Drums of Japan - Japan Foundation
Transcription
Drums of Japan - Japan Foundation
ISSN 0118-7910 Volume XIV Issue 1 July 2010 1 www.jpf.go.jp www.jfmo.org.ph www.jfmanila.wordpress.com In this Issue Upcoming Events Highlight Kurosawa and Philippine Cinema Intimacies Feature Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster in the Asia Playwrights Conference 2009 Regional Conference of Women Peace Advocates Noor-us Salam: Women of Faith, Light of Peace 災い転じて福となす a blessing in disguise Appropriating Japan Aanak di Kabiligan (Children of the Mountains) Theater Festival Learning and Sharing Peace Journeying Towards Sustainability Announcements People, Events, Places YAMATO Drums of Japan 2 Upcoming Events 3rd Bagasbas Beach International Eco Arts Festival 2010 May 30 to June 6, 2010 Daet, Camarines Norte The 3BBIEAF2010 is a community participative art and environmental project hosted by the Daet Arts Council of the Our Lady of Lourdes College Foundation (OLLCF), held at the Bagasbas Beach in Daet, Camarines Norte. The festival will bring together international artists from Croatia, France, the US, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Iraq, and Japan. The three-festivals-in-one will include these sections: Installation Art curated by Ms. Cora Alvina; New Media (Video Art) curated by Mr. Takahiko Iimura; and, Public Furniture curated by Mr. Benjamin E. Hughes III. www.bbieaf.org PHILIPPINES-JAPAN FRIENDSHIP MONTH J U LY C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S • C o - o r g a n i z e d w i t h t h e E m b a s s y o f J a p a n Out of the Ordinary/Extraordinary Japanese Contemporary Photography Exhibition Upper Galleries (Calma, Ho and Luz Galleries) and the Catwalk Galleries Metropolitan Museum of Manila June 22 - September 30, 2010 Co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Pasay City. The exhibition introduces the works of eleven Japanese photographers who confront the complexity and indecipherability of an increasingly complicated world by coming up with new forms of expression. Editorial Staff The 102 works by featured artists Ishiuchi Miyako, Chin Mi Yo, Okada Hiroko, Sawada Tomoko, Takano Ryudai, Sugiura Kunié, Yokomizo Shizuka, Motoda Keizo, Hishikari Shunsaku, Onodera Yuki and Yoneda Tomoko, present different series of photographs of young women with heavily tamed face, light colored make-up and bleached hair; strangers who are agree to be photographed standing in their own homes with their windows opened; and young people who resort to tattoos, body piercing and strange hairstyles in order to express their individuality. 2010 Virgin Labfest June 22 to July 4, 2010 Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Studio Theater) Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm) July 1-11, Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City Virgin Labfest is a festival of new plays (untried, untested, unpublished and unstaged) by emerging and wellknown playwrights, directors and actors. This year, Shungiku Uchida’s “Sundan Natin Si Ever-san” (directed by Toshihisa Yoshida) will be among several new plays to be shown publicly for the first time. August 3-8, Ayala Center Cinema 4 Cebu City The event is a joint venture of CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino and the Writers’ Bloc, Inc. in cooperation with the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) and Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM). For ticket inquiries, call CCP at 832-1125. http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph July 23-25, Gaisano South Citimall Davao City August 18-21, UP Film Institute Quezon City This year’s featured films include Always Sunset on Third Street 2, The Battery Future in Our Hands, I Just Didn’t Do It, How to Become Myself, The Bandage Club, Glasses, Fourteen, Miyori in the Sacred Forest, Tokyo Tower Mom & Me, and Sometimes Dad, and Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor. Suki is a newletter published by The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) located at the 12th Floor, Pacific Star Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, cor. Makati Avenue, Makati City 1226, with telephone numbers (632) 811-6155 to 58, fax number (632) 811-6153; and email address at [email protected]. ISSN 0118-7910 Volume XIV Issue 1 July 2010 Yukie Mitomi Associate Editor Suki is published three times a year and is duly registered as printed matter mail at the Makati Central Post Office under Permit No. 1074-97 NCR dated June 16, 1997. It is distributed free of charge to individuals and organizations interested in Japanese Studies and International Culture Exchange. Cecilia EJ Aquino Sheila de la Paz Katrina Soliman Roland Samson Staff The opinions expressed in the feature articles are of the authors and not necessarily of the Foundation. Reproduction in whole or part of Suki articles is prohibited without permission from the author and The Japan Foundation, Manila. Ben Suzuki Editor-in-Chief Yamato 3 © YAMATO All films will be shown with English subtitles. Admission is free. For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please access the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers (+632) 811-6155 to 58. J-POP/Anime Singing Contest July 24 (Saturday); 2 pm SM North EDSA Cyber Zone Quezon City In cooperation with HERO TV, Toei Philippines, Nihongo Center Foundation, Center for Pop Music Philippines, Ajinomoto, Canon, Heritage Hotel, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Yakult, and Yoshinoya. Come and enjoy the final ten groups as they perform their favorite J-Pop/Anime songs in Japanese. For inquiries please call JICC at 551-5710 4th International Silent Film Festival Opens August 28 (Saturday) Until August 29 (Sunday) Shang Cineplex Cinema 1, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Edsa, Mandaluyong