Serge the Concierge

Poems and Card Games, 100 Wakas, Japanese New Year Traditions

Everything is not ephemeral as The Wonderful Worlds of 100 Wakas (Japan Times, December 30, 2012) by Stuart Varnam-Atkin proves.

Author reminds us that for 15 centuries people have beens writing 'poems of 5-7-5-7-7 syllabes each'.

One of the best known collections is "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu" that  overwhelmingly best-known "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu" anthology of 100 poems "compiled in Kyoto's Ogura district by Fujiwara no Teika (or Sadaie, 1162-1241)" writes Stuart Varnam-Atkin.

 
Hyakunin Isshu cards became base of Uta-garuta card games like 'Turn up the monk'.

These games and reading of poems are part of New Year's traditions in Japan.

100 Waka, Poems and Card Games for Tokyo Thursdays # 247

Previously:

Hitsumabushi, Grilled Eel Over Rice, a Favorite Dish of Aichi Prefecture, from Jetro Food Pages

(* Photo of Fujiwara No Teika's grave at Shokokuji cemetary in Tokyo taken by Reiji Yamashina and shared by him on Wikimedia)

Hitsumabushi, Grilled Eel Over Rice, a Favorite Dish of Aichi Prefecture, from Jetro Food Pages

According to the very official Jetro organization Food Pages which invites to discover regional cuisines of Japan, Hitsumabushi (Grilled Eel Over Rice) is a Favorite Dish of Aichi Prefecture.

Locals take a step by step approach to cooking and eating Hitsumabushi:

"Slow grilling a whole eel allows for the subtle flavors of the tender meat to merge perfectly with the savory and sweet aromas of simple ingredients. Locals make sure to partake of the dish in three distinct steps, first savoring the eel and rice as is, then adding half of the seasonings that accompany every order, and finally combining the last of the seasonings, the side of green tea (or in some cases soup), and the remaining eel over rice. The process allows for full appreciation of the natural flavors of the eel as well as a bit of zing."

In a green baking mood, try the Matcha Cake  recipe also found on Aichi Cuisine page.

Getting to know Aichi prefecture for Tokyo Thursdays # 246

Previously:

Tokyo 1955-1970, A Vibrant Art Hub, Art Book as Gift Idea, Also an Exhibit at MoMA, until Feb. 25

(* Photo of Hitsumabushi from Jetro food pages)

Tokyo 1955-1970, A Vibrant Art Hub, Art Book as Gift Idea, Also an Exhibit at MoMA, until Feb. 25

Coffee table books might be one of the rare segments were print publishing makes sense and still makes money.

Some of them are cookbooks, others cover architecture, photography and of course art.

They make for great holiday gifts.

A tome that caught my attention recently in the art category is Tokyo 1955-1970, A New Avant-Garde published in November 2012 by Museum of Modern Art to coincide with current Tokyo 1955-1970 exhibition at MoMA.

"Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde explores the extraordinary convergence of artists and other creators in Japan’s capital city during the radically transformative postwar period. Examining works from a range of media--painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, printmaking, video and film, as well as graphic design, architecture, musical composition and dance--this is the first publication in English to focus in depth on the full scope of postwar art in Japan. During this period, Tokyo was a vibrant hub..."  

MoMA exhibition 'Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde' opened on November 18, 2012 and runs until February 25, 2013.

Tokyo 1955-1970, A Vibrant Art Hub for Tokyo Thursdays # 245

Previously:

Rimpa, Edo Visuals and Sakai Hoitsu, Talk of Town in Japan and Culture of 4 Seasons, Japan Society, Dec.13

Rimpa, Edo Visuals and Sakai Hoitsu, Talk of Town in Japan and Culture of 4 Seasons, Japan Society, Dec.13

Looking for an alternative to end of the year work holiday parties, add Japan and Culture of 4 Seasons, Nature, Literature & the Arts an introduction to Rimpa, Edo visual culture and Sakai Hōitsu's birds and flowers of the twelve months by Haruo Shirane at Japan Society in New York on December 13, 2012 at 6 PM.

