Sunday 29 November 2009

Japanese Sashiko Textiles


Date: Current - 24 January 2010
Venue: York Art Gallery

Japanese Sashiko Textiles, the first major museum exhibition of Japanese Sashiko textiles, are on display at York Art Gallery. The exhibition presents traditional and contemporary textiles and garments designed to decorate, and protect the wearer both physically and spiritually. This exhibition sets out a sense of time and place in which these works were created, paying special attention to the lives of the women who made and wore Sashiko, and the connotations of spiritual protection associated with Sashiko. More than 75 garments and related objects will be on display, with many being shown in the UK for the first time.
The show and subsequent national tour will present traditional and contemporary textiles and garments, designed to decorate and protect the wearer both physically and spiritually.
Entitled Japanese Sashiko Textiles, it sets out to present a sense of time and place in which these works were created. The exhibition has been selected by textile artist Michele Walker whose research has been facilitated by a three year Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Fellowship.
It is supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Arts Council Yorkshire, Japan Airlines, Renaissance Yorkshire, The Japan Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Gyeongbuk Corporation signs MOU with Korea Foods Ltd to penetrate the European Market


On Friday 20th November a MOU ceremony was held between Gyeongbuk Corporation and Korea Foods Ltd in New Malden, England. This was the part of the Korea Foods company’s “Globalising Korean Food” scheme and the promotion for the Gyeongsangbuk-do’s products was followed until the 22nd November in the Korea Foods’ main store in New Malden and Golders Green’s Seoul Plaza branch.

During the MOU ceremony Lee Young-seok, Director of Division of international Relations and Trade at Gyeongsangbuk-do said, “We are pleased to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as a trading portal with Gyeongsangbuk-do province, the largest of the nine provinces of the Republic of Korea. Established in Setember 1994 by the Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial govemment, we perform overseas marketing for small and medium-sized producers in our province so that they maintain their competitiveness by sharply reducing their export- related overhead costs. We hope British people enjoy our beautiful healthy products at a better price with a better service.”

Mr Bernard Suh, President from Korea Foods Ltd emphasised, “Established in 1999 Korea Foods has since grown to become the leading importer of Korean food in the UK. The company offers the widest range of Korean products in the UK and has an extensive range of Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. Our company is involved in a number of many different marketing activities. Our primary aim is to unveil Korean food as ‘Hidden Treasure….the next big thing’ in Europe. We will take on the role of Korean food ambassador and do our best to promote Korean food to the European market.”

After ceremony Gyeongbuk Corporation introduced several products at the Korea foods’ main store. Gyeongsan Dates, UiseongYellow Rice, Sobaek Goryo Red Ginseng, Youngyang Red Pepper Powder were most popular items amongst those products. During the promotion, many customers praised the quality and the package of the Gyeongsangbuk-do’s products.

A customer who purchased Red Ginseng said, “I did not know that Red Ginseng was more effective than normal ginseng in its medical efficacies. Also it is very interesting to find out that Red Ginseng is selected from good quality 4~6-year-old ginseng and steamed unpeeled and then dried either in the sun or mechanically many times and this biologically active substance is beneficial to our body and shows excellent pharmacological effects on various diseases.”

Friday 27 November 2009

London-Tokyo-Nagasaki Prints and drawings by Chris Orr RA


Date: current - 11 December 2009
Venue: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QP UK
Email:
exhibitions@dajf.org.uk
Web: www.dajf.org.uk/ChrisOrr
Organiser: Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is pleased to announce a solo show by Chris Orr, “LONDON-TOKYO-NAGASAKI”

Chris Orr RA has had many exhibitions worldwide including at the Whitechapel and Serpentine Galleries in London. He regularly shows his work at the Jill George Gallery and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Last year, the special exhibition, ‘10’ 1998-2008 The Chris Orr Years, was held to celebrate his decade of successful career as Professor of Printmaking at the Royal College of Art. In 2008 he was awarded an MBE for services to the Arts.

“I was fortunate to go to Art School in England when the training was very much based on the traditional disciplines; life drawing, design and lettering, still life studies and painting from the landscape or cityscape in the open air. Working directly from the subject has recently become important to me again and on recent visits to Japan I have been outside drawing in Nagasaki and Tokyo. London, my native city, has always been an inspiration and a subject for me. I have developed the idea that I am a 'history painter' and that my work is concerned with the complex social and physical layers that compose the modern city. In the process of working, time is spent at the heart of a place. The artist takes on temporary honorary citizenship. It is amazing how many people stop to ask directions even when you are clearly not a local. Printmaking, a powerful tradition in both Japanese and European cultures, is a beautifully expressive voice for the subject of the city. The printing processes are urban and lend themselves easily to the subject matter. My prints are made using the drawings as a starting point. Back in the workshop I take things a step further on. Although still recognisably about a specific place, the printmaking process allows me to adapt and change things to create a new subjective identity. My Japan, like my London, becomes a place of new imaginative reality.”

Discover Korean Food #18: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Cold Barley Tea"


Barley tea made from maekmundong (liriopis), ginseng, and omija (five flavor) seed is good for relieving thirstiness during the summer. Maekmundong helps make the lungs strong, promote vitality, and augment physical stamina during the winter. It is outstandingly effective to preventing coughs and asthma. Cold barley tea is recommended to drink 2 or 3 times during the summer when perspiration is enormous, and recommended especially highly to the asthma patient.

Material and Quantity
Maekmundong 20g, omija 10g, ginseng 50g, water 5 cups (1 liter), honey a little

Preparations
1. Wash the maekmundong and omija and drain.
2. Wash and trim ginseng and drain after a while.
3. Place all material and water in the pan and boil for 5 minutes.
4. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to the medium, boiling 30 more minutes. Then sift the tea.
5. Add honey when serving.

