December 2006
Visit by the Calligrapher, Mr. Juichi Yoshikawa to Abu Dhabi
H.E. Mr. Takuma Hatano, Ambassador of Japan, hosted a dinner in honor of UAE and Japanese renowned and multi-faceted calligraphers Mr. Mohammad Mandi and Mr. Juichi Yoshikawa at his residence on the 1st of December, 2006.
Mr. Yoshikawa had been making a preliminary visit to Abu Dhabi for the calligraphic demonstration that scheduled he will be giving at the International Student Conference "Education without Borders 2007" which will be held at Emirates Palace in February 2007. A calligraphy workshop by Mr. Yoshikawa and Mr. Mandi is being considered.
Mr. Yoshikawa said that he was planning to translate his impressions about the UAE into calligraphic images. In that regard, Mr. Yoshikawa proposed to Mr. Mandi to also visit Japan to extend his artistic forte by portraying his impressions and feelings about Japan as well as giving the Japanese public the opportunity of experiencing Arabian calligraphy.
For Mr. Mandi’s part, he asked Mr. Yoshikawa to teach him a Japanese Calligraphic lesson in return for his Arabic Calligraphic lesson to him.
After dinner both artists collaborated to write the word "love" in Japanese and Arabic on a white cloth measuring 2 x 5 meters.
September 2006
Report on Kabuki Theater Held in Abu Dhabi and in Sharjah
6 September, 2006 at National Theatre in Abu Dhabi
9 September, 2006 at Cultural Palace in Sharjah
Mr. Manjiro Ichimura the Second and his group performed Kabuki, a traditional Japanese theater, at the National Theater in Abu Dhabi on 6th September and at the Cultural Palace in Sharjah on 9th September, under the patronage of H.E. Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development. It was the first time for Kabuki to be performed in the United Arab Emirates and in the Gulf region. Each performance ended successfully and was greatly acclaimed by a large turnout of enthusiastic audience.
Kabuki is a Japanese traditional theater form which was developed during the Edo Period. Today, it is designated as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The word, Kabuki in Japanese, is written with the three characters meaning song, dance and acting. All these three elements are integrated into the art form of Kabuki.
Mr. Manjiro is the Second Son of Mr. Uzaemon Ichimura who is designated as one of the Living Human Treasures in Japan. Mr. Manjiro is an outstanding Kabuki performer, who primarily plays a female role in the theater where only males are allowed to perform, thus, males usually play female characters.
The program, ‘Kabuki for Everyone,’ was composed of three parts:
1. the tips how to appreciate Kabuki
2. a demonstration of the make-up for turning a male into a female; and
3. a dance performance, Fuji Musume (Fuji are beautiful purple flowers and Musume means young girl in Japanese language) .
Throughout the program, Kabuki was explained intelligibly to the audience with a lot of humors.
On September 5, preceding the two performances, a group of 40 teachers and students from the Japanese School in Abu Dhabi visited the National Theatre to meet Mr. Manjiro and his group and learn about Kabuki. They deepened their understanding of their own traditional culture, by learning how Kabuki costumes and wigs are made as well as by making steps with Tsukeuchi (sound effects made with a pair of wooden sticks to exaggerate actors’ emotions or movements such as running or dropping things on the ground).
July 2006
Kabuki demonstration in United Arab Emirates
6 September, 2006 at National Theatre in Abu Dhabi
9 September, 2006 at Cultural Palace in Sharjah
Kabuki demonstration is held as follows in Abu-Dhabi and Sharjah. Enjoy it with your family and friends!
- Sponsored by UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development and "Executive Committee of Kabuki demonstration for foreigners"
- 2006 Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan support program of International Arts Exchange
- UAE-Japan Society support program
Main Actor |
Mr. Manjiro Ichimura |
Admission |
Free (*No admission to children under 6 years old) |
Abu-Dhabi |
Date & Time: |
6 September, 2006 (Wed) from 8:00 to 10:00pm |
| Place: |
National Theatre (Abu-Dhabi) Map |
| Sharjah |
Date & Time: |
9 September, 2006 (Sat) from 8:00 to 10:00pm |
| Place: |
Cultural Palace (Sharjah) Map |
Manjiro Ichimura「Fuji-Musume」（Offered by SHOCHIKU Co.,Ltd.）
June 2006
Classic Piano Concert by Ms. Miyamoto
27 May, 2006
Cultural Foundation Grand Auditorium in Abu Dhabi
A piano concert by a Japanese pianist, Ms. Izumi Miyamoto was held on 27 May, 2006 at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi. The event was organized by the Cultural Foundation, Yamaha Music Gulf FZE., and Thomsun Trading Est., in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Concert Committee and the Embassy of Japan. Ms. Miyamoto’s performance for over one and half hour was so enthralling that most of the audience was glued to their seats until the last moment. The concert ended with a standing ovation.
