Arizona Matsuri. Phoenix, AZ
2010 Arizona Matsuri
Project Director: Ted Namba
$5,000
The Arizona Matsuri is a popular Phoenix event that has been selected as the
“Best Ethnic Festival” by the Arizona Republic newspaper for the past
two years. It is imperative to incorporate fresh ideas to maintain the
popularity of any event. Over the past few years, there has been an
increased interest in areas such as anime which has resulted in more children
attending the Arizona Matsuri. The hope is to expand the Children’s Area at the
2010 Arizona Matsuri which would allow new children’s crafts to be shared with
the community and to allow any child the opportunity to participate, even if
they don’t have any available funds.
Asian Coalition of Tallahassee. Tallahassee,
FL
Participation in Experience Asia 2009: Asian Festival
Project Director: Genzo Tanaka
$3,460
Our main objective is for the Japanese community to participate in the Asian
Festival and to share Japanese arts and culture with people or all ages in the
greater Tallahassee area at the Asian Festival by demonstrating Wadaiko
performance, Japanese calligraphy, as well as having workshops of origami and
its applications to craft making. The festival also provides an excellent
opportunity to connect with local educators seeking advice regarding their
Social Studies units on Japan .
The Atomic Testing Museum. Las
Vegas, NV
Family Day: Journey through Japan and Film: Hibakusha our Life to
Live
Project Director: Angela Ameling
$4,842
The Atomic Testing Museum has designed two educational programs: “Family
Fun Day: Journey through Japan ” and the viewing of the film, “Hibakusha,
our Life to Live” to acknowledge historic events and celebrate Japanese
culture. These programs are designed to enhance the learning experience of
museum visitors through interactive, educational components. This program will
foster mutual cultural respect through Japanese martial arts, dance, culinary
arts, origami, folk tales, hands-on activities and story time.
Boston Children’s Museum. Boston,
MA
Kyoto Summer Festival
Project Director: Leslie Swartz
$5,000
In August 2009, Boston Children’s Museum will celebrate the sister city
relationship between Boston and Kyoto , Japan through a planned Kyoto Summer
Festival. The festival will include a variety of educational programs to promote
understanding of Japanese culture for our diverse visitor base, and will enable
us to collaborate with the Japanese community of Greater Boston.
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Seattle,
WA
Ainu Study Box and Curriculum
Project Director: Diane Quinn
$5,000
Create and present a traveling study box and educational curriculum on Ainu
history and culture, in conjunction with a year-long exchange program involving
the Burke Museum in Seattle, the Hokkaido Ainu Center in Sapporo , and several
North American Indian tribes. Burke educators will work with Ainu interns to
develop a program that introduces Washington students to Ainu cultures of Japan
and explore traditions they share with Native peoples of the American Northwest
Coast . Ainu interns will help present and pilot-test
the curriculum with Native American students in tribal schools. The box will
then become part of the Burke’s ongoing educational resources for schools
around the Northwest.
Center for Puppetry Arts. Atlanta,
GA
“Little One Inch”
Project Director: Elizabeth Leary
$5,000
The objective of this project is to present an entertaining and educational
puppetry production to children and audits that will increase audiences’
awareness of both the art form of puppetry and Japanese culture.
Champaign Centennial High School. Champaign,
IL
Geido: Japanese Traditional Arts
Project Director: Cynthia Helms
$3,746
The project objective is to introduce high school art students to Japanese art
and culture through the traditional arts of haiku, raku, calligraphy, and music
by providing students with authentic hands-on experiences through workshops
conducted by accomplished artists in each field. Through these workshop
experiences we want students to gain insight and appreciation of the Japanese
aesthetic of the infinite journey through engagement with Japanese traditional
arts.
Chute Middle School. Evanston,
IL
Takaku Haikan (Multiple Angles, Respectful Observations)
Project Director: Kitty Okano
$3,870
The objective of this project is to promote the appreciation of the culture of
Japan through the study of Japanese gardens as an authentic representation of
the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of the Japanese people. Students
will trace the origins of gardens from China to Japan ,
recognizing the influence of geography, religion and art on garden design and
function. Additional field trips and a taiko drum workshop are planned which
provide background knowledge, and expand and enhance
students’ understanding and appreciation of East Asian society and traditions.
A concluding Asian Festival is planned to celebrate Japanese culture and
demonstrate student achievement.