Tip
Omija may be exuded and sifted in advance.

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Supervisions: UK Korean Artists & Designers


Dates: 4 December 2009 – 6 February 2010
Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK, Ground Floor, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
Tel: +44 (0) 207 004 2600
Email: info@kccuk.org.uk
Web:
http://www.kccuk.org.uk/

Participating Artists & Designers:
CHUNG Daun, CHUNG Jae Yeon, HONG Kiwon, HONG Kyu, HONG Seung-pyo, JEE Mina, KANG Sangbin, KIM A Young, KIM Hwang, KIM Hyo Myoung, LEE Kyu-seon, LEE Seong Jun, PARK Hye-Joung, PARK Hyemin, PARK Yeojoo, PARK Young Joon, SEO Jung Ju, SONG Min Jeong, YOON Sang Yoon

The British Council and the Korean Cultural Centre UK are pleased to announce Supervisions: UK Korean Artists. The exhibition attempts to capture a sense of the diversity of works produced by Korean artists and designers currently living in the UK. It presents work by nineteen individuals selected through an open call.

Although there were no conditions attached to the submission and it had no particular theme, common subjects run through the exhibition. This year sees an interest in the issue of surveillance, networks and the visioning of space and territory. With this in mind, the title Supervisions naturally emerged, as a reference to the themes of observation and examination of the world and society.

The exhibition brings to the fore the acuity of Korean designers and artists - their responsiveness to atmosphere, place and the palpable but often invisible currents that seem increasingly to define and capture the minutiae of our everyday lives.

The exhibition has been curated by Emily Butler and Ellie Smith from the Visual Arts and the Architecture, Design, Fashion teams at the British Council, and Stephanie Seungmin Kim, Korean Cultural Centre UK. A specially commissioned publication designed by THIS IS Studio will accompany the exhibition.

The 2010 Z1000 takes the Super Naked concept in a totally new and strikingly contemporary direction


Mating Ninja ZX-9R-based engines with innovative chassis designs and striking bodywork, previous Z1000 models offered supersport performance adapted for the street, wrapped in the most avant-garde designs of the their time.
Now, the totally re-designed and re-engineered 2010 Z1000 takes the Super Naked concept in a positive and bold new direction. In order to deliver a kind of excitement never before experienced with Super Naked models, development of the new Z1000 started totally from scratch – resulting in a fresh and compelling new Super Naked machine.
Unlike the “mono-form” design of supersport models (where the ensemble is designed as a single piece), Kawasaki naked model designs are collections of parts – each meticulously crafted as both stand-alone components, and as parts of a whole.
While many Super Naked models are often no more than supersport models with the fairings removed, the new Z1000 realises a stunning VISUAL IMPACT by being conceived and created in complete design freedom.
Supersport-based engines and chassis offer high performance, but the number of riders who are able to enjoy this performance on the street is limited.
Rather than pursuing “speed” and performance figures, Z1000 development focused on the “excitement” derived from riding a sport bike on the street, thereby achieving a high RIDING IMPACT.
The new Z1000 takes the aggressive styling of its predecessor a major step forward.
From the sharply sloped front cowl design - made possible with the slim new line-beam headlamp - to the minimalist tail section, the new Z1000 presents a very condensed, "mass-forward" image.
This dynamic design is reinforced by the front fork covers and wide shrouds adorned with intakes for the new Cool Air system. Where its predecessor formed the image of an athlete poised to explode out of the blocks, the new Z1000 gives the appearance of a ominous predator feigning sleep – menacing and ready to leap forward without a moment’s hesitation.
Sharp front cowl slopes back at an acute angle, contributing to the aggressive design and the image of a low, forward-located centre of gravity.
In addition to protecting the inverted fork’s inner tubes, fork covers reinforce the low, mass-forward image.

Monday 23 November 2009

Insight into Beauty Contemporary Craft Inspired by Japan


Date: current - 27 November 2009
Venue: The Embassy of Japan, 101 - 104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT
Fee: Admission is free, but photo ID is necessary to gain entry to the Embassy.
Web:
http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/
Organiser: The Embassy of Japan in the UK

This exhibition at the Embassy of Japan presents various aspects of contemporary craft made in the United Kingdom yet inspired by Japanese materials, techniques and design. It looks at basketry, lacquer ware, ceramics and textile arts created by both Japanese and non-Japanese artists alike. The name of the exhibition is taken from the words of Soetsu Yanagi (1889-1961), who led the Japanese mingei (folk crafts) movement fostering an interest in the aesthetic value of craftsmanship in Japan.
Louise Renae Anderson is a textile artist who uses indigo dye and ikat weaving techniques and Tim Parry-Williams, long-known for his collaborative work with Japanese makers is exhibiting textiles comprising ramie, paper and raw silk.
Basketmaker, Lee Dalby has designed a walk-in split-bamboo installation and Joanna Gilmour has created basketry from Phorrnium tenax, paper and willow - both especially for this exhibition.
Ceramicist, Lisa Hammond is famed for her Shino glaze pieces, exhibiting the extent of her skill with both large and small works. Akiko Hirai’s teabowls are a direct reference to her Japanese background while Kaori Tatebayashi displays Japanese white Kohiki ware with a more contemporary European take. The indigo sgrafitto slip decoration on Yo Thom’s stoneware takes inspiration from Japanese textiles yet it was only in the UK that she started throwing pots.
The lacquer produced by fine lacquer craftsman, Takashi Wakamiya, (whose delicate work is also exhibited) is employed in the stylish tableware created by product designer, Emiko Oki while Eve Vautier uses the French lacquering technique, vernis Martin, to produce distinctly contemporary jewellery.
This exhibition is a part of Asian Art in London.