City July 8, Thursday; 7:30PM (Gala-Invitational) Centerstage, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City July 9, Friday; 7:30 PM Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City July 10, Saturday; 7:30PM Sky Dome, SM City North EDSA, Quezon City Yamato, one of the best Japanese taiko drum groups, return to the Philippines to herald the annual celebration of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Month. Founded by Masaki Ogawa in 1993 in Yamato-no-kuni (country of Yamato) the present day Nara Prefecture. The group will combine traditional Japanese musical formats with modern rhythms and themes. For this year, the Japan Foundation, Manila will feature Kodakara Sodo (Kid Commotion) filmed by the Shochiku Kinema Kamata Film Studio in 1935. The 4th International Silent Film Festival is co-organized with the Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes, the French Embassy, the Italian Embassy, and other diplomatic offices. © 2008 DIGITAL MEME Yamato: Drums of Japan Co-presented with the SM Supermalls and Cebu Pacific Air Expect another round of captivating classic films, now on its 4th year, the annual International Silent Film Festival continue to inspire and amuse audience with its classical appeal and unique artistry thru the fusion of black-andwhite images and live music score. Kurosawa Film Festival September 14, Tuesday; CCP Little Theater September 15-19, Wednesday to Sunday; CCP Dream Theater September 20-30, UP Film Institute In commemoration of the 100th Birth Anniversary of renowned Japanese film director and screenwriter Akira Kurosawa this year, the Japan Foundation, Manila, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and UP Film Institute proudly presents twenty-one (21) films from his award-winning collections this September. An invitational screening of “Rashomon” will be held on September 14 at the CCP Little Theater to open the week-long festivity. Regular screenings will follow at the CCP Dream Theater from September 15 to 19. The final run will be at the UP Film Institute from September 20 to 30, 2010. For inquiries, please contact The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) at tel. #8116155 to 58 or email at [email protected]. ph. Films to be featured include Sanshiro Sugata, The Most Beautiful, Sanshiro Sugata Part II, The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday Drunken Angel, Stray Dog Rashomon (In the Woods), Ikiru (To Live), Seven Samurai, I Live in Fear, Throne of Blood, The Lower Depths, The Hidden Fortress, The Bad Sleep Well, Yojimbo (The Bodyguard), Sanjuro, High and Low, Red Beard, Dodesukaden. 4 HIGHLIGHT Kurosawa Courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. and Philippine Cinema Intimacies by Rolando B. Tolentino, Ph.D. A kira Kurosawa (1910-1998) is credited for his pioneering and sustainable works in world cinema. He provided Japanese cinema with one of the discernable post-World War II representations of its nation-ness, the jidaegeki or period movies. These were samurai movies, and in Kurosawa’s films were introspective and bleak representations of the Edo or Tokugawa period in shambles as the samurai warriors and their shogun patrons were being disbanded. “What is the truth?... “There is no ultimate truth, only truth-claims.” Attempts at local imaginary in Philippine cinema has yet to cohere into a return to an imagined past. Eddie Romero’s Kamakalawa (1991) was an exploration of the Filipino psyche using indigenous lore and other imagined fantasies. Similarly during the height of the Marcos dictatorship (1972-86) that paradoxically produced the second renaissance in Philippine cinema, the anxieties were filtered through the representations of the modern realities. Set in slums and other sites of abject poverty, the films of the golden age obliquely provided a critique of authoritarian rule through dark cinematography, claustrophobic feel, and stories about the oppressiveness of living conditions. Interestingly, Kurosawa’s samurai films were read as dealing with Japan’s post-war anxieties—its defeat in World War II, the end of the emperor system and its militarism, and its reconstruction under U.S. tutelage. Kurosawa also provided the template for Hollywood a HIGHLIGHT and the audience was sitting or lying on the floor. Rashomon started with a huge downpour that brought together the protagonists-storytellers. In the Film Center, heavy rain also poured, loudly hitting the new galvanized roofing and adding on another layer of realism to the film viewing. In film classes, Kurosawa Ikiru © 1952 Toho Co., Ltd Rashomon © 1950 Kadokawa Pictures Inc. and Italian blockbusters. His Yojimbo interpretations of a crime whose main (1961) was adapted in Sergio Leone’s suspect is the lead female character. In A Fistful of Dollars and Walter Hill’s Last both films, a proto-feminist perspective Man Standing. is invoked, using the Rashomon-model, The Hidden Fortress (1958) was implicating the patriarchal structure, adapted by George Lucas for Star Wars. specifically of the courts, that has already Seven Samurai (1954) was remade into prejudged the accused female. The Magnificent Seven. Leon’s “spaghetti Kurosawa would be honored by the westerns” (Italian low-cost counterparts world, including Cannes and the Oscars, of the Hollywood genre) would find its and the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1965) way in cowboy movies in the Philippines for his contribution to world cinema. and elsewhere in Asia. Cineastes in the country would be able Kurosawa is also acknowledged for to view his work through embassy- introducing “Asian cinema” to a global sponsored film festivals. However, one audience. His Rashomon (1950) won of the productive effects of film piracy the Venice International Film