Japan Society AnnuAl RepoRt 2007–08 · Nobuhiko Ikura President and CEO, Nippon Steel U.S.A.,...

Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt2 0 07– 0 8

Fo u n d e d i n 1 9 07, JA pA n S o c i e t y i S A n o n p R o F i t,

n o n p o l i t i c A l o R g A n i z At i o n t h At b R i n g S t h e

p e o p l e o F JA pA n A n d t h e u n i t e d StAt e S c lo S e R

to g e t h e R t h R o u g h u n d e R StA n d i n g , A p p R e c i At i o n

A n d co o p e R At i o n . S o c i e t y p R o g R A m S i n t h e A RtS ,

b u S i n e S S , e d u c At i o n A n d p u b l i c p o l i cy o F F e R

o p p o Rt u n i t i e S to e x p e R i e n c e JA pA n e S e c u lt u R e ;

to Fo St e R S u StA i n e d A n d o p e n d i A lo g u e o n i S S u e S

i m p o RtA n t to t h e u . S . , JA pA n A n d e A St A S i A ; A n d

to i m p R ov e Acc e S S to i n Fo R m At i o n o n JA pA n .

Cover: Dolls’-Festival Figures in Preparation, about 1880. Hanging scroll, colored lacquers,

white pigment, and gold leaf on paper. Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection, courtesy

of San Antonio Museum of Art. From the Japan Society Gallery exhibition The Genius of

Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin.

Ja pa n S o c i e t y

A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8

Co n t e n ts

Directors & Officers 2

Letter from the President 3

Centennial Honorary Committee 4

Japan Society Centennial 5

Special Events 6

Committees 11

Japan Society Shop 12

B u s i n e s s & p u B l i C p o l i Cy 1 3

Corporate Program 14

Policy Projects 19

Fellowships & Exchanges 23

A Rts & C u lt u R e 24

Gallery 25

Performing Arts Program 30

Film Program 35

Lecture Programs 40

e d u C At i o n 4 3

Education Programs 44

Toyota Language Center &

C.V. Starr Library 49

A d m i n i st R At i o n 5 1

Financial Statement 52

Japan Society Donors 54

Staff 63

s u m m A Ry i n JA pA n e s e 6 5

2 Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8 3

d i R e C to R s & o f f i C e R s

d i R e C to R s

Kazushi AmbeSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Sony Corporation of America

Gregory A. Boyko*Chairman, Hartford Life Insurance, K.K.

Henry Cornell*Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Michael E. DanielsSenior Vice President, Global Technology Services, IBM Corporation

Anne d’Harnoncourt†The George D. Widener Director, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Robert E. FallonAdjunct Professor, Columbia Business School

Atsuko Toko FishU.S.-Japan Cross Cultural Communication Consultant

Carol Gluck*George Sansom Professor of History, Columbia University

Maurice R. GreenbergChairman and CEO, C.V. Starr & Co., Inc.

Shigeru HayakawaVice Chairman, Japan SocietyPresident and COO, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

David W. Heleniak*Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley

Nobuhiko IkuraPresident and CEO, Nippon Steel U.S.A., Inc.

Merit E. Janow*Professor, International Economic Law & International Affairs, Columbia University

Shigesuke KashiwagiPresident and CEO, Nomura Holding America Inc.

Frederick H. KatayamaAnchor, Thomson Reuters

Yoshiaki KawamataSenior Managing Executive Officer and CEO for the Americas, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.

Jonathan B. KindredCEO and Representative Director, Morgan Stanley Japan Holdings Co., Ltd.

Richard S. Lanier*Chairman, Japan Society Executive CommitteePresident, Asian Cultural Council

Alan S. MacDonaldVice-Chairman, Citibank, N.A.

Jun MakiharaChairman, Neoteny Co., Ltd.

Deryck C. MaughanManaging Director and Chairman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Asia

James S. McDonaldChairman, Japan SocietyPresident and CEO, Rockefeller & Co., Inc.

Henry A. McKinnell, Jr.**Chairman, Accordia Global Health Foundation Former Chairman of the Board and CEO, Pfizer Inc

Jiro Murase**Managing Partner, Bingham McCutchen Murase

Satoru MurasePartner, Bingham McCutchen Murase

Peter G. Peterson**Senior Chairman and Co-Founder, The Blackstone Group

James H. QuigleyChief Executive Officer, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

James G. Wilders ReedPresident and CEO, Mizuho Securities USA Inc.

Justin RockefellerCo-Founder and National Program Director, GenerationEngage

Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.Chairman and CEO, WL Ross & Co. LLC

Motoatsu Sakurai***Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York, Consulate General of Japan

Michihisa Shinagawa*President and CEO, Sumitomo Corporation of America

Masako H. ShinnPartner, Graphis Inc.

Joshua N. SolomonCo-Founder, East-West School of International Studies

Michael I. Sovern**President Emeritus and Chancellor Kent Professor of Law, Columbia University

Howard StringerChairman and CEO, Sony Corporation

Yoshihisa SuzukiPresident and CEO, ITOCHU International Inc.

Gary M. TalaricoManaging Director, Sun Capital Partners

Ryoichi UedaPresident and CEO, Mitsubishi International Corporation

Paul A. Volcker**Former Chairman of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System

Richard J. WoodPresident, Japan Society(Ex officio)

Yasunori YokotePresident and CEO, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.

o f f i C e R s

Michael I. SovernHonorary Chairman

James S. McDonaldChairman

Shigeru HayakawaVice Chairman

Richard J. WoodPresident

Kendall HubertSenior Vice President & Director of External Relations

Lisa BermudezVice President of Finance & Administration

Daniel A. RosenblumVice PresidentDirector, Corporate & Policy Programs

Susan J. OnumaSecretary

H o n o R A Ry pAt R o n s

H.E. Ichiro FujisakiAmbassador of Japan to the United States of America

H.E. Motoatsu SakuraiAmbassador and Consul General of Japan in New York

H.E. Yukio TakasuAmbassador, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

H o n o R A Ry d i R e C to R s

Mary Griggs Burke

Tatsuro Goto

Robert S. Ingersoll

William W. Scranton

*Member of the Executive Committee **Life Director ***Honorary Director †Deceased June 2, 2008 As of June 30, 2008

2 Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8 3

A Japanese friend from many years ago, the mayor of a small village in the Tohoku region, refused to celebrate his village’s centennial. He argued that they should look forward, not backward, and celebrate their 101st year, which they did. As part of that celebration, I was honored to be made a citizen of that village.

Contrary to my friend’s argument, Japan Society has just completed a wonderful celebra-tion of its centennial, taking appropriate looks at a distinguished past of helping the peoples of Japan and North America learn from each other. Because of that century of accomplish-ment, in March we were able to hold a gala in Tokyo in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan, an unusual honor for a foreign organization.

But as my friend urged, the primary focus of Japan Society’s centennial celebration was on our second century, not our first. To cite a few examples:

Gallery exhibitions focused on contemporary Japanese artists living and working in New York, and on the transformative lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin. Electronic access to our high-quality content on Japan continued to improve. In addition, we began to make good use of an ultra high-speed, ultra high-definition video capability developed in partnership with Keio University, using it to link Diet leader Kotaro Tamura into a major conference on the future of sovereign wealth funds. Japan Society also brought together an international group of financial regulators and industry experts to consider the competi-tion among Hong Kong, London, New York and Tokyo as major financial centers, with a follow-up conference planned for February of 2009.

The Japan Society Shop, a new project that rein-forces the Society as a year-round destination, sharpened its identity as a unique source of high quality, high design Japanese gifts. Japan Society Media Fellow Micah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBS, explored how Japan’s Self- Defense Forces are transforming to deal with new strategic challenges. His documentary, Japan’s About-Face, aired on PBS on July 8, 2008.

Looking backward and forward simultaneously, the Film Program produced three series: The Dawn of Japanese Animation reached back to the silent era, with live benshi narration; eight 1960s Nikkatsu action movies were screened that had never been shown in U.S. theaters; and the second annual JAPAN CUTS film festival reached nearly 6,000 fans. The Educa-tion Program’s interactive website, About Japan, A Teachers’ Resource, and its programs for teachers and students, continued to grow and reach wider audiences.

Performing Arts contributed to the growing mutual interaction between Japan and the U.S. by touring in Japan Dogugaeshi, an American work drawing on Awaji puppet theater, commis-sioned by Japan Society. Two performing arts events, one in music and one in dance, were honored by Time Out New York as among the top ten performances in New York City in the entire year.

The U.S.-Japan Innovators Network organized programs on crisis management involving leaders from New Orleans and Tokyo, on linking corporate social responsibility with profitability, and on the importance of non-linear thinking in innovation. Lecturers included Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Fujio Cho, Admiral Timo-thy J. Keating, Martha Stewart, Professor Donald Keene , architect Tadao Ando, Akira Kurosawa’s principal assistant Teruyo Nogami and activist Tom Hayden.

Finally, the Society continued to build on and sustain important programming partnerships, among these a lecture by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, co-hosted by The Korea Society, on the important role Japan and the Republic of Korea can play in fighting climate change, build-ing a more secure world, and reinvigorating the United Nations itself.

The alliance between these two major democ-racies—cultural, economic and political—will continue to shape our world, especially in the Pacific region, as far into the future as I can see. Continuing to grow in mutual understanding is our ongoing work.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Wood

l e t t e R f R o m t H e p R e s i d e n tph

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© K

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4 Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8

JA pA n s o C i e t y C e n t e n n i A l H o n o R A Ry Co m m i t t e e

Co - C H A i R s

David Rockefeller

Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda

V i C e C H A i R s

The Honorable J. Thomas Schieffer,

United States Ambassador to Japan

His Excellency Ryozo Kato,

Ambassador of Japan to the U.S.

The Honorable Michael H. Armacost

The Honorable Howard H. Baker, Jr.

The Honorable James A. Baker III

The Honorable Nancy Kassebaum Baker

The Honorable John Brademas

Tom Brokaw

Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski

Mary Griggs Burke

Dick Cavett

Willard G. Clark

The Honorable William Clark, Jr.†

Professor Gerald L. Curtis

Richard and Peggy Danziger

Marian Wright Edelman

Dr. Frank L. Ellsworth

James M. Fallows

The Honorable Thomas S. Foley

Houghton Freeman

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.

Charles O. Holliday, Jr.

The Honorable Robert S. Ingersoll

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye

Jasper Johns

Professor Donald Keene

Dr. Henry Kissinger

William P. Lauder

Kurt and Tomoko Masur

Sir Deryck Maughan

Dr. Henry A. McKinnell, Jr.

The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta

The Honorable Walter F. and Joan Mondale

Jiro Murase, Esq.

The Honorable Paul H. O’Neill, Sr.

Dr. George R. Packard

The Honorable Leon Panetta

Professor Hugh Patrick

The Honorable Peter G. Peterson

Donald Richie

The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV

Charlie Rose

The Honorable Donna Shalala

Isaac Shapiro

Stephen Sondheim

Michael I. Sovern

Julie Taymor

Alair Townsend

Professor Ezra F. Vogel

The Honorable Paul A. Volcker

Jack and Susy Wadsworth

Alan Webber

John W. Weidman

Robert Wilson

The Honorable Timothy E. Wirth

Edgar B. Young††

Tadao Ando

Setsu Asakura

Tetsuya Chikushi

Shinji Fukukawa

Dr. Yoichi Funabashi

Toyoo Gyohten

Noboru Hatakeyama

Dr. Kazuo Inamori

Arata Isozaki

Hideo Kanze†††

The Honorable Yoriko Kawaguchi

Kakutaro Kitashiro

Yotaro Kobayashi

Ambassador Takakazu Kuriyama

Nobuo Kuroyanagi

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

Fumihiko Maki

Minoru Makihara

Hideki Matsui

Fujio Mitarai

Kenji Miyahara

The Honorable Kiichi Miyazawa†††

Yuzaburo Mogi

Madame Hanae Mori

Minoru and Yoshiko Mori

Yoshiko Morita

Takeomi Nagayama††††

The Honorable Yasuhiro Nakasone

Taizo Nishimuro

Mansaku Nomura

Shijuro and Sadako Ogata

Ambassador Kazuo Ogoura

Kazuo Ohno

Ambassador Yoshio Okawara

Yoko Ono

Ambassador Hisashi Owada

Ambassador Kunihiko Saito

Tojuro Sakata

Somei Satoh

Ambassador Yukio Satoh

Soshitsu Sen XVI

Masahiro Shinoda

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Tadashi Suzuki

Tasuku Takagaki

Yoshio Taniguchi

Saburo Teshigawara

Dr. Junichi Ujiie

Jiro Ushio

†Deceased January 2008††Deceased April 2007†††Deceased June 2007††††Deceased December 2006

As of May 31, 2008

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JA pA n 1 0 0 : C e l e B R At i n g A C e n t u Ry 1 9 07–2 0 07

Japan Society’s wide-ranging centennial celebrations continued throughout the 2007–08 season with unparalled programming and truly special events in New York City and Japan.

* C e N t e N N i a l e x h i b i t i o N *

Celebrating a Centuryan exhibition from Japan Society’s archivesPart 3: 1952–1969 • 1 o C to b e r–1 3 Ja N ua rY

Part 4: 1970–1989 • 2 1 Ja N ua rY– 3 1 M a r C h

Part 5: 1990–2007 • 1 a P r i l– 3 0 J u N e

1 Japan Society was founded on May 19, 1907 by Lindsay Russell, Hamilton Holt, Jacob Schiff, august Belmont and other prominent americans on the occasion of the May visit to new york by General Baron tamemoto Kuroki and Vice admiral Goro ijuin. in this archival photograph, Gen. Kuroki, his wife and entou-rage welcome Japanese ships to new york harbor in 1907. Museum of the city of new york. the Byron collection. 93.1.1.9049.

2 Japan Society’s first postwar president, John D. Rockefeller 3rd and Mrs. Rockefeller with prime Minister Shigeru yoshida and Mr. yoshida’s daughter, Mrs. takakichi aso, at a gala dinner held at the Waldorf-astoria in 1954.

3 Japan Society Board members and executives ring the closing bell on the new york Stock exchange on December 21, 2007. photo courtesy of nySe.

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Japan Society is grateful for the generous support of our Centennial Sponsors:

the Society would also like to thank the blanchette hooker rockefeller Fund and David rockefeller for their very generous Centennial gifts.

Media sponsorship was provided by WNYC and ltb Media. as part of the Millennium on View Program, Millennium uN Plaza was the preferred hotel partner of Japan Society’s Centennial.


s p e C i A l e V e n tsJA pA n s o C i e t y C e n t e n n i A l g A l A d i n n e R i n JA pA n

Celebrations of Japan Society’s 100th anniversary continued on March 4, 2008 with the Centennial Gala Dinner in Japan, held at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo. Present for the historic occasion were Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan. A toast was given by H.E. Nobutaka Machimura, Minister of State, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and special greetings were offered by both H.E. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs and The Hon. J. Thomas Schieffer, United States Ambassador to Japan. Living National Treasure kyogen actor Mansaku Nomura performed a special solo kyogen piece, followed by Mansaku-no-Kai’s presentation of a selection from The Kyogen of Errors.

