“Strawberry Shortcakes"

The Canada Japan Society’s 2010 – 2011 season of Movie Nights resumes on Friday, January 21st with a screening of the 2006 award-winner, “Strawberry Shortcakes.”

The film depicts four young women living in the Tokyo megalopolis, all grappling with issues of relationships and careers. While this plot may sound like a Japanese version of “Sex and the City,” it is anything but. There is comedy, but it’s interwoven with dark and somber drama; the film tackles themes of isolation and obsession with a deft, sensitive hand.

The story is based on the manga “Sweet Cream and Red Strawberries” by Kiriko Nananan, who also stars in the film as one of the lead characters.

Read the Midnight Eye review of the film:
http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/strawberry-shortcakes.shtml

Strawberry Shortcakes (2006, 127 minutes)

Director: Hitoshi Yazaki
Cast: Chizuru Ikewaki, Noriko Nakagoshi, Yuko Nakamura, Kiriko Nananan

Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
National Film Board Theatre, 2nd Floor
150 John Street (at Richmond)
CJS Members $5, Non-Members $10

As always, the screening will be followed by an after-party at Everest (232 Queen W.)

Hope to see you there!

Regards,

CJS Board of Directors

Community Event: Japan Canada Christmas Eve Party

For all of you with nothing to do in Toronto on Christmas Eve, come on out to the 2nd Annual Japan/Canada Christmas Eve Party! Join lots of folk from both Japan and Canada for an evening of dancing and fun in the heart of Kensington Market.

Friday, December 24th, 2010
9:00 pm to 2:00 am
Augusta House
152 Augusta Avenue, Kensington Market
Tickets: $10 at the door (includes one drink)

Furhter Details here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151674098214116

December 2nd, 2010: BONENKAI!

December is just around the corner and that means it’s time for the Canada Japan Society’s legendary BONENKAI celebration and party.

Bonenakai literally means “forget the year party” and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the end of another successful year and banish any negative memories you might have of 2010. The Canada Japan Society is building on our successful Bonenkai events of years past with this, our largest party of the year.

We would love to have you join this event and enjoy an evening of meeting new people with a connection/interest in Japan, reconnecting with those you haven’t seen for a while, informal networking, practicing your English and/or Japanese, learning more about the Canada Japan Society, and most of all…..have a great time.

This year we’re once again at the cozy confines of the sleek ALIO Wine Bar on Dundas Street West near Bay.

BONENKAI
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
ALIO Wine Bar
108 Dundas Street West (at Bay)

CJS Members and Students $15
Non-Members $20
Admission includes lots of great food and fun. Cash Bar.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, or for more information, PLEASE RSVP to jeff@cjst.org

November 26th, 2010 - The CJS Movie Night for November is "BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN; the Movie" 踊る大捜査線

For our November MOVIE NIGHT, The Canada Japan Society is proud to present the 1998 Blockbuster “Bayside Shakedown: the Movie”.

Based on the massive hit TV series Odoru Daisosasen the story and characters continue in this thrilling, funny and action packed look into life and politics in a big city police station. Three different stories are skilfully intertwined. First, the Tokyo police commissioner has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Second, a twisted killer uses an internet site to troll for victims. And, third, a thief is loose within the ranks of the police!

The star studded cast features Yûji Oda, Toshirô Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu and a host of others as officers fighting for justice and yet caught within the bureaucracy and red tape of the Japanese police force.

Come on out for an evening of fun and enjoy the film that started the movie franchise, spawning two sequels and two more spinoffs!

Bayside Shakedown; the Movie
Friday, November 26th
National Film Board Theatre, 2nd Floor
150 John Street (at Richmond)
7 p.m. start
CJS Members $5, Non-Members $10

Of course we will continue after the movie with our ever-popular post party at Everest as well. Hope you can come out for a night of good fun and film! Hope to see you there!

Community Event: April Bride at the Breast Fest Film Festival

There’s a great Japanese film playing in the 3rd annual Breast Fest Film Festival.

Chie (Nana Eikura) is a 'companion', a young woman hired to speak in a public-relations role at corporate events, who ends up in the wrong auditorium. There she encounters a young salaryman, Taro (Eita).

Their relationship proceeds quickly, and soon Taro is talking of marriage. Chie, however, is hiding something: she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
When chemotherapy causes her hair to fall out, she ends the relationship and moves away. Taro finds her after she has lost a breast to surgery; he insists that she is still the same person she was, and that his feelings have not changed. The two promise they will stay together no matter what happens.

The couple reunites, but then Chie's cancer comes back. Knowing that she has only a short time to live, Taro, her family, and her friends secretly plan a wedding...

April Bride (2009)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON
3 pm start
$10For more information or to order tickets please go here: http://www.breastfestfilmfest.com/about.shtml

The Breast Fest Film Festival uses the versatile medium of film to frame and explore the spectrum of issues surrounding breast cancer. This annual festival uses films, panels, workshops and speakers to connect people to the breast cancer cause, inspire dialogue, facilitate learning and foster community. Breast Fest is the world's first film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness and is an initiative of Rethink Breast Cancer. on