefecture called Daigoji. There, she is understood to reside within the sacred spring water of Mount Daigo, upon which Daigoji was established in 874. This lecture will examine various dimensions of Seiryū’s veneration at Daigoji between the tenth and twelfth centuries. I consider not only how her identity transformed at Daigoji, but also how her status as a feminine dragon deity informed the development of worship traditions at this remote mountain temple. Links between dragons and water led to Seiryū’s ascension as a central figure in rituals that held great importance to the imperial family, including rain-making and safe birth practices. Simultaneously, surviving images of Seiryū indicate that her role at Daigoji may have allowed noble women to feel embodied upon the sacred mountain, even if their presence would not have been permitted there in this life.

This is the second lecture in a four-part series that will explore the various relationships that exist between Japanese culture, Shinto, and its deities.

Lecturer: Dr. Rachel Quist

Rachel Quist is an art historian specializing in Japan Buddhist visual culture. She investigates the interactions between Buddhist icons, their worshipers, and their natural environs. Her dissertation, “Forging Bonds through Icons and Ritual: Imperial Patronage of Daigoji,” illuminates the centrality of sculptural icons within the complex interplay of medicinal rituals, imperial politics, and the cosmic worldview of premodern Japan.

In 2024, Rachel participated in installing an exhibition of Daigoji’s treasures at Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka. In 2023, she received a Dissertation Fellowship from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies, and in 2022–2023, Rachel conducted fieldwork in Japan with the support of a Fulbright-Hays fellowship. Her research has been published by the Spencer Museum of Art and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. In 2019, she curated Porcelains of Dehua: From Regional Kilns to Global Markets at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Early Western Imaginings of Ryūkyū, 1511 - 1620

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-05-07 | The islands known as Ryūkyū (modern-day Okinawa) have a long history as a cluster of statelets scattered over some 500 miles. From 1500, it became a largely unitary kingdom. Material assets were poor, but the people amassed wealth as middle-men traders. Just a decade after this consolidation, southeast Asia's great entrepôt of Malacca fell to Portuguese aggression. This brought to Europeans their first news of Ryūkyū, and tales were fabulous. But not until a whole century later did any Europeans land there and leave first-hand comments. This talk looks at the early fantasies and the later realities, while connecting these matters to Ryūkyūan history, and to the history of its large and powerful neighbour, Japan.

This in-person lecture was presented in partnership with the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities.

Lecturer: Dr. Timon Screech

Timon Screech taught the history of Japanese art at SOAS, University of London, for 30 years, before moving to a chair at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) in Kyoto, in 2021. He has also been guest professor at numerous institutions in the EU, Japan and USA.

Screech is the author of some dozen books and many articles on the visual culture of the Japan’s early-modern Edo period. His PhD was published as The Lens Within the Heart and remains in print in a second, paperback edition. Perhaps best-known is his Sex and the Floating World: Erotic Images in Japan, 1700-1820, which is also available in Chinese, Japanese and Polish translations. His field-defining study, Obtaining Images: Art, Production and Display in Edo Japan was published in 2012.

In 2020 he published two further books, The Shogun’s Silver Telescope: God, Art and Money in the English Quest for Japan and Tokyo Before Tokyo: Power and Magic in the Shogun’s City of Edo (also available in Chinese). He has just completed a major monograph on the deification and cult of Tokugawa Ieyasu (due out in fall 2025), and concurrently working a book on early European contacts with the Kingdom of Lūchū (J: Ryūkyū), modern Okinawa.

Screech is a Freeman of the City of London, and Fellow of the British Academy. In 2022 he was awarded both the Yamagata Bantō Prize, and the Fukuoka Culture Prize, and in 2024 received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation.

JAPAN AND KAMI 1. Kami Worship in Early Japan

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-04-29 | Kami is a generic name for the various divinities (or metahuman entities) venerated in the Shinto tradition. Shinto is typically defined as the indigenous and ancestral religion of the Japanese and the unchanging basis of Japanese cultural identity and value system; today, it is often understood as a benign tradition based on an animistic love for nature striving for world peace. In fact, what we now call "Shinto" has gone through many important changes during the centuries, and these changes have also affected the ways in which the Japanese understand and relate to their kami. For example, kami include figures from ancient Japanese mythology, features of the natural landscape, deified historical figures, gods brought to Japan from China, Korea, and India, and spirits from folkloric beliefs. In this talk, after presenting the most important aspects of Shinto by placing them in historical context, I will discuss the main features of the ancient kami with special reference to their cosmology.

