Behind the Scene – Stories from backstage
From shamisen concerts to international social research, the Japan Foundation’s activities span a wide range. We bring you a glimpse of the action backstage, the joys and pains that go into making these events happen, featuring stories that only staff members can tell, of episodes that could only happen in that particular corner of the world.
2011.12. 1
Otaku Fever at the Salón del Manga, Barcelona
Barcelona has an event of particular interest to Japanese people. It is the Salón del Manga, one of the largest otaku subculture festivals in the world, attracting almost 70,000 people during its four days and growing bigger each year.
2011.11.15
Beijing Center for Japanese Studies: Mid-term Report on Study Period in Japan
The Beijing Center for Japanese Studies is an educational and research institution established in 1985, through negotiations between the Japan Foundation and the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, for the purpose of developing human resources to promote Japanese language education and Japanese studies in China as well as cultural exchange with Japan. On June 17, a mid-term report on the study period in Japan was presented at the Japan Foundation Headquarters.
2011.11.15
The Kuromori Kagura Premieres in Moscow, Sending a Message of Recovery
The Kuromori Kagura is a distinctive traditional performing art that has been carried on since the Edo period. We asked the members of the Kuromori Kagura Hozonkai to visit Moscow because we were impressed by the spectacular intensity of their performance, and because this cultural heritage is rooted in the Tohoku area on Japan's northeast coast where the earthquake and tsunami struck in March 2011.
2011.11. 1
Message from Kuwait Book Fair: "I love Japan!!"
Japan exhibited at the Kuwait Book Fair for the first time in 2011, as the event marked its 36th year, and Japan and Kuwait celebrated 50 years of friendship. Local Japanophiles flock to the booth every year. The booth is especially popular with young people who are interested in the Japanese language and manga comics.
2011.9.15
What Can Art and Culture Do for Peacemaking?--Exploring the possibilities of collaboration between art, culture, and academia
The international symposium "Reflecting Conflicts Through Cultural Initiatives: Perspectives from Southeast Asia," co-hosted by the Goethe-Institut, the Japan Foundation and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, was held in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 18th and 19th, 2011.
2011.9.15
Paris: "Nobushi Japan" at the Homeless Soccer World Cup
It's the third time the Japanese team dubbed "Nobushi Japan" has participated in the Homeless World Cup, in which a total of 64 teams from countries around the world are taking part. The Japanese team is receiving a lot of attention, even though they've been suffering a series of major defeats. Everyone praises them for coming all the way from Japan to participate in spite of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
2011.9. 1
My Community and Cultural Diversity--"Kizuna" Project
The Japan Foundation and EUNIC Japan co-hosted a symposium and concert titled "Japan-Europe Kizuna Project--Embracing Solidarity and Diversity in Community." Speakers and panelists from Europe and Japan gathered in Tokyo, responding to a call to revive community bonds.
2011.8. 1
From the U.S. to Children in Japan: "Genki Mail (Hope Messages)" Delivered by Young American Journalists
As part of a program to support disaster reconstruction, the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership organized and carried out the "Genki Mail (Hope Messages)" project to serve as a bridge between areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the United States. Five people representing young U.S. journalists stayed in Japan from June 26 to July 4, 2011, and visited three disaster stricken areas--Kesennuma City and Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture and Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture--in addition to Tokyo and Kobe.
2011.7. 4
Craving for More―Are Japanese People Stricken by an Illness Called Extravagance?
A group of 26 youths from 14 countries and several staff members of the Japan Foundation visited a farming area in east Hokkaido as part of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program to study food problems.
2011.6.15
A Talk Session with NPO Fellows―in Hiroshima
"Many people mistook the initials NPO for PKO (Peace Keeping Operations) when nonprofit organizations first began to draw attention in Japan around 1998."
Back Issues