Colourful new flash memory voice recorders with MP3


Now you’ll never be lost for words. Capturing interviews, meetings, lectures or simple voice notes has never been easier with the latest generation of colourful new digital voice recorders by Sony.
Slipping effortlessly into a pocket or slim bag, the stylish ICD-UX200 and ICD-UX300F weigh less than your mobile phone (48g). Despite their compact size, they’re packed with handy features to help you capture, store and manage brilliantly clear voice recordings with ease.
The huge 4GB flash memory inside the ICD-UX300F can store more than 1,000 hours of audio (in LP mode): enough for more than a month’s worth of non-stop voice recordings. And that’s just the start. With all that storage space and a handy USB connector built-in, the tiny UX200 and UX300F are also a great way to store, back-up and transfer PC files while you’re on the move.
If you need some entertainment while you’re on the move, you can also listen to your favourite tracks on the built-in MP3 music player, either via the built-in speaker or using the supplied in-ear headphones.
High quality digital voice recordings are captured in stereo as MP3 files. A switchable noise cut function and low cut filter reduce distracting background noise, ensuring maximum intelligibility.
Voice playback via the on-board speaker is equally crisp and clear. 21-step digital playback speed control makes it easier to hear exactly what’s been said without distortion when you’re transcribing that lecture, seminar or interview.
Extra-long battery life lets you keep talking – and listening – for longer without running out of power. With an alkaline battery, recording time stretches up to 15 hours (in LP mode), while playback extends to a massive 83 hours - more than enough to hear that series of lecture notes.
Managing recordings is supremely convenient, thanks to the generously-sized LCD with easy-to-read 5-line display. Recordings can be sorted into five message folders, making it easy to track down the right file when you’ve got lots of different memos or interviews to keep track of. For extra convenience, recordings can be managed and edited with Divide/Erase/Select and Move to folder functions.
Simple drag-and-drop file support makes it quick and easy to transfer voice recordings, PC files and music tracks directly to your computer. The recorder’s slide-out USB connector is protected by a handy sliding cover, so there’s no danger of losing the cap while you’re travelling.
The ICD-UX200 (2GB) is available in a choice of black, silver, pink and red finishes. The ICD-UX300 (4GB) is available in black or red finishes. Available in black, the ICD-UX300F (4GB) also features an FM tuner, allowing you to listen to your favourite radio programmes while you’re on the move.
The ICD-UX200, UX300 and UX300F digital voice recorders are available from December 2009.

Saturday 21 November 2009

An exhibition by Takumasa Ono Inspired by the Cotswolds

Date: 27 - 29 November , 2009
Venue: Cotswold Grange Hotel, Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham GL52 2QH
Email:
tak.ono@virgin.net
Web: http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/koei/
Organiser: Takumasa Ono

Exhibiting Takumasa ONO’s artworks based on sketches made at the Cotswold's scenery (including Kimono, watercolor and Sumi-e, the traditional Japanese black and white ink painting). Mr Ono will be residence at Cotswold Grange Hotel and visitors will be able to talk his artworks by meeting him. Prints and Sumi-e of Takumasa Ono’s work will be sold during the exhibition. Moreover, a part of the sales is contributed to the Cotswolds Conservation Board by Mr Ono.

In 1999, Takumasa Ono who was an official artist of the National Trust in Japan toured the UK first visiting and sketching 58 National Trust properties. Then he arrived again in the UK as a visiting artist as part of Japan 2001, a UK wide initiative, supported by the Japanese Ministry of Culture promoting Japan in the UK. During that time, he developed his HENRO exhibition, working as an artist in residence with the National Trust. He was particularly impressed with the way that the UK as a country, through organizations such as The National Trust, conserves its natural and built environment. As a result, he moved to the UK with his family in 2002. Since then he has been undertaking artistic projects with many of the National Trust’s leading properties across the UK, organizing educational workshops for children and adults as well as exhibitions. A percentage of his sales are regularly donated to the National Trust’s fundraising campaign. He has produced hundreds of pieces of artwork featuring more than 100 National Trust properties, through the medium of watercolour, screen-printing and Smi-e, a traditional form of Japanese brushwork art. In 2005, his first book, The Simple Art of Sumi-e Mastering Japanese Ink Painting, was published in the UK and USA, France. In 2007, he exhibited his work and held Sumi-e workshops in Paris. Also, he has been commissioned to produce major pieces of his Sumi-e work for the Japan Room at the £106 million Wales Millennium Centre, one of Europe’s most exciting new arts centre, in Cardiff Bay.

An exhibition by Takumasa Ono Inspired by the Cotswolds

Date: 27 - 29 November , 2009
Venue: Cotswold Grange Hotel, Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham GL52 2QH
Email: tak.ono@virgin.net




Organiser: Takumasa Ono







Exhibiting Takumasa ONO’s artworks based on sketches made at the Cotswold's scenery (including Kimono, watercolor and Sumi-e, the traditional Japanese black and white ink painting). Mr Ono will be residence at Cotswold Grange Hotel and visitors will be able to talk his artworks by meeting him. Prints and Sumi-e of Takumasa Ono’s work will be sold during the exhibition. Moreover, a part of the sales is contributed to the Cotswolds Conservation Board by Mr Ono.