Festival was the circulation of art films, including in 1951. Dovetailing the success of the body of works by Kurosawa, in nerve Rashomon, Manuel Conde’s Genghis centers in Quiapo, and arcades in Makati Khan would become the first Filipino and Ortigas. This introduced Kurosawa’s film to compete in the same festival works to a younger generation of in 1952. cineastes, including the generation of Rashomon has been effectively used as a postmodern text, advance for filmmakers that comprises the indie film movement. its time. Expounding on the sequential My own intimate moment with a interrogation of “What is the truth?” Kurosawa film was watching this in the UP Rashomon has already pre-asked the Film Center which then was structurally postmodern question and its answer, complete only from the outside. There “There is no ultimate truth, only truth- were still no seats inside the theater, represented the other half of postwar Japanese cinema, with Yosujiro Ozu and his use of off-screen space representing the modern-day cinema (gendai- gek i). The past an d t h e present in cinema melded the idea of Japanese-ness, distinctly unique a n d c o l l e c t i ve l y u n d e r s to o d a n d appreciated as what represents Japanese cinema. Philippine cinema, from Brocka to the present, invoked the abjectionable in contemporary realities (gay, poverty, subaltern conditions and identities) as its representation. Kurosawa and his Filipino contemporaries (primarily through Conde) rode on this productive era in the 1950s, and until Kurosawa’s death in 1998, still made films that were aesthetically provocative. Kurosawa has outlived several generations of Filipino filmmakers, and this longevity is sustained by his passion for his art. Encounters with Japanese students would already invoke an ignorance of Kurosawa. But in the Philippines, a niche audience of Kurosawa and other Japanese films has been sustained. claims.” Rashomon has provided the template for a sub-type of film selfreflexivity. In the Philippines, the “Rashomonmodel ” of stor y-telling has been invoked in Laurice Guillen’s Salome (1981) and Chito Rono’s Itanong Mo sa Buwan (1988). Both films used the court testimonies to provide various Seven Samurai © 1954 Toho Co., Ltd. The Hidden Fortress © 1958 Toho Co., Ltd. Rolando B. Tolentino is dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication. He is faculty in the UP Film Institute, and is author and editor of books on Philippine cinema, media and popular culture. 5 6 FEATURE Riding I the Emotional Roller Co n a span of five days, from December 15 to December 19 of last year, the Asia Playwrights Conference sponsored by the Japan Foundation and the Za-Koenji Public Theater was able to provide an emotional ride sleazing through knots of cerebral discussions about theater, its community, and its survival. It kicked off with the obligatory orientation facilitated by the organizers and the welcome reception at the Café in Za-Koenji Public Theater where playwrights from Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines were treated to a night of jovial conversations over sumptuous food by Japanese playwrights and theater practitioners. Keynote speaker Huzir Sulaiman raised poignant issues surrounding the world of theater: from language barrier, mixed texts, dramaturgy, to the need for the reemergence of text-based theater, preservation of artistic integrity, and question of institutional funding. Dramatic readings were presented with each reading being followed by an open forum and a speech from the playwright discussing the form and content of the play and the issues being raised. The first dramatic reading was that of Australian playwright Raymondo Cortese’s “Holiday.” It revolves around the developing friendship between Arno and Paul whose exchanges are punctuated with momentary acknowledgements about their awareness of the existence of an audience. In deliberately destroying the fourth wall, and ignoring the importance of conflict, the poetry of everyday conversation with all its digression and ability to side step on encyclopedic information and personal musings is emphasized and utilized. Aside from having two performers read the parts of Arno and Paul, there were two other performers staring constantly at the audience as they shifted positions and mouthed the lines. That rendered the audience self conscious and compounded anticipation over what would happen in the play with what would the performers do to their audience. Though seemingly plotless and admittedly bereft of conflict, “Holiday” was able to stay true to its form: a documentary-like piece on an ordinary conversation encompassing the profound and the mundane. My play, “Doc Resureccion: Will Cure the Nation” was presented next. It involves the story of Doc Resureccion as he tries to persuade his cousin Boy Pogi to withdraw his candidacy for Mayor. After unmasking Boy Handsome as a nuisance candidate paid off by the incumbent Mayor to Reading of “DOC RESURECCION: WILL CURE THE NATION” by Layeta Bucoy. (Photo by Masaru Miyauchi) 7 oaster in the Asia Playwrights Conference 2009 diminish the doctor’s chances of winning in the elections, personal grudges and collective hopes are tangled in the machinations of traditional politics ending in a violent surge of maligned pride and undressed hypocrisy. Questions regarding the political landscape in the Philippines were raised during the open forum with a few referring to the Maguindanao massacre as a possible spring board in understanding the violence that comes with politics. Interestingly, when someone expressed veneration for the late President Corazon Aquino, another one was quick to teasingly interject the name of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Most of them dubbed the play as “powerful.” And amidst their