On March 6, 2015, the Agency for Cultural Affairs held the "Japan Cultural Envoy Forum 2015: Conveying the Spirit of Japan" (12th Japan Cultural Envoys Debriefing Session) at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Roppongi, Minato Ward, Tokyo).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs has been appointing people committed to cultural activities, such as artists, cultural specialists and so on, as "Japan Cultural Envoys." This undertaking aims to deepen the international community's understanding of Japanese culture, and to build connections between artists and cultural experts in Japan and abroad.
The Forum was opened by a performance by Taiko player Leonard Eto, and an improvised dance performance by dancer and choreographer Kaiji Moriyama. Following the welcome address by Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Masanori Aoyagi, and Tatsuo Oyama, a member of the board of trustees of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, the Cultural Envoys who had been on the FY2013-2014 missions reported on their activities under the facilitation by Hide Nakaya, an NHK commentator.
Outlined below is a summary of the Cultural Envoys and their reports at the session (Listed in order of appearance).
Leonard Eto (Taiko player)
Time period of activities: From August 2013 to July 2014
Countries visited: Switzerland, France, Italy, Tunisia, Portugal, India, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary
Collaborated with a number of dances in each of the countries. Leonard Eto reported on his performances in various countries with video footage.
Opening performance by Mr. Eto
Activities report by Mr. Eto
Kaiji Moriyama (Dancer, Choreographer)
Time period of activities: From October to December 2013 and in January 2014
Countries visited: Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore
Kaiji Moriyama reported on his cultural exchange through performances with video footage, including a joint production with local artists and workshops.
Improvisation with Mr. Eto.
Mr. Moriyama reporting on his activities in each country.
Hiroyuki Hayashida (CG Artist)
Time period of activities: From November to December 2014
Countries visited: Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Vietnam and Thailand
Hiroyuki Hayashida reported on the lectures he gave at local universities and other activities, with images of his original works. He also introduced the latest CG technology on video.
Mr. Hayashida being interviewed by Mr. Nakaya.
Hiroko Nakazawa (Food Culture Researcher, Professor at the Nagano Prefectural Junior College)
Time period of activities: From August to October, 2014
Countries visited: France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and the United Kingdom
Hiroko Nakazawa held a cooking demonstration of futomaki matsuri sushi (thick festive sushi roll) as part of her activity report. She also gave an overview of how other countries perceive Japanese food.
Demonstration of futomaki matsuri sushi (thick festive sushi roll) by Ms. Nakazawa
Takashi Wakamiya (Producer of HIKOJU MAKIE)
Time period of activities: From November to December, 2014
Countries visited: The United Kingdom, France and China
Takashi Wakamiya gave a presentation on the challenges in passing traditional cultures on to future generations, including the history of lacquer work, its scarcity and the importance of training successors in the technique.
He also reported how lacquerware was perceived differently in Japan and overseas.
Mr. Wakamiya showing his work as part of his presentation
Keiko Hirano (KATARIBE-catalyst, storyteller)
Time period of activities: From November to December, 2014
Countries visited: Germany and Turkey
Keiko Hirano reported how as a storyteller she conveyed the beauty of Japanese language, covering classical to modern literature. She also performed Taketori Monogatari on that day.
Demonstration of Taketori Monogatari by Ms. Hirano
Yuko Hasegawa (Curator, Professor)
Time period of activities: From March to July, 2014
Countries visited: United Arab Emirates, Germany, Morocco, France, the United States, Principality of Monaco, Armenia, Georgia, Sweden, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, Russia and Portugal
Yuko Hasegawa reported on the exhibition and lectures she hosted at different places. She also shared her views on the art scene in Japan as perceived overseas, as well as the role curators have to play.
Ms. Hasegawa reporting on her activities in each country.
There was a question and answer session after the activity report. Many audience members were deeply moved by the performances. The Forum ended on a high note.
Photo session at the Japan Cultural Envoy Forum 2015