Opening times :
27th Nov Friday 1pm - 5pm
28th Saturday 11am - 5pm
29th Sunday 10am - 5pm
Special night view : Friday and Saturday 7pm - 9pm
Refreshments and Live performace



Profile of Takumasa Ono


In 1999, Takumasa Ono who was an official artist of the National Trust in Japan toured the UK first visiting and sketching 58 National Trust properties. Then he arrived again in the UK as a visiting artist as part of Japan 2001, a UK wide initiative, supported by the Japanese Ministry of Culture promoting Japan in the UK. During that time, he developed his HENRO exhibition, working as an artist in residence with the National Trust. He was particularly impressed with the way that the UK as a country, through organizations such as The National Trust, conserves its natural and built environment. As a result, he moved to the UK with his family in 2002. Since then he has been undertaking artistic projects with many of the National Trust’s leading properties across the UK, organizing educational workshops for children and adults as well as exhibitions. A percentage of his sales are regularly donated to the National Trust’s fundraising campaign. He has produced hundreds of pieces of artwork featuring more than 100 National Trust properties, through the medium of watercolour, screen-printing and Smi-e, a traditional form of Japanese brushwork art. In 2005, his first book, The Simple Art of Sumi-e Mastering Japanese Ink Painting, was published in the UK and USA, France. In 2007, he exhibited his work and held Sumi-e workshops in Paris. Also, he has been commissioned to produce major pieces of his Sumi-e work for the Japan Room at the £106 million Wales Millennium Centre, one of Europe’s most exciting new arts centre, in Cardiff Bay.

Discover Korean Food #17: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Beoseot-jeongol" (Mixed Mushroom Hot Pot)


Beoseot-jeongol is a hot pot made of various mushrooms and vegetables. This dish is clear, light in taste and has a wonderful aroma of mushrooms. It is a stew for the autumn season when the cold wind starts to blow. From olden days, people believed that mushrooms have a medicinal effect and used them in various fried or grilled dishes.

*Ingredients

60 g (5 ea) oyster mushrooms
120 g (3 ea) fresh pine mushrooms
60 g fresh brown oak mushrooms
150 g beef (top round)
seasoning sauce :
3 g (½ tsp) clear soy sauce, 2 g (½ tsp) sugar, 2.3 g (½ tsp) minced green onion
1.4 g (¼ tsp) minced garlic, 1 g (½ tsp) sesame salt, 0.1 g ground black pepper 2 g (½ tsp) sesame oil
20 g small green onion, 50 g watercress, 20 g (1 ea) red pepper
1 kg (5 cups) water, 18 g (1 tbsp) clear soy sauce, 4 g (1 tsp) salt

*Preparation
1. Wash the mushrooms in water softly, drain water, and shred them into 5 cm-long and 0.5 cm-wide/thick.
2. Clean blood of beef with cotton cloths, shred it into 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide/thick, season with seasoning sauce.
3. Wash small green onion and watercress cleanly, cut them into 5 cm-long(small green onion 18 g, watercress 30 g).
4. Shred red pepper into 4 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide/thick.

* Recipe
1. Put all prepared stuffs in the simmering pot, place them roundly matching color, add water.
2. Heat it up for 4 min. on high heat. When it boils, lower the heat to medium, boil it for another 10 min. When it boils again, season with clear soy sauce and salt, bring it to a boil.

* Tips
- Broth may be replaced by water.
- To keep the fragrance of mushrooms, do not boil mushroom hot pot too long.

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Showa Japan: The Post-war Golden Age and Its Troubled Legacy

Date: Thursday 26 November 2009
Venue: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13 - 14 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QP.
Tel: 020 7486 4348
Email:
events@dajf.org.uk
Web: http://www.dajf.org.uk
Organiser: The Daiwa AngloJapanese Foundation

Japan's Showa era began in 1926 when Emperor Hirohito took the throne and ended on his death in 1989. It was undoubtedly the most momentous, calamitous, successful and glamorous period in Japan's recent history. The post-war part of Showa is now a beacon of nostalgia for its social cohesion and great economic achievements. But the Showa era ended in a bubble - a time of wild spending and excesses in every field. With the collapse of the boom in the early 1990s, the people came face to face with new economic and social realities they were not prepared for. In Showa Japan author Hans Brinckmann, who first came to live in Japan in 1950, examines the impact of the Showa era and its aftermath on every aspect of Japanese society. Instead of idealizing the past and yielding to intermittent reactionary efforts to restore pre-war values, he argues that the country needs to stimulate independent thinking in education, encourage active citizenship, facilitate immigration and repair relations with its Asian neighbours by squarely facing up to history. Most crucially, the nation’s sclerotic political system needs rejuvenation and the stimulus of hard debate to reduce the power of vested interests and tackle the many challenges facing the country.

Younee, Cool and Red Hot

Not many female performers have stopped me in my tracks upon listening to them for the first time-they include Peggy Lee, Keely Smith and Tina Turner. Another name to do so is YOUNEE.

I first heard her perform three tracks from her album “TRUE TO YOU”- “East West” “True to You” and “Home to You” at the Korean Cultural Centre in London on the 16th of October 2009. Younee was one of the Korean artists in the UK in the programme.

Although the acoustics weren’t suited to musical performances Younee overcame the difficulty and produced something special.

On the strength of her musicality and my interest her agent Anthony Steinberg invited me to The Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street in London on the 27th of October 2009 for the launch of her “TRUE TO YOU” CD.

In this intimate venue she performed with the Richard Niles Quartet. I was completely taken by her performance. She played Bach, sang the Beatles, Rolling Stones, standards and of course her own compositions (co-written with Richard Niles) from the new CD.

My enthusiasm for her performance must have been noticed by Richard Niles and Anthony Steinberg because I was subsequently invited to visit Richard’s studio on the 6th of November 2009.

I went with the proprietor of THE EAST and spent a very pleasant few hours in the company of Younee, Richard and Anthony. Younee showed her skills with an impromptu performance. I was amazed at the talent Younee possesses for someone so young.

She comes from Seoul in South Korea and is not to seen as “A KOREAN SINGER” but “A SINGER FROM KOREA” who is a gifted musician and performer. Without doubt she will make inroads into the world of music in the West. She is affectionately known as “Key’s Piano” in Korea.

