The Japan Foundation is excited to invite Professor Susan Napier and Mr Roland Kelts to Australia to present a series of panel discussions on Japanese anime entitled, ‘Border Crossings: Intersections Between Japanese Popular Culture and Fandom', in Sydney (17 July), Brisbane (20 July) and Melbourne (22 July).

Susan Napier is currently Professor of Japanese Studies at Tufts University and the author of several books including Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Japanese Animation. Roland Kelts is the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the U.S. and a professor at The University of Tokyo. The lectures will be free and open to the public, further details will appear in July Omusubi and on the Japan Foundation website soon.

For those anime fans who are unable to the attend the lectures in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, we would like to offer you the chance to ask a question of the experts.

If you have any questions to ask Professor Susan Napier or Mr Roland Kelts, please email omusubi@jpf.org.au, and we'll print selected questions and answers in a later issue of Omusubi (please note we may not be able to answer all of the questions submitted).

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please note the deadline for submissions for New Voices Volume 3 has been extended to 31 July 2009. We are currently soliciting original papers from recent Honours and Masters graduates who completed their Honours or Masters thesis at an Australian University between January 2006 and December 2008. The deadline for submissions is 31 July 2009.

For further details and an information package click here or contact the Japan Foundation, Sydney (Japanese Studies & Intellectual Exchange Department) on Ph: 02 8239 0055 or email: newvoices@jpf.org.au

children books

audio & kit

• All children's books are now located in the "Children's Corner". This shelf puts books at children's eye level and allows display of some items (see photo).
• The shelving that housed Arts/Sculpture/Painting/Ukiyo-e is now a dedicated CD&Kit area, holding the CD collection as well as all Japanese language Kit items, including past papers for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (see photo)
• Capacity for DVDs and manga has been increased in order to allow the library to continue to add to these collections.
• Some items (including Japanese language learning resources) have been moved slightly to make way for the above changes.

Japanese quilt blocks to mix & match / Susan Briscoe
Tokyo : Kodansha International, 2007
Call # 594.9 BRI
ISBN: 978-1-56836-365-3

Patchwork and quilting, initially inspired by traditional Western quilts, have become very popular in Japan, and modern Japanese quilting now combines Eastern and Western techniques to create quilts of extraordinary beauty. Using traditional motifs, designs sourced from their own arts heritage, and recycled kimono fabric, Japanese quilters have developed a unique style, showing how simple equipment and techniques can produce patchwork works of art.

The Library's opening days for June - July 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

The Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA) is delighted to host JSAA-ICJLE 2009. Featuring research and discussion in various disciplines of Japanese language and studies, the main theme of the conference will be "Bridging the gap between the Japanese language and Japanese studies". The conference aims to provide a forum for Japanese language and studies academics and educators from around the world to meet and share ideas beyond and across their disciplines.

For more information and registration please visit
http://jsaa-icjle2009.arts.unsw.edu.au/en/events.html

Bookings: Japanese Society of Sydney, email: jss@jssi.org.au or Fax:9262 6022
Full details online, click here or visit our Around Australia page here for a booking form.