1 Guests raise their glasses for a toast in commemoration of the Society’s centen-nial. photo © Hotel okura.

2 architect yoshio taniguchi and Mrs. taniguchi (left) are greeted by Japan Society president Richard J. Wood (right) and Kendall Hubert, Japan Society Senior Vice president and Director of external Relations (center). photo © Hotel okura.

3 Japan Society president Richard J. Wood (left) and chairman James S. McDonald (right) greet their Majesties the emperor and empress of Japan. photo © yoshiko Hishida.

4 Dinner guests, including (clock-wise from left): Mrs. yuzaburo Mogi; nobuo Kuroyanagi, president and ceo, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group; yoriko Kawaguchi, former Foreign Minister of Japan; yasuhiro nakasone, former prime Minister of Japan; and Minoru Makihara, Senior corporate advisor, Mitsubishi corporation. photo © Hotel okura.

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5 their Majesties the emperor and empress of Japan arrive at the Hotel okura. photo © yoshiko Hishida.

6 the Hon. J. thomas Schieffer, United States ambassador to Japan, offers a special greeting. photo © Hotel okura.

7 Japan Society president Richard J. Wood and chairman James S. McDonald escort their Majesties the emperor and empress to their seats at the Gala dinner. photo © Hotel okura.

8 Left to right: Robert Fallon, adjunct professor, columbia University Business School; Justin Rockefeller, co-Founder and national program Director, Generationengage; Mark Rockefeller, Vice chairman, Rockefeller & co.; and Mrs. Justin Rockefeller. photo © Hotel okura.

9 Left to right: chikage oogi, former president, House of councillors; Sakata tojuro iV, Living national treasure kabuki actor; Japan Society president Richard J. Wood, and Mrs. Wood. photo © Hotel okura.

10 H.e. nobutaka Machimura, Minister of State, chief cabinet Secretary, offers a toast in commemoration of the Society’s centennial. photo © yoshiko Hishida.

11 Left to right: Film director Masahiro Shinoda; fashion designer Hanae Mori; ballet dancer and actress tamiyo Kusakari; and film director Masayuki Suo. photo © Hotel okura.

12 Her Majesty the empress with Society chairman James S. McDonald. photo © Hotel okura.

13 Mansaku-no-Kai performs at the Gala Dinner. photo © Hotel okura.

14 Left to right: yoko Shioya, artistic Director, Japan Society; Sir Deryck c. Maughan, Man-aging Director and chairman, Kolberg Kravis Roberts asia; Hideyuki takahashi, executive Managing Director, nomura Holdings, inc.; and Mrs. taka-hashi. photo © Hotel okura.

15 Film and theater director Julie taymor (center) enjoys conversation with Hiroyasu ando, assistant cabinet Secretary (left) and film director Masahiro Shinoda (right). photo © Hotel okura.

16 Hotel okura waitstaff stand by for guests to enter the banquet hall. photo © Hotel okura.

17 Left to right: Japan Society president Richard J. Wood; carol Gluck, George Sansom professor of History, columbia University; and Sadako ogata, former United nations High commissioner for Refugees. photo © Hotel okura.

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1 Left to right: Fujio cho, chair-man of toyota Motor corpora-tion; amb. Motoatsu Sakurai, consul General of Japan in new york; and James S. McDonald, chairman of Japan Society, at a private reception in honor of Fujio cho. photo © Ken Levinson.

2 carnegie Hall salutes Japan Society on the occasion of its centennial with a Mitsuko Uchida piano concert. Left to right: tomoko Masur, Maestro Kurt Masur, Japan Society president Richard J. Wood, Mrs. Richard Wood, Japan Society chairman James S. McDonald and Mrs. James McDonald. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

3 christo and Jeanne-claude join artist on megumi akiyoshi in her FLOWER gallery at the opening preview and reception for Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

4 Guests at the annual Japanese new year’s celebration are entertained by a traditional shishimai (lion dance). photo © christy Jones.

5 Guests at the opening night reception for The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin. photo © George Hirose.

6 Left to right: exhibition curator eric c. Shiner; Joe earle, Vice president and Director, Japan Society Gallery; and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Danziger at the opening preview and reception for Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

7 Japan Society hosts a booth with traditional Japanese “yo-yo fishing” activity at Japan Day @ Central Park. photo © yoko Suzuki.

8 H.e. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United nations (left) and James S. McDonald, chairman of Japan Society (right) at a private reception in honor of Secretary-General Ban. photo © Ken Levinson.

9 Left to right: Fred Katayama, anchor, thomson Reuters; yoko Makino; and Gary S. Moriwaki, president, Japanese american association of new york. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

10 Legendary film actor tatsuya nakadai reminisces about his 1977 visit to the Society with yoko Suzuki, Japan Society’s Director of Special events, at a reception following a special screening of Ran. photo © christy Jones.

11 Susan Hancock welcomes guests to her residence for a dinner celebrating the opening of Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York. photo © yoko Suzuki.

12 Members talk with sake brewers during a private tasting at en Japanese Brasserie. photo © yoko Suzuki.

13 Guests admire the lobby installation by yoko ono at the opening reception and preview for Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

14 Friends of the Gallery and 333 Club members visit artist Ushio Shinohara’s studio in Brooklyn as part of an artist Studio tour. photo © yoko Suzuki.

15 333 Club members at an interactive yakitori tasting at tori Shin restaurant. photo © Matthew Myers.

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1 11 0 Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8

JA pA n s o C i e t y 2 0 0 8 A n n uA l d i n n e R

Japan Society’s Annual Dinner, held on June 12 at the Grand Hyatt New York, featured a keynote address from Citi Chairman Sir Winfried Bischoff, following an introduction by Japan Society Vice Chairman Shigeru Hayakawa. The 2008 Japan Society Award was presented to The Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Senator from Hawaii, and film legend Clint Eastwood, who accepted by video. Leonard Lopate, host of WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show, served as Master of Ceremonies. Guests were also treated to an energetic hip-hop dance performance by Ebina Performing Arts, featuring Kenichi Ebina and Takahiro Ueno.

1 Left to right: Japan Society president Richard J. Wood; Japan Society chair-man James S. McDonald, president and ceo, Rockefeller & co., inc.; Leonard Lopate, host, Wnyc’s The Leonard Lopate Show; 2008 Japan Society award recipient the Hon. Daniel K. inouye, U.S. Senator from Hawaii; Ms. irene Hirano, president, Japanese american national Museum; and ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai, consul General of Japan in new york. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

2 Sir Winfried Bischoff, chairman, citi, delivers the keynote speech. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

3 Left to right: yasunori yokote, presi-dent and ceo, Mitsui & co. (U.S.a.), inc., Mrs. yokote, and Japan Society chairman James S. McDonald. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

4 Left to right: Mrs. Motoatsu Sakurai; 2008 Japan Society award recipient the Hon. Daniel K. inouye; and H.e. yukio takasu, U.n. ambassador to Japan. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

5 Hip-hop dancer Kenichi ebina. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

6 Left to right: Japan Society chairman James S. McDonald; Japan Society Vice chairman Shigeru Hayakawa, president and coo, toyota Motor north america, inc; Sir Winfried Bischoff, chairman, citi; and Japan Society president Richard J. Wood. photo © Satoru ishikawa.

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e x e C u t i V e Co m m i t t e e

Richard Lanier, Chair

Gregory A. Boyko

Henry Cornell

Carol Gluck

David W. Heleniak

Merit E. Janow

Michihisa Shinagawa

i n V e stm e n t Co m m i t t e e

Henry Cornell, Chair

Shigesuke Kashiwagi

Jonathan B. Kindred

Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.

Ryoichi Ueda

f i n A n C e Co m m i t t e e

Gregory A. Boyko, Chair

Alan S. MacDonald

Jun Makihara

James H. Quigley

n o m i n At i n g A n d

Co R p o R At e g oV e R n A n C e

Co m m i t t e e

David W. Heleniak, Chair

Robert E. Fallon

Merit E. Janow

Stephen H. Long

Jun Makihara

Deryck C. Maughan

Ryoichi Ueda

Au d i t Co m m i t t e e

Satoru Murase, Chair

Nobuhiko Ikura

Shigesuke Kashiwagi

Stephen H. Long

JA pA n A dV i s o Ry Co m m i t t e e

Shoichiro Toyoda, Chair

Kensuke Hotta

Kazuo Inamori

Yotaro Kobayashi

Minoru Makihara

Fujio Mitarai

Yoshihiko Miyauchi

Yuzaburo Mogi

Minoru Mori

Ambassador Moriyuki Motono

Minoru Murofushi

Yoshio Nakamura

Takeo Shiina

Shinjiro Shimizu

Seiji Tsutsumi

Jiro Ushio

Goro Watanabe

Ambassador Koji Watanabe

p R o g R A m Co m m i t t e e

Merit E. Janow, Chair

Kazushi Ambe

Atsuko Toko Fish

Frederick H. Katayama

Masako Shinn

Joshua N. Solomon

f i l m A dV i s o Ry Co m m i t t e e

Donald Richie, Chair

Mary Lea Bandy

Celeste Bartos

Robert Gottlieb

Junji Kitadai

Akira Koike

Keiko I. McDonald

Masayo Okada

Nagisa Oshima

Richard Pena

Daniel Talbot

p e R fo R m i n g A Rts A dV i s o Ry

Co m m i t t e e

Laurence Kominz, Chair

Philip Bither

John Gillespie

David G. Goodman

Stephen Greco

Margaret Lawrence

Judy Mitoma

W. Anthony Sheppard

John Weidman

Robert Woodruff

H O N O R A RY M E M B E R S

James Brandon

Karen Brazell

Donald Keene

Thomas Rimer

Ralph Samuelson

Akihiko Senda

u . s . -JA pA n m e d i A f e l lows

p R o g R A m s e l e C t i o n

Co m m i t t e e

Douglas McGray

Charles Lane

Daniel Pink

u . s . -JA pA n i n n oVAto R s

n e t wo R k B oA R d o f

A dV i s o R s

Susan Dentzer

Glen Fukushima

Glenn Hubbard

Kakutaro Kitashiro

Joseph Melillo

Fujio Mitarai

Wilbur L. Ross

Shinjiro Shimizu

Mitsuko Shimomura

Hirotaka Takeuchi

Hiroshi Tsukamoto

Yoshinori Yamaoka

Masakazu Yamazaki


n e t wo R k B u s i n e s s

A dV i s o Ry Co m m i t t e e

Jack D. Cogen

Aron Cramer

Michael E. Daniels

Robert E. Fallon

Yoshito Hori

Joichi Ito

Shuhei Kishimoto

Michael Kobori

Terrie Lloyd

Oki Matsumoto

Alicia Ogawa

Debra van Opstal

Thierry Porte

James G. Reed

Ann Rutledge

Hiroaki Saito

Ken Shibusawa

Hirotaka Takeuchi

Alan Webber

Keith Yamashita


n e t wo R k C u lt u R A l

A dV i s o Ry Co m m i t t e e

David d’Heilly

Thelma Golden

Yasuki Hamano

Yuko Hasegawa

Minoru Iki

Taneo Kato

Douglas McGray

Dominic Molon

Taeko Nagai

Fumio Nanjo

Shigeaki Saegusa

Ralph Samuelson

Emily Sano

Hiroshi Yanai


n e t wo R k s o C i A l A dV i s o Ry

Co m m i t t e e

Ayako Fujii

Rosanne Haggerty

Keiko Kiyama

Megumu Mizuta

Zenko Oda

Kensuke Onishi

Michael Reich

Yoshinori Yamaoka

Co m m i t t e e s

1 2 Ja pa n S o c i e t y A n n uA l R e p o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8

JA pA n s o C i e t y s H o p

The Japan Society Shop, located on the Society’s second floor, is a unique boutique highlighting contemporary and tradi-tional Japanese design through exclusive and one-of-a-kind merchandise. In March 2008, the Japan Society Shop was remodeled and expanded to more than twice its original size.

A wide range of contemporary decorative art, textiles, fur-niture, jewelry, lacquerware and ceramics welcomes visitors with an authentic “Made-In-Japan” experience. “Made-in-Japan” merchandise embodies a rich craftsmanship based on a long history of artisan skill, practical beauty and regional spirit. The Shop’s expert staff field questions about products, providing customers with a new appreciation and knowledge about Japan and Japanese culture. Customers are encouraged to return regularly as new products arrive in conjunction with Japan Society Gallery exhibitions and ongoing Society-wide programming, making each visit unique.

all photos © Sheldan collins.

B u s i n e s s & P u B l i c P o l i cy

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co R P o R AT e P R o g R A m

The 2007–08 Corporate Program season launch coincided with major political upheaval in Japan as Prime Minister Abe resigned in September 2007, only one year after taking office following the end of Koizumi’s five-year leadership. Abe’s departure opened the door to Yasuo Fukuda, a split in the Parliament and most worrisome, the specter of Japan suffering yet again from a series of short-lived, uninspired and ineffective administrations. Fukuda proved adept at smoothing relations with Japan’s neighbors, but failed to inspire confidence in Japanese lawmakers and the public. Weathering a series of scandals brought on by errant agriculture ministers, he also struggled to restore public trust in the country’s tainted pension system and regularly fought for passage of ordinarily uncontested laws in the opposition-controlled Upper House. Despite his best efforts, Fukuda’s popularity continued to fall.

Admist ongoing political turmoil in Japan, the Corporate Program pursued its mission to showcase the U.S.-Japan economic and security relationship in the context of broader regional and global relations among nations. In this vein, we launched the year with a conference including former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Heizo Takenaka, the architect of PM Koizumi’s economic reforms, examining how political and economic developments in East Asia are defining U.S.-Japan relations. We hosted a series of policy and military leaders, including Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Ronen Sen, Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David McCormick and Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. All cited the importance of Japan’s relationship with the U.S. in providing economic and security stability to Asia, while encouraging Japan to strengthen its bilateral relations with regional neighbors. The world’s foremost diplomat, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saw the programming season to a close with his view of contributions by South Korea and Japan in combating global environmental and developmental crises.

The subject of financial market regulation and enforcement arose frequently throughout discussions of Japan’s interac-tion with the U.S. and other regional players. Notwithstand-ing the financial deregulation “Big Bang” of 1996, Japan is still accused of maintaining both closed financial services markets and regulatory impediments that discourage even the most tenacious foreign investors. How to make Japanese businesses and markets more attractive to outside investors was a theme often visited this year. We hosted a conference comparing capital market enforcement measures in the U.S. and Japan with those in the UK. The 11-person panel included Japan’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins and the UK’s Financial Services Authority Director of Enforcement Margaret Cole. Later, we welcomed Sarbanes-Oxley Act co-author Michael Oxley, who spoke on where the post-Enron response went right and areas in the regulations that needed retooling.

The Corporate Program continued its ongoing tradition of offering members unparalleled access to top-tier business leaders from both the U.S. and Japan. In the Centennial Speakers series last fall, we were honored to host former Fed Chief Paul Volcker, who offered his early yet prescient assessment of the impact of the subprime loan debacle. Later Japanese banking and automotive heavyweights Junichi Ujiie, Chairman of Nomura Holdings, Inc. and Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, joined the series to cite the importance of a global view in securing the future health of their respective firms.