congratulatory remarks, their interest in the Philippines’ contemporary history was evident. Some members of the audience expressed familiarity with another play of mine, “A Thousand Poems for Dulce’s Breasts.” In drawing a comparison between Dulce and Doc Resureccion, their curiosity zeroed in on how a playwright enters a character’s psyche especially if the character thrives in an environment that may be totally alien to the playwright. Korean Japanese playwright Wishing Chong’s “Heart of Almond Jelly” is a certified tear jerker. As a couple, Sayoko and Tatsuro are breaking up on Christmas Eve. After a series of false reasons for the break up, from a reversal of stereotypical gender roles to the concerns of the working class, the play cleverly reveals the widening gap between a couple for not having been able to confront a shared traumatic experience. It was able to reduce almost everyone by Layeta P. Bucoy to tears, and a female member of the audience had to leave in the middle of the performance for she was already sobbing uncontrollably. The melodrama worked perfectly well, as the dissolution of a marriage was seen to not entirely be dependent on love alone but largely influenced by the collapse of communities brought about by contemporary social problems. Nguyen Thu Phuong of Vietnam tackles contemporary women’s issues in her play “House with Three Women.” Tu, Nhien, and Quynh are three sisters with distinct personalities but with happiness in life as a common goal. Being married to a loser, an extremely unromantic practical man, and a drifting philanderer respectively, the three sisters are reminded by their father Mr. Can of the happiness they already had in the past, and the futility of wanting to be embraced by it once more as he says, “But how can we be as exactly as we used to be?” Ms. Nguyen was astute enough to present flawed female characters. Their individual choices thus colliding with social expectations, their hopes trapped in a tug of war between the desires lurking in their heart and the dictates of their social milieu. The performers wore individual headbands with rectangular nameplates bearing the names of their respective characters. With eight characters in the play, those headbands were truly helpful to the audience. The Indonesian playwright Joned Suryatmoko chose to be mischievous in his play “Threesome.” It is about the reunion of Dora, Giant, and Cuk, who all got involved in a bonfire event at the Gadjah Mada University two years before the student movement of 1998. Their reunion, though motivated primarily by the idea of having a threesome, reveals their past idealism and the changes it underwent with the changing political and social climate. Drawing from contemporary pop culture and peppered with sexual innuendoes, the play provided the audience with a comical take on a serious issue regarding activism and how the flames of idealism may refuse to burn a little longer. With two capable interpreters present during the duration of the conference, plus another interpreter called on to translate from Vietnamese to Japanese, the issue of language pervaded all throughout those five meaningful days. In trying to forge a sense of community among playwrights and theater enthusiasts, literary translation became a key talking point together with transculturalism, network models, and the need to maintain living archives. In the end, I got a request from an audience to write a play on the evolving “families” in our country’s municipal jails. May that propel another emotional roller coaster ride. Korean Japanese playwright Wishing Chong and me during the send off party. Layeta P. Bucoy currently teaches at the University of the Philippines Los Banos. She is a proud member of the playwrights’ group Writers’ Bloc, and continuously maintains an erotic column for a daily magbloid while recently writing for a television drama anthology. She is a three-time Palanca awardee. 8 FEATURE Regional Conference of Women Peace Advocates Noor-us Salam: Women of Faith, Light of Peace by: Sheryl N. Peral T he prevailing situation of conflict leading to poverty in Mindanao demand action geared towards peace and stability, considering the vast number of lives it affects. Among these, those greatly impacted are Muslim women and children. Hence, in order to address the issue at hand and to tap out the potential of women in contributing to the peace process, the Magbbassa Kita Foundation, Inc. (MKFI) and the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy have taken upon themselves the responsibility to capacitate Muslim women with the proper knowledge and skills that will aid them to become empowered “peace-makers”. This objective is embodied by the “Empowering the Aleemat as Peace Advocates Project.” The “Empowering the Aleemat as Peace Advocates Project” consisted of a series of local capacity building workshops gathering Aleemat and women peace advocates from different sectors to train them on conflict prevention and peacemaking. Their attained knowledge from these workshops can aid them in formulating models for peace, democracy and development tailor-fitted to the needs, interests and demands of the communities. The Regional Conference of Women Peace Advocates with a theme Noor-us Salam: Women of Faith, Light of Peace was held from 24 – 27 January 2010 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, Davao City, Philippines. A total of 145 aleemat and women peace advocates coming from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao convened for the first time. It was during this event that representatives per cluster, were able to voice out their initiatives in promoting the message they received from the workshops, empowering others with the knowledge they generously shared, as well as giving updates on the specific activities