New Venue for Ichimokukai in the New Year!"

Ichimokukai, literally "First Thursday Meeting", is the Canada Japan Society's legendary social night, held on the first Thursday of every month.

We've been going strong for over 12 years with lots of great people, door prizes and food and drink specials. Whether you're interested in informal networking, practicing your English or Japanese, or just meeting others with a connection or interest in Japan, it's a fun time had by all.

We're proude to announce the start of new season with a new venue; IZAKAYA, on Front Street. We've got a private section, drink specials under $5, and 15% off mains from the menu....plus a dj for some background tunes.

Hope to see you there! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

This event is planned to start at 6:00 pm on Jan 3, 2008 at Izakaya.

Jeff Harju
Director
CJS

CJS Movie Night: AZUMI:

AZUMI: Makes Kill Bill look like Sesame Street

The Canada Japan Society is proud to present a screening of another action-packed film by the director of “Versus”, Ryuhei Kitamura! Our heroine, Azumi is one of ten specially trained assassins who has to help stop a plot to oust Tokugawa Ieyasu from power in 16th century Japan. If you love swordplay and ninja action then this is the film for you!

Date: Friday, December 14, 2007
Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location: National Film Board Theatre
Street: 150 John Street
City/Town: Toronto, ON

Bonenkai: December 6, from 6:00 pm

The Canada Japan Societyt is pleased to invite you to join us at Mochizuki Restaurant on Thursday December 6, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. onward for our annual Bonenkai to celebrate the end of another successful year.

Mochizuki is located at 655 Bay Street (at the corner of Bay Street and Elm Street). The cost of admission is fifteen dollars for members, and twenty dollars for non-members.
Please email jeff@cjst.org to confirm your attendance.

All About Lily Chou-Chou

The Canada Japan Society is proud to present a screening of Shunji Iwai’s 2001masterpiece “All About Lily Chou-Chou”, a brutal tale of teenaged isolation, bullying, and fan obsession, Iwai tells the story of high school students trying to transcend their troubled lives through their worship of the fictional pop icon, Lily Chou-Chou. Shot luminously on digital video and featuring the music of Claude Debussy this is a film not onlt for lovers of Japanese cinema, but of cinema period!

Admission: $8.00 ($5.00 for CJS members)
Friday, November 16, 2007
7:00pm - 9:30pm
National Film Board Theatre
150 John Street
Toronto, ON

Post party will be at Everest Café 224 QUEEN ST W

Email: jeff@cjst.org

"Changing Japan - Looking back and looking ahead"

An Event Not to be Missed!

Kick off event for a new Japan-Canada business speaker series
co-hosted by the JCCC and the CJS of Toronto

"Changing Japan - Looking back and looking ahead
An evening with Robert Ulmer "

The Canada Japan Society of Toronto and the JCCC are pleased to present the first of a business speaker series - an evening with Robert Ulmer, a respected expert on Japan. He will present his views on the changes Japan has been going through and the changes Japan will continue to experience. If you are interested in Japan and in Canada-Japan relations, this is one event you cannot miss!

Robert Ulmer is one of the founding members of the Canada Japan Society of Toronto and is presently representing the Government of Ontario in Japan as Counselor of Ontario International Marketing Centre at the Embassy of Canada in Japan. He was formerly with Scotiabank and with JETRO.

DATE: Thursday, November 8th
TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
PLACE: JCCC (6 Garamond Court, Toronto)
FEE: $10.00
Light refreshments will be served

Please RSVP to 416-441-2345 by Friday, Nov. 2.

The Toronto Japanese Short Film Festival

This is the fifth year of the festival which presents innovative short films highlighting contemporary Japanese culture.

The festival is held at:
Innis Town Hall,
2 Sussex Avenue @ St. George Street (one block south of Bloor)

Dates & Screening Times
Thu, Nov. 8th - 6:30pm, 8:15pm
Fri, Nov. 9th - 6:30pm, 8:15pm, 10:00pm
Sat, Nov. 10th - 4:45pm, 6:30pm, 8:15pm, 10:00pm Sun, Nov. 11th - 6:30pm

Ticket Information

Single Ticket: $7 in advance, $10 at the door
5 Screenings Pass: $27 in advance, $35 at the door
Closing Party: $10 in advance

Advance Tickets are on sale now at
Queen Video (480 Bloor St. W. & 412 Queen St. W.) Little Tokyo (199 Augusta Ave.) SANKO (730 Queen St. W.)