Though our programs frequently reached beyond the confines of the bilateral U.S.-Japan relationship, we did present several programs that looked at particular segments of both cultures. In addition to taking measure of Japan’s economic health with Morgan Stanley Japan’s Chief Eco-nomic Researcher Robert Feldman and looking at last fall’s boom in bilateral M&A activity, Debbie Howard, Chairman, America Chamber of Commerce in Japan, examined the exacting tastes of Japan’s high-end consumers and later in the year, Famima Corporation Chairman Shiro Inoue joined us to study Japan’s profound influence on U.S. convenience store culture.

1 4 JA PA N S O C I E T Y A n n uA l R e P o RT 2 0 07– 0 8 1 5

2 0 07– 0 8 P R o g R A m H i g H l i g H Ts

co n f e R e n c e s , PA n e l D i s c u s s i o n s , s e m i n A R s & sym P o s i A

East Asia’s Future Role in Defining U.S.-Japan Relations • 1 8 S E p t E m b E R • Co-organized by Nikkei America, Inc. Supported by Japan Center for Economic Research.Offsite event held at Hilton New York. With Richard Armitage, President, Armitage Inter-national and former Deputy Secretary of State. Tsuyoshi Sunohara, Senior Staff Writer, NIKKEI, Inc., presiding. Presenters: Heizo Takenaka, Senior Advisor, Japan Center for Economic Research, Keio University and Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School; former Chairman, President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Naoaki Okabe, Senior Executive Managing Officer, Senior Executive Editor, NIKKEI, Inc., moderating.

Vultures or Doves? How Changing Japanese Laws & Shifting perceptions Will Impact U.S.-Japan m&A • 2 5 S E p t E m b E R • Sponsored by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.With Scott Minars, Partner, Deloitte & Touche; Julian Pritchard, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; and Timothy Wilkins, Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

multilateralism in Asia: measuring Risk & Rewards for the U.S. & Japan • 1 7 O C tO b E R

With Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs International Corporation; Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School; and Evans Revere, President, The Korea Society. Michael Auslin, Resident Scholar in Asian Studies, American Enterprise Institute, moderating.

Global Climate Change: Economic Implications & Opportunities for the U.S. & Japan • 5 D E C E m b E R • Sponsored by Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies.

With J. Patrick Adcock, Senior Vice President for Environmental Markets, World Energy Solutions, Inc.; Kevin Butt, General Manager and Chief Envi-ronmental Officer, Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc.; and Takamitsu Sawa, Profes-sor, Kyoto University and Ritsumeikan University. Howard Margulis, Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP, moderating.

Hurdles & Rewards: Navigating Japan’s Financial Services market • 2 3 JA N UA Ry • Co-organized by Women’s Bond Club; Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Busi-ness School; and Nomura Holding America, Inc. With Masatomo Harigaya, Director of International Equity Sales, Nomura Securities International, Inc.; Brian Kelly, Chief Investment Officer, Asian Century Quest Capital, LLC; and Alicia Ogawa, Director of the Program on Alternative Investments; Associate Director for Program Development, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School. Leslie Norton, Foreign Editor, Asia, Barron’s, moderating.

Enforcement in the U.S. & Japan, with Lessons from the UK • 1 F E b R UA Ry • Sponsored by Mizuho Securities USA. Co-organized by Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems.With Paul Atkins, Commissioner, United States Securities and Exchange Commission; Brandon Becker, Partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Co-Chair, Securities Department; Chair, Broker-Dealer Compliance and Regulation; Margaret Cole, Director of Enforcement, Financial Services Authority; Robert Feldman, Director of Economic Research Department and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Japan Securities Co., Ltd.; Takatoshi Ito, Professor, Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo; Hideki Kanda, Professor of Law, University of Tokyo; Kazumi Okamura, Deputy Secretary-General, Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission; Thomas A. Russo, Vice Chairman, Lehman Brothers Inc.; Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.; Takumi Shibata, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd.; Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Member of the House of Representatives, Japan and former Chief Cabinet Secretary; and Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director, Division of Enforce-ment, United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Hal Scott, Nomura Professor of International Financial Systems, Harvard Law School, moderating.

managing Interests, managing Expectations: U.S.-China-Japan Relations • 2 6 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by Japan Center for International Exchange.With Hitoshi Tanaka, Senior Fellow, Japan Center for International Exchange; former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

1 At the Corporate Program’s 2007–08 season inaugural conference, Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State and President, Armitage Inter-national and Motoatsu Sakurai, Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York; Honorary Director, Japan Society, practice humor diplomacy. Photo © Ken Levinson.

2 Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Member of the House of Representa-tives, Japan and former Chief Cabinet Secretary (right), along with Kazumi Okamura, Deputy Secretary-General, Securities and Exchange Surveillance Com-mission, join in a comparative discussion of capital market enforcement measures co-hosted by Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Sys-tems. Photo © Ken Levinson.

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1 6 JA PA N S O C I E T Y A n n uA l R e P o RT 2 0 07– 0 8

1 Left to right: Richard J. Wood, President, Japan Society; Gideon Rose, Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs; Kent E. Calder, Edwin O. Reischauer Professor and Director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Interna-tional Studies, Johns Hopkins University; and Francis Fukuy-ama, Bernard L. Schwartz Pro-fessor of International Political Economy and Director of the International Development Program, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins Uni-versity, following Dr. Calder’s and Dr. Fukuyama’s lecture on their co-edited book, East Asian Multilateralism: Prospects for Regional Stability. Photo © Ken Levinson.

2 Sovereign Wealth Fund conference panelists take questions from the audience following the discussion por-tion of the program. Left to right: Kotaro Tamura, Member of the House of Councilors and Vice Chairman, LDP Com-mittee on Fiscal and Financial Policy; former Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office of Economic and Fiscal Policy, who joined from Tokyo via a Keio University high-speed video link; Edwin Truman, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Ann Wyman, Managing Director, Economic and Political Strategies, Citigroup Inc.; John Green, Director of Research and Asia Practice Head, Eurasia Group; and moderator Bob Davis, Interna-tional Economics Correspon-dent, The Wall Street Journal. Photo © Ken Levinson.

3 James S. McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rockefeller & Co. and Chairman, Japan Society (center) introduces United Nations Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon to Japan Society Director and GenerationEngage Co-Founder & National Program Director Justin Rock-efeller. Photo © Ken Levinson.

4 At a reception before his lecture, Michael Oxley, Of Counsel, Baker & Hostetler LLP; former Ohio Congress-man, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and co-author of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002, engages Japan Society President Richard J. Wood and Ryoichi Ueda, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi International Corporation; Director Japan Society. Photo © Ken Levinson.

5 With program sponsor and presider Bal Das, Partner, InsCap Management, LLC; Chair, India Policy Forum (right) looking on, H.E. Am-bassador Ronen Sen, Ambas-sador of India to the United States, responds to an amusing remark from the audience following his lecture about trade and diplomatic relations among Japan, India and the U.S. Photo © Ken Levinson.

6 United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte squares off with presider and WNYC radio talk show host Brian Lehrer, Host, The Brian Lehrer Show. Photo © Ken Levinson.

7 Following a lecture about U.S. military posture in North-east Asia are (left to right): Jan Berris, Vice President, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations; Stephen Orlins, President, The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations; Admiral Timothy J. Keating, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and Daniel Rosenblum, Vice President & Director, Corporate & Policy Programs, Japan Society. Photo © Ken Levinson.

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the Konbini Are Coming! Japanese Convenience Store Culture takes On America • 1 7 A p R I L • With Shiro Inoue, Chairman, Famima Corporation; William Rapp, Henry J. Leir Professor of Interna-tional Trade and Business; and Gavin Whitelaw, Postdoctoral Fellow, Reischauer Institute, Harvard University. Chester Dawson, Senior Vice Presi-dent, SPARX Investment & Research, USA, LLC, moderating.

East Asian multilateralism: prospects for Regional Stability • 2 2 A p R I L

With Kent E. Calder, Edwin O. Reischauer Professor and Director, Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University and Francis Fukuyama, Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy and Director, International Development Program, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Gideon Rose, Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs, moderating.

Japanese Companies & Employment Litigation: Special Concerns • 24 A p R I L • Sponsored by Nixon Peabody LLP.With Philip Berkowitz, Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP; William Gilbert, Vice President, General Manager, Human Resources, Canon USA, Inc.; and George Pierce, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: the political Risk of Financial Opportunity • 1 m Ay • Co-organized by Eurasia Group.With John Green, Director of Research and Asia Practice Head, Eurasia Group; Kotaro Tamura, Member of the House of Councilors, Japan, Vice Chairman, LDP Committee on Fiscal and Finan-cial Policy and former Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office of Economic and Fiscal Policy; Edwin Truman, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; and Ann Wyman, Managing Director, Economic and Political Strategies, Citigroup Inc. Bob Davis, International Economics Correspondent, The Wall Street Journal, moderating.

Compliance Considerations: potential pitfalls for Foreign Companies Operating in the U.S. • 9 m Ay • Sponsored by Epstein Becker & Green P.C.With Philippa Girling, Director, Global Co-Head of Operational Risk Management, Nomura Holdings America; Marian Ladner, Member of the Firm, Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall; Michael Levine, Member of the Firm, Epstein Becker & Green P.C.; and Hajime Matsuura, U.S. Correspondent, NIKKEI.

Controlling the Rising Costs of Electronic Discovery in the U.S. • 3 J U N E • Sponsored by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.With Edward Flanders, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Jeffrey J. Joyce, Vice President, Kroll Ontrack Consulting; and Wayne C. Matus, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Fusae Nara, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, moderating.

United States-East Asia policy under the Next president • 2 5 J U N E • Co-organized by Nikkei America, Inc. Sponsored by Canon USA, Inc.; Daiwa Securities America, Inc.; Toyota Motor North America, Inc.; and Nippon Life Insurance Company of America. Corporate support by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. Media support by the Wall Street Journal. With Matthew Goodman, Managing Director, Stonebridge International LLC; Michael J. Green, Senior Advisor and Japan Chair, Center for Strategic & International Studies; Associate Professor, Georgetown University; and John Bussey, Washington Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal. Hidenaka Kato, Senior Staff Writer, NIKKEI Inc.; Visiting Fellow, Center for Strategic & International Studies, moderating.

co R P o R AT e l e c T u R e s

prognosis Japan: morgan Stanley Japan’s Chief Economist Assesses the State of Japan’s Economic Health • 2 8 S E p t E m b E R

With Robert Feldman, Head of Japan Economic Research, Morgan Stanley Japan Securities Co., Ltd. Margaret Moore, Senior Analyst and Portfolio Manager, DuPont Capital Management, presiding.

Securing Japan: tokyo’s Grand Strategy & the Future of East Asia • 1 2 D E C E m b E R

With Richard J. Samuels, Ford International Professor of Political Science; Director of the Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. George R. Packard, President, United States-Japan Foundation, presiding.

U.S. pacific Command perspective on Security in Northeast Asia • 7 m Ay • Co-organized by National Committee on United States-China Relations.With Admiral Timothy J. Keating, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. Micah Fink, Documentary Film Maker, PBS Wide Angle, presiding.

Secretary-General ban Ki-moon Addresses UN Global Initiatives & Contributions from Northeast Asia • 2 6 J U N E • Co-organized by The Korea Society.With Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations. Evans Revere, President, The Korea

Society and James S. McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rockefeller & Co., Chairman, Japan Society, presiding.

co R P o R AT e lu n c H e o n s

Looking Inside the Hearts, minds & Wallets of the Japanese Consumer • 1 9 O C tO b E R • Supported by Asian Women in Business.With Debbie Howard, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and President, Japan Market Resource Network. Lisa Finstrom, First Vice President, Citigroup, Inc., presiding.

the State of U.S.-Japan Relations • 3 1 JA N UA Ry

With John Negroponte, United States Deputy Secretary of State. Brian Lehrer, Host, The Brian Lehrer Show, presiding.

H.E. Ambassador Ronen Sen, Indian Ambassador to the United States, to Discuss Indo-Japan-U.S. Economic, trade & Diplomatic ties • 1 5 F E b R UA Ry

With H.E. Ambassador Ronen Sen, Ambassador of India to the United States. Bal G. Das, Partner, InsCap Management, LLC; Chair, India Policy Forum, presiding.

the U.S.-Japan Economic Relationship: Essential in a Changing World • 27 m A R C H

With David H. McCormick, Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs. Fernando Gonzalez, Vice President, American International Group, Inc., presiding.

Reflections on Sarbanes-Oxley: Lessons Learned and Implications for the Future • 2 A p R I L

With Michael Oxley, Of Counsel, Baker & Hostetler LLP, former Ohio Congressman, Chair-man of the House Financial Services Committee and co-author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. James S. McDonald, President and CEO, Rockefeller & Co. Inc. and Chairman, Japan Society, presiding.

Carlyle Japan: Looking past public perception for buyout Opportunities in Japan • 1 5 m Ay

With Takeshi Isayama, Chairman, Carlyle Japan. Alicia Ogawa, Director, Program on Alternative Investments and Associate Director for Program Development, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School, presiding.

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c e n T e n n i A l s P e A k e R s s e R i e sThis program was made possible by Citi.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *Remarks by Former Fed Chairman paul Volcker • 4 O C tO b E R

With Paul A. Volcker, former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Alan Blinder, Gorden S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Co-Director, Center for Economic Studies, Princeton University, presiding.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *Nomura Chairman Ujiie Charts Roadmap for Japan’s Fiscal Recovery • 2 N OV E m b E R

With Junichi Ujiie, Chairman, Nomura Holdings, Inc. John Thain, Chief Executive Officer, NYSE Euronext, presiding.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *toyota Chairman Sees Local Interaction the path toward Global Success • 1 4 N OV E m b E R

With Fujio Cho, Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation. Richard J. Wood, President, Japan Society, presiding.

Japan Society wishes to thank the following corporations for their generous support of the Corporate Program:

Global Leaders:American International Group, Inc.CitiContinental Airlines Deloitte & Touche LLPMizuho Securities USA Inc.Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Corporate Partners:Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.WL Ross & Co. LLC

Additional support: Asian Women in Business; All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.; Bal Das; Canon U.S.A., Inc.; Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs; Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia Business School; Daiwa Securities America Inc.; Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.; Eurasia Group; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP; Harvard Law School’s Program on International Financial Systems; Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies; Japan Center for Inter-national Exchange; Japan Center for Economic Research; The Korea Society; National Committee on United States-China Relations; Nikkei America, Inc.; Nippon Life Insurance Company of America; Nixon Peabody LLP; Nomura Holding America, Inc.; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; the Wall Street Journal; Women’s Bond Club.

1 Paul Volcker (left), former Chairman of the Board of Gov-ernors of the Federal Reserve System, gives his thoughts on the collapse of the subprime mortgage loan market as moderator Alan Blinder, former Fed Vice Chairman and Gordon S. Rentschler Memo-rial Professor of Economics and Co-Director, Center for Economic Policy Studies, Princeton University, listens. Photo © Ken Levinson.