that were ongoing in their respective areas. The participants of the conference were also privileged to hear of the past experiences of successful agencies promoting women empowerment from the international community, and they were introduced into issues relevant to them which were once taken for granted. This included their role in the public sphere, and how they can impact specific realms such as nationbuilding, education and technology, the peace, justice and security system, and women’s reproductive health. Th e c o n fe re n c e showcased the aleemats’ embrace of their roles as active participants in the public realm, and their growing understanding of the new responsibility thrust on them. Besides the recognition of women of their potential WOMEN IN ACTION. Facilitating the regional planning of the Aleemat and women representatives of different CSOs, Prof. Javate de Dios, Executive Director of Women and Gender Institute of Miriam College and Gender Adviser of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW), helped the Muslim women religious scholars from the National Capital Region (NCR) come-up with their priority agenda in their region. (Photo by Sheryl Peral) to work towards the peace process, these aleemat also became aware of the growing demand for their individual rights, and the possibility of involving the youth in the attainment of peace. The attainment of peace only becomes possible with effective coordination among government, NGOs and civil society, Added to this, there is also a call towards more inter-faith dialogues in order for all to gain a common understanding of each others’ grounds and contributions. The conference also promises continuity with projected activities including the conduct of seminars and forums to follow through with the objectives discussed during the conference. The participation of the aleemat in the regional conference manifested the enthusiastic reception of the aleemat of the principles and objectives MKFI and PCID stand for. Collaborations with other agencies continue to help the aleemat with their provision of new knowledge, expertise and technology and integrating these to produce the most efficient results. Finally, the participants of the event were able to garner for themselves new perspectives towards intercultural understanding, as well as address issues regarding their individual and communal development, and their form of leadership. To concretize their experience prior and throughout the conference, the aleemat took a bold step in creating something they could truly call their own and be accountable to. The conference did not end simply with the introduction of ideas and undertaking of prevalent issues that affect Muslim women, but rather, with the creation of regional structures with corresponding officers, and the formulation and recommendation of ten priority plans and programs for the organization, which marked the beginning of change for Muslim women in Mindanao. Sheryl N. Peral is currently the Program Officer of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy and handling the Empowering Women as Peace Advocates Project partly funded by the Japan Foundation. She took up BA Communication Research from the University of the Philippines Diliman. FEATURE 災い転じて福となす a blessing in disguise T he past twenty years or so have been catastrophic years for us. The Hanshi-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 was indeed destructive and unforgettable. Yet in the sadness of this event, I see some light, in a way, a blessing in disguise for me later on. This happening gave me an opportunity to be part of the Hyogo Teachers Union’s commemorative ceremony during the 5th year and 10th year of that grim disaster. Attending their international symposium, I learned about their project to address the mental health care of school children. They also wanted to hear the experiences of their colleagues in Turkey, China, California, etc. who had also suffered the same fate as them. This was for me a very rare chance to reflect on their experiences and related activities on disaster education. Thus from 2005 we at the UPCIS began our planning meetings to conceptualize an ideal course and research project to pursue disaster mitigation education. The UPCIS faculty and faculty affiliates met to find ways on how we can inject disaster preparedness education in our school curricula, i.e. education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels. We thought that as country specialists, we could be the window to many experiences. We thought of this because we were mandated to interpret for the Filipino people the cultures of the world from interdisciplinary perspectives, to bring together diverse scholars, cultural practitioners, artists, and visionaries of the world to interact, do collaborative researches, create courses, activities and resource materials that reflect interdisciplinary, cross-cultural interests towards the development of an academic program in Global Studies, and to train and develop experts/specialists in countries of the world - a gigantic mandate for a small Center. We did our best with the creation of GS 197: Special Topics in Global Studies, where the theme is Cultures of Disaster: Learning from Life Experiences. We offered this course during the second semester of the school year 2009-2010, just in time to coincide with our February 15-17 International Symposium with the support from the Japan Foundation, DOST-PCIERD and the University of the Philippines. Entitled “Towards a Culture of Resilience - An International Symposium and Study Tour on the Best Educational Practices on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan and Southeast Asia,” the symposium had three basic objectives: 1) To learn and share from our neighbors’ experiences in dealing