This is the first lecture in a four-part series that will explore the various relationships that exist between Japanese culture, Shinto, and its deities.

Lecturer: Dr. Fabio Rambelli

Fabio Rambelli is Distinguished Professor of Japanese Religions and Cultural History and International Shinto Foundation Chair in Shinto Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

His publications include: Buddhas and Kami in Japan (with Mark Teeuwen, 2000), Buddhist Materiality (2007), The Sea and the Sacred in Japan (2018), Spirits and Animism in Contemporary Japan (2019), and Gagaku: The Cultural Impact of Japanese Ceremonial Music (2025). He is also a musician and plays the shō, the ancient Japanese mouthorgan, and other instruments, and has released three CDs of original music (ambient, contemporary, jazz) with various formations: Pearls (by Neo Archē, 2023), New Heritage (with Thomas Piercy and Lish Lindsey, 2023), and The Turning Point (with Dirk Wachtelaer, 2024).

His research interests span several cultural dimensions of religious discourses in Japan, such as theories and practices of representation, materiality and the cultural meanings of objects, political thought, economics, and geopolitical components of constructs about cultural identity. He is currently working on an intellectual history of Gagaku, the ancient ceremonial music of Japan.

My Keisho Nihongo, Your Keisho Nihongo: Interview with William Kimmel

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2025-01-06 | Being a Keisho Nihongo/Japanese-as-a-Heritage-Language (JHL) learner, as opposed to a Japanese-as-a-Foreign Language (JFL) learner, can carry with it a set of unique challenges when there is a lack of local access to specialized education and community. Bicultural identity, especially in countries rich in diversity like the U.S., can factor into these learners' language acquisition and can be difficult for them to navigate. In this interview series, we talk with Keisho Nihongo learners about the personal challenges they faced and what helped them overcome those challenges. We hope that the advice, perspectives, and unique stories offered in these interviews will help and motivate other Keisho Nihongo learners throughout the U.S.

My Keisho Nihongo, Your Keisho Nihongo: Interview with Luke Palermo

Online Lecture Series 5: Exploring Japans Museums

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2024-04-23 | For lovers of Japan’s various artistic traditions, there are many different museums all over Japan. Some are public institutions, while others house the collections of private collectors. Some are encyclopedic in their holdings, while others are devoted to a particular type of art or to a specific artist. Many are works of art in their own right, built by some of the world’s foremost architects. Japan’s museums are the subjects of 24 videos in the Japan Foundation’s Doors to the Arts of Japan series.
In this final online lecture, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce a few of her favorite museums and their collections. With travel season approaching soon, she will also include several museums featured in the video series that she has yet to visit but is excited to on her next trip to Japan.

The details of the lecture series:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/156/date-change-exploring-japan-s-museums

More Stories about Museums in Japan? Check our video series: Doors to Arts of Japan
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIk3fYf1yR3BCx3_GxkQTJ9e

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIloh7H6Slqim_cg3gZL8Ep5

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIlAplgatAw52rNcmsCgYrhZ

youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIkkddAGCtCU16VaCeTTBq7b

Online Lecture Series 4: Born from the Earth: Japans YAKISHIME Ceramics

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2024-04-23 | The term “yakishime” refers to the firing of unglazed clay vessels at a high temperature so that the clay vitrifies, creating water-proof and durable stoneware ceramics. With no colorful glaze or painted designs, this ceramic type may seem simple or “primitive,” but Japan’s yakishime wares are some of the country’s most admired and valuable ceramics. The scorch marks of Bizen ware, the feldspar speckles of Shigaraki ware, and the warm, earthy tones of Tokoname ware have made these wares beloved in the tea ceremony and collected widely for centuries.
In conjunction with Japan Foundation's video series, Doors to the Arts of Japan, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce yakishime ceramics from several traditional ceramic-producing regions and explore reasons for their enduring popularity in Japan and beyond.