Duke University, Asian Pacific Studies Institute. Durham,
NC
Japan’s Past and Present through Japanese Tea Culture
Project Director: Simon Partner
$3,640
This project aims to expand knowledge about Japan for high school students and
their teachers at a public charter school in rural North Carolina . An
intensive one-week artist residency program at the high school combined with
field experience at the Japanese Tea Pavilion in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens will
provide content about the practice of Japanese tea, its significance, and
connection to Japan ‘s past and present. Additional outreach to area secondary
teachers through a professional development workshop will highlight the lessons
created and encourage future participation and field experiences at the
Japanese Tea Pavilion.
Eureka Schools, District 140. Eureka,
IL
Gifted Education Super Saturday-Kaizen Express
Project Director: Mary Ann Manos
$4,000
Our objective is to bring a first opportunity for Eureka public schools’
students to experience Japanese culture in the elementary, middle and high
schools. Students will experience Japanese arts, music, food, clothing and
customs as well as interact with Japanese national students enrolled at local
universities. Media coverage will include the community and parents. This will
be the first time our students will experience connections to higher education,
Asian arts, international students and their customs. We are in an area in
which there are no Japanese-American organizations.
Fort Hays State University. Hays,
KS
Young Readers’ Conference
Project Director: Lorie Cook-Benjamin
$4,920
1. To heighten elementary students’ awareness of Japan through exposure to
children’s and adolescent literature written and illustrated by a Japanese
author and/or illustrator
2. To provide elementary students with the opportunity to listen and meet a
Japanese author and/or illustrator
3. To provide all participating elementary schools with at least one
Japanese-authored and/or illustrated book
Fort Wayne Sister CitiesInternational. Fort Wayne, IN
Cherry Blossom Festival & Diversity Education Program
Project Director: Toyoharu Tamura
$3,800
A one-day cherry blossom festival and an international program at local middle
and high schools to introduce Japanese culture. The program will include
demonstrations and lectures on calligraphy, tea ceremony, ikebana, koto,
origami and technology.
Furman University. Greenville,
SC
Expanding Upstate South Carolina ‘s Engagement with Japan through Film
Project Director: Wendy Matsumura
$2,920
This initiative aims to bring Japan closer to the upstate South Carolina
community through a series of films and lectures at the Furman University
campus. The ultimate aim of the initiative is to heighten both interest and
understanding of contemporary Japanese society among upstate residents.
Germantown Performing Arts Centre. Germantown,
TN
TAO Japanese Taiko Drummers
Project Director: Tania Moskalenko
$4,250
The TAO Taiko Drummers project will reach roughly 5,000 individuals from the
Mid-South increasing awareness and understanding of Japan through the following
activities: a public performance, a lecture/demonstration for students from
area Title I schools, visual arts display of Japanese kimonos and Japanese
influenced art, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and partnerships with the
Japan-America Society of Tennessee and the Japanese Program at the University
of Memphis. The impact of this project will be a deeper and richer
understanding of Japanese culture via the performing arts.
Global Peace Film Festival. Orlando,
FL
Films from and about Japan in the Global Peace Film Festival
Project Director: Heather Rybka
$3,800
The purpose of this program is to further the cultural partnership between the
Global Peace Film Festival (GPFF) in Florida and the people of the
Koshinomiyako region in Japan where the GPFF-Japan is held. The significance of
presenting films from and about Japan in the Global Peace Festival is to share
with our Japan audiences the culture of peace that prevails in Japan and to
introduce the audience to Japanese culture.
Japan America Society of Colorado. Denver,
CO
2009 JASC Japan Cup
Project Director: Stephen Cacciatore
$3,575
This is an educational community outreach program designed to encourage and
foster interest in high school and college level students to study Japanese
language and culture and to promote and perpetuate Japanese language learning
programs throughout the Colorado and Wyoming school systems. Japanese cultural
offerings (anime, J-Pop, traditional arts and crafts) are an integral part of
the event and are designed to spread public awareness and understanding of
Japanese culture.