Haruo Shirane is Shincho Professor of Japanese Literature (Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures) at Columbia University.

The talk echoes Haruo Shirane's book Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons (Columbia University Press, March 2012).   

Culture of the 4 Seasons for Tokyo Thursdays # 244

Previously: Niigata Fair, Kitchenware Designed to Serve for Eternity and Beyond, NY, Til Dec. 7

Niigata Fair, Kitchenware Designed to Serve for Eternity and Beyond, NY, Til Dec. 7

Around the theme, Tales of a Century, craftsmen from Niigata province created tableware and kitchen tools "designed to serve their individual owners for eternity and beyond."

The Niigata Fair produced by Hyakunen Monogatari puts them on display at Japanese Culinary Center in  New York until December 7, 2012.

Defeinitely a place to visit for unique holiday gifts.

Kitchenware for eternity and beyond for Tokyo Thursdays #243

Previously:

Disposable Wasara Dishes to Racing Skip Desks, Made in Japan, 100 Products and their Creators

Disposable Wasara Dishes to Racing Skip Desks, Made in Japan, 100 Products and their Creators

Depending on your taste and/or spirit of adventure or lack thereof, there will be things you love and others you will dislike among the 100 new products featured in Made in Japan (Merrell Publishers, September 2012) by Naomi Pollock with foreword by Reiko Sudo.

I doubt any of the designs will leave you indifferent.

3 things the book offers: 

• A selection of outstanding Japanese products of this century, from gadgets and furnishings to office supplies and decorative objects

• Features a comprehensive introduction to the history and traditions of Japanese product design

• With biographies of the leading designers working in Japan today, including Naoto Fukasawa, Tokujin Yoshioka and Toyo Ito

Some of my personal favorites:

Reconstruction Chandelier (number 065) by Kouichi Okamoto, a 12 lamp fixture dipped in 14-carat gold, offers a taste of luxury.

The utilitarian 'Wasara' (number 095) by Shinichiro Ogata, disposable and biodegradable dishes mass produced from blend of 'bamboo, reed fibres and bagasse (a waste product from sugar-cane processing).'

'Skip' (number 075) by Takanori Hayakawa illustrates the whimsical side of design as applied to workplace, think of it as a desk that allows you to whizz around the office and let your inner child express itself.

Practical and playful, 'Splash' umbrella stand (page 079) by Yasuhiro Asano 'mimics a raindrop hitting the pavement'.

It will be up to you to discover the 96 other designs offered in Made in Japan...

A rainbow of design flavors for Tokyo Thursdays # 242

Previously: Spiky Cucumbers, Popular in Japan, Photographed at Asian Stall in Marche Couvert of Albi

(* Illustrations from 'Made in Japan' by Naomi Pollock with foreword by Reiko Sudo- Merrell Publishers, September 2012- reproduced with permission, all rights reserved)

Spiky Cucumbers, Popular in Japan, Photographed at Asian Stall in Marche Couvert of Albi

After visiting the Musee Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi and nearby cathedral, I could not resist a quick walk around the Marche Couvert across the street.

One of the stalls offers appetizing and well priced prepared foods from Asia.

The owner was proud to let me know that all items on sale are prepared by her and her husband.

They even grow some of the produce they use for their dishes including Spiky Cucumber (labeled 'Concombre Amer' or 'Sour Cucumber') above which she told me is popular in her native Cambodia as well as in Japan.

Spikes from an Asian French garden for Tokyo Thursdays # 241

Previously: Yuigahama Beach Saturday Breezer, Summer Sounds Dance Party, August 8

Yuigahama Beach Saturday Breezer, Summer Sounds Dance Party, August 8

Bet not everyone will look good on the dance floor, yet everyone needs a little breezer on a hot summer day, this includes Japan.

