Adventures in Jamblini
On May 5, which is Children's Day in Japan, there will be a musical for children performed at Capio. The musical is called "Adventures in Jamblini" and the main characters are played by children.
The musical is in Japanese, but if you read the synopsis (see below), it should be fairly easy to understand what is going on. The performance involves acting, singing, and dancing, so it should be fun for both children and adults to watch.
(By the way, a certain regular contributor to TsukuBlog will be appearing the show as "Queen Shule". Look closely at the second page of the pamphlet and you may spot her!)
Event: Adventures in Jamblini
Date: May 5, 2009
Times: 2pm and 5:30pm (two shows)
Place: Tsukuba Capio (map)
Tickets: JHS students and younger: 1300 yen, HS students 1800 yen, Adults 2200 yen
Tickets are available online or by contacting me (Shaney).
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Adventures in Jamblini - Synopsis
The play opens up at a juku (cram school) where parents are being lectured on the importance of having their children enter a good school. At this particular juku, the head teacher has decided to offer "24-hour cram sessions" and the parents decide that they need to send their children to these sessions in order to secure their future.
The kids go to one of these cram sessions and are on their way home when they meet up with one of their friends, Cook. Cook doesn't attend juku, so she has missed her friends over the past 24 hours. She tries to get them to play with her, but everyone is too tired or too busy to comply. She finally convinces one of the kids to start playing janken (rock, paper, scissors) and that finally wakens the need in all the kids to start playing. Janken turns into tag, and soon all of the kids are remembering how much fun it is to play. Finally, the kids come upon an open manhole and decide to explore what is inside.
What the kids don't realize is that on the other side of the manhole is a whole other kingdom, Jamblini! When we first see Jamblini, we meet the Witch and her apprentices. The Witch is a proud, vengeful woman who has placed a spell on the peaceful inhabitants of Jamblini. Time has been stopped in the kingdom and all of its citizens are frozen in time.
However, all is not lost! When the kids come through the manhole, they sing a song that contains a magic word ("waku waku") that breaks the Witch's spell and frees the citizens of Jamblini and their queen, Shule. The Queen and her subjects are very grateful to the children. However, they have to deliver some bad news: the roads in Jamblini are all ONE WAY! So the kids have to travel all the way through the kingdom in order to get back to the manhole and escape.
The Witch is not going to be happy when she learns that the children have broken her spell. She is going to try to stop the kids with all of her powers. Queen Shule decides to help the kids by giving them some "Queen Dust" that will make a victim laugh for 10 minutes straight if exposed to it. She also tells them to call for her magic mice in a BIIIIIIIIIG voice if they need help. The mice are sure to come running!
Armed with the Queen Dust and Shule's advice, the kids go on their way. At first they are reluctant to go, but then they realize that they all have to work together to get back to the manhole. The Witch and her apprentices do indeed have their fun with the children -- trying to freeze them cold and blocking their way with fire -- but the kids do their best to work together to get past these obstacles and (spoiler alert) find their way back home.
The kids -- and their parents -- learn through these adventures that they should not spend all of their time studying. Play time is important too, and the kids can learn many important things through playing with their peers. One of the most important things that kids can learn is how to work together to accomplish their goals and get what they want out of life.
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For more information about the play and Gekidan Kurie Tsukuba, the drama club that is performing the show, please see the club's website (in Japanese) or contact me.
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Argentina Day at University of Tsukuba
When:
May 29, Thursday, from 2:30pm to 5:00pm
Venue:
University of Tsukuba 30th Anniversary Hall
Program:
14:45
Welcoming address/ Palabras de bienvenida por autoridad de la Universidad.
14:55 to 15:25
Lecture by ambassador Daniel D. Polski/ Conferencia del Sr. Embajador de la Republica Argentina Daniel D.Polski
Lecture title: “Argentina‚ key drivers for sustainable economic development”/ “Argentina: Factores Claves del Desarrollo Económico Sustentable”
15:35 to 16:00
Argentina tango evening/ Demonstration and lesson by Luna de Tango Company, Demonstracion y clase de tango a cargo de “Luna de Tango Company.”
16:00 to 17:00
Social gathering/ Let’s talk about Argentine
Please contact Sugimoto at 029-853-6785
or visit the following page for details:
http://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/hall/20080521140055.html
Program:
http://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/up_pdf/20080521140055001.pdf
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BON Jour!
There is a beautiful full moon tonight. Just as it SHOULD be for the O-Bon festival, but RARELY IS. Since the Japanese have switched over from their old lunar based calendar in 1873, it has been very uncommon for the 15th of August (or July in Tokyo) to actually fall on the 15th of the lunar month (which is a full moon). This year is one of those rare years, and it has provided extra atmosphere to the various BON related events going on tonight around Japan. These are mostly BON-ODORI community dance events. Until the early decades of the 20th century, BON-ODORI were danced in most communities around here, but were most famous (for their bacchanalia) on Mt. Tsukuba. For some reason ALL of these dance events including those on the mountain have gone the way of the Japanese ibis (toki), and by that I mean "disappeared". Maybe it was the BAWDINESS of the Tsukuba-san events which lead to their doom (after the puritan western influence of the Meiji years)?