A complete schedule and description of each film is available on the festival web site at http://www.tjsff.ca

The Reel Asian Film Festival

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and. Works include films and videos by East and Southeast Asian artist in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world. Of special note to Japanese Film fans is their closing night film: “SAKURAN” (2007) by Mika Ninagawa.

November 14-18
Various Locations
Film schedules can be found here: http://www.reelasian.com/schedule.php
Ticket information can be found here: http://www.reelasian.com/boxoffice/

The Canada Japan Society is co-presenting a special party during the festival:
Canadian Filmmakers Party: Lightning Doodle Project
Nov 15 2007, 8:30pm
SPIN Gallery, 1100 Queen Street West, 2nd Floor
Details here: http://www.reelasian.com/party.php?party_id=16

For more information on either of the festivals, please visit their websites or don’t hesitate to contact me. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Jeff Harju
jeff@cjst.org

KAIRO (PULSE) directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

The Canada-Japan Society is proud to present a special screening of the original J-horror classic,  Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Kairo (Pulse)'.  After discovering a mysterious site online a group of young men and women begin to suspect that something very strange is going on on the internet, but when people  suddenly start disappearing, could this 'haunting' herald the end of the world?

The screening will be followed by food and drink at the Sushi Queen on Queen West near University. Admission only $8.00 ($5.00 CJS Members)

This event is set for 7:00 pm on Friday, October 19, 2007 at the National Film Board Theatre, 150 John Street.

Space is limited so please RSVP to jeff@cjst.org

CJS Movie Night and Reception

The CJS, as the opening night of our 2007/2008 Movie Night season, proudly presents Noburo Yamashita's 2005 hit "Linda, Linda, Linda".

This warm hearted high school flick is a tale of friendship, teen-age life and rock and roll. Fun for all!

As part of our opening night festivites the movie will be followed by a reception including complimentary Japanese food and drinks. For those still in the mood to party, the reception will be followed by a post-post party at Sushi Queen.

Whether you're into movies, music, or just fun...c'mon out and enjoy meeting new people and those with an interest/connection to Japan.

Date: Friday, September 21, 2007
Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm
Location: National Film Board Theatre
Street: 150 John Street
City/Town: Toronto, ON

CJS Members $15
Non-Members $20
(price includes the film and reception with complimentary Japanese food and beverages)

Space is limited so please RSVP to jeff@cjst.org

Trailer can be found here (sorry for the subtitles): http://youtube.com/watch?v=77qEXU378YI

Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees

Every summer, the CJS offers special-price tickets to several Toronto Blue Jays games featuring Japanese players. On July 22nd, we gleefully watched the Jays trounce the Seattle Mariners by a score of 8-0!

Next up, we have Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui and the New York Yankees coming to town on Thursday, September 13th. Matsui, currently batting .301, plays left field, and the CJS has scored a limited number of field-level baseline seats right in front of him. These great tickets are being offered at a 40% discount – that’s a $34 ticket being offered for $21. Don’t miss out on this deal.


EVENT DETAILS:

Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees
Thursday, September 13, 2007 at 7:07 p.m.
Rogers Centre
Tickets: $21 (regularly $34)

To obtain your tickets:
1) Contact Ken Bole at: ken@cjst.org to reserve your tickets;
2) Purchase your reserved tickets at the September Ichi-Moku-Kai (Sept. 6). If you need to make alternate arrangements for ticket purchase, please ask Ken. CASH ONLY, please.


Regards,

Linda Adachi
CJS Communications Director
http://canadajapansociety.blogspot.com/

CJS Nihongo Lessons

Click the link above to hear Eiko teach Ken some Japanese for business!

1. ohisashiburidesu
= It has been a while (since we saw each other last)
- Used when people have not seen each other for a while.

2. okawari gozaimasenka
= How have you been? (Have there been changes?)
This phrase, I think, covers two areas in its implications. Remember
Japanese language is generally vague in meanings ;-)
(1) If there have been any changes or happenings in the person's life in
general.
(2) If there have been any changes in the person's health.

CJS Business Luncheon

The Canada-Japan Society (Toronto) and McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP were pleased to present a special lunch-hour lecture by Koichi Kawakami, Consul-General of Japan. The session was well attended by a cross section of both Canadian and Japanese business representatives. The CJS thanks Consul General Kawakami for his informative and thought provoking lecture, and McMillan Binch Mendelsohn once again for their generosity and support. Pictured above: CJS Director Don Waters and CG Kawakami.