Japan America Society of Tennessee. Memphis
and Nashville, TN
Japanese Dance and Music Education Tour
Project Director: Akemi Sommer
$2,800
This project aims to: 1) increase awareness and understanding of Japanese
culture in Tennessee; 2) provide Japanese and American, especially K-12
students and teachers, with opportunities for grassroots exchanges; 3)
establish and/or strengthen networks among the Japan-America Society of
Tennessee, the Consulate-General of Japan, Japanese communities and businesses,
local cultural and educational institutions and organizations, through
educational lectures and demonstrations of traditional Japanese dance and
music.
JapanFest. Atlanta,
GA
JapanFest 2009
Project Director: Yoshi Domoto
$3,350
The mission of JapanFest, Inc. and JapanFest 2009 is to improve understanding
and appreciation of linkages between Japanese and Americans residing in the
Southeastern US through an annual salute to Japanese culture and friendship.
This celebration will promote multicultural education, encourage social
harmony, and ensure the integrity of JapanFest by providing an appropriate mix
of authentic contemporary and traditional programs on Japanese art and
culture.
Long Island School for the Gifted (LISG). Huntington
Station, NY
Children’s Japanese Cultural Immersion Project
Project Director: Jayne Ameri
$2,637
Utilizing the grant form the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership,
Long Island School for the Gifted seeks to expand the scope and intensity of
students’ exposure to Japan and Japanese culture, as well as the impact. The
primary objective of our proposed project is to increase students’ awareness of
Japanese culture and traditions, as well as to generate an understanding of and
appreciation for students’ counterparts in Japanese society. This will be
achieved through rigorous classroom instruction, as well as through the various
outreach components that we have established with local Japanese businesses and
individuals.
Marquis Studios. Brooklyn,
NY
Marquis Studios Japanese Arts and Culture Project
Project Director: Cassidy Jones
$4,600
We will serve the students and families of PS 139q, a school with a diverse
student body. The principal wishes to promote an understanding of Japanese
culture and values by providing a series of arts lessons. There will be 10
sessions of origami, 3 of taiko drumming, and a session on the art of bunraku
serving two 3rd grade classrooms and two 4th grade classrooms. At the
culminating event for the entire school there will be a display of student
created origami as well as a taiko performance. Each day’s lesson will
emphasize a better understanding of the culture, history and geography of
Japan. Students will learn a new phrase or word of Japanese each week as well.
Memphis Botanic Garden. Memphis,
TN
Memphis Matsuri
Project Director: Gina Harris
$3,450
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Ikebana International’s Bamboo Chapter and
Memphis Botanic Garden together are planning a Candlelight Tour series in our
Japanese Garden . We have collaborated with Ikebana over the past 25 years
putting on our summer Candlelight Tours. This event series will celebrate the
history and symbolism of our Japanese Garden through a series of tours that
focus on traditional Japanese festivals, specifically Ohanashi, Tanabata and
Children’s Day. These three festivals will each cater to a different
demographic and help showcase the different aspects of Japanese culture
to all who attend.
Michigan-Shiga
Sister State Board. Lansing, MI
A Feast for the Eyes: Japanese Confectionery Demonstration
Project Director: Saeko Miyamura
$4,200
We are planning to give these presentations to convey how much Japanese people
value and appreciate the beauty of the season transaction, called
“shun.” For our presentations, Mr. Shoji Nishizawa will give
demonstrations. He is one of the best Japanese confectionery Masters. Following
Mr. Nishizawa’s demonstrations, we will have a tea ceremony and participants can
drink Japanese tea while they taste these unique Japanese confections. During
this ceremony, the tea ceremony masters will describe and demonstrate the
customs associated with the tea ceremony.
New York de Volunteer. New
York, NY
Explore Japanese Culture After School Program
Project Director: Noriko Hino
$3,858
The goal of this program is to allow young children from disadvantaged
communities or low-income families in New York City the opportunity to
cultivate a sense of “global citizenship” and to learn to understand
and respect cultural differences via coming into contact with people from Japan
and their values. The program also serves to promote volunteerism among the
Japanese in NYC and provides them with an opportunity to interact with the
local community.
Northeast Cultural Coop. Amherst,
NH
Shogun and Samurai: A Workshop for Teachers and Others
Project Director: Blanche Milligan
$3,350
The objective of this workshop is to inform participants about this period of
Japanese history through historical documentation of cultural aspects as they
developed including an in-depth introduction to the visual and performing arts
of the period.