Younee does not follow any particular genre when it comes to music. She is creating her very own genre. Very few artists have this particular ability to do so but she is definitely one of them.

Younee is virtuoso pianist and a versatile artist with rare musical talent.
Her studies began at the age of three, majoring in classical piano over the next twenty years, culminating in being awarded a BA in Classical Piano at Yonsei University in Seoul-on of the top two universities in South Korea.

At very young age-about five years- she began to discover why certain melodies captured peoples’ imaginations whereas others didn’t. She also discovered the English language which led to enjoying music of Beatles, Rolling Stones and others-hence her including them at her gigs.

At this stage she couldn’t understand English but was struck with the important thought that “Melody” was a language, a communication tool and made a statement.

Younee is remarkable indeed becoming a Professor of Music at prestigious Seoul Culture and Art University during her twenties. She studied Classical Piano under the renowned teacher Soo Jung Shin, a judge at he 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition and won numerous awards such as Yu Jae Ha Singer Songwriting contest in Korea, the UK Songwriting competition and the VH1 international competition.

Such successes have led to two CDs being released in Korea and her first English language CD for the Western market.

Younee has given numerous classical concert performances with well known orchestras. Her many television appearances have presented her own music. Younee is uniquely placed as not only being a highly trained classical musician but is equally comfortable in rock, pop and jazz.

Rather than being restricted by the Korean music industry she has shown determination and foresight by not renewing her recording contract.

Younee became the first Korean artist to fully utilize Myspace and the internet to establish herself as an independent artist. Through a German fan she became a Myspace friend of Grammy Winning American pianist Bob James.
When James performed on a Korean TV show on EBS TV, he invited Younee to play his demanding piece for piano four-hands (video available on youtube, http://www.youneeversal.com/).
When she related her desire to become an international artist, James recommended London based producer Richard Niles (http://www.richardniles.com/).
Younee was already aware of Richard Niles’ impressive career and his work with Ray Charles, Paul McCartney and Pat Metheny.
Upon contacting Richard he was extremely encouraging. As he had worked in jazz, rock, pop and classical music, here was someone who could become an ideal musical collaborator and give her solid direction as a producer.
They began to write songs together using Skype with Niles in his London office and Younee in her bedroom studio in Seoul. The result is her first Western album, “True To You”. They formed a label, cheekily named ‘Youneeversal International’.
After a trip to L.A. where Younee and Niles performed an acclaimed showcase, they released the single “Home To You” which reached the Top 20 of the US Independent Radio chart.
Younee toured England with the Richard Niles Quartet showing her musical diversity-pop, jazz and classical, a “Total Music Experience”. This concept gives Younee the opportunity of unifying all her musical elements under one roof.
They performed on the 24th of October at The Stables, Wavendon (the home of legendary jazz musicians Cleo Lane and John Dankworth) and the album “True To You” was officially launched at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, Soho for three nights between the 27th and the 29th of October and the 30th of October at Pizza On the Park. Younee also performed a Solo Classical Recital at the Vortex on the 1st of November. Her last performance was on the 8th of October at The 606 Club.

Younee has achieved many firsts for an artist from Korea-a rejection of musical restrictions and has crossed the all important barrier into the Western musical market-more especially with the compositions in English.

Quotes on Younee
“True to you will be a smash! Great songs, great singing and playing, great arrangements, great production! What fun it must have to create this music.”
(Bob James – Grammy winning Jazz Pianist)

“Younee is certainly a talented young lady. The musician’s performances, as well as production work are of the highest calibre. All the best for the Younee’s album.”
(Richard Carpenter – of the Carpenters)

“Younee has a voice as sweet as it is passionate. Great musicianship and an honest approach to music and playing.”
(Liane Carrol - jazz singer - winner of the Ronnie Scott's Award and twice winner of the BBC Jazz Award)

The CD itself has thirteen tracks all of which make good listening and are easy to pick up on particularly:
“True to You” is the title track, which is especially catchy and would make a good single release.
“East West” is a vibrant song, which demonstrates feelings when opposites attract.
“Home to You” brings emotions to the fore and quite revealing.
“Here I Go Again”, which has a gospel feel to it is Younee’s own personal favourite.

How rare it is nowadays to meet an artist who combines charm, genuine talent, ability, worth and value in performance and personality without pomposity. These characteristics do not detract from her aspiration to succeed in becoming a role model in music. There is no doubt that the multi talented Younee is a rising star, growing in stature musically, who with the right exposure will become one of Jazz’s stalwarts and a recognised international artist.

Younee doesn’t need “The X Factor” or “The Wow Factor” because she is youneeQue.
For more information please contact Youneeversal International
Anthony Steinberg
07901 668 263
anthony@youneeversal.com
www.youneeversal.com

Sunday 15 November 2009

Film Screenings - Robot Revolution


Date: 19 November 2009, 6.30-9pm
Venue: Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeon, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE
Tel: 020 7869 6560
Fax: 020 7869 6564
Email:
museums@rcseng.ac.uk
Web: http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums
Organiser: Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons

Enter a world of space-age hospitals entirely run by a computer with a rare English language screening of the anime ‘U-18 Knew’ featuring the anti-hero and genius surgeon Black Jack, the creation of Manga master Osamu Tezuka. Afterwards discover the reality behind the fantasy as a surgeon and experts in biomedical engineering discuss the current and future capabilities of medical robots. They will challenge some misconceptions and allay our fears, as well as demonstrating some of the technologies featured in the exhibition Sci-Fi Surgery: Medical Robots. The discussion will be facilitated by Gareth Mitchell, presenter of ‘Digital Planet’. The exhibition and the Hunterian Museum will be open throughout the evening from 6pm.