June 15th: Samurai Rebellion

On Friday, June 15th, the CJS presents the final screening of its 2006-2007 Movie Nights series.

Samurai Rebellion is a classic! The great Toshiro Mifune stars as Isaburo Sasahara, an aging swordsman (and hen-pecked husband) living a quiet life until his clan lord orders that his son marry the lord’s mistress. Reluctantly, father and son take in the woman, and, to the family’s surprise, the young couple fall in love. But the lord soon reverses his decision and demands the mistress’s return. Against all expectations, Isaburo and his son refuse, risking the destruction of their entire family. Samurai Rebellion is the gripping story of a peaceful man who finally decides to take a stand against injustice. Interestingly, the literal translation of the Japanese film title, Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu, is “Rebellion: Receive the Wife”.

Click on the link to read film critic Donald Richie’s essay on Samurai Rebellion :

You are cordially invited to a special reception after the film, to celebrate the end of another successful season of CJS’s Movie Nights. Drinks and Japanese food will be offered.

EVENT DETAILS:

Samurai Rebellion (1967, 121 minutes)
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa

Friday, June 15, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. (please note the early start time)
National Film Board Theatre
150 John Street (@ Richmond)

$15 for CJS members, $20 for guests (admission includes film and reception)

Please RSVP to: jeff@cjst.org

After the post-screening reception, please join us at Sushi Queen, 204 Queen Street West for an “after-after-party” (sometime around 10:00 p.m.).

Hope to see you at the screening! Regards,

Linda Adachi
CJS Communications Director

July 22: Blue Jays Vs Seattle Mariners!

The Canada Japan Society has once again scored great baseline seats at a 40% discount for our members. Game starts at 1:00 pm on a summer Sunday afternoon. If you would like tickets to this game, email: ken@cjst.org. Supplies limited, so don't wait. Tickets will be handed out at CJS Film Night June 15th, or by special arrangement. Come and join the gang!

Another Succesful AGM!

Canada Japan Society 2007 Board of Directors:
From left to right: Don Waters; Jeff Harju; Ken Bole; Linda Adachi; Eiko Shaul; Sonia Cardillo; Atiq Ahmed; Lisa Huston (Missing from photo: John LeBlanc; Chi Diep; Fumiko Shiba)

President's Post: May 30, 2007

As a board member of the CJS for more than 10 years, I have a strong and deeply felt commitment to this wonderful organization, and it is with great pleasure that this year I take on the challenge of serving as your president. I believe that with this board of directors, working as a team, and with the support of our current and potential members, we can together make the CJS the envy of other volunteer organizations. It is my hope, with your help and encouragement, to increase our membership by making better use of the internet to promote the CJS, and offering even more events throughout the year. Please do your part to encourage friends to join and come out to our events so that we can continue to be a friendly, helpful, fun and informative organization.

Ken Bole
Canada Japan Society President

CJS Board of Directors 2007

Ken Bole, President
Ken first went to Japan as an ESL teacher in 1984 on a one-way ticket out of Vancouver, and a large part of him never left. He's still affiliated with the same educational services company that hired him over 20 years ago, and has been operating his own Canada-Japan educational company for almost fifteen years. Ken, a Board member since 1998, is a collector of Beat literature, as well as a photographer. His latest passion is podcasting.

John Le Blanc, Vice-President
John has been involved with the CJS since 1995, when he was seconded to Mitsubishi Corporation from his law firm. Working in a Japanese environment rekindled his interest in Japan, where he resided from 1988 to 1991 as an English teacher. John became a Board member in 1996, and served as President from 1999 to 2002. He continues to be active on the Board as Vice-President. John currently works as senior in-house legal counsel for a bank. For fun, he finds ways to get out of the city and either sip beer on the dock in Muskoka, or ride the hills of Collingwood on his snowboard - the seasons decide.

Lisa Houston, Treasurer
Lisa's connection to Japan started in primary school when her father accepted a teaching position at a Kansai university. She attended the same school as an exchange student while doing her B.A. at the University of Toronto, but strangely, did not pick up much Kansai-ben. From 1997 to 1999, Lisa participated in U of T's Work in Japan Program, working at a Tokyo law firm then known as Hamada & Matsumoto. A long-time member of CJS, Lisa works as a lawyer at a downtown firm. She enjoys travelling, photography, karaoke and home renovation projects. Her favourite food is okonomiyaki, prepared just the way she likes it.

