In July this year, the JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) program of study tours to Japan continued with the theme of ‘Migration in Asia and Oceania: Towards a Win-Win and WIN Scheme for the Origin-Destination Countries and for the Migrants themselves’.
Program participant Peter Daley from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship provides us with a report on his experiences on the tour.

The 39th Australian National Final Japanese Language Speech Contest was held on Saturday 18 October. We congratulate all of this year’s contestants and extend a warm thank you to the families and all audience members who took the time to support and ensure the success of the event. The first place winners from each division were:

High School Senior Division - Vicky Kim (QLD), ‘Dream of Future’ ‘将来の夢’
Open Beginner Division - Sam McDonald (QLD), ‘Japanese Whaling’ ‘日本の捕鯨’
Open Division - Lance Truong (VIC), ‘What is “Kawaii”?’ ‘「かわいい」とは’
Background Speaker - Keiichi Nakano (VIC), ‘The Gentlemen’ ‘男前’

First place winners in each division at the National Final will receive a return airfare to Japan from Japan Airlines, and an accomodation package from Central Japan Railway Company.

OTEDAMA : Traditional Japanese Juggling Toys and Games / Japan Otedama Society ; text by Denichiro Onishi.
Compton, Calif. : Heian International, 2002.
ISBN: 0-89346-936-X
Call #: 798 OTE

Japanese juggling games (otedama) appeared in Japan in the Nara and Heian Periods (8th-11th centuries) and were traditionally handed down from grandmothers to granddaughters in order to develop technical skill and reinforce warmth and kinship through playing together.

The Library’s opening days for November - December are as follows:

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri (except Wed): 11.00 am - 5.30 pm
Wed: 11.00 am - 6.00 pm
Sat (every third week): 11.00 am - 4.00 pm
Sun: Closed

There is a book returns chute at the library entrance.  It is available during the Chifley Plaza building operation hours:
Mon-Fri: 6.30 am - 10.00 pm
Sat : 8.30 am - 10.00 pm
Sun/Public Holidays: Closed

Yokohama Triennale 2008, Japan’s largest international contemporary art exhibit, continues until the end of November in the city of Yokohama.
The theme of this year’s exhibition is ‘Time Crevasse’ and under this theme, works by 74 artists from 25 different countries and regions will be exhibited, including large scale installations, film and videos, photography, sculpture and live performances.
This is an amazing showcase of a diversified world to be woven together by renowned artists from all corners of the globe.

Photo by Ryoji Watabe　Courtesy of Shiseido Gallery

The Kanagawa Biennial World Children’s Art Exhibition encourages the dreams and creativity of children who will be the leaders of the future. By inviting children aged between 4 and 15 worldwide to submit an artwork, this event fosters further understanding of the world’s diverse cultures and differences in global lifestyles.

Japanese violin virtuoso Aiko Goto appears courtesy of the Australian Chamber Orchestra of which she has been a member since 1998.
Join Aiko as she celebrates ten years in Australia and prepare to be amazed with her mastery of the violin.

Since the 12th century, The Tale of Genji has inspired Japanese artists to visualise the fascinating world of the story’s main character the Shining Prince (Hikaru Genji) in countless hand scrolls, folding screens, hanging scrolls and albums.
This exhibition features about 70 works drawn from the Gallery’s collection as well as loans from other Australian major public and private collections of Japanese art and aims to show the imaginative power of Japanese artists in adapting the classical theme on various media.