2 Preparing for Nomura Hold-ings, Inc. Chairman Junichi Ujiie’s Centennial Speakers Series lecture are ( right to left): John Thain, Chief Execu-tive Officer, NYSE Euronext; James S. McDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rockefeller & Co. and Chair-man, Japan Society; Dr. Ujiie, David Heleniak, Vice Chair-man, Morgan Stanley and Director, Japan Society; Jun Makihara, Chairman, Neoteny Co., Ltd and Director, Japan Society; Frederick Katayama, Anchor, Reuters and Director, Japan Society; and Tadashi Nunami, General Manager for the Americas, Bank of Japan. Photo © Ken Levinson.

3 Toyota Motor Corpora-tion Chairman Fujio Cho and James McDonald, President and Chief Executive Of-ficer, Rockefeller & Co. and Chairman, Japan Society, are greeted by Keiko Ikawa, Continental Airlines Managing Director, Asia Pacific Sales, at a private reception prior to Chairman Cho’s Centennial Speakers Series lecture. Photo © Ken Levinson.

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P o l i cy P R oj e c Ts

The U.S.-Japan Innovators Network is a unique community of emerging and established Japanese and American leaders from business, civil society, the media, and arts and culture, committed to creating a better future by collaborating on challenges facing both Japan and the United States in the 21st century. Co-organized with The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, the Network explores new potential for U.S.-Japan collaboration by connecting people and ideas through network-building exchanges, private retreats, public symposia and long-term projects.

The Network started the year in November by holding a two- day retreat and symposium in Kyoto, Invigorating Communities, Designing for Inclusion, co-organized with Innovators Network member Limbon, Professor of Urban Planning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, and the Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration. The retreat brought together architects, urban planners and leaders in culture and civil society from the U.S. and Japan to share ideas on urban revitalization, social inclusion, and the role of arts and culture in stimulating local economies. A public symposium followed, where American participants discussed their work in revitalizing communities in the U.S.

Another major program of the Network looked at how tradi-tional corporate social responsibility in the U.S. and Japan is being replaced by next-generation models that more effectively integrate social value into the bottom line. In February Innovators hosted a public symposium in Tokyo with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun called For Profit, For Good: Integrating Social Value into the Bottom Line. The symposium brought together Network members Keith Yamashita of Stone Yamashita Partners, Acumen Fund CEO Jacqueline Novogratz, and Hiroshi Tasaka of Thinktank SophiaBank with Martin Coles, COO of Starbucks and Darren Huston, President and CEO, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan, to discuss how creating social value is vital to successful business strategy. While in Tokyo, Keith Yamashita and Jacqueline Novogratz conducted a series of seminars on innovation and leadership with local organizations, including The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Nippon Keidan-ren (the Japan Business Federation) and Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities (ETIC).

Also in February, Network member Bill Strickland, a leading American social entrepreneur, gave a talk in New York keying off his new book, Make the Impossible Possible, sharing his inspirational story from growing up in a Pittsburgh ghetto to running the Manchester Bidwell Corporation, a nationally- recognized organization that successfully balances social action, artistic creativity and entrepreneurial acumen. Nana Watanabe, an award-winning photographer and author of Changemakers II: Working as a Social Entrepreneur (in Japa-nese), which includes Mr. Strickland, presided.

A third major area of focus for the Network was crisis management and disaster recovery. Led by Network member Yasushi Aoyama, former Vice Governor, Tokyo and Professor, Meiji University, Learning from Disaster: Miyakejima & New Orleans was an exchange that brought together Americans and Japanese from local governments and nonprofit organizations who were directly involved in response operations on the frontlines of two recent natural disasters, Miyakejima in Japan and New Orleans in the U.S. In the first phase of this exchange program, eight Japanese met with their American counterparts in New Orleans to discuss problems they faced, the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained, recovery plans for the affected areas, and shared ideas on how to improve response operations.

On a related theme, in collaboration with MCG Jazz, the Network held two “Jazz is Life” community dialogues in New York and New Orleans. Innovation & the Art of Future Building explored the art of recovery from a range of different perspectives, keying off of conversations with Network members, including Rosanne Haggerty, founder of the supportive housing nonprofit Common Ground Community, Kohei Nishiyama, CEO of design-to-order company elephant design, Marty Ashby, Executive Producer of MCG Jazz, and Jay Weigel, Executive/ Artistic Director for the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.


R e T R e AT & s i T e V i s i Ts

Invigorating Communities, Designing for Inclusion • 5 – 9 N OV E m b E R • Co-organized by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partner- ship; Limbon, architect & Professor, Urban Planning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University; and Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration. Offsite event in Kyoto, Tomonoura and Toyoshima, Japan. With Ruth Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement Museum; Ayako Fujii, Executive Director, Environmental Co-op Union, Shiga and President, Nanohana Project Network; Jeanne Giordano, Urban Design Consultant, Jeanne Giordano Ltd; Taneo Kato, Secretary General, Asahi Beer Arts Foundation and Execu-tive Director, Yokohama Arts Foundation; Keito Kohara, Producer, artcomplex group; Limbon, architect and Professor, Urban Planning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University; Rick Lowe, artist and founder, Project Row Houses; Osamu Maebashi, President and CEO, M.crew INC.; Tomohiko Okabe, Director, FunnyBee Co. Ltd. and CEO, Okabe Tomohiko Design Studio; and Villy Wang, President and CEO, BAYCAT.

e xc H A n g e P R o g R A m

Learning from Disaster: miyakejima & New Orleans, part I • 2 8 A p R I L– 3 m Ay • Co-organized by Professor Yasushi Aoyama, Meiji University.Offsite event in New Orleans, LA. With Yasushi Aoyama, Professor, Graduate School of Gover-nance Studies, Meiji University and former Vice Governor of Tokyo; Hiroshi Amemiya, founder and CEO, Corporate Citizenship Japan Limited; Carol Bebelle, Founder and Director, Ashé Cultural Arts Center; Ed Blakely, Director, Office of Recovery Development & Administration, City of New Orleans; Shawn Escoffery, Deputy Director, New Orleans

Neighborhood Development Collaborative; Rosa-nne Haggerty, founder and CEO, Common Ground Community; Sukeyasu Hirano, Mayor, Miyake Village; Juzo Inose, Managing Director, Tokyo Consumer’s Co-Operative Union; Martha J. Kegel, Executive Director, UNITY; Richard McCarthy, founder and Executive Director, marketumbrella.org; Vien The Nguyen, Reverend, Mary Queen of Viet Nam Church; Von Nkosi, Director, Housing Renewal Division, Office of Recovery Development & Administration, City of New Orleans; Kouichiro Sakaue, Director, Miyakejima Volunteer Center; Kazuyuki Sasaki, Research Fellow, Research Cen-ter for Crisis and Contingency Management, Meiji University; and Yasuo Uehara, Director General, Tokyo Volunteer Network for Disaster Relief.

P u B l i c P R o g R A m s & s e m i n A R s

Invigorating Communities: Learning from Four Successful Initiatives in the United States

• 8 N OV E m b E R • Co-organized by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership; Professor Limbon, Reitsumeikan University; and Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration.Offsite event in Kyoto, Japan. With Ruth Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement Museum; Jeanne Giordano, Urban Design Consultant, Jeanne Giordano Ltd; Limbon, architect and Professor, Urban Planning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University; Rick Lowe, artist and founder, Project Row Houses; and Villy Wang, President and CEO, BAYCAT.

beyond Web 2.0: How the Next tech Revolution Will Change the World • 2 9 N OV E m b E R • Co-organized by The New School.Offsite event at The New School. With Hiroshi Tasaka, President, Thinktank SophiaBank and Professor, Tama University.


1 Limbon, Architect and Professor, Urban Plan-ning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University (fourth from right, arm extended), explains some of the challenges the city of Kyoto currently faces. Photo © Betty Borden.

2 Shawn Escoffery, Deputy Director, New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collab-orative (third from left) gives Japanese mem-bers of the exchange program, Learning from Disaster: Miyakejima & New Orleans, a tour of the recently demolished C. J. Peete public hous-ing development in New Orleans. Photo © Betty Borden.

3 Panelists discuss the importance of creating social value at the symposium For Profit, For Good: Integrating Social Value into the Bottom Line in Tokyo. Left to right: Hiroshi Tasaka, President, Thinktank SophiaBank; Jacqueline Novogratz, Chief Executive Officer, Acumen Fund; Mari Hayashi, Senior Man-ager, Citizenship, Plan-J Group, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan; and Keith Yamashita, Chairman, Stone Yamashita Partners. Photo © Sai Kenzo.

4 Professor Yasushi Aoyama, Professor, Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University (at the head of the table) and Father Vien The Nguyen, Pastor, Mary Queen of Vietnam Church (far left), lead a discussion among Japanese participants in Learning from Disaster: Miyakejima & New Orleans. Photo © Betty Borden.

5 Retreat participants listen to Innovators’ presentations on com-munity revitalization and inclusion in Kyoto. Left to right: Ruth Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement Mu-seum; Tomohiko Okabe, Director, FunnyBee Co. Ltd. and CEO, Okabe Tomohiko Design Studio; Jeanne Giordano, Urban Design Consultant, Jeanne Giordano Ltd.; and Limbon, Architect and Professor, Urban Planning, College of Social Sciences, Ritsumeikan University. Photo © Betty Borden.

6 Marty Ashby, Execu-tive Producer, MCG Jazz (standing), moder-ates the question and answer portion of the symposium Innovation & the Art of Future Building. Also on stage are, left to right: Jay Weigel, Executive/Artistic Director, Contemporary Arts Center; Rosanne Haggerty, founder and President, Common Ground Community; Kohei Nishiyama, CEO and founder, elephant design co., ltd. Photo © Betty Borden.

7 Bill Strickland, President and CEO, Manchester Bidwell Corporation, and author Nana Watanabe field questions from the audience during the lecture Changemakers: Making the Impossible Possible. Photo © Satoru Ishikawa.

8 Yoko Makino (far right), hosts the recep-tion for the symposium For Profit, For Good: Integrating Social Value into the Bottom Line. Left to right: Ken Shibusawa, Chief Executive Officer, Shibusawa and Company, Inc.; Haruo Miyagi, Pres-ident, ETIC; and Yoshimi Watanabe, Minister of State for Financial Ser-vices and Administrative Reform. Photo © Fumiko Miyamoto.

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the Nature of Innovation • 4 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized with Hitotsubashi University.Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Keith Yamashita, Chairman and Founder and Susan Schuman, CEO, Stone Yamashita Partners.

ACCJ CEO Forum breakfast • 4 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Keith Yamashita, Chairman and founder and Susan Schuman, CEO, Stone Yamashita Partners.

For profit, For Good: Integrating Social Value into the bottom Line • 6 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by Nikkei and The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Martin Coles, Chief Operating Officer, Starbucks Corporation and President, Starbucks Coffee International; Mari Hayashi, Senior Manager, Citizenship, Plan-J Group, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan; Darren Huston, President and CEO, Microsoft Co. Ltd., Japan; Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund; Hiro-shi Tasaka, President, Thinktank SophiaBank and Professor, Tama University; and Keith Yamashita, Chairman and founder, Stone Yamashita Partners.

Roundtable on Social Entrepreneurship •

7 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by ETIC (Entrepre-neurial Training for Innovative Communities).Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund.

Innovation Designer • 7 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO).Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Chikara Funabashi, President, WillSeed; Kunihiro Maeda, Director, Kanshin! Inc.; Kohei Nishiyama, founder and CEO, elephant design; Yasuaki Sakyo, Presi-dent, Shibuya University; Kinya Tagawa, Design Engineer, founder and CEO, takram design engineering; Soichi Ueda, Creative Director and COO, Spaceport Corporation and Producer, Think the Earth Project; and Keith Yamashita, Chairman and founder, Stone Yamashita Partners.

Challenging the Status Quo to Create New Value: New models of Innovation & Leadership • 8 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by the Nippon Keidanren U.S. Affairs Committee.Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Keith Yamashita, Chairman, Stone Yamashita Partners.

A Conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund • 8 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by ETIC (Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities).Offsite event in Tokyo. With Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund.

Innovation & Large-Scale Change & transformation • 8 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by Globis International School.Offsite event in Tokyo, Japan. With Keith Yamashita, Chairman and founder, Stone Yamashita Partners.

Changemakers: make the Impossible possible • 27 F E b R UA Ry • Co-organized by The Japan F oundation Center for Global Partnership.With Bill Strickland, President and CEO, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and Nana Watanabe, photographer.

jA z z i s l i f e co m m u n i T y D i A lo g u e s e R i e s

Improvisation, Creativity, Collaboration: Fueling Innovation in the 21st Century • 2 8 m A R C H • Co-organized by MCG Jazz & The Japan Founda-tion Center for Global Partnership.Offsite event in Pittsburgh, PA. With Marty Ashby, Executive Producer, MCG Jazz; Daniel H. Pink, author, A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation and Contributing Editor, Wired; Hiroshi Tasaka, President, Thinktank SophiaBank and Professor, Tama University; and Alan Webber, Founding Editor, Fast Company Magazine.

Innovation & the Art of Future building • 2 0 & 2 2 m Ay • Co-organized by MCG Jazz & The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.In New York and offsite in New Orleans, LA. With Marty Ashby, Executive Producer, MCG Jazz; Rosanne Haggerty, President and CEO, Common Ground Community; Kohei Nishiyama, CEO, elephant design; and Jay Weigel, Executive/Artistic Director, Contemporary Arts Center.

P u B l i c AT i o n

(IN)SIGHT: Bridging Gaps • JA N UA Ry

the U.S.-Japan Innovators Network is co-organized by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.

This Network was generously supported by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and Citi.

Additional support was provided by the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Jack and Susy Wadsworth, R&R Consulting, Inc., Justin A. Rockefeller and Dr. Michitaka Yamamoto.

International transportation was supported by Continental Airlines and All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

The Network was also made possible in part by Japan Society’s endowment for policy projects.

Learning from Disaster: miyakejima & New Orleans was generously funded by The Ford Foun-dation. Additional support is provided by Japan Trade Union Confederation, Tokyo Local (Rengo Tokyo), Tokyo Consumers’ Co-operative Union, and Meiji University, Research Center for Crisis and Contingency Management.

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f e l lows H i P s & e xc H A n g e s

The U.S.-Japan Media Fellows Program is designed to pro-vide established journalists a uniquely tailored experience in Japan, with the objective of fostering a greater appreciation and understanding between the U.S. and Japan. By working closely with the Foreign Press Center, the U.S.-Japan Media Fellows Program sends American journalists to Japan for six weeks. In 1996 the U.S.-Japan Media Fellows Program grew out of United States-Japan Leadership Program, which was originally established in 1984, and is the lone Japan Society-sponsored fellowship today.

Five American journalists were selected for the 2007–08 class of media fellows: Robert S. Boynton, freelance writer and Director of NYU’s Department of Journalism; Micah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBS; Dana Goodyear, Los Angeles-based staff writer, The New Yorker; Barry Lynn, freelance journalist and Senior Fellow, the New America Foundation; and Larissa MacFarquhar, staff writer, The New Yorker.

Micah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBS, visited Japan from January 14–February 24, 2008, and explored how Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are transforming to deal with new strategic challenges of the current post-Cold War era. Micah traveled back to Japan three times after his fellowship ended, and his documentary, Japan’s About-Face, aired on PBS on July 8, 2008.