The details of the lecture series:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/151/japan-s-yakishime-ceramics

More Yakishime Stories? Check our video series: Doors to Arts of Japan
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIlmtrq2k0rnq47RPteaQVy8

Online Lecture Series 3: NINGYO The Beauty and Artistry of Japanese Dolls

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2024-04-23 | Japan’s dolls are famous throughout the world as elegant works of art that are more for display than play. Hina dolls, in particular, wear kimono and elaborate hairstyles, and for several centuries have been central in Hina Matsuri, a traditional festival celebrating girls. Others, such as turned-wood Kokeshi, finely sculpted Saga dolls, papier mache Hariko dolls, and folded paper Chiyogami dolls have been crafted and treasured in different regions of Japan for many generations.
In conjunction with Japan Foundation's video series, Doors to the Arts of Japan, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce some of Japan’s most well-known types of traditional dolls, from Hina to Kokeshi, touching on their materials, styles and production, as well as their functions. She will also showcase the works of contemporary doll maker Kimiko Muraoka Koyanagi, who is still creating exquisite dolls at the age of 91 years old.

The details of the lecture series:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/147/ningyo-the-beauty-and-artistry-of-japanese-dolls

More Ningyo Stories? Check our video series: Doors to Arts of Japan
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeIn3zbNpLR0XOeyngD-wBhmU

Online Lecture Series 2: NETSUKE: Masterpieces of Japanese Miniature Sculpture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2024-04-23 | Netsuke are small toggles that are attached to the end of the cords used to hang various accessories – like tobacco pouches, writing sets and medicine containers – from the kimono sash, or obi. The cord is passed underneath the obi and the netsuke hangs over the top of the sash, securing the accessory in place. Netsuke are made of a variety of materials and are often masterpieces of sculpture, often carved into animals, insects, comical human figures and even lucky gods.
In conjunction with Japan Foundation's video series, Doors to the Arts of Japan, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce these miniature works of art, exploring their evolution in Japanese kimono culture, their production and their popularity with collectors around the world.

The details of the lecture series:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/145/netsuke-masterpieces-of-japanese-miniature-sculpture

More Netsuke Stories? Check our video series: Doors to Arts of Japan
youtube.com/watch?v=hOmDDWsZ8zQ

Online Lecture Series 1: YOKAI: An Introduction to the Supernatural Beings of Japan

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2024-04-23 | To the Japanese, yokai are mysterious phenomena and weird creatures that have inhabited the country’s landscape, homes, folklore and imagination for many centuries. They can be evil or benign spirits, ranging from shape-shifting animals like foxes and badgers, who adopt human form to trick, bewitch or reward humans, to the vengeful ghosts of warriors killed in battle or women wronged by their husbands.
Yōkai can also be supernatural creatures from folklore like kappa (river imps that pull people and horses into the water), oni (demons that cause devastation, storms and plagues), and even objects like umbrellas and lanterns that mysteriously come to life.
In conjunction with Japan Foundation's Yokai video series on Doors to the Arts of Japan, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce this fascinating and often terrifying aspect of Japanese culture, using woodblock prints from the collection of Scripps College in Claremont.

The details of the lecture series:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/137/yokai-an-introduction-to-the-supernatural-beings-of-japan

More Yokai Stories? Check our video series: Doors to Arts of Japan
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR82S6MFHeImrA8LyfLun8Nq79i6tjaal

Lecture - FURIKAKE: Healthy Savory Sprinkles

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-11-13 | We are excited to team up with TABLE FOR TWO USA once again and host a fun and educational online program to support their 9th annual Onigiri Action campaign on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023.

The Onigiri Action campaign aims to provide 1 million school meals to children around the world, and you can be a part of the campaign by posting photos of your onigiri (rice ball) creations on the campaign website or through your own social media account using the hashtag #OnigiriAction.

This year, we will focus on furikake, a Japanese seasoning that typically contains savory ingredients such as dried fish flakes, seaweed, vegetables, and sesame seeds. It is a popular condiment that is commonly sprinkled on cooked rice and onigiri for added flavor and nourishment.

In this program, Masaki Morishima, Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Kindai University, will discuss the development of their university’s furikake product that was targeted to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and promote healthy eating in the community during the pandemic. She will also talk about ways we can repurpose fruit skins and vegetable roots that would normally just be thrown away.

After the presentation, Ms. Debra Samuels, cookbook author and cooking teacher from TABLE FOR TWO USA, will demonstrate how you can make delicious homemade furikake using ingredients that are available in the U.S.

Manga Culture in Japan - 5. The World of Female-Focused Manga

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-09-13 | The fifth episode of "Manga Culture in Japan"!
Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link.
5. The World of Female-Focused Manga
youtu.be/5odXcvMx-OE
"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday.