There was an interesting event which took place tonight that included Bon dancing, as well as professional Enka entertainment and a unique rain invocation ceremony. I'm talking about the Karakasa-Mando at Niihari's Washi Shrine. I have been there before but unfortunately could not make it today (even though I came back from Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine today intending to go to Niihari). It is a perfect place to experience a small village summer festival, swarthy night-air with the girls in colorful yukata, lots of food stalls, festival music (hayashi) and plenty of speeches.
My first time at that event I had really wanted to get a good seat for watching the Karakasa, a kind of giant tanabata decoration, which when lit, sizzles like a roman candle. I found a good spot, sat down, and waited for the big moment. I waited and waited, in the dark. My eyes grew accustomed the lack of light and my pupils probably expanded to there limit. When the fuse was finally lit and the Karakasa burst into life, I was completely and painfully BLINDED. After the few seconds it took to adjust my eyes, the Karakasa had burned itself out. I didn't see anything! I could do nothing but laugh at the absurdity of having waited so long in anticipation. If you want to have a look (and listen) though, see this page.
As I said before I spent the day (as I usually do on August 15th) at controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where tens of thousands passed through in the PULVERIZING HEAT to pay their respects to the soldiers who have fallen in Japan's wars since the Meiji Restoration (1868), with special emphasis on WWll, since it was on this day that that war ended.
I have many amazing things to tell and lots of pictures as well, but its been a very long day and you probably don't want to hear about it until tomorrow.
OYASUMI
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Contemporary dance performances today and tomorrow
I’m sorry for short notice, but Contemporary Dance Performances by the members of Contemporary Dance Association of Japan will be held in Tokyo tonight and tomorrow night. One of the performers, Yuriko Arima teaches dance in Tsukuba. She offers lessons in English for those who don't speak Japanese. It doesn't look like it's been updated for a while, but here's her dance studio website: R Dance Club
2007 時代を創る 現代舞踊公演
(Direct translation would be something like “Contemporary Dance Performances that shape the time 2007” )
September 4, Tuesday and 5, Wednesday
Doors open at 6:30pm, and performances begin at 7:00pm
Venue:Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space Medium Hall (English)
Tickets: 3500yen
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Dancers, Musicians and Artists Converge On Rustic Chestnut Farm for Unique HAPPENING inspired by Fashion Designer`s Latest Works
Mako Karasawa Improvising among the reeds
A drive to Chiyoda-village, just North-East of Tsukuba City, is a journey to the HEART of the OLD RURAL JAPAN of our imaginations. With a high percentage of its farmhouses still of traditional design, many featuring spectacular gates and storehouses, and scenery dotted with rustic shrines, temples and sacred stones ( including the mysterious rock carvings- The Magai Butsu 摩崖仏), this area, now part of Kasumigaura City, makes for a delightful day-trip at any time of year. In autumn though, with its high blue skies, musky air and ideal temperatures, it can be absolutely DELICIOUS.
This weekend ( oct 17-18th 2009), might prove to be the perfect time to make the short trip to Chiyoda ( a mere 30 minutes from central Tsukuba). Besides the predicted fine weather and the roadside stands which should be teeming with the bounty of the areas numerous orchards ( you can also do some fruit picking- persimons , chestnuts, pears...) , there will be an Multi-Media ARTS HAPPENING involving dance, music and fashion design , held on the grounds of a CHESTNUT FARM, which might prove to be the EVENT OF THE SEASON.
Tomorrow ( Saturday the 17th), choreographer and dance artist Mako Karasawa, will be leading a troupe of 5 dancers from around Japan in two sets of improvised performance pieces which will generate out of the synthesized guitar musings of Thomas Mayers, and the WEARABLE WORKS of fashion artist Hatsumi Yoshida.
Yoshida-San creates her unique pieces in Bali, using local materials. Anyone familiar with Japanese culture, from The Tale of Genji ( with its amazingly detailed and frequent descriptions of textiles) to the Harajuku-Shibuya scene ( where young people strut their stuff in the most eye-catching of original outfits) knows that Japanese culture has a flair, or I should say GENIUS for clothing design ( just look at how many Japanese dominate the world of high fashion). Ms. Yoshida fits firmly within this tradition, and a look at her new creations should prove surprising.
Mako Karasawa and Thomas Mayers Outside an old storehouse in Chiyoda
One person excited by these unique wearable creations is Mako Karasawa, a truly dedicated and very talented dancer and choreographer, who is always trying to reach new levels of beauty and expressiveness through the use of movement (as well as stillness). Putting on the fabrics has inspired her not only to move in still newer , fresher, ways, but to assemble a group of other professional dancers who join her for the event. Both Mako, and guitarist Thomas Mayers are skilled and seasoned improvisors who always give you EVERYTHING THEY`VE GOT, so one should expect powerful and exciting performances.
All this should be intensified by the setting of the old chestnut farm!
The first piece will begin at 11am, and the second at 3:30
Here are some more details
Clothing by Hatsumi Yoshida
Musical improvisation by Thomas Mayers
Dance improvisation by Masae Karasawa, Tsukuba; Yuri Nakajima,Niigata;
Sawako Takimoto, Chiba; Rika and Rie Saito, Saitama
The location is at: Shimaki Noen in Kasumigaura Shi (formerly Chiyoda
Mura), a chestnut farm in the old style. The event will be held
outside but in the event of inclement weather will move into an
old Ishi-Kura (stone warehouse).
Google Map Link:
Check out some rehearsal footage at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em5XA_MSAfw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9sI9WSb9hY
And for more of what Ive written about Chiyoda:
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