Robert S. Boynton, freelance writer and Director of New York University’s magazine writing program in the Depart-ment of Journalism, went to Japan from April 2–May 15, 2008. He researched the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea and used the phenomenon as a lens through which to examine the Korean-Japanese relationship, and whether the post-2002 situation for Zainichi Koreans resulted in a new form of Japanese multiculturalism.

Many fellows become involved in non-fellowship related programs of the Japan Society after they return to the U.S. Japan Society Fellow Rosanne Haggerty has participated in a number of U.S.-Japan Innovators Network programs and events, including the exchange program Learning from Disaster: Miyakejima & New Orleans, which brought together eight Americans and eight Japanese from local govern-ments and nonprofit organizations who were directly involved in response operations on the frontlines of two recent natural disasters, Miyakejima in Japan and New Orleans in the United States. Rosanne, along with Japan Society Fellows Alan Webber, Daniel Pink and Douglas McGray are active participants in the Society’s U.S.-Japan Innovators Network.

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Selection of the 2007–08 United States-Japan media Fellows, United States1 8 AU G U St

Robert S. Boynton, freelance writer and Director, Magazine Writing, Department of Journalism, New York UniversityMicah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBSDana Goodyear, Staff Writer, The New YorkerBarry Lynn, freelance writer and Senior Fellow, New America FoundationLarissa MacFarquhar, Staff Writer, The New Yorker

Fellows’ Orientation & Annual meeting: United States-Japan Foundation media Fellows program; Japan Society Local Government & public policy Fellows; U.S.-Japan Leadership program1 4 –1 5 S E p t E m b E R

A two-day meeting for newly selected Fellows to prepare for their Fellowship and for past Fellows to renew ties and join in the discussions on U.S.-Japan relations. Panelists, speakers, presenters, moderators and special guests: David d’Heilly, CEO, 2dk; Mark Halperin, ABC News; Maggie Jones, Contributing Writer, The New York Times Magazine; Kazuko Koizumi, Media Assistance Division, Foreign Press Center; Daniel Pink, Con-tributing Editor, Wired; Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai, Consul General, Consulate General of Japan; Joshua Wolf Shenk, Director, Rose O’Neill Literary House, Washington College; Yoko Shioya, Artistic Director, Performing Arts, Japan Society; and Brad Stone, Technology Reporter, The New York Times.

Fellowship Residency: 2007–08 United States-Japan Foundation media Fellows program1 4 JA N UA Ry–24 F E b R UA Ry

Micah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBS

Fellowship Residency: 2007–08 United States-Japan Foundation media Fellows program2 A p R I L–1 5 m Ay

Robert S. Boynton, freelance writer and Director, Magazine Writing, Department of Journalism, New York University.

The United States-Japan Media Fellows Program was generously supported by the United States-Japan Foundation. Assistance was provided by the Foreign Press Center Japan. Transportation assistance was provided by Japan Airlines.

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1 2007–08 U.S.-Japan Media Fellows, left to right: Barry Lynn, freelance writer and Senior Fellow, New America Founda-tion; Robert Boynton, freelance writer and Director, Magazine Writing, Department of Jour-nalism, New York University; Micah Fink, Producer/Director, Wide Angle, PBS; Larissa Mac-Farquhar, Staff Writer, The New Yorker; and Dana Goodyear, Staff Writer, The New Yorker. Photo © Andrew Stuerzel.

2 Previous Fellows and special guests discuss their experiences in Japan with the 2007–08 Fellows during Orientation. Left to right are: Joshua Wolf Shenk, Director, Rose O’Neill Literary House, Washington College; Daniel H. Pink, author and Contributing Editor, Wired; Brad Stone, Technology Reporter, The New York Times; David d’Heilly, CEO, 2dk; and Maggie Jones, Contributing Writer, The New York Times Magazine. Photo © Betty Borden.

3 Micah Fink and his film crew with members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces on location in Hokkaido, Japan. Photo © Sawa Matsueda Savage.

24 JA PA N S O C I E T Y A N N UA L R E P O RT 2 0 07– 0 8 2 5

A RTs & C U LT U R E

24 JA PA N S O C I E T Y A N N UA L R E P O RT 2 0 07– 0 8 2 5

JA PA N s O C i E T y G A L L E Ry

This was a year of important changes at Japan Society Gallery. Following the appointment of Joe Earle as Director in September 2007, the Gallery formulated a long-term program that includes broad surveys of the contemporary art scene along with more focused exhibitions on the work of a single historic master, and features media as diverse as bamboo sculpture, ink painting, stenciled textiles and tin toys. Starting in 2008, the program will be augmented by a series of small summer exhibitions that provide an intimate look at specialized subjects and non-traditional media. Armed with a detailed schedule that runs into 2011, the Gallery is now in a strong position to take a strategic approach to fundraising and audience growth. Thanks to a special effort to extend the Gallery’s support base, the Friends of the Gallery totaled 66 at the end of June 2008.

The Gallery team implemented two acclaimed exhibitions in 2007–08. Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York, the brainchild of guest curator Eric C. Shiner and the second of Japan Society’s three centennial exhi-bitions, featured 33 Japanese-born artists who live and work in New York, showing how a thriving artistic diaspora has developed within the global framework that the city provides. Ranging from established figures such as Yoko Ono and sound artist Yasunao Tone to newcomers such as Aya Uekawa and On megumi Akiyoshi, the selected artists were extremely diverse, a feature of the show that attracted widespread media attention. Jacob Margolies noted in The Daily Yomiuri that “this eclectic, and sometimes bizarre, collection reflects and celebrates the diversity of New York’s contemporary art scene and the Japanese diaspora that inhabits it,” while Manami Okazaki in The Japan Times was one of several journalists to comment on the exhibition’s approach to the notion of “Japaneseness” in contemporary Japanese art. “Many of the artists in the show even found the question of ‘Are you a Japanese artist?’ unimportant. For them, the use of traits specific to Japan—such as well-known traditional motifs or neo-Pop—in their art work was

too obvious, or simply not part of their agenda.” Among the special installations featured in the show, Karen Rosenberg in The New York Times was especially struck by Ayakoh Furukawa’s depictions of “her pet hamster in a series of violent situations” and Satoru Eguchi’s recreation of “his Brooklyn studio, in paper, clay, and other art materials, down to a whitewashed wooden MacBook and a cardboard air-conditioner mounted in the acetate window.” An ambitious catalogue extended the scope of the exhibition with major essays on Japan Society’s pioneering involvement in con-temporary Japanese art in the 1960s, and Kusama Yayoi’s early years in New York.

The third centennial exhibition, The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin, had previously been shown in San Antonio and Minneapolis under the title Zeshin: The Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection. By happy coincidence Joe Earle, a long-time specialist in the work of lacquerer and painter Shibata Zeshin (1807–91), had already taken part in this project by contributing the catalogue essay. For Japan Society, Earle secured additional loans from important collections in the United States, Japan and Europe to make the New York version the most comprehen-sive survey of Zeshin’s work in over 100 years. The Genius of Japanese Lacquer received a rapturous review from The New York Sun’s James Gardner: “The word ’genius’ in the exhibition’s title is for once fully appropriate. It is nearly inconceivable that anyone could achieve greater mastery of any art than Zeshin demonstrates in the lacquer works now on view... The tact and imagination he displayed . . . rival the most skillful compositions of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.” Ken Johnson in The New York Times was no less ecstatic: “In the hands of a skilled inge-nious artisan like Shibata Zeshin . . . [lacquer] was a high art.” Johnson described a set of dining vessels by Zeshin as “dumbfoundingly gorgeous,” going onto to conclude that “. . . wizardly craft, fanciful imagination and deep traditional-ism combine to disproportionately big effect.”

* c e n t e n n i a l e x h i b i t i o n *

Making a Home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New York

This exhibition was sponsored in part by Nooka Inc.

Additional support was provided by The Japan Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, Tug Studio, Jack and Susy Wadsworth, Chris Wachenheim, and the Leadership Committee for Making a Home. Media sponsorship was provided by WNYC and LTB Media. As part of the Millen-nium on View program, Millennium UN Plaza was the preferred hotel partner of Japan Society’s Cen-tennial. Transportation assistance was provided by Japan Airlines.

Exhibitions at Japan Society are also made pos-sible in part by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and the Friends of the Gallery. In-stallations at Japan Society Gallery are supported by a generous gift from Henry Cornell.

Opening Night Preview3 O C tO b e r

Members’ Opening4 O C tO b e r

exhibition5 O C tO b e r–1 3 JA N uA rY

An exhibition featuring the work of 33 Japanese contemporary artists who call New York City home, including a broad range of media—from painting, sculpture, and photography to fashion, architecture, and sound art—and covering diverse age groups, identities, experiences, and styles. Presenting works by artists who have been active in New York since the 1960s as well as young artists who have been in the city only a few years, Making a Home emphasized that Japanese artists have made the city their home for decades, and for a variety of reasons. Some came for enhanced exposure to the international art world; some came to escape restrictions in Japan; still others came for the challenge of taking their artwork in wholly new directions. In each artist’s case, the city has provided a context and catalyst for his or her work to flourish and develop. The exhibition was divided into six sections, each connected to the notion of what distinguishes a mere “place” from a “home”: “Building Environments,” “Intimacy and Identity,” “Coping with Loss,” “Meditative Space,” “The Process of Making” and “Referencing the Landscape.”

E x h i b i T i O N - R E L AT E d L E C T U R E P R O G R A m s

Lecture Programs were made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.

Additional support was provided by Jack and Susy Wadsworth, Chris A. Wachenheim, the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund, Ms. Hiroko Onoyama, and Yoshiko and Tim Schilt.

New Yorkers/Nihonjin Artists: What Does it Mean to Make a Home?6 N Ov e M b e r

See p. 41 for complete program details.

Martha Stewart: A Passion for Making a Home1 4 N Ov e M b e r


26 JA PA N S O C I E T Y A N N UA L R E P O RT 2 0 07– 0 8

2 0 07– 0 8 P R O G R A m h i G h L i G h Ts

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1 Installation view, Making a Home. Foreground: Space House, 2006–07, by Misaki Kawai. Acrylic, fabric, cardboard, wood, wire, plastic, lighting, recorded sound, video monitors. Courtesy of the artist and Clementine Gallery. Background (below): Happo-En in NY 2007 (Teahouse), by Yoshiaki Kaihatsu. Poly-styrene foam, fluorescent lights, plywood board, milk crates. Collection of the artist. Background (above): Spring/Summer 2008 United Bamboo Collection, 2007. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

2 Installation view, Making a Home. The Boxing Papers (Shinohara B), 1999, and Yayoi Kusama C and Cp, 2003, by Kunie Sugiura. Unique gelatin silver prints. Collection of Robinson and Nancy Grover and Collec-tion of Diana and Lewis Meyers. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

3 Installation view, Making a Home. Foreground: SuperSpa, 2006–07, by Miwa Koizumi. Perfor-mance/installation: masks, gloves, boots, bathrobes, white towels, ring, benches, buckets, recorded voice, video, ambient music, foodstuffs. Collection of the artist. Right: Boxing Painting, 2007 and Boxing Painting, 2005/2007, by Ushio Shinohara. Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas mounted as folding screen, and videos. Collection of the artist. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

4 Installation view, Making a Home. FLOWER gallery, 2007, by ON megumi Akiyoshi. Tempera paint, frame, sheetrock, Masonite, MDF, transparent vinyl. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

5 Installation view, Making a Home. White Elephant, 2007 by Hiroshi Sunairi. Ceramic sculpture. Col-lection of the artist. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

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* c e n t e n n i a l e x h i b i t i o n *

the Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin

Organized by the San Antonio Museum of Art and Japan Society, and based on the collection of Catherine and Thomas Edson, with additional loans from the Khalili Collection of Japanese Art, the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, Florence and Herbert Irving, the Peggy and Richard Danziger Collection, Gallery Chikuryudo, and the Klaus F. Naumann Collection.

Support for this exhibition was provided by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, Chris A. Wachenheim, The Blakemore Foundation, Bonhams, Christie’s Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Studzinski, Kajima Foundation, Malcolm Fairley Japanese Works of Art, and the Leadership Committee for the Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin. Transportation assistance was provided by Japan Airlines. Media sponsorship was provided by WNYC and LTB Media. As part of the Millennium on View program, Millennium UN Plaza was the preferred hotel partner of Japan Society’s Centennial.

Exhibitions at Japan Society are also made possible in part by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endow-ment Fund and the Friends of the Gallery. Installa-tions at Japan Society Gallery are supported by a generous gift from Henry Cornell.

Opening Night Preview1 9 M A r C H

Members’ Opening2 5 M A r C H

exhibition2 1 M A r C H –1 5 J u N e

A comprehensive selection of work by Japan’s greatest lacquer artist, Shibata Zeshin (1807–91), including lacquered boxes, trays, panels, contain-ers, and swords; lacquer paintings in screen, scroll, and album format; and paintings in ink and color. The exhibition chronicled Zeshin’s rise to fame as a painter; his training as a lacquerer and his experimentation during the 1840s with revolutionary new techniques; his work both as a faithful servant of the Meiji government and an exponent of the elusive aesthetic known as Iki; his invention and mastery of the technique of lacquer painting on paper; and his versatility as a painter in conventional ink and color on silk or paper, covering a range of styles from Maruyama-style naturalism to dramatic evocation of myth and legend. The exhibition was divided into seven sec-tions covering different aspects of Zeshin’s life and art: “Zeshin’s Leap to Fame,” “Zeshin the Master Lacquerer,” “Public and Private Realms,” “Iki and the ’Zeshin Style’,” “Zeshin as Miniaturist,” “Lac-quer Paintings” and “Paintings in Ink and Colors.”

E x h i b i T i O N - R E L AT E d L E C T U R E P R O G R A m s

Lecture Programs were made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.


From edo to Meiji: the Case of Shibata Zeshin9 A P r i L


Hidden beauty in edo Design 1 3 M AY


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1 Inro with water plantain and wood sorrel, about 1860. Lacquered wood; coral bead; lacquered toggle. Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection; courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art.

2 Installation view, The Genius of Japanese Lacquer. Foreground: Five trays, about 1860–90. Lacquered wood. Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection, courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art. Back-ground (left and center): Panel with waves and cray-fish, about 1888–90, and panel with rice-sheaves, boat and tree, about 1880–81. Lacquered wood. The Khalili Collection of Japanese Art. Background (right): Panel with vegetable design, 1888. Lacquered wood. Gallery Chikuryudo, Tokyo. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

3 Installation view, The Genius of Japanese Lacquer. Hanging scrolls, from right to left: Willow Tit Perched Above a Waterfall, about 1885–90; Rocks and Waterfall, 1889; Pine, Wisteria, and Bird Above a Stream, 1889; Entrance to a Country Temple in Autumn, about 1860–90; and Mount Horai, 1881. All ink and colors on silk or paper. Far left: Bird and Flowering Vine, 1879. Four sliding panels, ink, color, and gold wash on silk, with metal fittings. All Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection; courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art. Photo: Richard P. Goodbody.

4 Paper box with attributes of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, about 1860–70. Lacquered wood. Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection; courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art.