Linda Adachi, Communications Director
Roko, born in Saitama-ken, moved to Canada with her family and renamed herself Linda (embarrassingly, after the singer Yamamoto Linda). She first encountered the CJS in 2000 when she wrote an article about the organization in The New Canadian; she started editing the CJS newsletter soon afterwards, and is now also responsible for emailing members, as well as overseeing the website and sitting on the Film Committee. Linda works in policy and communications for a large pension fund. In her spare time she listens to sad-bastard music, tries to quit smoking, and practices the faster forms of yoga. Her cooking skills are better than her karaoke skills.

Sonia Cardillo, Membership Director
Sonia was just another unsuspecting gaijin, minding her own business, when former Board member Annette Goulin started inviting her to CJS events. Before she knew it, Sonia found herself elected to the Board in 2005 as Membership Director. She is an active supporter of CJS events, especially IMK and Movie Night. Sonia works as a senior corporate law clerk for the Asia Pacific group of a top-tier law firm. In her spare time, she likes spinning to cool music, skiing, and travelling.

Jeff Harju, Social Director
Jeff joined the CJS in 1999, and is the current Ichimoku-kai (IMK) Director, as well as Chair of the Film Committee. He spent his four years in Japan in both Kawasaki and Yokohama, developing a taste for kaiten-sushi, sake, shochu, and mahjong. Jeff is a marketing specialist, and devotes most of his spare time to his love of music, movies, and bettering Canada-Japan relations.

Eiko Shaul, Business Director
Eiko is a lapsed member of CJS - she was a member when the organization was known as CJST. She took time off to concentrate on running her own business for a while, but she missed the people and the camaraderie enjoyed among them and came back to the organization. Coincidentally, she has discovered Haruki Murakami and has become a fan of his novels. She has also discovered the joy of discovering Japanese movies that are mostly not mainstream in North America at the once a month CJS movie night. By joining the board, Eiko is hoping to plan some business events that would be of interest to Canadian and Japanese businesses.


Chi Diep, Secretary
Chi, a Board member since 2003, is responsible for ordering all the wonderful food for CJS events; she is also a member of the Film Committee. Chi spent two years in Japan as a JET teacher, and learned to love natto. She's a power-shopper who can tell you where to get the best deals on everything from Japanese thermal reconditioning to designer socks. Chi works as a student services officer at a college, and is currently studying sign language in her spare time.

Don Waters, Director
Don Waters began his connection with Japan in 1993 working in Ibaraki-ken as an English teacher. He returned to Tokyo in 1996 to do a legal clerkship at a Japanese law firm. Don is currently a lawyer specializing in corporate finance, and is a member of his firm's Japan practice group. He joined the CJS in 2000 as a member of the Business Committee, and joined the Board in 2003. Don is an avid hockey player in the winter, and enjoys spending the summer months in his garden.

Fumiko Shiba, Director
Fumiko was born in Wakayama-ken, raised in Bangkok, and spent four years in Tokyo at Sophia University. She is currently trying to retire from her day job at a bank. Fumiko enjoys reading detective stories, and she's an ardent supporter of the arts (particularly the symphony and ballet). She is a member of Seicho-No-Ie. Fumiko joined the CJS 15 years ago. She hopes that more Japanese people will become actively involved in making CJS the important and wonderful organization that it is.

Atiq Ahmed, Director
Atiq worked in Japan from 1995 to 2002 as a JET teacher, living in Tottori-ken, Osaka, and Yokohama. Since his return to Canada he has been an active member of the Japanese Canadian community, through his participation with the Japanese Visitors Association (JAVA), Toronto Japanese Language School, and JET Alumni Association. Atiq has been a CJS member since 2002, and joined the Board in 2004. Atiq currently works for a training and development firm. Much of his spare time is spent at ice hockey rinks, soccer pitches or the karate dojo.


2005 Board of Directors

4th Annual Start-of-Summer Boat Cruise

7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
(boarding between 6:30 p.m. and 6:58 p.m.)
Pier 27 (on Queen's Quay, at Yonge)

Admission: $15 (restricted to those 19+; ID required)
- Snack (chicken or vegetarian wrap)
- DJ & dancing
- Cash bar

To reserve tickets:
1) RSVP to Jeff Harju: jeff@cjst.org
2) Purchase your reserved tickets at one of these CJS events: IMK on May 3rd, or Movie Night on May 18th.