Programme
1. |
Beethoven : Piano Sonata C-dur Op.53 “Waldstein” |
2. |
Chopin : Scherzo No.2 hs-moll |
intermission |
3. |
Schumann : Papillons Op.2 |
| 4. |
Liszt : Apres une Lecture de Dante |
Biography of Ms. Izumi Miyamoto
Born in Hamamatsu city, Japan. Started to learn piano at Yamaha Music School at the age of 3. |
1999 |
Graduated from the Faculty of Music, Toho Gakuen University |
1999 |
Entered Hanover Musik Hochschule and studied piano |
2001 |
1st prizewinner and Best Russian Work at Concurso International de Piano, Huesca in Spain |
2005 |
1st prizewinner Piano and Grand prize over all at Concorso Internazionale di Esecuzione Musicale “Citta di Massafra” in Italy |
May 2006
Japanese Kites and Tops Exhibition
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union, and in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Education Zone, Abu Dhabi Mall and Japan Foundation, “Japanese Kites and Tops Exhibition” was held in Abu Dhabi Mall during 19 - 30 April.
March 2006
An introductory CM on Japan's Contribution to the Middle East Peace Process
A 30-second CM produced by the Japanese government to show its contribution to the Middle East Peace Process will be on air during the following programs:
1. LBC: |
March 29 |
20:00-20:30 (Lebanon Time) |
Main News (2 times) |
2. MBC1: |
March 29 |
22:00-22:30 (UAE Time) |
Main News (2 times) |
3. DTV: |
March 30 |
22:00-22:30 (UAE Time) |
International News |
4. AA: |
March 29 |
22:00-22:30 (UAE Time) |
Sports Today |
This CM shows the history of Japan's efforts toward development in the post-World War Two reconstruction to be one of the largest economies in the world. It aims to encourage Palestinian people to work for development of their nation and to appeal for peace. Captions and narrations will be all in Arabic.
January 2006
Lecture on "The Leading Edge of Cybernetics-Robot Suit HAL"
Visiting Japanese Prof. Yoshiyuki Sankai, a professor of Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, gave two lectures under the title of "The leading edge of cybernetics - Robot Suit HAL" at Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation on December 6, 2005 and HCT Abu Dhabi Men's College on the following day. His majors vary from robotics, distance operations, to artificial organs, etc. Prof. Sankai and his laboratory CYBERDYNE Inc. have developed a robot suit "HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb)" that combines human and machines to enlarge and amplify human body functions. HAL was originally designed to provide walking aids to the gait disordered person, but it can also be applied to a wide variety of usages, such fields as medical and welfare, heavy duty jobs and disaster rescue operations. It is raising hopes for further development as new robot technologies. The latest version of this robot suit "HAL-5" is now on the final stage of development, and will be used in hospitals and rehabilitation centers shortly. Many doctors, medical workers, and students from medical engineering attended the lectures in Abu Dhabi, and made intensive discussions with Prof. Sankai.
UAE Visit Program by the Japanese Women Delegation
Four Japanese women delegates visited the UAE for two days from 24th to 25th September 2005, for the purpose of exchanging views and experiences on women’s participation in public life with Emirati women. The delegation included Ms. Tamiko Iguchi, General Secretary of the Center for the Advancement of Working Women, Ms. Setsuko Ishizaki, Board Member of Japanese Association of International Women’s Human Rights, Ms. Yoshiko Watanabe, Editor-in-chief of Human Ad, a journal showcasing designs for recruiting advertisements, which is published by Recruit Co., Ltd., and Ms. Junko Kawano, Editor-in-chief of Traveil, an employment placement magazine also published by the same company.
On 24th, the delegation paid a courtesy call to H.E. Dr. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the first female minister in the history of the UAE. She kindly spoke about the status of women in the UAE, her own career path to the current position as well as her future perspectives. Later, the delegation visited the General Women’s Union and Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and learned about Emirati women’s contributions to the country.
On 25th, a panel discussion titled Women’s Participation in Public Life: Comparison of Two Societies, UAE and Japan was held at the General Women’s Union auditorium. Two panelists from each of the two countries were invited to the discussion. The first two panelists, Dr. Rawda Al Mutawa, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and Ms. Iguchi, spoke about the issues of women and work, while the last two panelists, Professor Mariam Lootah from UAE University and Ms. Ishizaki, presented their views on women and human rights. It was a great opportunity for women to share their experiences and views despite social and cultural differences between the two societies. Not only women but also men were among the audience listening to the
presentations with great interest.
(photo: courtesy of WAM)
Later that day, another lecture titled Japanese Women at the Frontier was held at Zayed University targeting students. Ms. Watanabe and Ms. Kawano spoke about their career paths and the issues of women and work in Japanese social and cultural contexts. The lecture was followed by a discussion in which students displayed deep interest in leaning more about Japan and expressed their views on a number of issues such as women’s role in society or working women’s dual responsibilities as workers and mothers.
