March 27, 2013: Japan Night with the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre

Attention Toronto-area sports fans!!  The Canada Japan Society, JAVA, JCSA, and JETAA are proud to present JAPAN NIGHT with the Toronto Raptors!  Come watch the Toronto Raptors take on the Atlanta Hawks at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 7:00 pm. 

We have special discounted tickets for the event, which includes a 30 minute post-game Taiko (Japanese drum) concert by Nagata Shachu (www.nagatashachu.com). Please join us at the Air Canada Centre for a fun-filled evening of basketball and drums!

Tickets are easy to purchase. Simply go to www.raptors.com/ticketpass and enter the special offer code: JAPAN  

Ticket Options:
Balcony $16 (regular price $26)
Lower Bowl Endzone $46 (regular price $68.25)
Tickets are limited so please get yours as soon as possible! 

Those interested in additional options regarding seating can contact atiq.ahmed@mlse.com for more information.

JAPAN NIGHT w/ the Toronto Raptors
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
7 PM start
Air Canada Centre
40 Bay St.
Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2X2

April 6, 2013: "ODORI NI TEN" - Japanese music, dance and CD release concert

In a collaboration only possible in this post-modern era of globalization and in a multi-cultural city like Toronto, dancers specializing in Japanese, Indian and Spanish dance will perform to original compositions by one of this city's foremost performers of Japanese folk music. On April 6, 2013, ODORI NI TEN presents an exciting performance of music and dance influenced by the vibrant global village in which the artists find themselves.

Aki Takahashi, the founder of the traditional Japanese music group TEN TEN, has composed her latest pieces in collaboration with four Japanese dancers who draw inspiration from widely varying cultures: Kayo Yasuhara, the celebrated traditional dance artist from Montreal; Kiyo Asaoka who has dedicated herself to Flamenco since 1999; and Hiroshi Miyamoto, an internationally celebrated choreographer whose wide range of influences include Indian forms of dance.

The dancers will perform to music by TEN TEN, consisting of Takahashi on shamisen, taiko and vocals, and Heidi Chan on flute, vocals, percussion and taiko. This performance also celebrates the release of TEN TEN's second CD, entitled Ko-Banashi (short stories).

This event is presented by Nagata Shachu (www.nagatashachu.com) with support from the Ontario Arts Council.

Tickets are $22 in advance, $15 for students & seniors, and $25 at the door.  To purchase tickets, call the Robert Gill Theatre box office at 416-978-7986 (Mon to Fri, 1 to 5pm) or online via tenten.brownpapertickets.com.  For more information about this great event, please visit www.tentencanada.com and view the promo video.

ODORI NI TEN
April 6, 2013 at 8pm
Robert Gill Theatre
214 College Street, Toronto
Tickets: $22 advance / $15 students & seniors / $25 at door
www.tentencanada.com

March 1-31, 2013: Balloons of Colorful Hopes

The "Balloons of Colorful Hopes Exhibit", proudly sponsored by Shiseido (Canada) Inc., has come to Canada for the first time and is on display during the month of March at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. 

On March 11, 2011, Japan’s Tohoku region was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Fukushima experienced unprecedented damage from this earthquake and the resulting nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric’s No.1 Fukushima power plant. Almost two years later, there is still a long road to recovery. As of December 2012, 150,000 people were still forced to live as evacuees outside of Fukushima.

As part of their social action programs to support the future of the devastated Fukushima area, Shiseido and the Mainichi Newspaper co-organized the “Balloons of Colorful Hopes Exhibit,” held in December 2012 in Fukushima.

Elementary school children from Fukushima sent in drawings of “my future self” and essays on “my plan to make the adult(s) I love more beautiful.” Shiseido’s hair and makeup artists and creators turned these drawings and essays into fun posters.  The result is an exhibit worth visiting -  the thought of many Canadians viewing these posters in the gallery is sure to make the children of Fukushima smile.

Admission is FREE.  For more information, please visit the exhibit website.

BALLOONS OF COLORFUL HOPES
March 1-31, 2013
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
6 Garamond Court, Toronto
FREE admission

March 7, 2013: March Ichimoku-kai features a Japanese & English book swap

Those hardy souls who braved a snowstorm to attend February's Ichimoku-kai (IMK) proved that nothing will get in the way of a fun evening of cultural exchange, Japanese food and drink, door prizes and good fun!!  March's IMK at Manpuku on Thursday, March 7 will feature the return of our popular Japanese & English book swap, so there will be yet another reason to come!  

How does the book swap work?  Simply bring your unwanted Japanese or English books and trade them for others.  Any type of book is fine: textbooks, cookbooks, Manga, fiction, non-fiction, etc. There is no cost for the books, and anyone can take what they like.  (If you bring books and they remain unclaimed by the end of the evening, however, we would ask you to take them home with you as they cannot be left behind at Manpuku.)

Ichimoku-kai (IMK) literally means the “first Thursday meeting” and since 1995 it has been the Canada-Japan Society’s signature monthly social event, naturally taking place on the first Thursday of every month.  It is a great place to informally network, make new and interesting friends, practise your Japanese or English, and – most of all – have a good time!  Usually, half the attendees are Japanese and half are Canadian, all with an interest in or connection to Japan.  Attendees receive special food and drink discounts and have the chance to win some exciting door prizes.

We hope to see you there - and come early for a good seat!

ICHIMOKU-KAI

Thursday, March 7, 2013

6-10 pm

Manpuku Japanese Restaurant

105 McCaul Street

Units 29-31 (in the Village by the Grange building, south of the food court)

There is a $5 cover charge for non-CJS members. Discounts are available for groups of three or more people. Bonus this month: bring a book for the book swap and get in free!

Upcoming Arts Events at The Japan Foundation

Two great events are taking place at The Japan Foundation in early March.  As part of Spotlight Japan, The Japan Foundation will be presenting readings of two short, hilarious plays by Oriza Hirata (writer and director of Sayonara and I, Worker).  Featuring local actors and directors, these 30-minute plays will be read back-to-back, following by a Q&A session with the playwright.   It's a great opportunity to get a free taste of contemporary Japanese theatre featuring top local talent!  Readings will take place on Friday, March 1 at 4pm and Saturday, March 2 at 4pm at the Berkeley Street Theatre.  RSVP is required (call 416-368-3110 or click here.)  For more information about this event, click here.

Another Japan Foundation event is a talk and slide presentation about ceramic design by Yasuki Sakamoto: "Creativity at factory in designing ceramics for daily comfort".  This presentation will explore where inspirations for good design and award-winning products come from and how designers cope with the market's shifting interests and senses of convenience, among other topics.  This event (in Japanese with an English interpreter) will take place on Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 pm at The Japan Foundation, 131 Bloor Street West, 2nd floor of the Colonnade Building. RSVP is required (416-966-1600 x300 or click here.) For more information about this event, click here.