Ordway Center for the Performing
Arts. St. Paul, MN
Education and Community Engagement with Shidara
Project Director: Shelley Quiala
$2,500
As part of its Target World Music Series, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
will present Shidara, a Taiko drumming group from Japan . Shidara will perform
in the Ordway’s Main Hall on February 24, 2010. The group will hold a
Workshop/Master Class on Feb 23. In addition, the group will perform for K-12
school groups in our Performing Arts Classroom Series on Feb 24 and 25. Rick
Shiomi, Artistic Director, and Iris Shiraishi, Taiko Programs Director of Mu Performing
Arts in Minneapolis , MN will lead an “Ordway Extra,” an
informational session before the performance, and a post-performance talk-back
with Shidara members after the performance.
Park Side Elementary School. Marshall,
MN
Explore Japan & Get to Know Its People
Project Director: Dr. John Bowden
$4,400Tointroduce the children of Park Side Elementary School to the music and
literature of Japan through a cooperative effort with Southwest Minnesota State
University and to have direct inter-communication sessions with the children or
Park Side and two primary schools in Tokyo and Osaka.
The
Play Company. New York, N Y
ENJOY
Project Director: Kate Loewald
$5,000
The Play Company is producing the English-language American Premiere of Toshiki
Okada’s ENJOY in a four week, Off Broadway run. Play Company is conducting
extensive educational outreach initiatives surrounding this landmark
production. Our educational initiatives seek to deepen local students and
community’s understanding of current Japanese culture, and
illuminate issues and experiences common within both Japanese and American
society. Our educational outreach program also seeks to propagate Okada’s
uniqure theatrical techniques to local professional theatre artists and writers
to further advance his influence in America.
Portland Taiko. Portland, OR
Rural Outreach Residency & Performance Project
Project Director: Michael Griggs
$4,910
The proposed grant will allow Portland Taiko to deliver outreach residency
programs to rural Oregon communities that are underserved by the arts. Portland
Taiko will provide performances and participatory residencies based in the
Japanese art of taiko. We will work with K-12 schools and community-based
programs in three communities with the goal of increasing awareness and
appreciation of Japanese arts and culture.
Primary Source. Watertown, MA
Teaching K-12 Educators about Japan through Online Resources
Project Director: Deborah Cunningham
$5,000
Primary Source’s proposed project, Teaching K-12 Educators about Japan through
Online Resources, will allow us to expand our reach, both throughout
Massachusetts and nationally, and support schools as they build their own
capacity to teach about Japan . It will also encourage educators to improve and
expand their use of technology in their classrooms for the purpose of better
connecting their students to the world, therefore helping to bring US-Japan
perspectives to the world. We anticipate that our workshop will serve up to 30
educators who will share their new knowledge with over 2,500 students.
Putnam Museum of History & Natural Science. Davenport,
IA
“Images of the Floating World” Lunch & Learn
Project Director: Christina Kastell
$2,200
A current Putnam exhibit featuring Edo period woodblock prints and related
artifacts was brought to life in a unique way which allows us to highlight a
shameful episode in American history-the WWII internment of Japanese-Americans.
Via a “Lunch and Learn” workshop, at least 100 teachers, students and
interested adults will gain a deeper understanding of the exhibit’s prints and
related aspects of 19th-century Japanese culture while also learning about the
experience of Japanese-Americans during the war. Having such a workshop here is
especially important as, compared to the East and West coasts, people here have
relatively little familiarity with Japan and the experiences of
Japanese-Americans.
Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Saugatuck,
MI
Culture of Japan Festival
Project Director: Kristin Armstrong
$4,935
The Culture of Japan Festival is the second in the Saugatuck Center for the
Arts’ series of annual international “culture festivals” intended to
deepen the West Michigan community’s understanding of and appreciation for a
specific world culture. This series of public events and exhibitions will be
held at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts in our gallery, 400-seat theatre, and
classroom/art studio spaces during March and April. Festival programming–which
includes music, dance, cinema, culinary, visual art, “do it” and
“about it” classes for adults and children, and public lectures–is
geared for students as well as the general public.