Bong Joon-ho, a South Korean film director and screenwriter


Bong Joon-ho (born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter.
He was born in Seoul and decided to become a filmmaker while in middle school, perhaps influenced by an artistic family (his father was a designer and his grandfather was a noted author.) He majored in sociology in Yonsei University in the late 1980s and was a member of the film club there. He liked Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Imamura Shohei at the time. In the early 1990s, he completed a two-year program at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. While there, he made many 16mm short films and his graduation work Memory in the Frame and Incoherence was invited to screen at the Vancouver and Hong Kong international film festivals.

In 1994 he directed the short film White People. His first feature film Barking Dogs Never Bite, part comedy and part cruel social satire, in 2000 had a low box office record but he became widely known in his home country for the next film Memories of Murder, based on the true story of the country's first known serial murders, in 2003. He attained both commercial success and critical acclaim through this film. The Host in 2006 was seen by a record ten million people in the country and was well received by the Cannes Festival. An amusing anecdote is told of him about The Host. In high school, he saw an unusual creature hanging down from a Han River bridge in Seoul and decided to make a monster film.

In 2008, he participated in the omnibus movie Tokyo ! (segment "Shaking Tokyo") with Michel Gondry and Leos Carax. His most recent film is Mother, the story of a mother who struggles to save her son from a murder accusation, which premiered at Cannes in 2009. He is planning to direct Le Transperceneige, an adaption of Jean-Marc Rochette and Jacques Loeb's comic of the same name.

"Mother" Synopsys
Hye-ja is a ginseng vendor and an unlicensed acupuncturist in a small town in southern South Korea. She dotes on her son, Do-joon, who is 27, unemployed, and mentally incapacitated on some level, which Hye-ja seems to ignore.
A high school girl is found dead on the roof of an abandoned building, and the local detectives arrest Do-joon based on circumstantial evidence. They coerce him to sign a confession and quickly imprison him. Hye-ja, distraught and convinced he is innocent, searches for the real killer, uncovering many secrets from the townspeople.

Friday 13 November 2009

Director Bong Joon-ho in conversation

Date: 14-11-2009 18:20:00
Venue: London BFI

Bong Joon-ho (born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. In 1994 he directed the short film White People. His first feature film Barking Dogs Never Bite, part comedy and part cruel social satire, in 2000 had a low box office record but he became widely known in his home country for the next film Memories of Murder, based on the true story of the country's first known serial murders, in 2003. He attained both commercial success and critical acclaim through this film. The Host in 2006 was seen by a record ten million people in the country and was well received by the Cannes Festival. An amusing anecdote is told of him about The Host. In high school, he saw an unusual creature hanging down from a Han River bridge in Seoul and decided to make a monster film.
In 2008, he participated in the omnibus movie Tokyo ! (segment "Shaking Tokyo") with Michel Gondry and Leos Carax. His most recent film is Mother, the story of a mother who struggles to save her son from a murder accusation, which premiered at Cannes in 2009. He is planning to direct Le Transperceneige, an adaption of Jean-Marc Rochette and Jacques Loeb's comic of the same name.

"Mother" Synopsys
Hye-ja is a single mom to 27-year-old Do-joon. Her son is her raison d’être. Though an adult in years, Do-joon is naïve and dependent on his mother, and sometimes behaves in ways that are stupid or simply dangerous. He is a constant source of anxiety for everyone. One day a young girl is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. An inefficient lawyer and an apathetic police force that closes Do-joon’s case too quickly inspire his mother to act on her own—to act as Mother in its purest form. Summoning all her maternal instincts and trusting no one, she sets out to find a killer and prove her son’s innocence.

Honda Releases the Civic Type R Euro in Japan


Honda Motor co., Ltd. announced that it will begin sales of a limited number of the Civic Type R Euro, a premium sports model with a distinctive, stylish form and performance that was forged on European roads. Only 2,010 units will be available for sale in Japan.
The Civic Type R Euro is a premium sports model built for mature customers who enjoy exciting driving performance together with a refined ride. It delivers supple handling and exhilarating, prodigious output over a wide range.

The Civic Type R Euro is equipped with a specially designed, 2.0l naturally aspirated engine (max. output: 148kW (201PS)/ 7,800rpm) paired with a responsive, 6-speed manual transmission. A lighter, more rigid body shell, specially tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels contribute to the Civic Type R’s ability to push the performance envelope. Custom aerodynamic components enhance the body’s already outstanding aerodynamic form, while interior features including a custom 3-spoke, small-diameter, leather-wrapped steering wheel, aluminum ball-type shift knob, and Honda R spec seats enhance the driver’s sense of oneness with the vehicle.

The ultimate driving performer in the European Civic series, the Civic Type R Euro is manufactured in the United Kingdom by Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd. This is the second time since 2001 that this model has been exported to Japan. Type R models are sporty models which are specially tuned to highlight the base model’s driving performance to pursue the joy of driving and provide a racing-like feel. With two models of Civic Type R now available in Japan—the 4-door Civic Type R introduced in 2007 as a ‘best of circuit’ performer and now the European-evolved Civic Type R Euro—Honda continues to deliver the joy of driving and the satisfaction of superior performance.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

A Zen Life - D.T.Suzuki: Film and discussion on the man who introduced Zen Buddhism to the West


Date: Glasgow 23 November 2009 ; Manchester 24 November ; London 26 November
Glasgow, University Chapel
Venue: Manchester, Room A7, Main Faculty Bldg, University of ManchesterLondon, Brunei Lecture Theatre, SOAS
Tel: 020 7898 4775
Email:
mike@barrett.uk.com
Organiser: Centre of Buddhist Studies and Centre for the Study of Japanese Religions, School of Oriental and African Studies, London ; with the participation of the University of Glasgow and the University of Manchester