Manga Culture in Japan - 4. The Spread of Manga Culture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-09-06 | The fourth episode of "Manga Culture in Japan"!
Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link.
4. The Spread of Manga Culture
youtu.be/Y9YcQQuvyE4
"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday.

Manga Culture in Japan - 3. Museums and Manga

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-30 | The third episode of "Manga Culture in Japan"!
Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link.
3. Museums and Manga
youtu.be/TksZPI1X42E
"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday.

Manga Culture in Japan - 2. The Making of a Manga

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-23 | The second episode of "Manga Culture in Japan" series!
Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link.
2. The Making of a Manga
youtu.be/b5Nr4jvWTK4
"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday.

Special Event in Alaska - Samurai Action!

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-21 | We're taking one of our most popular events to Alaska!
Locals will have the chance to take part in the kinds of sword fight performances only seen in samurai movies! The Japanese acting group, “Burai,” will teach participants sword handling, sword fighting, and how to speak like a samurai!
Admission is free. For more details and registration, please check the link below.

Fairbanks
Fri. September 15, 2023
jflalc.org/event-details.php/119/workshop-screening-samurai-action-in-fairbanks

Anchorage
Sat. September 16, 2023
jflalc.org/event-details.php/113/workshop-screening-samurai-action-in-anchorage

Manga Culture in Japan - 1. How Manga Magazines Bring Diversity to Manga

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-16 | The next topic of Doors to Arts of Japan is "Manga Culture in Japan"!
Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link.
1. How Manga Magazines Bring Diversity to Manga
youtu.be/vajsTUN7jvQ
"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday.

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 7. Genes Passed Down Through Time

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-09 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link!
youtu.be/Px2dNe_wqWg

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 6. The Master Painter Ito Jakuchu

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-08-02 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link!
youtu.be/5kdFhVPuAJQ

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 5. Sword Accoutrements

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-07-26 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link!
youtu.be/3jxR_GkGQnA

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 4. Shoami Katsuyoshi and Metalworking

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-07-19 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link!
youtu.be/_Utz0jsqSsI

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 3. Makuzu Kozan and Pottery

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-07-12 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link!
youtu.be/XFGh6Mq2III

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 2. Namikawa Yasuyuki and Cloisonné

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-07-05 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link! youtu.be/YQJ15CedWqg

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details: jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-introductory-message

The Superlative Artistry of Japan - 1. The Techniques of Japan That Shocked the World

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-06-28 | Check the video Ms. McArthur introduced with the following link! youtu.be/iDNwKI_7uCs

"Doors to Arts of Japan - Introductory Message by Meher McArthur" Streaming at 12:30pm (PT) every Wednesday Details: jflalc.org/event-details.php/108/doors-to-arts-of-japan-introductory-message

Novel LOVE LIKE THE FALLING PETALS Author and Cover Artist Conversation

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-05-15 | The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles invites you to watch this video conversation program between author Keisuke Uyama and cover artist Heikala about Uyama’s bestselling novel, Love Like the Falling Petals.

First published by Shueisha in 2017, the novel Love Like the Falling Petals became a runaway bestseller in Japan and also inspired a popular, live-action Netflix movie of the same name in 2022. Now Media Do International and Clover Press are partnering together with Shueisha for a Kickstarter campaign for the first-ever English publication of the book. With a charming translation by Terry Gallagher and cover by artist Heikala, this beautifully written and emotionally charged novel is primed to connect with a new international audience.

The pre-launch page for Love Like the Falling Petals is now live on Kickstarter.
To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/cloverpressimports/keisuke-uyamas-bestselling-love-like-the-falling-petals

About the Novel:
Love Like the Falling Petals is a heart-wrenching tale that takes readers on an emotional journey in which a young couple—Misaki and Haruto—navigates the ups and downs of life and relationships. Set in the stunning landscape of Japan, and the fleeting symbolism of cherry blossoms, the novel paints a vivid picture of the country's culture and traditions, while exploring the universal themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of the human spirit.