Canada Japan Society AGM

Our Annual General Meeting will be held at 6 pm on May 30, 2007 at the offices of McMillan Binch, BCE Place, Suite 4400
Bay Wellington Tower, 181 Bay Street. This si the perfect opportunity to renew your membership, and vote in the new Board of Directors. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

Japanese Lesson: Test

Click to listen to our Japanese lessons:.

Japanese Lesson: Test

CJS Movie Nights

As part of our mandate to enhance understanding of Canada-Japan relations, the CJS screens a Japanese or Japan-related film on the third Friday of every month. We are fortunate to have the NFB Cinema as our venue: it is a comfortable screening room on the second floor of the National Film Board of Canada, located in the heart of the entertainment district at John and Richmond.

We present a wide range of Japanese films, from the classics to the latest in comedy, drama, action, and horror. The feature film is often preceded by an NFB-produced short film, such as "Ryan," the 2005 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film. We have also shown some classic short films by NFB legends such as Norman MacLaren.

Several times a season, the CJS holds a post-screening reception featuring drinks and Japanese food. These receptions provide an ideal opportunity for the audience to discuss the film with fellow viewers, in a relaxed social setting.

The Movie Nights are presented for you, the CJS members. We value your comments and suggestions; your feedback assists us in programming future films.

If there is a particular Japanese or Japan-related film that you think might be suitable for a future Movie Night screening, please let us know. And if you could let us know where we could rent an authentic DVD (Region 1 format) of the film for screening purposes, it would be very helpful.

Please contact the CJS Film Committee at: jeff@cjst.org or linda@cjst.org

Member Feedback

This section is reservd for CJS members to post comments, ask questions, make suggestions, and help us make the Canada-Japan Society serve you better!

CJS Membership Information

CJS Membership Information
The CJS Membership Application/Renewal/Change of Information Form is
available here. You can either mail the form to the CJS address, or bring it with you to a
CJS event.

Membership Benefits
CJS members are entitled to:

Admission to CJS events at a reduced Member's Rate
Free admission to Ichimoku-kai, our monthly social gathering
Regular e-mail alerts to keep you up to date on upcoming CJS events
Admission to the CJS Annual General Meeting
Membership Rates
The Society depends on membership dues to support its activities. CJS membership dues are applied almost exclusively to its activities. Administrative costs are minimal, while activity levels are high, due to the exclusively volunteer basis of the organization. A volunteer organization such as the CJS is the result of the efforts of our members, both past and present. If you are not yet a member, your participation would be greatly appreciated.
Individual $40
Family $50
Student / Senior $20
Corporate
(up to 10 people) $350

Message from the CJS Membership Director
The Canada-Japan Society of Toronto (CJS) is a group of people
interested in Canada, Japan, and the Canada-Japan relationship. The
CJS is unique in having members that represent a wide spectrum of
backgrounds, and its events reflect this richness.

As the Director in charge of memberships, I look forward to welcoming
new members and reviewing comments and suggestions from our members.
Our goal is to keep the CJS vibrant and to keep its events relevant,
interesting and enjoyable for our members. Please feel free to
contact me at membership@cjst.org if you have any questions or comments.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our current
members for your participation and contribution to our Society. I look
forward to seeing you at many future CJS events.

Sincerely,

Sonia Cardillo
CJS Membership Director
membership@cjst.org

About the CJS

Vision Statement
To be the most effective, energetic group in Metropolitan Toronto dedicated to building an understanding between Japan and Canada.

Mission Statement
The Canada-Japan Society of Toronto (CJS) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities to enhance understanding of Japan, Canada and Canada-Japan relations.

Established in 1981, the Society continues to be impartial and accessible, welcoming a wide spectrum of members from various backgrounds who hve a knowledge of, or interest in, Japan. Both individual and organizational/corporate memberships are available.

The Society holds frequent high quality events that include speakers on business, political, intellectual and cultural topics; organizes cultural, social and other functions; publishes a quarterly newsletter and offers occasional prizes and awards. The exchange of information and ideas is encouraged.

Organizational Structure
CJS is governed by a president and a Board of Directors, who are nominated from the general membership and elected at the Annual General Meeting to a one-year term.

Affiliations
The CJS is a member of the Japanese and Canadian Network Oganization.