The first ever public showings in the UK of the award-winning film “A Zen Life” about Daisetsu Suzuki (1870-1966), the influential Japanese philosopher, writer and teacher, followed by discussion with the film’s producer, Michael Goldberg, and leading academics. The effect Suzuki had on Western psychoanalysis, philosophy, religious thinking and the arts was profound. Many renowned Western philosophers, psychologists and cultural figures were affected by his writings and friendship, including Carl Jung, Erich Fromm, Father Thomas Merton, Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, John Cage, Alan Ginsberg, and others. His numerous writings in English and Japanese serve as an inspiration even today as well as stimulating vigorous debate among scholars on some controversial issues. Although he later taught at Columbia University and is better known in America, his reputation was initially secured in England where he also inspired, among others, Christmas Humphreys, the founder of the Buddhist Society. As well as interpreting Suzuki’s philosophical work, the event will help to place Suzuki’s influence in the intellectual, social and political framework of a crucial period in Japan’s history and its interaction with the West. The film contains rare footage of interviews with Suzuki himself and therefore provides unique insights into the thinking of a man described by one commentator as “probably the most culturally significant Japanese person, in international terms, in all of history.” The project is supported by grants from the GB Sasakawa Foundation and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

The 7th Asiana International Short Film Festival Opens


The seventh ‘Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF) kicked off its six-day run on November 5th, 7pm at CineCube located in Gwangwhamoon downtown Seoul.

The opening event was hosted by actor Joong-Hoon Park and attracted an array of Korean celebrities such as Sung-Khee, Ahn (Executive Committeeman/Actor), Son-Sook (Chairman of the Board of Directors/Actress), Jee-Eun, Kim (Jury/Director), Ye-Jin Son (Jury/Actress), Hey-sun Ku (Trailer Director/Actress) and others. Director Cecile Vernant’s ‘WU’, and director Santiago Bou Grasso’s ‘The Employment’ were the opening movies for this day

The 7th Asiana International Short Film Festival will run from the 5th of November until the 10th. A total of 2,027 short films from 82 countries have been submitted making this year’s event the largest short film festival. Every year, the Asiana International Short Film Festival receives more recognition and the competition becomes intense.

The Asiana International Short Film Festival is the first ever cabin film festival which is becoming substantiality successful and reliable international film festival. The film festival provides support towards preproduction for talented young film makers, and shows the selected short films inside the cabins popularizing short films to the public. The film festival supports talented young film makers’ preproduction costs, and popularizes the short films by showing them in the cabin. Overall, the AISFF is aiding the development of the movie industry.

During this year’s Asiana International Short Film Festival, a tribute will be made to classical short films. World renowned directors such as Jean-Luc Godard’s 1957 ’All the Boys are Called Patrick’and other classics will be shown. Other short films include movie ‘8’ directed by Ernest Wenders, Jane Campion, Gus Van Sant and other world renowned directors about 8 issues that the earth is currently facing will be shown

As a part of this years festival, a special exhibition introducing Brazilian movies will be held as well as a seminar in which young Brazilian film makers will interact with the audience.

Sunday 8 November 2009

Japan Day Seminar 2009


Date: 23 November 2009
Venue: Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ
Tel: 020 7839 8500
Fax: 020 7839 8191
Email:
mailbox@jlgc.org.uk
Web:
www.jlgc.org.uk/en/
Organiser: Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR, London)

The Japan Day Seminar is an annual event hosted by the Japan Local Government Centre to raise awareness of Japan and Japanese local government and provide a real-time opportunity to exchange information and ideas on local government policy and best practice concerning both the UK and Japan. Marking the 20th anniversary of the Japan Local Government Centre in London, 2009’s Japan Day Seminar will be held in partnership with the Local Government Association at Local Government House, Westminster, London, on Monday the 23rd of November and will examine the different strategies that local authorities in Japan and the UK have adopted to deal with issues brought on by the recession.

Mohism, a Chinese Philosophy Developed by the Followers of Mozi


Mohism or Moism was a Chinese philosophy developed by the followers of Mozi (also referred to as Mo Tzu, Latinized as Micius), 470 BCE–c.391 BC. It evolved at about the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism and was one of the four main philosophic schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (from 770 BCE to 221 BCE). During that time, Mohism was seen as a major rival to Confucianism. The Qin dynasty, which united China in 221 BCE, adopted Legalism as the official government philosophy and suppressed all other philosophic schools. The Han dynasty that followed adopted Confucianism as the official state philosophy, as did most other successive dynasties, and Mohism all but disappeared as a separate school of thought.Mohism is best known for the concept of “impartial care” or “universal love”. Mozi’s philosophy was described in the book Mozi, compiled by his students from his lecture notes.

Discipline and Motivations
A ruler may have strategies in war, but courage is the fundamental value. A funeral may have many rituals but mourning is the fundamental value. Scholars may have knowledge, but applying the knowledge or practicality is the fundamental value. If the fundamentals are not strong, good works cannot be done. Mozi taught that a good man must discipline himself: he should avoid listening to malicious gossip, avoid cursing, avoid murderous thoughts. Mozi taught that the poor should display purity, the rich should show benevolence, to the living show love, to the dead show mourning. The foundation of all human motives should be immeasurable love. Mohists believed that all people share a common humanity and because of that inherent condition, we are selfish and only serve our self-interest. This is why Mohists conflicted with the Confucians and ignored Confucius and his argument for the supremacy of ritual and tradition in human life. Mohists believed in the equality of all people and the pursuit of good works motivated by the right reasons. Confucians believe that if you simply act like a good person, you are; even if you do not have a righteous motivation for those actions. However, Mohists believed that if you acted like a righteous person, such morality was meaningless in the eyes of heaven unless you also truly believed in what you were doing. Mozi believed that good works, if not motivated from the heart, cannot be maintained. He taught that “everyone is equal before heaven”, and that people should seek to imitate heaven by engaging in the practice of impartial and collective love. His epistemology can be regarded as a form of empiricism; he believed that our cognition ought to be based on our perceptions – our sensory experiences, such as sight and hearing – instead of imagination or internal logic, elements founded on our capacity for abstraction.