with risk management, specially on the effects of large scale devastation from the earthquakes of Kobe, the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami, the prolonged flooding in some parts of Southeast Asia; 2) To network with promoters of education for disaster reduction and school safety from Japan and Southeast Asia in order to acquire updated information on the latest pedagogical development of the field; and 3) To develop courses for the Revitalized General Education Program on risk reduction, and perhaps a major - Global Studies major in Risk Reduction Education at the UPCIS. The guest speakers came from Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand and of course, the Philippines. They shared with us the products of their studies as well as their experiences in utilizing the results for educational purposes. They gave us samples of their work in books, by: Cynthia Neri Zayas, Ph.D. Professor, UP Center for International Studies (Foreign Guests) Seated: , Dr. Gunawan Adnan, State Institute for Islamic Studies, Aceh, Indonesia; Prof. Daroonwan Kamthonkiat, Department of Geography, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University, Thailand; Prof. Isao Hayashi, Associate Professor, Department of Social Research, National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan/Graduate University for Advance Studies; Standing: Mr.Koichi Yoshida, HTU interpreter; Dr. Cynthia Zayas, convener (UP CIS); Mr. Izumi Yuichiro , Executive Director, Japan Hyogo Teachers’ Union; and Mr. Mori Yasushige, Instructor, Hyogo Prefentural Awaji Senior High School. (Photo by Cynthia Zayas) pamphlets, and CDs. On our part, we presented papers on our work from many perspectives: anthropology, geology, community development, etc. The meeting gave us a chance to network on human resources and specialists who are skilled in developing instructional materials for education at all levels. Furthermore, we discussed future collaborative research, especially after we undertook our Study Tour in Mt. Pinatubo. The meeting provided a venue for sharing lessons drawn from personal experiences of natural disaster(s) and research findings from which we can collectively design ways of educating the present generation to be more prepared during disasters. We thought that this is an initial step that could propel the momentum for the planning and execution of measures toward our goal of building a culture of safety and resilience. As the International Symposium is limited to invited guests, from an expected 60-70 it went up to a total of 85. The student audience was primarily from our Japan Studies classes, Global Studies (Cultures of Disasters), and Southeast Asian Studies (Asian Emporiums); thus, making our classes relevant to our times. The study tour component was made possible partly with the cooperation of the Philippine Air Force 600th Wing, which provided the vehicles, guides and security escorts. The limited participants, 22 (it could have accommodated 23, but due to the early assembly at 3:30 am, 3 students could not make it) learned closely the effects of volcanic eruptions on the Ayta (indigenous people) villagers of the slopes of the volcano and the environment of the volcano. We saw for ourselves how they have adapted to live and return to their natural villages amidst a lahar desert. Mr. Roman King the Barangay Captain of Barangay. Inararo was kind enough to prepare for the group their Aeta traditional cuisine cooked in bamboo tubes called binuho. The difficulty of travelling to Mt. Pinatubo rewarded the tourists with a beautiful landscape of Mt. Pinatubo caldera which was the source of global ash fall erased the grim memory of the 1991 eruption. It is with the hope that the scenic caldera will always make us remember that resilience in this time of disasters “teaching our children today is empowering the next generation to address risks more effectively tomorrow.” Cynthia Neri Zayas, Ph.D is concurrently the director and a professor of the Center for International Studies University of the Philippines, Diliman (UPCIS; She is a 2009 UP Diliman Centennial Faculty Grant Awardee for her work on Trade and Patronage of Ati Material Medica in the Visayas (Essays in well-being, opportunity/destiny and anguish, edited by C. J. Paz. U.P. Press 2008). Her scholarly work is focused on various characteristics of Asian maritime cultures in historical and comparative perspective, i.e. maritime trade, water villages, stone tidal wares, sustaining community-based marine resources, among others. Quite recently, Dr. Zayas has engaged herself with the cultural notions of disaster—its mitigation and lessons for life especially among the Pinatubo Negritos, and the Batad Ifugaos of Northern Luzon 9 10 FEATURE Appropriating Japan T he notion of appropriating Japan can be misleading. One can almost picture the scenery of conquest and occupation. To a certain degree, the images that the word conjures are also appropriate: appropriating a country or a culture is like occupying a space where that country or culture exists. It can mean conquering meanings and allowing those meanings to be either dominant or assumed to be personal. In our case, this act of appropriation took place by way of an international conference with a title, “Appropriating Japan: Evolving Southeast Asian Views of and Approaches to Japanese Studies.”The one-day symposium gathered speakers from Singapore, Japan and the Philippines. The demographics of the audience was interesting: universities and learning institutions from Metro Manila were represented as well as schools located from as far as Baguio. The academic gathering proved to be a way to test theories. Given the multidisciplinary approaches covered by the scholars, concepts taken were by themselves bearers of different