Author:
Keisuke Uyama is a Japanese novelist and screenwriter. His best-selling novel “Love Like the Falling Petals” was adapted into a Netflix film of the same name. Uyama has also written screenplays for several Japanese TV dramas, adapted from popular comics series. His novels include “Color Me True,” “A Little Miracle For You,” “This Love is the Most Beautiful Rain in the World,” “Blue in Love,” and “Sunflowers are the Shape of Love”.
宇山佳佑（うやま・けいすけ）
脚本家、作家。ドラマ『スイッチガール‼』『主に泣いてます』、ドラマ・映画『信長協奏曲』などの脚本を執筆。著書に『桜のような僕の恋人』『今夜、ロマンス劇場で』『君にささやかな奇蹟を』『この恋は世界でいちばん美しい雨』『恋に焦がれたブルー』『ひまわりは恋の形』など。

Cover Artist:
Heikala is a popular illustrator and designer from Finland based in Tokyo who has a degree in Graphic Design from the Lahti Institute of Design. She enjoys working on product and packaging designs, but it is her traditional work with inks and watercolours, creating art that is often influenced by Finnish and Japanese cultures, along with the in-depth sharing of her processes, that has amassed Heikala a large and growing following on social media.
Heikala
ラハティデザイン大学グラフィックデザインの学位を取得し、現在は東京を拠点に活躍する、フィンランド出身のイラストレーター・デザイナー。プロダクトやパッケージのデザインに携わる一方、インクや水彩絵の具を使った伝統的な作品や、フィンランドや日本の文化に影響を受けたアートを制作し、そのプロセスを詳しく紹介していることから、ソーシャルメディア上で多くの支持を集め、その数を増やしている。

Music used
Composer: Jonny Easton

Summit
youtube.com/watch?v=ZH5B_C8r9Dk

Life Song
youtube.com/watch?v=dzuCRMXY0H4

Falling
youtube.com/watch?v=BHNTfat68pk

Memories
youtube.com/watch?v=d-LvJ7Orhgg

Rise Of The Flower
youtube.com/watch?v=b83Rhgma9wU

Bilingual Yoga: Work on your balance 3-29-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-31 | Today's target of Bilingual Yoga will be “Work on your balance" and the body part we will focus on is "Sebone (spine 背骨)". Hikaru Hikky will instruct in both Japanese and English!

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/29/-virtual-bilingual-yoga-during-lunchtime

John Tedford Railroad Lecture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-31 | In October 1872, the first passenger rail service in Japan was initiated connecting Shimbashi in downtown Tokyo with the adjacent port city of Yokohama. In this 150th anniversary year, the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles and East Japan Railway Company are jointly presenting a short lecture with a unique personal slant on railways in Japan.

This is a good time for lecturer, Mr. John Tedford to talk about the contemporary history of rail in Japan, his personal experiences with Japanese trains, the rail network of JR East, and some ways in which rail in Japan and in the U.S. differ. Though many of you have used the Shinkansen (bullet train) and other Japanese trains we hope there will be something amusing, new and informative.

Karate Exercise 稽古 (keiko) 3-22-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-22 | Osu! Let's take 15 minutes to exercise together! Shohei Yamamoto from Kyokushin Karate 極真空手 of Los Angeles will guide you through a set of beginner-level exercises in English! The kanji word for March is “稽古 (keiko)”, which means "practice/learning."
Let's keiko together. Osu!

More details about the program
jflalc.org/event-details.php/28/-virtual-karate-exercise-during-lunchtime

Bilingual Yoga: Work on your balance 3-8-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-16 | Today is Wellness Wednesday, Bilingual Yoga! The target will be “Work on your balance" and the body part we will focus on is "Sebone (spine 背骨)". Hikaru Hikky will instruct in both Japanese and English!

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/29/-virtual-bilingual-yoga-during-lunchtime

Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl Shiawase 3-15-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-16 | Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl is offered on YouTube! Today's Japanese phrase is "Shiawase (しあわせ I'm happy)" .

The singing bowl used for this session harmoniously combines the healing qualities of the Tibetan singing bowl and its Japanese traditional singing bowl. Relax and feel your stress dissipate into thin air as the sounds of the singing bowl lead you into a meditative state.
Instructor: Yuki Uwasawa

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/16/-virtual-meditation-with-japanese-singing-bowl

Karate Exercise 稽古 (keiko) 3-1-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-03-01 | Osu! Let's take 15 minutes to exercise together! Shohei Yamamoto from Kyokushin Karate 極真空手 of Los Angeles will guide you through a set of beginner-level exercises in English! The kanji word for March is “稽古 (keiko)”, which means "practice/learning." Can you guess why the kanji "古," meaning old, is used?

More details about the program
jflalc.org/event-details.php/28/-virtual-karate-exercise-during-lunchtime

Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl in Hawaii Omoshiroi 2-22-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-02-22 | Happy Wellness Wednesday! Today's Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl session was recorded at the Village Big Island, Hawaii. February's Japanese phrase is "Omoshiroi (おもしろい interesting/ funny).