5 The Ibaraki Demon Snatches Back Her Arm, 1839–40. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper. Klaus F. Naumann Collection.

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P E R fO R m i N G A RTs

The 2007–08 Performing Arts Season celebrated the old and ushered in the new under two themes. Turning Japanese was the ambitious theme in celebration of the second half of the Society’s centennial, honoring U.S. artists who have been fascinated, inspired and affected by Japan and its culture. Programs included the remount and four-city Japan tour of Basil Twist’s Dogugaeshi, the renowned puppet art-ist’s homage to traditions of Japanese puppetry originally commissioned by Japan Society in 2004; Kazuo Ohno 101: 3-Week Butoh Parade, a festival of leading pioneers and emerging artists in the butoh movement which has been a source of inspiration in America’s contemporary dance scene, included Akaji Maro and Kochuten, world premieres from Akira Kasai and Eiko & Koma, and the first solo performance in New York since 1999 from Yoshito Ohno, son of Kazuo Ohno. 2007 culminated in one of the most ambitious productions in Japan Society history, the re-creation of Harry Partch’s noh-inspired experimental opera Delusion of the Fury—a work that had never been produced since its premiere in 1969. In addition to onsite performances,

Japan Society organized a city-wide festival of Japanese and Japan-related performing artists at seven of the most prominent arts presenters in New York, including BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Joyce Theatre, Performance Space 122, HERE Arts Center, Danspace Project, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen and CAVE.

Spring 2008 took off with programs under the theme New York Woman, which featured New York-based Japanese women artists who shatter the stereotype of the “Japanese woman” as subservient and quietly humble. Artists included jazz pianist-songstress Akiko Yano, the multi-faceted drummer/laptop musician Ikue Mori with her numerous collaborators, Keralino Sandorovich’s award-winning Frozen Beach translated and directed in a reading by Aya Ogawa, and choreographer Yoshiko Chuma’s multimedia meditation on war and territory POOM 2 with her company The School of Hard Knocks. With bold ferocity and poetic imagination, these women have sculpted individual artistic visions that weave into the diverse cultural landscape of the extraordinary city we call New York.

Whitney Hunter as the Father (center) and Musical Director Dean Drummond (right) in Harry Partch’s Delusion of the Fury. Photo © Chris Waltmann.

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* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *basil twist’s DogugaeshiFeaturing live shamisen music by Yumiko tanaka1 2–1 9 S e P t e M b e r

This program was supported by American Express. Additional support was provided by the Toshiba International Foundation and The Jim Henson Foundation.After a sold-out run, critical acclaim and a Bessie Award, Dogugaeshi returned to Japan Society, the home of its commission and 2004 world premiere. Renowned puppet artist Basil Twist unfolded an intimate, abstract journey of images of ancient and modern day Japan, inspired by the rarefied traditional Japanese dogugaeshi stage mechanism. Following its New York remount, the show toured four cities in Japan, produced and organized by Japan Society.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *KAZuO OHNO 101: 3-WeeK butOH PArADeIn celebration of the 101st birthday of Kazuo Ohno, one of the legendary founders of the butoh movement, Japan Society presented three rich weeks of butoh programs, from star pioneers to emerging new practitioners.

Kochuten + Akaji Maro:Tiger’s Cave: Butoh Boot Camp choreographed by Kumotaro MukaiYupiters choreographed by Yuko Kobayashi9, 1 0, 1 2 & 1 3 O C tO b e r

These performances were supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.Two of the latest works from maverick butoh master Akaji Maro’s star disciples had their U.S. premieres. The all-male Tiger’s Cave poked fun at the traditions of strict discipline of butoh training and the all-female Yupiters delved into a beautiful world of aquatic creatures.

w o r l d p r e m i e r e c e n t e n n i a l c o m m i s s i o neiko & Koma with Margaret Leng tan on toy and grand pianoMourning1 8 –2 0 O C tO b e r

This program was commissioned by Japan Society and funded by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding was provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Ford Foundation and JP Morgan Chase.In this world premiere work commissioned by Japan Society especially for the centennial, internationally celebrated performance duo Eiko & Koma returned to the home of their 1976 U.S. debut with a collaboration with avant-garde pianist Margaret Leng Tan.

1 Basil Twist’s Dogugaeshi, featuring live shamisen music by Yumiko Tanaka. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

2 Kochuten + Akaji Maro’s Yupiters, choreographed by Yuko Kobayashi, part of Kazuo Ohno 101: 3-Week Butoh Parade. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

3 Eiko & Koma’s Mourning, part of Kazuo Ohno 101: 3-Week Butoh Parade. Photo © William Irwin.

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1 Akira Kasai’s Butoh America, part of Kazuo Ohno 101: 3-Week Butoh Parade. Photo © William Irwin.

2 Kingyo’s Dulcinea, choreographed by Yukio Suzuki, part of the 11th Annual Japanese Contemporary Dance Showcase Phase 2: Japan + East Asia. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

3 Akiko Yano: Voice & Piano. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

4 Yoshiko Chuma (center) & The School of Hard Knocks’ POOM2 A Page Out of Order M to M. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

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w o r l d p r e m i e r e c e n t e n n i a l c o m m i s s i o nAkira KasaiButoh America2 5 –27 O C tO b e r

This work was commissioned by Japan Society and supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, and The Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program.Akira Kasai, one of the co-founders of the butoh movement, was commissioned by Japan Society to create a new work for an ensemble of emerg-ing American dancers. Butoh America, a stunning exploration of the ideas behind butoh in the context of America and its future, had its world premiere at Japan Society.

u.S. butoh MarathonCurated by CAve27 O C tO b e r

This program was presented in association with 3rd NY Butoh Festival.On October 27, Kazuo Ohno’s actual birthday, the Butoh Parade culminated with a marathon of U.S.-based butoh-influenced artists including Jeff Janisheski & Yanira Castro; Moeno Wakamatsu; Koichi & Hiroko Tamano; Juan Merchan; Shinichi Iova Koga; and Ximena Garnica. Participating art-ists were curated by CAVE, organizers of the 3rd NY Butoh Festival.

Yoshito OhnoEmptiness (Kuu)27 O C tO b e r

This performance was supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.The culminating event on Kazuo Ohno’s birthday was a haunting meditation on life and mortality through this solo performance by his son Yoshito Ohno, who appeared in New York for the first time since 1999.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *c e n t e n n i a l c o m m i s s i o nHarry Partch’sDelusion of the Fury4 – 8 D e C e M b e r

These performances were made possible by Citi. Additional supported was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation. The project was developed in association with Harry Partch Institute at John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University.Japan Society commissioned and produced a re-creation of the noh-inspired experimental opera Delusion of the Fury (1969), the largest scale work by iconoclastic American composer and theorist Harry Partch (1901–74) as the culminating event of Turning Japanese. Renowned theater direc-tor John Jesurun directed the production with choreographer Dawn Akemi Saito, and award-winning composer/conductor and Harry Partch expert Dean Drummond as musical director with Partch’s original instruments. This unprecedented project was hailed as “a once-in-a-life-time concert” by the Village Voice.

11th Annual Contemporary Dance Showcase Phase 2: Japan + east AsiaMakotocluv (Japan), Kingyo (Japan), Yun Myung Fee (Japan), Sun-Shier Dance theatre (taiwan) & Yong-in Lee/ubiN Dance (Korea)1 1 & 1 2 JA N uA rY

The Showcase was supported by the Tokyo Met-ropolitan Government, Korean Cultural Service, NY, Performing Arts Market Seoul, and the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York.Now in its 11th year, the dance showcase for the first time expanded its horizons to include cutting-edge artists from Korea and Taiwan. The quotidian humor of Makotokluv, a meditation on Don Quixote by Kingyo and Yun Myung Fee’s frenetic solo work were selected from Japan, in addition to the charming work of Sun-Shier Dance Theatre from Taiwan and Yong-In Lee’s exquisite solo dance from Korea.

Akiko Yano: voice & Piano8 & 9 F e b r uA rY

Yamaha Piano was provided courtesy of Yamaha Artist Services, Inc.An exceptional artist who has been acclaimed as a serious composer, jazz pianist and pop singer, Akiko Yano, a household name in Japan for years, performed a special set of Japanese pop and folk tunes with her trio Cliff Almond and Chris Minh Doky.

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tzadik Label Music Series iii:ikue Mori: Celebrating 30 Years of Life, Love and Music in NYCCurated by John Zorn2 1 & 2 2 M A r C H

These performances were presented in association with Tzadik.Drummer/composer/laptop wizard Ikue Mori celebrated 30 years of her life and music in NYC over two evenings with many of her collaborators: Bhima Swarga, her music-video unit with Matt Welch and gamelan ensemble Dharma Swara; and vocalist Makigami Koichi in the world pre-miere of their new collaborative piece; Phantom Orchard (with harpist Zeena Parkins); Mephista (with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and percussion-ist Susie Ibarra); and special guest percussionist Cyro Baptista.

Play reading Series:Frozen Beach by Keralino Sandorovich, translated and directed by Aya Ogawa7 A P r i L

This program was supported in part by the Kinokuniya Bookstore.This black comedy/coming-of-age/horror play by Japanese director/writer/rock star “Kera” was 1999 winner of the prestigious Kunio Kishida Prize. Writer/director and Artistic Director of knife inc. Aya Ogawa translated the work into English and directed the reading.

Yoshiko Chuma & the School of Hard KnocksPOOM2: A Page Out of Order M to M7–1 0 F e b r uA rY

The world premiere of unstoppable choreographer/ multimedia artist Yoshiko Chuma was a layered meditation on borders and history. Melding cin-ematic devices with text and dance, the work fea-tured live music by Han’nya Teikoku shakuhachi trio and vocalist Sizzle Ohtaka from Japan.

WO R k s h O P s & R E L AT E d E v E N Ts

BYOF (Bring Your Own Flowers) part of Performa07by ei Arakawa & Amy Sillman2 N Ov e M b e r

Performance Workshop with Hiroshi Koike2 9 N Ov e M b e r

f r a n k l . e l l s w o r t h p e r f o r m i n g a r t s l e c t u r e s e r i e sKomomo: Geisha in Contemporary Japan2 2 M AY

This program was supported by Kodansha Inter-national, Ltd.

the Art of traditional Japanese Hospitality:two-day Workshop in Dance & ritual with Geisha Komomo2 1 & 2 2 M AY

1 Vocalist Makigami Koichi (left) and laptop composer Ikue Mori (right) performing in Tzadik Music Label Series III: Ikue Mori, Celebrating 30 Years of Life Love & Music in NYC. Photo © Tom DiMauro.

4 The Frank L. Ellsworth Performing Arts Series lecture “Komomo: Geisha in Contemporary Japan,” featured Geisha Komomo (right) and photographer Naoyuki Ogino (left), with Christopher Benfey (center left) moderating. Photo © George Hirose.

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Support for turning Japanese was provided by the Asahi Beer Arts Foundation and the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO). Special thanks to the Consulate-General of Japan in New York and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.

Japan Society 2007–08 Performing Arts Programs were generously supported by The Starr Foundation; the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund; the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; and the Endowment for the Performing Arts.

Additional support was provided by The Globus Family, Dr. John K. Gillespie, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foun-dation, Inc., and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.

Transportation assistance was provided by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.

Plasma display was provided by Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

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f i L m P R O G R A m

From 1960s action films and prewar silent animations to the hottest new films from Japan, the Film Program presented three series this year that spanned many genres, while exemplifying the expansive history of Japanese cinema.

In September, the program launched Monthly Classics, designed as an annual series compiled by a special guest curator that screens one film per month. Author and critic Mark Schilling curated the inaugural series, NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema, encompassing eight films that had never been shown in U.S. theaters.

In its second year, the Globus Film Series presented the Dawn of Japanese Animation for four consecutive days in February. During this highly popular series, more than 40 short films from the 1920s–40s were presented with live benshi narration.

JAPAN CUTS: A Festival of New Japanese Film, the second annual summer film festival held at the Society, presented more than 80 films. With a total attendance of nearly 6,000 people throughout 12 action-packed days, our audiences increased by 30 percent over the previous year’s festival.

The Warped Ones, part of NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema. Photo © Nikkatsu Corporation.



f i L m s E R i E s

m o n t h ly c l a s s i c s

NO bOrDerS, NO LiMitS: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema2 8 S e P t e M b e r–2 M AY

This series was supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. The Special Student Discount was made possible by the generous support of The Globus Family.Nikkatsu, Japan’s oldest major film studio, methodically churned out over 500 Nikkatsu Action genre films. Guest curator Mark Schilling selected eight films long overlooked by critics and audiences, presented here for the first time in the U.S. with new digital subtitles.

A Colt is My Passport (Takashi Nomura, 1967) the Warped Ones (Koreyoshi Kurahara, 1960) Like a Shooting Star (Toshio Masuda, 1967) red Handkerchief (Toshio Masuda, 1964)Gangster viP (Toshio Masuda, 1968) Plains Wanderer (Buichi Saito, 1960) Glass Johnny: Looks Like a beast (Koreyoshi Kurahara, 1962) roughneck (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1969)

g lo b u s f i l m s e r i e s

Dawn of Japanese Animation1 3 –1 6 F e b r uA rY

This series and the special Student Discount program were made possible through the generous support of The Globus Family. Additional support was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.Screened in the U.S. for the first time, nearly 40 short animation films from the 1920s–40s were presented each night in four differing themes, matched with a silent live-action film of the same genre and era. Silent films presented with live narration with Japan’s premiere benshi, Midori Sawato.

Part 1: Chambara Action & Adventure12 animations; 1 live-action filmPart 2: Horror & Comedy6 animations; 1 live-action filmPart 3: Propaganda11 animations; 1 live-action filmPart 4: Music & Dance9 animations; 1 live-action filmSpecial Screening: Orochi (Buntaro Futagawa, 1925)

1 A Colt is My Passport, part of NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s Nik-katsu Action Cinema. Photo © Nikkatsu Corporation.

2 Gangster VIP, part of NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema. Photo © Nikkatsu Corporation.

3 Hyoe and Heibe’s Tengu Hunt, part of Dawn of Japanese Animation. Photo © Matsuda Film Pro-duction and Digital Meme.

4 Sankichi the Mon-key: The Air Combat, part of Dawn of Japanese Animation. Photo © Matsuda Film Production and Digital Meme.

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JAPAN CutS: A Festival of New Japanese Film 2–1 3 J u LY, 2 0 0 8

This series was supported by grants from The Japan Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. Additional support was provided by Sapporo USA, Inc. and Kyotofu. Transportation assistance was provided by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. With nearly 20 feature film premieres and over 60 shorts, JAPAN CUTS, the only large-scale annual Japanese film festival in North America, presented the first taste of Japan’s most recent films ranging from major blockbusters and break-through films, to the internationally acclaimed and highly controversial. *Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival from July 3–6.

Long Cuts18 U.S. and NY premiere feature films plus a sidebar tribute to late filmmaker Kon Ichikawa.