perspectives. Gender, ethnicity, authenticity were some of the areas discovered and rediscovered. Even as the lens of the conference focused on topics pertaining to political, social and cultural phenomena under globalization, the paper took up how these phenomena were transformed and redefined in a world where boundaries are shifting and getting blurred, when identities are questioned and re-formed. There were three panels in the conference: Japan and Southeast Asian Imaginary Geographies; Spaces in Transit Asia, and; Japan and Cultures Within. For the first panel, Dr. Leng Leng Thang of the National University of Singapore spoke about one of the most fun social phenomena ever to catch the attention of the region, “cosplay.” In her paper, the Singapore-based anthropologist showed how a phenomenon that originated in Japan finds a public place in another area, Singapore in the case of Dr. Leng Leng Thang’s fieldwork. In her own words, she tried to evaluate how cosplay “creates community and shapes cultural identity among the cosplayers. In the same panel was Dennis Gonzaga’s “Mapping the Space of Otaku: From Akihabara to Appadurai.” Gonzaga mapped in his paper the journey of the “otaku” from being a product of economics in post-war Japan to forming a metaphor, or a simulacrum, to indicate how globalization has brought about the flowing of cultures and traditions from one space into another. The title is witty because it puts together an area called Akihabara with a theoretician Appadurai. The author is not merely a name but also a space. Gonzaga is a faculty member of the Social Sciences Department of the Ateneo de Naga University. The second panel put together a scholar revisiting the angura or underground Japanese theater of the 60s and the 70s with two by Tito Genova Valiente experts on urban planning and environmental planning looking at the streets of Southeast Asia. The two titles seem disparate until one examines what they are talking about, and they are all about the notion of the public and the rethinking of spaces. Engaging the audience, the paper of Dr. Brian C. Gozun, professor at Holy Angel University in Angeles City and the Japanese Studies Program of the Ateneo de Manila University and Dr. Iderlina Mateo-Bibiana, lecturer of the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management of the University of Queensland, delved into the street space development in the two Asian cities of Tokyo , as it was Edo, and Manila, as a colonial city. The tendency to adapt other street utilization strategies from the Western mode does not always bring good results. Gozun and Mateo-Bibiana proposes the “need to revive Asian street culture on the premise that the present street utilization is a consequence of and reflects the underlying pedestrian culture of the past.”The listeners were amused particularly with the insight that more Japanese walk in the streets of Tokyo than Manileños walk those of Manila. Apparently, there is more to this “trivia” than meets the eye. In Ken Takiguchi’s paper, “Creativity Collaborates with the Authority: “Publicness” of Theater Debate and the “Asian Theatre” Thesis in Japanese Contemporary Theatre,” locates the development of a theater form in its dialog (or debate) with other theater forms. It must interest cultural workers in the Philippines to know for Takiguchi, the Black Tent Theater of Japan in its desire to open up its theatre practices to common people, “referred” to the theater pedagogy of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA.) This gave rise to the practical concept of Public Theater. Takiguchi is a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Singapore. The third panel had the two most intense political papers: one was Dr. Tze M. Loo’s “Rebuilding Shuri Castle: Japanese Colonialism and Cultural Heritage Preservation.” At the center of the paper is the rebuilding of the Shuri Castle in Okinawa, which was destroyed during World War II. What began as a debate about the rebuilding the magnificent structure from the ashes turned into discourses about the place of Okinawa in the grand narrative of Japan as a nation and its many histories. Dr. Tze Loo is Assistant Professor at the University of Richmond where she teaches East Asian history. Dr. Masaaki Satake, Professor at the Department of International Culture and Cooperation, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Nagoya Gakuin University, talked about his favorite theme: foreign migrants. Satake compared the growing number of foreign migrants to Japan, which has been placed at 2 million in 2008, to what he described as the stagnant population of Japan in the recent year. He also highlighted the role of the migrant workers to the economic growth of Japan. Resource persons and organizers of the Appropriating Japan conference. Tito Genova Valiente is a lecturer at the Japanese Studies Program of the Ateneo de Manila University. He is a public anthropologist and the resident Media and Art critic of the national broadsheet, Business Mirror. He is a member of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the premier film critics group in the country. 