If you are in the neighborhood, join this Saturday Dance Party at Yuigamaha Beach (55 minutes by train from Tokyo) on August 8, 2012 from 12 Noon to 8 PM

Check Details and Directions Here (in English and Japanese)

Taking a break from the city for Tokyo Thursdays # 240

Previously:

Don't Know Much about Japanese Calligraphy? Sign Up for Shodo Summer Class, Japan Society, NY

Don't Know Much about Japanese Calligraphy? Sign Up for Shodo Summer Class, Japan Society, NY

Don't know much about Japanese calligraphy?

Sign up for late summer Shodo class (starts Monday, August 13, 2012) at Japan Society in New York.

It could be a soothing exercise on a hot day to retreat to a quiet class and learn from Masako Inkyo who teaches that class. She started learning the art of Shodo at age 3 and got serious about it at age 6.

Japan Society's program describes Shodo this way:

"Shodō is an art form using a brush and charcoal ink on paper, wood plaques and fabric. It includes Chinese characters (kanji) and Japanese hiragana. Although it originated in the techniques used for letter writing, with its unique form of expression it has developed into an art genre. This hands-on workshop will introduce the techniques of shodō." 

Practical details on program:

Tuition:
$260 per course for Japan Society Members
$290 per course for nonmembers
*For tuition discount, please contact Reiko Sassa at 212-715-1256.

Mondays and Wednesdays, 8/13 – 9/17 (no class: 9/3); 10-11:30 AM / 2-3:30 PM / 4- 5:30 PM

Learning the art of the Japanese brush for Tokyo Thursdays # 239

Previously: Fly Through the Skies with Astro Boy, Manga Meets Science at Miraikan Museum in Tokyo

(* Shodo image from Japan Society program pages)

Fly Through the Skies with Astro Boy, Manga Meets Science at Miraikan Museum in Tokyo

A week ago (July 7), the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo better known as Miraikan lifted the curtain on a new exhibit The World of Manga Experienced Through Science- Meet the Dream Heroes of All Times.

Manga has fueled the imagination of Japanese youth since the post-war and what science projects start as something that sounds like a dream.

Why not marry both?

Here's what The World of Manga Experienced Through Science aims to be:

This exhibition uses science and technology to recreate the powers of superheroes and heroines depicted in the manga works that have motivated and driven people. It communicates the power to paint a picture of the future, the wonders of manga culture, as well as science and technology and its potential, not only to children but also to the grownups who were once children.

The exhibition brings together five manga titles--"Cyborg 009" by Shotaro Ishinomori, "Doraemon" by Fujiko F. Fujio, "Himitsu no Akko-chan" (Akko-chan's Got a Secret!) by Fujio Akatsuka, "Kaibutsu-kun" by Fujio Fujiko (A) and "Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy)" by Osamu Tezuka (*listed in alphabetical order), and uses science to recreate superhero or heroine powers. It is a realistic hands-on exhibit that will provide fun and enjoyment for visitors across all ages.

The Show Details list 2 parts inspired by Astro Boy:

The birth of Astro Boy
Using projection-mapping technology that projects CG onto three-dimensional objects and changes textures and movements dynamically, the exhibit provides an explanation of the internal mechanisms of Astro Boy through a life-size image. Witness the moment of Astro Boy's birth as he awakes when visitors call out to him.

Fly through the skies together with Astro Boy!
Hasn't everyone dreamt of flying through the skies like Astro Boy, at least once in their lives? Explore the streets of the modern age together with Astro Boy through 3D satellite image maps displayed on a large screen.

The exhibit opened its doors on July 7, 2012 and runs until October 15, 2012.

Opening Hours

10:00 - 17:00 (Please enter at least 30 minutes before closing time.)

Closed

Every Tuesday (Open during summer holiday season)

Flying with Astro Boy for Tokyo Thursdays # 238

Previously: Stars in your Eyes, Tanabata Festival Celebrations Start on Evening of July 7th

Thanks to Jean-François Cloutier of TVQC (Quebec) for putting this event on my map

(* Illustration from museum's event pages)