Accuracy of Death* (Masaya Kakei, 2008); NY premiereAdrift in tokyo* (Satoshi Miki, 2007); NY premiere

Always: Sunset on third Street—2* (Takashi Yamazaki, 2007); NY premiereDainipponjin* (Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2007); NY premiereFilmful Life (Shunji Iwai, 2006); U.S. premiereGummi, Chocolate, Pine (Keralino Sandorovich, 2007); international premierethe inugami Family (part of Inugami x 2: A Tribute to Kon Ichikawa) (Kon Ichikawa, 1976); international premierethe Mourning Forest (Naomi Kawase, 2007); NY premiereMurder of the inugami Clan (part of Inugami x 2: A Tribute to Kon Ichikawa) (Kon Ichikawa, 2006)Near equal Yayoi Kusama: i Adore Myself (Takako Matsumoto, 2008); U.S. premiereSad vacation* (Shinji Aoyama, 2007); NY premiereSakuran (Mika Ninagawa, 2007); NY premiereSukiyaki Western Django* (Takashi Miike, 2007); NY premieretarachime (short shown alongside The Mourning Forest) (Naomi Kawase, 2006)united red Army* (Koji Wakamatsu, 2008); U.S. premiereYasukuni* (Li Ying, 2008); NY premiere

1 Waiting line for one of eight sold out screenings during JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © Ryo Nagasawa.

2 The Mourning Forest, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © KUMIE/Celluloid Dreams Production/ Visual Arts College Osaka.

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1 Sakuran, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © 2007 SAKURAN Film Committee © Moyoco Anno/Kodansha.

2 Kisaragi, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Pho-to © 2007 “KISARAGI” Film Partners.

3 Near Equal Kusama Yayoi: I Adore Myself, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © 2008 B.B.B.inc. © YAYOI KUSAMA.

4 Fine, Totally Fine, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © 2007 “Fine, Totally Fine” Film Partners.

5 A Gentle Breeze in the Village, part of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. Photo © 2007 “Tennen Kokekko” Film Partners ©KURAMOCHI FUSAKO/SHUEISHA.

6 Speed Racer. Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures.

7 Wings of Defeat. Photo © National Archives and Research Administra-tion.

8 Q&A with director Koji Wakamatsu, live from Tokyo via high speed Internet network. Photo © Ryo Nagasawa.

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Short CutsOver 60 short films from Japan’s emerging independent filmmakers, video artists and a special highlight on Naomi Kawase. **Part of Nippon Connection Film Festival on Tour.

the Origin of Naomi Kawase: 5 filmsJvC tokyo video Festival**: 6 filmsDigista vol. vi**: 13 filmsPlanet + 1 Selection: immoral Films**: 4 filmsOpen Art Animation**: 9 filmsvortex and Others—5 Short Works by Yoshihiro ito**893239 (Yakuza Short Films)**: 8 filmsLazarus—the House of the rising Sun** (Kishu Izuchi, 2007)Shadow of Sand** (Yusuke Kaida, 2007)route 20** (Katsuya Tomita, 2007)A Permanent Part-timer in Distress** (Hiroki Iwabuchi, 2007)A Girl in the Sunset: 4 films

Meet CutsIntroductions, Q&As and discussions with directors Naomi Kawase, Takako Matsumoto and screenwriter Masayuki Kakegawa. Director Koji Wakamatsu’s live Q&A via high-speed Internet network courtesy of Keio University.

turtle bay CutsFree screening of an award-winning film for the community of Turtle Bay and beyond.

A Gentle breeze in the village (Nobuhiro Yamashita, 2007); NY premiere

s P E C i A L s C R E E N i N G s

Wings of Defeat1 8 M A r C H

The NY premiere of a documentary directed by Risa Morimoto that uncovers candid, heartbreak-ing testimonies from surviving kamikaze pilots. Special guest Q&A with former kamikaze pilots Takehiko Ena and Takeo Ueshima, and U.S. Navy veteran Fred Mitchell.

Speed racer5 M AY

Co-presented with Warner Bros. Pictures.A special sneak preview screening of the film based on the famed Japanese TV anime series, Mahha Go Go Go!, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers.

ran2 1 J u N e

Co-presented with Film Forum and Japan Foundation.A special screening of the Akira Kurosawa classic followed by a reception with Tatsuya Nakadai to celebrate Film Forum’s seven-week retrospective of the legendary actor.

Japan Society 2007–08 Film Programs were generously supported by The Lila Wallace- Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.

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L E C T U R E P R O G R A m s

From late 19th-century fine arts to citizen movements in 21st-century Japan, the 2007–08 season presented lectures and panel discussions on the most vital issues and trends in Japanese culture. Additionally, Lecture Programs launched a series of podcasts, providing an international audience with access to our programs. As a special feature of the centennial, Japan Society co-organized with Asahi Shinbun Deliveries of Creation: New Modes of Interactive Art in the 20th Century. Held in Tokyo, this symposium featured Julie Taymor and Amon Miyamoto discussing how the high-tech environment is shaping not only their careers but also their artistic intentions and relationship to their audiences. Our Centennial Speakers Series events included Beate Gordon, author of the clause of the Japanese Constitution guarantee-ing equal rights for women; Martha Stewart, who discussed her passion about home-making and the influence of Japan on her work; Donald Keene on his nearly 50 years as one of the leading voices bringing Japanese culture to the English speaking world; and architect Tadao Ando, who engaged the audience in a spirited discussion of his work and career.

Among the season’s many distinguished speakers was Masahiro Sasaki, who discussed the life of his younger sis-ter, Sadako, whose courage in folding 1,000 papers cranes as she passed away from the effects of the atomic bomb helped inspire the Japanese postwar peace movement. Teruyo Nogami, principal assistant to Akira Kurosawa, gave an insider’s view of the making of many of the most impor-tant films of the 20th century. Another highlight featured activist Tom Hayden and scholar James Orr discussing the role of citizens movements in Japan and the United States. Audiences also enjoyed the 10th anniversary of our annual sake tasting and lecture, at which John Gauntner discussed how 100 years of sake appraisal has changed the industry.

Finally, a series of lectures related to each Japan Society gallery exhibition addressed key intellectual themes and explored issues raised by the art that went beyond the context of the exhibitions themselves.

Centennial speaker Donald Keene, Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature at Columbia University, greets guests at the reception following his lecture reflecting on his more than 60-year career as a leading scholar of both traditional and modern Japanese culture. Photo © Ken Levinson.

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sym P O s i U m

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *Deliveries of Creation: New Modes of interactive Art in the 21st Century8 M A r C H

Co-sponsored by The Asahi Shimbun. Transportation assistance was provided by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.Offsite event in Tokyo. With Academy Award-nominated director Julie Taymor; musical theater and opera director Amon Miyamoto; video game designer Tetsuya Mizoguchi; Toshio Tsuchiya, Executive Director of the Internet Division of Nippon Television; Satoshi Endo, Chief Contents Officer, ASCII; Kazukiyo Matsuba, Senior Staff Writer, Arts & Culture News Department, The Asahi Shimbun; and Yoko Shioya, Artistic Director, Japan Society.

L E C T U R E s E R i E s

a u t h o r s o n a s i a

Godzilla & Japanese Culture2 3 O C tO b e r

With William Tsutsui, Professor of Modern Japanese History and Department Chair at the University of Kansas and Kerry Novick, President, Small Screen Distribution.

David Leheny on think Global, Fear Local: Sex, violence & Society in Contemporary Japan1 3 M A r C H

With David Leheny, Henry Wendt III ’55 Professor of East Asian Studies, Princeton University. Shigeo Hirano, Assistant Professor, Department of Politi-cal Science, Columbia University, moderating.

John Nathan: Living Carelessly in tokyo & elsewhere3 1 M A r C H

With John Nathan, Takashima Professor of Japanese Cultural Studies, University of California at Santa Barbara. Thomas Hare, Professor of Comparative Literature, Princeton University, moderating.

Anne Allison: Millennial Monsters— Japanese toys & the Global imagination5 M AY

With Anne Allison, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cultural Anthropology, Duke Uni-versity and Thomas Looser, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, New York University.

c e n t e n n i a l s p e a k e r s s e r i e sThe Centennial Speakers Series was generously sponsored by Citi.

beate Gordon: Participating in the birth of the Japanese Constitution8 N Ov e M b e r

With Beate Gordon, civil rights activist, and leader in postwar cultural exchange between Japan and the United States. Helen Hardacre, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and founder of the Constitutional Revision Research Project at Harvard University, moderating.


With Martha Stewart, founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. (Also part of the Making a Home Exhibition Talks.)

reflections on a Lifetime engaged with Japanese Culture: An evening with Donald Keene3 0 JA N uA rY

With Donald Keene, Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, Columbia University. Thomas Hare, Professor of Comparative Literature, Princeton University, moderating.

tadao Ando: Creating Dreams5 F e b r uA rY

With architect Tadao Ando. Robert Ivy, Editor-in-Chief, Architectural Record, introducing.

m a k i n g a h o m e e x h i b i t i o n ta l k sLecture Programs were made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.

Additional support was provided by Jack and Susy Wadsworth, Chris A. Wachenheim, the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund, and Ms. Hiroko Onoyama.

New Yorkers/Nihonjin Artists: What Does it Mean to Make a Home?6 N Ov e M b e r

With New York-based artist Naoto Nakagawa and Dore Ashton, Professor of Art History, Cooper Union School of Art. Eric C. Shiner, curator of Making a Home, moderating.


With Martha Stewart, founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. (Also part of the Centennial Speakers Series.)

t h e g e n i u s o f j a pa n e s e l a c q u e r e x h i b i t i o n ta l k sLecture Programs were made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.

Additional support was provided by Jack and Susy Wadsworth, Chris A. Wachenheim, the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund, and Ms. Hiroko Onoyama.

From edo to Meiji: the Case of Shibata Zeshin9 A P r i L

With James L. McClain, Professor and Chair of History, Brown University and David L. Howell, Department Chair and Professor of East Asian Studies and History, Princeton University. Joe Earle, Vice President, Japan Society and Director, Japan Society Gallery, moderating.

Hidden beauty in edo Design 1 3 M AY

With Sharon S. Takeda, Senior Curator and Department Head, Costumes and Textiles, Los Angeles County Museum; independent scholar Terry Satsuki Milhaupt; and Joe Earle, Vice President, Japan Society and Director, Japan Society Gallery.


1 Centennial speaker Martha Stewart, founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, discusses her lifelong passion for “making a house a home” and her interest in Japan and Japanese art forms. Photo © Julie Lemberger.

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G E N E R A L L E C T U R E s

Memoirs of Sadako & Hiroshima: Personal Accounts of an A-bomb Survivor1 1 S e P t e M b e r

With Masahiro Sasaki; James Orr, Chair and Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, Bucknell University; and Steven Okazaki, director of the HBO documentary White Light/Black Rain. Sheldon Garon, Professor of History, Princeton University, moderating.

through the eyes of Flowers: the Seasons of Japanese Culture2 9 O C tO b e r

Held in conjunction with The New York Botanical Garden exhibition Kiku: the Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum, co-organized by Japan Society, the Ministry of the Envi-ronment of Japan and The New York Botanical Garden.With Yozaburo Shirahata, Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto; Liza Dalby, author of East Wind Melts the Ice— A Memoir Through the Seasons; and Todd Forrest, Vice President of Horticulture and Living Collections, The New York Botanical Garden.

* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *Annual Sake tasting & Lecturethe 100-Year History of Sake Appraisal3 A P r i L

Co-sponsored by the Sake Export Association.With sake expert John Gauntner, a founding member of the Sake Export Association.

s at ya g r a h a f o r u mreflections on Citizen Movements: Peace & Politics in the u.S. & Japan27 M AY

With American social activist and former California State Senator Tom Hayden; James Orr, Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of East Asian Studies, Bucknell University; and Amy Goodman, co-founder, Executive Producer and Host of Democracy Now!

50 Years with Akira Kurosawa: An evening with teruyo Nogami2 5 J u N e

With Teruyo Nogami, script supervisor and principal assistant to Akira Kurosawa and Michael Jeck, Japanese film specialist.

Japan Society 2007–08 Lecture Programs were made possible by funding from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund.


1 Celebrating Japan Society’s centennial and the 10th-year anniversary of the annual sake tasting and lecture, Japan Society President Richard J. Wood (left) and founding members of Sake Export Associa-tion open a sake cask (Kagami-Biraki). Photo © George Hirose.

2 Centennial speaker Beate Gordon discusses the process of writing a constitution for Japan as an occupied state as well as the long-term effects of the constitu-tion on Japan and Japa-nese women with Helen Hardacre, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society and founder of the Constitutional Revi-sion Research Project at Harvard University. Photo © Ken Levinson.

3 Julie Taymor (center) and Amon Miyamoto (right) discuss how the

changing climate in high-tech environment is shaping not only their careers but also their artistic intentions and relationship to their audiences at Deliveries of Creation: New Modes of Interactive Art in the 21st Century, a sym-posium held in Tokyo. Photo © Yoko Suzuki.

4 American social activist and former California State Senator Tom Hayden speaks with journalist Amy Goodman, co-founder, Executive Producer and Host of Democracy Now! about global social movement models as applied to the Vietnam and Iraq wars and long-term conflicts over remembrance regarding Manzanar and World War II. Part of the “Satya Graha Forum, Reflections on Citizen Movements: Peace and Politics in the U.S. and Japan.” Photo © George Hirose.

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E d u c at i o n

4 4 JA PA N S O C I E T Y a n n ua L R E P o Rt 2 0 07– 0 8

E d u c at i o n P R o g R a m s

Education Programs bring Japan to American classrooms and children. During 2007–08, teachers and students enhanced their knowledge about Japan through a variety of programs, including a series of professional development workshops, weekend programs for children in fun and inter-active settings, and the launch of a new interactive website for educators, About Japan: A Teacher’s Resource.

About Japan: A Teachers Resource (aboutjapan.japansociety.org) represents Japan Society’s impetus to extend its reach to schools nationwide. An interactive website featuring essays geared to K–12 educators, lesson plans and a wide variety of resources for the classroom, the site’s popularity has grown rapidly since it was launched at the opening of the school year, with new materials added on almost a daily basis.

Three 30-hour comprehensive professional development courses for educators helped improve teaching about Japan in K–12 schools. In Japan’s Long 20th Century, participants examined the rapid changes in Japan’s culture, economy and political system from a multidisciplinary perspective. Japan in The Pacific War & World War II helped teachers ana-lyze Japan’s role in this war as a military, political and social phenomenon. Japan 1600–1900: From Samurai to Modern explored how Japan transformed from a land ravaged by internal warfare before 1600 to a budding international power by the dawn of the 20th century. All workshops featured educators working with leading scholars to create new teaching materials. A series of popular one-day workshops on topics such as utilizing kamishibai to teach literacy, haiku poetry and Japanese religion offered an introduction to more specialized topics and resulted in the creation of many innovative and sophisticated lessons about Japan being taught in schools throughout the New York metro- politan area.

Education Programs also continued its well-received pro-grams for students, including a summer immersion program in which students created and performed a modern version of a classic noh drama. A highlight of the workshop was the chance to work directly with the famous Tessen-kai Noh Theater Group from Japan. Numerous one-day programs for students were offered throughout the school year, includ-ing special student-oriented film screenings as well as the opportunity to view a performance and ask questions of Midori Sawato, Japan’s most famous silent film narrator.

