(31) [English Edition] VOICES From THE NEW YORKERS Ninohe City Fair in NYC Susan Hamaker For the second year, city officials from Ninohe City came to New York in early October to increase awareness of and appreciation for the town’s primary specialties: Joboji Urushi lacquer and sake from Nanbu Bijin Brewery. In what Ninohe City Mayor Jun Fujiwara called “a big challenge for a small town,” the Ninohe City Fair was a five-day campaign that included tastings at restaurants Kyo Ya, En Brasserie, and SakaMai; a booth at New York Mutual Trading’ s Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo; and Urushi seminars at Globus Washitsu and Japan Society conducted by Urushi artist Suzanne Ross, who has lived in Ishikawa Prefecture for 30 years, and Takuo Matsuzawa of the Joboji Urushi Workshop. The tastings highlighted regional ingredients, including short-horned cattle, paired with several kinds of Nanbu Bijin sake, which brews with local water and rice. Ninohe City is a town of around 30,000 people in Iwate Prefecture in Northeastern Japan and produces 80% of the country’ s lacquer. Joboji Urushi is used in the preservation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Kinakuji in Kyoto and Toshogu in Nikko. Fewer Japanese people are interested in the time-consuming practice of creating lacquerware, so this rich tradition is rapidly fading, something Ninohe City officials want to prevent. (Susan is the writer/editor of JapanCultureNYC, an English-language website for all things Japanese in New York.) 週刊NY生活 SHUKAN NEW YORK SEIKATSU NYクール日本 COOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints 100 Kimono Beauties Gathering in NY from NIHON WASOU 100 Japanese women wearing gorgeous Kimono. They are graduated students from NIHON WASOU which expands kimono wearing classes for free throughout Japan. They came from Japan in honor of the first event “Kimono Yuyukai”, a popular event in Japan, in NY. During this event, a kimono party, a kimono photography event, a new kimono sale in advance for the next year etc. were held in Hotel Kitano. The people, who won the grand prizes of each category in the 7th Kimono brilliant national convention held in Imperial Hotel Tokyo on Aug. 7-8th, also participated this time. They went to Grand Central. via Park Ave. They took a commemorative photo in front of a clock tower. New Yorkers were also surprised at 100 Kimono beauties. Japanese beauty made the gigantic station lively. (Ryoichi Miura/ Translated by Eriko Maruoka) 2014年(平成26年)10月18日(土) The 7th 9.11 “Circle Wind” Memorial Concert The 7th 9.11 “Circle Wind” Memorial Concert, which is for remembrance for victims of 9-11 attacks and 3-11 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, was held on September 11 at Merkin Concert Hall in Kaufman Music Center. Japan Chorus Harmony (TOMO, Director Masaki Shirota)joined this concert as a host from 2011. They attended “ Cultural Exchange Project with Haiku and Chorus” held at a world heritage site, the Alcazar of Seville,in Seville, Spain, which was the 400th year anniversary of Keichoera mission from Japan to Europe. With this special memory, TOMO sang several same songs at 9.11 Circle Wind Memorial Concert as those in Seville. TOMO sang a song about a bullfighter, Trero Camomillo, which they delightfully sang with Spanish people whose family name were Japan, with Leceum Kennedy Japanese School students. Miki Orihara showed a modern dance with a song composed by Senri Oe. Swing 16 played gypsy jazz as a special participant, and the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra played in Part 2. They could collect $1354.34 for donation for victims. In addition, TOMO will deliver $700 each for temporary houses in Idate village, Fukushima and Terakoya in Ishinomaki, Miyagi when they have a concert on October 11 and 12.(Ryoichi Miura/ Translated by Chiaki Yoshida) Rugby “Japan Cup” Kickoff on Oct 18 The 10th Rugby Football Tournament “Japan Cup” will be held at Keio Academy of New York (3 College Rd) on October 18th (Sat) from 10 am. The tournament is held annually as a district match of rugby football teams that are made up of mainly Japanese members from New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago. New York team won last year. NY All Japan RFC, which was started in 1986, consists of members who are Japanese expatriate employees and students, and some Americans and Koreans from age range of 20s to 50s. More than 90 people enter the tournament. In the night of the day, there will be a social gathering based on ‘no side spirit’ (regardless of friend or foe, players praise each other on their battle bravely after the match) at Nippon Club. (Ryoichi Miura/Translated by Mai Moore) NY COOL JAPAN is the English Edition of SHUKAN NY SEIKATSU NEW YORK SEIKATSU PRESS, INC., 71 W 47 St, Suite 307 New York NY 10036 USA Editor in chief: Ryoichi Miura, Associate Editor: Kaoru Komi, Editor: Sayaka Murayama Advertise Here! Contact 212-213-6069 [email protected]
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