Smith Academy of International Languages (SAIL). Charlotte,
NC
Taiko Project
Project Director: Yumi Kyogoku
$4,650
Japanese immersion teachers at Smith Academy of International Languages (SAIL)
plan to emphasize taiko in our culture lessons this spring through the Taiko
Project. The project will deepen our students’ understanding of Japanese
culture, and then their ability to spread awareness and understanding of
Japanese culture to students and staff in other language programs at SAIL and
to the community through the following activities: 1) establish a taiko club,
2) hold taiko workshops, 3) study how to take care of taiko, 4) research how
taiko are made, 5) create imitation taiko using full-size plastic garbage cans
and small garbage pails, 6) provide taiko workshops, and demonstrations, 7)
publish and display what they have learned, 8) observe a public taiko performance
at school and 9) perform at the regional Nihon Bunkasai in May.
Smithsonian American Art
Museum. Washington, DC
Teacher Workshop and Bus Grant for the Exhibition: “The Art of Gaman: Arts
and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-1946”
Project Director: Suzannah Niepold
$5,000
The objective is to educate a new generation of Americans about the Japanese
American internment experience, using the exhibition, “The Art of
Gaman.” The museum will conduct a full-day workshop in March 2010 for area
teachers, focusing on Japanese American internment in World War II and the
themes of the exhibition, including traditional Japanese crafts, traditions and
heritage. Workshop teachers will be encouraged to schedule museum visits for
their students to tour the exhibition, and four disadvantaged schools will be
awarded bus grants to make the visit possible.
The Textile Museum. Washington,
DC
Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection
Project Director: Maryclaire Ramsey
$5,000
The Textile Museum brings to any project more than 80 years of experience in
scholarship through its curators, conservators, exhibition designers and its
world-renowned collection of more than 18,000 textile objects. The Museum
concentrates on the traditions of non-Western countries, and frequently
explores the cross-cultural transfer of techniques and designs. Contemporary
Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection provides The Textile Museum with
an opportunity to present a visually impressive and thought provoking
investigation of Japanese fashion in a globalized world, and to explore the
innovative technologies that underlie the creation of such unconventional, yet
appealing designs.
University of Colorado, Program for Teaching East Asia. Boulder,
CO
Texts and Contexts: Teaching Japan through Children’s Literature
Project Director: Catherine Higbee Ishida
$5,000
The proposed project will 1) publish online five lessons that assist K-6
teachers in using specific children’s literature to teach about Japan; and 2)
conduct an outreach workshop in which Program for Teaching East Asia
teacher-alumni and authors of the lessons will introduce the online lessons and
methodology for using children’s literature to teach key concepts about Japan
at the elementary level.
University of Kentucky Research Foundation. Lexington,
KY
Matsuri in Kentucky
Project Director: Shana Herron
$4,510
This project aims to: 1) Bring Japanese cultural activities (taiko drumming,
Noh theatre, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and Japanese games) to the Louisville
World Fest, an event that draws over 100,000 people; 2) Document and
disseminate these activities through video, resource lists, and instructions to
encourage their inclusion in rural world culture festivals at schools and
libraries; 3) Directly help students and patrons at four rural schools or
libraries learn Japanese matsuri activities to share at their local world
culture festivals by organizing visits by the KY Tea Group, with our JOI
coordinator.
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. Hagerstown,
MD
Konnichiwa: A Tour of Japanese Culture through Ukiyo-e
Project Director: Amy Hunt
$4,380
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts requests support to present an
interactive exhibition, related cultural workshops and special events. Selected
works of art from the Museum’s holdings of 19th century ukiyo-e prints,
Japanese fashion and porcelain will serve as the basis for interactive
components of the exhibition, the associated cultural and artistic workshops
and special events, all of which will educate audiences about Japanese culture.
Williamstown Elementary. Williamstown,
WV
Passport to Japan
Project Director: Ruth Patrick
$3,445
Our project, Passport to Japan, will start by applying for a passport to start
this adventure. Students will locate bodies of water and land masses using a
globe or a map. Older students will demonstrate their knowledge of map skills
by using map tools to interpret information. They will explore nonfiction and
fiction books. While learning about the Japanese culture, students will investigate
cultural differences through celebrations, holidays and traditions. Art
activities will include origami, bamboo hats, carp windsocks and Japanese fans.
World Affairs Council of
Dallas/Forth Worth. Dallas, TX
Japanese Culture Day
Project Director: Jennifer Bowden
$5,000
The principal objective of this event will be to offer local students and
teachers a new opportunity to discover the traditions and heritage of Japan and
to promote international cultural understanding and appreciation.