Knowledge as Action
During the period of Mozi, he felt that the norm of handing out important government responsibilities to one’s relatives regardless of capabilities was the root of poverty in society. Mozi taught that as long as a person was capable for the task, he should be engaged and promoted regardless of blood relations. If an officer were incapable, even if he were a close relative of the ruler, he ought to be downgraded even if it meant poverty. Mozi also emphasized on the power of influence, using the analogy of dyes. A ruler should be in close proximity to talented people, treasuring talents and seeking their counsel frequently. Without discovering and understanding talents within the country, the country will be destroyed. History unfortunately saw many people who were murdered, not because of their frailities but rather because of their strengths. A good bow is difficult to pull, but it shoots high. A good horse is difficult to ride but it can carry weight and travels far. Talented people are difficult to manage, but they can bring respect to their rulers. Law and order was an important aspect of Mozi’s theology. He compared the carpenter who used standard tools to do his work with the ruler who might not have any standards to rule by. The carpenter is always better off depending on his standard tools rather than his emotions. In comparison, it is even more that a ruler uses standards to rule by. These standards cannot originate from man since no man is perfect. The only standards that a ruler uses has to originate from Heaven, since only Heaven is perfect. That law of Heaven is love. In a perfect governmental structure - where the ruler loves all people benevolently, and officials are selected according to meritocracy - the people should have unity in belief and in speech. His original purpose in this teaching was to unite people and avoiding sectarianism. However, in a situation of corruption and tyranny, this teaching became a tool for oppression. Should the ruler be unrighteous, seven disasters would result for that nation. These seven disasters are:
(1) Neglect of the country’s defense, yet there is much lavish on the palace.
(2) When pressurized by foreigners, neighbouring countries are not willing to help.
(3) The people are engaged in unconstructive work while useless bums are rewarded.
(4) Law and regulations became too heavy such that there is repressive fear and people only look after their own good.
(5) The ruler lives in a mistaken illusion of his own ability and his country’s strength.
(6) Trusted people are not loyal while loyal people are not trusted.
(7) Lack of food.
Ministers are not able to carry out their work. Punishment fails to bring fear and reward fails to bring happiness. A country facing these seven disasters will be destroyed easily by the enemy. Unlike Keynesianism’s standards of national wealth which is usually rationalized in terms of first-world development, industrialization, capital and assets appreciation, trade surplus or deficit; the measure of a country’s wealth in Mohism is a matter of sufficient provision and a large population. Thriftiness is believed to be key to this end. With contentment with that which suffices, men will be free from excessive labour, long-term war and poverty from income gap disparity. This will enable birth rate to increase. Mozi also encourages early marriage.

Morality and Impartiality
Mohism promotes a philosophy of impartial caring - a person should care equally for all other individuals, regardless of their actual relationship to him or her. The expression of this indisciminate caring is what makes man a righteous being in Mohist thought. This advocacy of impartiality was a target of attack by the other Chinese philosophical schools, most notably the Confucians who believed that while love should be unconditional, it should not be indiscriminate. For example, children should hold a greater love for their parents than for random strangers. Mozi is known for his insistence that all people are equally deserving of receiving material benefit and being protected from physical harm. In Mohism, morality is defined not by tradition and ritual, but rather by a constant moral guide that parallels utilitarianism. Tradition is inconsistent from culture to culture, and human beings need an extra-traditional guide to identify which traditions are morally acceptable. The moral guide must then promote and encourage social behaviours that maximize the general utility of all the people in that society.

Society
Mozi posited that the existence of society as an organized organism reduces the wastes and inefficiencies found in the natural state. Conflicts are born from the absence of moral uniformity found in man in his natural state, i.e. the absence of the definition of what is right (是 shì) and what is wrong (非 fēi). We must therefore choose leaders who will surround themselves with righteous followers, who will then create the hierarchy that harmonizes Shi/Fei. In that sense, the government becomes an authoritative and automated tool. Assuming that the leaders in the social hierarchy are perfectly conformed to the ruler, who is perfectly submissive to Heaven, conformity in speech and behaviour is expected of all people. There is no freedom of speech in this model. However, the potentially repressive element is countered by compulsory communication between the subjects and their leaders. Subjects are required to report all things good or bad to their rulers. Mohism is opposed to any form of aggression, especially war between states. It is, however, permissible for a state to use force in legitimate defense. Mohist ideology has inspired some modern pacifists.

Saturday 7 November 2009

Kyoto Kimono Talk & Fan Dance


Date: Tuesday, 10th November 2009, 6.30pm
Venue: Lodge Room No.11, The Freemasons’ Hall,60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
Fee: £10 for members of The Japan Society £15 for non-members

Last November, we were treated to a fashion show displaying styles of kimono by TONDAYA in Kyoto. The President of Tondaya, Mrs. Tanaka Mineko returns this year to present a talk on kimono throughout the ages and will conclude the evening by performing a lovely fan dance.
There will also be souvenirs from Tondaya for sale, so please bring cash. There is also the usual optional tour of the Hall. The Japan Society will handle registration and no tickets will be issued. The event is £15 for non-members and £10 for members of The Japan Society.
The talk will be in Japanese with English translation and will be accompanied by a Powerpoint presentation.
There is also the optional tour of the Hall. Please assemble at 5.15pm if going on the usual optional tour of the Hall. No tickets will be issued but you will receive confirmation of your place.
Registration

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