The singing bowl used for this session harmoniously combines the healing qualities of the Tibetan singing bowl and its Japanese traditional singing bowl. Relax and feel your stress dissipate into thin air as the sounds of the singing bowl lead you into a meditative state.
Instructor: Yuki Uwasawa

More Details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/16/-virtual-meditation-with-japanese-singing-bowl

Bilingual Yoga: Warm up your body 2-15-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-02-15 | Happy Wellness Wednesday! Today we will target warming up your body and the body part we will focus on is "Senaka (back 背中)". Hikaru Hikky will instruct in both Japanese and English!

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/29/-virtual-bilingual-yoga-during-lunchtime

Karate Exercise 自分 (jibun) 2-8-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-02-08 | Osu! Let's take 15 minutes to exercise together! Shohei Yamamoto from Kyokushin Karate 極真空手 of Los Angeles will guide you through a set of beginner-level exercises in English! The kanji word for February is “自分 (jibun)”, which means "I/me/myself". Usually when you want to reference yourself in Japanese, you use words like "Watashi", "Ore", or "Boku", but "Jibun" is used instead in martial arts.

More details about the program
jflalc.org/event-details.php/28/-virtual-karate-exercise-during-lunchtime

Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl Omoshiroi 2-1-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-02-01 | Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl is offered on YouTube! Today's Japanese phrase is "Omoshiroi (おもしろい Interesting/ funny)" .

The singing bowl used for this session harmoniously combines the healing qualities of the Tibetan singing bowl and its Japanese traditional singing bowl. Relax and feel your stress dissipate into thin air as the sounds of the singing bowl lead you into a meditative state.
Instructor: Yuki Uwasawa

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/16/-virtual-meditation-with-japanese-singing-bowl

Bilingual Yoga: Increase your energy 1-25-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-01-25 | Happy Wellness Wednesday! The first Bilingual Yoga of 2023 is now on. Today we will target increasing our energy, and the body part we will focus on is "Te (hand(s) て". Hikaru Hikky will instruct in both Japanese and English!

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/29/-virtual-bilingual-yoga-during-lunchtime

Karate Exercise: 礼 {rei)1-18-2023

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2023-01-18 | Happy New Year! Here is the first Karate Exercise of 2023! Take 15 minutes to exercise with Shohei Yamamoto from Kyokushin Karate of Los Angeles who will guide you through a set of beginner-level karate exercises in English. He will also introduce the kanji word for January: “礼 (rei)”, which means bow showing gratitude and respect. Osu!

More details about the program
jflalc.org/event-details.php/28/-virtual-karate-exercise-during-lunchtime

Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl from the beach 12-28- 22

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2022-12-28 | Happy Holidays! Today's Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl is a recorded session from the beach. Have a refreshing meditation with the sound of waves!

The singing bowl used for this session harmoniously combines the healing qualities of the Tibetan singing bowl and its Japanese traditional singing bowl. Relax and feel your stress dissipate into thin air as the sounds of the singing bowl lead you into a meditative state.
Instructor: Yuki Uwasawa

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/16/-virtual-meditation-with-japanese-singing-bowl

Webinar - Exploring Mindfulness & Wellness Through Japanese Food Culture

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2022-12-27 | Japan is an island nation stretching over 1700 miles long, from north to south. Most areas have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, producing an abundance of fresh seasonal food ingredients. For centuries, Japanese food culture and diet has been enhanced by leveraging the vast diversity of local ingredients, including fermented foods. The words “Itadakimasu” and “gochisousama” are customary phrases people say before and after a meal to pay respect and appreciation for the life (food) that we receive, and to the people who prepare the meal. In this webinar Mayuko Okai, a registered dietitian, will talk about the secrets of Japanese food culture that nourishes our body and mind by featuring the following topics:
• Eating with intention & gratitude
• Exploring mindful eating in the modern age
• Traditional fermentation practice
• Japanese grandmother's food wisdom
• Cultivating a gentle relationship with food and your body

Bilingual Yoga: Improve your metabolism 12-21-2022

Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 2022-12-21 | Happy Wellness Wednesday! Today's Bilingual Yoga goal will be “Improve your metabolism”. The Japanese word you will learn in the session is “koshi” (こし), the word for lower back. Hikaru Hikky will instruct in both Japanese and English!

More details:
jflalc.org/event-details.php/29/-virtual-bilingual-yoga-during-lunchtime