Education Programs play an important role in providing educational outreach activities related to Japan Society’s gallery, performing arts, film and policy programs. During the past year, we continued our Responding to series, in which two groups of students are paired during each Japan Society Gallery exhibition, with activities including gallery lessons, scholarly lectures and artists’ demonstrations, culminating in an exhibition of student work created in response to their extended experience. We also continued the development of a docent corps for gallery exhibitions, recruited and trained a student docent corps, and offered our popular interactive gallery tours for school groups.

Throughout the year, Education Programs ran public programs for children and families that allowed children to learn about and experience Japanese culture. Family program highlights included a New Year’s festival as well as a program featuring an original children’s theater produc-tion of the classic story of Sadako and 1,000 cranes, after which the children were able to see one of Sadako’s original cranes, fold their own paper cranes and speak with Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s older brother.

P R o g R a m s fo R E d u c ato R s

3 0 - h o u r i n - h o u s e c o u r s e s f o r e d u c at o r s

Japan’s Long 20th Century1 3 –1 7 Au g u st

In cooperation with the New York City Department of Education.With Donald Roden, Associate Professor of His-tory, Rutgers University; Jeffrey Long, Associate Professor of History, Bloomsburg University; Robert Fish, Director of Education and Lecture Programs, Japan Society; and William Tsutsui, Professor of History and Department Chair, University of Kansas.

Japan in the Pacific & World War II1 9 –2 3 F e b r uA ry

In cooperation with the New York City Department of Education.With Michael Barnhart, Distinguished Teaching Professor, SUNY-Stony Brook; Samuel Yamashita, Henry E. Sheffield Professor of History, Pomona College; Scott O’Bryan, Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and of History, Indiana University-Bloomington; and Antonia Levi, Associate Professor, Department of University Studies (retired), Portland State University.

Japan 1600–1900: From samurai to Modern Japan1 6 & 3 0 M A r C h , 1 3 A P r I L , 1 1 & 1 8 M Ay

In cooperation with the New York City Department of Education.With James McClain, Professor of History, Brown University; David Howell, Professor of East Asian Studies and History and Department Chair, Princeton University; Helen Hardacre, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society, Harvard University; and Joe Earle, Vice President, Japan Society and Director, Japan Society Gallery.

o n e - day i n - h o u s e p r o g r a m s f o r e d u c at o r s

Memoirs of sadako & hiroshima: Personal Accounts of an A-bomb survivor1 1 s e P t e M b e r

With Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako Sasaki’s brother; James Orr, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies and Department Chair, Bucknell Univer-sity; Steven Okazaki, director of White Light/Black Rain; and Sheldon Garon, Professor of History, Princeton University.

Discover Kamishibai: A Versatile tool in a balanced Literary Curriculum 2 8 O C tO b e r

With Tara McGowan, storyteller; Kamishibai Kidz.

haiku Workshop for K–12 educators4 N OV e M b e r

In cooperation with the United Nations Interna-tional School Haiku Contest.With William Higginson and Penny Harter, authors of The Haiku Handbook.

religious Practice & belief in Modern Japan3 N OV e M b e r

With D. Max Moerman, Associate Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures, Barnard College and Associate Director of the Donald Keene Center for Japanese Culture and the Columbia Center for Japanese Religions, Columbia University.

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2 0 07– 0 8 P R o g R a m H i g H L i g H ts

1 K–12 educators learn about ways to present modern Japanese his-tory to their students in this workshop led by Dr. William Tsutsui. Photo © Kazuko Minamoto.

2 Gene Maeroff moder-ates a panel discussion with The Honorable James B. Hunt Jr. and Dr. Susan Fuhrman on American education about Japan during the Alumni Reception for Educators. Photo © George Hirose.

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1 Japan Society Educator Suzanne de Vegh introduces children to the exhibition The Genius of Japanese Lacquer, Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin in the Art Cart series program “Amazing Japanese Lacquer: Design Fun!” Photo © George Hirose.

2 Led by Tessen-kai Noh Theater Group, students perform an original noh play as the culmination of the two-week summer immersion program for high school students. Photo © Kazuko Minamoto.

3 After performing an original play introducing traditional Japanese folk-tales, actors interact with children and help them make kabuto (samurai helmets) and koinobori (carp kites) during the Society’s annual kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) celebration. Photo © George Hirose.

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* c e n t e n n i a l e v e n t *100th Anniversary Alumni reception for educators: About Japan Website Launch & American education About Japan24 Au g u st

With Margaret Crocco, Professor of Social Studies and Program Coordinator, Teachers College, Columbia University; Robert Fish, Director of Education and Lecture Programs, Japan Society; Sheen Saleem, educator, Half Hollow Hills HS West; Mark Willner, former Chairman, Social Studies Department, Midwood High School at Brooklyn College; Gene I. Maeroff, Senior Fellow, Hechinger Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University; The Honorable James B. Hunt Jr., former Governor of North Carolina; and Susan Fuhrman, President, Teachers College, Columbia University.

P R o g R a m s fo R st u d E n ts

s u m m e r i m m e r s i o n w o r k s h o p f o r h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t s explore Performing Arts of Japan!: Create Contemporary Kabuki & Noh Dramas1 6 –2 0 & 2 3 –2 8 Au g u st

In cooperation with the Japan Society Performing Arts Program.With Samuel Leiter, Broeklundian Professor of Theater, Brooklyn College; Sarah Cusick, Chair, Theater Department, Columbia Preparatory School; Sachiyo Ito, Artistic Director/Performer, Sachiyo Ito & Company; Lisa D’Amour, playwright; Loren Edelson; Tessen-kai Noh Theater Group;

Kameron Steele, theater director; and Aya Ogawa, Senior Program Officer, Performing Arts, Japan Society.

o n e - day w o r k s h o p s f o r s t u d e n t s

Propaganda Animation Films 1920s–40s1 5 F e b r uA ry

In cooperation with the Japan Society Film Program.With Hikari Hori, Visiting Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University; Yutaka Matsuda, Matsuda Film Productions; and Midori Sawato, Benshi narrator.

P R o g R a m s fo R fa m i L i E s

j a pa n ’s a n n u a l f e s t i v i t i e s

Japan’s star Festival (Tanabata): Legends & Customs7 J u Ly

With Theatre Arts Japan-KIDS-, dir. Eriko Ogawa and Gay Merrill Gross, origami artist.

exploring Japan’s Mystical Folktale Creatures & ghosts through Kamishibai storytelling2 8 O C tO b e r

With Tara McGowan, storyteller.

shichigosan (7-5-3) Ceremony3 & 4 N OV e M b e r

In cooperation with the International Shinto Foundation.With members of the International Shinto Foundation.

Japan’s New year’s Day Celebration: Oshogatsu1 3 JA N uA ry

Featuring booths led by over 40 performers, artists, specialists, educators and volunteer students from Keio Academy of New York and Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School.

Doll Festival (girls’ Day): Hinamatsuri2 M A r C h

With Masayo Ishigure, koto performer and Keiko Sawaguchi, educator, Alternative Learning Center Choir Academy.

Celebrating Japan’s Children’s Day through Performance & Crafts-Making: Kodomo no hi4 M Ay

With Theatre Arts Japan-KIDS-, dir. Eriko Ogawa.

a r t c a r t p r o g r a m s

Art Cart: Where Do you Call home?1 1 N OV e M b e r

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Victoria Moller, Education Associate, Japan Society and Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

Art Cart: Contemporary Japanese Music1 0 F e b r uA ry

With Yumi Kurosawa, koto performer and Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

Art Cart: Amazing Japanese Lacquer: Design Fun!2 0 A P r I L

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery. Additional support was provided by the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation.With Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

Art Cart: Chanoyu8 J u N e

With Yoshihiro Terazono, Tea Master, Urasenke Tea Ceremony Society and Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

s a da ko & 1 , 0 0 0 pa p e r c r a n e s r e l at e d p r o g r a m s

sadako & One-thousand Cranes: Play reading & Performance by theatre Arts Japan-KIDs-9 s e P t e M b e r

In cooperation with Sony Wonder Technology Lab.With Theatre Arts Japan-KIDS-, dir. Eriko Ogawa; Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako Sasaki’s brother.

school Visit by Masahiro sasaki: Memoir of sadako 1 0 s e P t e M b e r

At Stuyvesant High School. With Masahiro Sasaki and 200 students of U.S. history and Japanese language courses.

special Luncheon with Mr. and Mrs. Masahiro sasaki1 3 s e P t e M b e r

In cooperation with the September 11th Families Association.With Masahiro and Yaeko Sasaki; September 11th Families Association; Amb. Motoatsu Sakurai, Consulate General of Japan in New York; and the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs.

s p e c i a l fa m i ly p r o g r a m s

homes & houses Japan/New york7 O C tO b e r

In cooperation with Center for Architecture Foundation.With Lita Riddock, architect/educator and Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

openhousenewyork (OhNy)7 & 8 O C tO b e r

In cooperation with the Japan Society Gallery.With members of the Japan Society Docent Corps.

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g a L L E Ry L E s s o n s & g a L L E Ry R E L at E d P R o g R a m s

d o c e n t t o u r s f o r g a l l e ry v i s i t o r s

Making a home: Japanese Contemporary Artists in New york5 O C tO b e r–1 3 JA N uA ry

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With members of the Japan Society Docent Corps.

the genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by shibata Zeshin2 1 M A r C h –1 5 J u N e

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With members of the Japan Society Docent Corps.

a d u lt & u n i v e r s i t y g r o u p t o u r s


In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.



g a l l e ry l e s s o n s p r e - k– g r a d e 1 2


In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Victoria Moller, Education Associate, Japan Society.


In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Joseph Keehn II, museum educator.

r e s p o n d i n g t o . . . s e r i e s

responding to Making a Home: Japanese Artists in New York O C tO b e r– D e C e M b e r

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society and Victoria Moller, Education Associate, Japan Society.

responding to The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin2 1 M A r C h –1 5 J u N e


ko n n i c h i wa f r i e n d s fa m i ly t o u r s

Making a home: Japanese Artists in New york1 3 O C tO b e r , 1 0 N OV e M b e r & 8 D e C e M b e r

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Victoria Moller, Education Associate, Japan Society and Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society.

the genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by shibata Zeshin1 2 A P r I L , 1 0 M Ay & 1 4 J u N e

In cooperation with Japan Society Gallery.With Suzanne de Vegh, Program Officer, Education & Lecture Programs, Japan Society and Joseph Keehn II, museum educator.

s t u d e n t d o c e n t p r o g r a m

Making a home: Japanese Artists in New yorkO C tO b e r– D e C e M b e r


Japan Society 2007–08 Education Programs were made possible by generous funding from The Freeman Foundation.

Additional support was provided by The Norinchukin Foundation, Inc., Lesley Nan Haberman, Joshua N. Solomon, and Ms. Hiroko Onoyama.

About Japan: A teachers’ resource was supported by The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.

1 Family program participants make paper cranes at Sony Wonder Technology Lab with Masahiro Sasaki, older brother of Sadako Sasaki, whose 1,000 paper cranes speak for an international peace movement. Photo © George Hirose.

2 Student docent Alfagracia de la Rosa applies the knowledge gained in the student docent program to lead a tour of the exhibition Making a Home. Photo © George Hirose.

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toyota L a n g uag E c E n t E R

The Society’s Japanese language education program, which began in 1972 with just a single class, has grown into one of the largest and most respected in the nation. Today, the Toyota Language Center offers 12 comprehensive levels of Japanese, as well as a variety of specialized courses and workshops including a shodo (Japanese calligraphy) course, ensuring that there is a class for any level of Japanese student. In addition, the Center caters to native Japanese speakers by providing three levels of English conversation (ESL) classes and a Japanese Language Teacher Training Program at the beginning and intermediate levels.

C.V. starr Library

The C.V. Starr Library houses approximately 14,000 volumes, in addition to a language library and an impressive rare book collection. Its holdings include a comprehensive collection of books (primarily in English) on Japanese art, history, culture, society, politics, economics, religion and many other subjects. An ideal place for research on Japan and Japan-U.S. relations, the library has also become one of the favorite attractions of Japan Society visitors.

Students in a level 2 Japanese class at the Toyota Language Center with their instructor, Tomoyo Kamimura. Photo © Roy Mittelman.


Mini-Workshops: Learn to read hiragana & Katakana2 0, 2 1 s e P t e M b e r

2 3 , 24 JA N uA ry

2 9, 3 0 M Ay

Enables beginning students to master efficiently the reading of hiragana and katakana.

Japanese Language Courses24 s e P t e M b e r–7 D e C e M b e r

2 8 JA N uA ry–7 A P r I L

4 J u N e –1 5 Au g u st

Twelve levels of Japanese, from beginning to advanced.

english Conversation Courses2 O C tO b e r– 6 D e C e M b e r

5 F e b r uA ry– 8 A P r I L

6 M Ay–24 J u N e

8 J u Ly–2 6 Au g u st

Three levels of English as a Second Language (ESL) in 30- or 38-hour sessions.

Kanji I, II, III24 s e P t e M b e r–7 D e C e M b e r



Designed to enable those proficient in Japanese to read Japanese newspapers with ease.

economics & business: Advanced reading Course I2 5 s e P t e M b e r– 4 D e C e M b e r

2 9 JA N uA ry– 4 A P r I L


Guides advanced language students in reading the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Japanese versions of Newsweek and Forbes, and also covers important business customs.

Intensive Japanese Weekend Courses1 0, 1 1 , 1 7 & 1 8 N OV e M b e r

1 , 2 , 8 & 9 M A r C h

1 4 , 1 5 , 2 1 & 2 2 J u N e

Total immersion for people who plan to travel or move to Japan or for students unable to attend regular weekday classes.

Intensive Practical Japanese: business & Culture2 3 A P r I L–2 2 M Ay

Helps students master the fundamentals of Japanese conversation, with special emphasis on business and social occasions.

Japanese Language teacher training Program2 9 A P r I L–2 9 M Ay

Teaches essential classroom teaching skills to native and fluent speakers of Japanese who have had little or no formal training in the teaching of Japanese as a second language.

Japanese Language teacher training Follow-up Program2 O C tO b e r– 4 D e C e M b e r

A continuation of the teacher training program, providing the skills necessary to teach Japanese at the intermediate level.

JetrO business Japanese Proficiency test1 8 N OV e M b e r

Offered in cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), this test provides a standardized means for students to assess their mastery of Japanese business language and custom.

shodo Workshops I, II, III , IV & Advanced Course24 s e P t e M b e r–7 D e C e M b e r


2 1 A P r I L–27 J u N e

A hands-on workshop on the techniques of shodo, a calligraphic art form that uses a brush and charcoal ink on paper, wood plaques and fabric.

1 Shodo teacher Masako Inkyo works with a student. Photo © Roy Mittelman.

2 Students in a Level 2 Japanese class at the Toyota Language Center. Photo © Roy Mittelman.

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Japan Society AnnuAl RepoRt 2007–08 · Nobuhiko Ikura President and CEO, Nippon Steel U.S.A.,...

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Transcript of Japan Society AnnuAl RepoRt 2007–08 · Nobuhiko Ikura President and CEO, Nippon Steel U.S.A.,...