Emerging artists Kevin Vo and Haline Ly, partners of the graphic design studio Symple Creative, will this month transform the Japan Foundation Gallery into an intimate urbanscape of the streets of Sydney and Tokyo.

NEOSYDNEY + NEOTOKYO is a photographic exhibition of street pop photography, featuring images of the everyday, portraying a narrative of the life and heart of these city hubs.

“NEOSYDNEY + NEOTOKYO is about seeing two cities with new eyes,” explains the duo, who drew their inspiration from Tokyo’s alluring city lights and modern Japanese pop culture.  “Sydney and Tokyo are worlds apart, yet we can’t help but feel that there is a reciprocated affinity that lies beneath our inherent differences.”

On 14 June, Symple Creative and Popperbox, a Sydney-based artists’ collective, will hold an interactive live art event, NEOBOX.  Preceding the opening of the 2008 Biennale of Sydney, NEOBOX will involve a digital component, where audiences can use light pens as ‘magic wands’ to create trailing light patterns across the gallery walls.

Three young Australians will travel to Japan in June and July, to take part in the Japan–East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme.

Funded by the Japan–ASEAN Integration Fund, the JENESYS Programme invites young people from various fields to travel to Japan under one of several programme streams.  The JENESYS Programme aims to deepen understanding of the different facets of Japanese society, including politics, diplomacy, economics and culture; to build future vision and firm solidarity among countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and to promote communication and mutual understanding between these countries.

Sydney artist Mr Wade Marynowsky has been selected to take part in the Invitation Programme for Artists and Designers, which offers young and emerging artists and designers an opportunity to take a mid- to long-term residency in Japan, to produce works and to exchange ideas with their peers in Japan.  Mr Marynowski will complete a media art residency at S-AIR, in Hokkaido.

The other two JENESYS participants, Ms Danielle Domone and Ms Michelle Lindsay, both from Sydney, are specialists in environmental issues; they have been invited to attend the East Asia Future Leader Programme.  The theme for this year’s group forum is “Environment:  Symbiosis with Nature, and a Sustainable Society”, with a particular emphasis on urban regeneration and planning and sustainable development.  During their two-week study tour, we hope that they will gain a deeper understanding of Japan in regard to the environment, and create networks with other young leaders in this field from around the world.

Yasushi Inoue (1907–1991) was one of Japan’s most popular and prolific writers, combining literary art with entertainment.  A winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1950, his work was described by one critic as ‘the gust of a refreshing breeze sent to the wasted and wearied world of sentiment after the war’.  For the next 40 years, Inoue wrote both lengthy novels and short stories, from exciting love stories to historical sagas.

The Inoue Yasushi Award was founded by the Inoue Yasushi Memorial Culture Foundation and established at the University of Sydney in 2006 to encourage Australian researchers, scholars and PhD students who are studying Japanese culture and literature.  It is awarded annually for the best refereed journal article or book chapter on Japanese literature published in English during the previous year by a researcher based in Australia.  The inaugural award in 2007 was won by Dr Tomoko Aoyama of the University of Queensland.

The winner of the second Inoue Yasushi Award will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Japan Foundation, Sydney on 6 June 2008.  The ceremony will be followed by a screening of the Japanese film Furinkazan (“Samurai Banners”), based on Inoue’s 1955 novel of the same name.

New Voices is an academic journal published biennally in print and online by The Japan Foundation, Sydney.  The journal’s primary aim is to support young Japanese Studies scholars by providing a platform for the promotion of outstanding research and writing by students and early career researchers.

Volume 2, edited by Dr Matthew Stavros of the Department of Japanese Studies at the University of Sydney, will be published in December 2008.  We are currently soliciting original papers from recent Honours graduates who completed their Honours thesis at an Australian University between January 2005 and December 2007.  Submissions must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words long, and must be received by 31 July 2008.

Anyone interested in contributing to Volume 2 of New Voices should obtain an information package from the New Voices website:  www.jpf.org.au/newvoices.

Enquiries should be directed to the Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange Department on (02) 8239 0055, or email newvoices@jpf.org.au.

The Prize Donation Programme had been developed by The Japan Foundation, Sydney to support schools staging any kind of Japanese language-related event.  Assistance is provided in the form of donations of small prizes, such as Japanese books or magazines, stationery, and other small goods to a value of $100.

Past prize donations have been made to schools in all areas of Australia, assisting urban and rural schools with events such as speech contests, LOTE days, cultural days, hiragana writing competitions, and a lot more.

Eligible schools are primary or secondary schools with an established Japanese language programme.

For more information, please contact the Japanese Language Department on (02) 8239 0077, or visit our website:  www.jpf.org.au.

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

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 Japan Foundation, Sydney is pleased to welcome our new Director, Ms Chiharu Takemoto. Ms Takemoto has previously worked as the Managing Director of the Japan Foundation Information Center in Tokyo, and brings much experience to her new role. Ms Takemoto arrived in Sydney at the end of May.

Greetings!

I’m Chiharu Takemoto, and I’m very happy to come back to Australia after many years. In my twenties, I was given an opportunity to visit all the states and the Northern Territory, to survey the situation of Japanese language education; and I remember very well that I was impressed by the clear education policy of the state and territory governments, giving chances for the younger generations of Australians to be exposed to different cultures and languages, especially those of Asia. I was also impressed by the passion of the students learning and experiencing these different languages and cultures.

The other thing that struck my mind was that many cities seemed to be proud of the arts, and made maximum use of the arts, culture and creativity to energise themselves. The redevelopment of the Rocks area in Sydney is a good example of this. As multiculturalism and creativity are the two key elements for revitalising Japanese cities today, I think there are many things which we can learn from the experience of Australia.

In addition to introducing various facets of Japanese culture to you, I am looking forward to sharing common issues with you all through our cultural exchange activities.

Chiharu Takemoto