11 FEATURE Actors from the mining town of Mankayan, Benguet in their traditional attire. (Photo by Tsutomu Suzuki) Aanak di Kabiligan Cordillera Green Network President and Executive Director (2nd from left) discusses in detail the musical performances for the 3rd Cordillera Youth Eco Summit held last January 22-23 in Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet and January 25-26 in Bangued, Abra. Listening intently are (from L-R) percussionist Jun Jun Banasan, CGN staff Carla Rosito, Kabuku master Jun Amanto, Tapati of the band Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, and Cordillera musicians and cousins Edgar and Kent Banasan. (Photo by Sarah Weygan) by Sacha Garah K. Weygan (Children of the Mountains) Theater Festival For who else would speak for the trees, the rivers and the land but the children of the mountains? I first heard of the Eco Summit last year from a friend who was so inspired by the children, who, on the way to Lubuagan from Mayoyao, were still singing even after many roadblocks on the long trip. Fortunately, I went to see this year’s 3rd Eco Summit, and I was more than happy I did. Watching the children, who came all the way from different parts of the Cordillera, some farther than where I came from perform on stage that night was enough to take away my exhaustion from the day’s trip. Aanak di Kabiligan Theater Festival is an offshoot of the Eco Caravan by Cordillera Green Network (CGN) and Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP). What started as a series of seminar-workshops on environmental education, the Eco Caravan has extended to the Cordillera Youth Eco Summit – with its focus on developing environmental awareness in the youth through the arts. This year’s Eco Summit brought together various groups from different provinces in the Cordillera and Japan. The coming together of diverse cultures and traditions resulted in wider opportunities for the children to learn from themselves and from each other. This year’s third Eco Summit took place in Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet then moved to Bangued, Abra last January 22-26, 2010. For two nights, a series of local and international, traditional and modern performances transpired in Lepanto’s CPJ Hall. Rooted in ancient values, the contemporary biaxial dance, Kabuku Mai, performed by Jun Amanto balanced with the wave-like grace of Tapati (of Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad), accompanied by an ensemble of wind and percussion by local ethno-musicians: Ruel Bimmuyag of Ifugao, Edgar and Kent Banasan and Alex Tumapang of Kalinga. Takanori Kawaharada’s contemporary performance “Kappa” urged the audience to pledge to save the environment by reducing waste. Meanwhile, his wife Zohar Cohen hinted on the growing greediness of people. Consomme W Punch involved the audience to use their body parts to imitate actions while combining music with an illustrated environmental children’s story projected on screen. Amazingly, the high school students proved to be at par with these professional performers, with the guidance of their teachers and coaches: director Toshihisa Yoshida and actors Lynette Bibal and Rei Baquirin, who also performed a four-part monologue “Homecoming”. With a common theme on environmental awareness, the theater groups conceptualized and wrote their own scripts which they performed themselves. Balbalan’s Shilas Theater Guild began with a tragic story on the loss of a young man’s life in trying to protect their land from illegal loggers who ironically happen to have the ‘right’ documents. Meanwhile, Lepanto’s Gambang Theater Guild relates how the town has prospered in mining gold and a man’s recurring dream of devastation becomes a reality in the end. In a similar vein, Ifugao’s Aguinaldo Community Theater Society proved that the abuse of environment, particularly in the misuse of new technology causes tragedy. Interestingly, the Isnag Theater Group of Apayao presented lapat – a traditional law that protects certain areas of the land and water resources for the use of future generations. The story of the lapat began from a couple’s longing for non-instant food, as they recount childhood days spent hunting and fishing for food. Abra’s Maeng Young Artists asked Kabunian for guidance and blessings to strengthen this same law, lapat, through the ritual bagawas. Their version began with two friends who found no food in the denuded forests and rivers murky with mine tailings. Finally from Bauko, Ayyoweng di Ebokolan’s classroom setting showed that children, even as they are in school, should go back to their elders for their knowledge and experience, in particular how they were able to live in harmony with the environment. On stage, the audience has witnessed various translations of one advocacy – environmental awareness and preservation. An exchange of knowledge transpired within the performers themselves, between the performers and the audience, and among individuals and groups from different ethnolinguistic groups. Outside the theater, the participants learned more about the environment through the lectures on environment by Singo Sekine, KEEPs forest instructor; mental therapy workshop through music by Consomme W Punch; theater workshop for students; a photo exhibit by JP Alipio on the state of the Cordillera environment; and a surface tour of the Lepanto Mines. They get to experience places where they could see for themselves the effects of nature’s destruction as well as the efforts to save it. The participants, exhausted yet with recharged hearts, brought their stories all the way to Bangued, Abra for the second half of the Eco Summit where the participants also went on an agro-forestry tour at OISCA-Abra. Along with the eco-theater festival, teachers of Divine Word College and students of ASITS participated in an Environmental Education Facilitators Training. The collaboration of various offices, organizations, groups and individuals have made possible this year’s Eco Summit. The coming together of diverse cultures and traditions for a common cause resulted in wider opportunities for the participants, specially the students, to learn and share knowledge and experience on the many ways they can take part in the advocacy for environmental awareness and concern. I was deeply moved by the energy of the organizers and performers of this weeklong activity. Like many people who were there, I learned so much from the children of the mountains. As a child of the mountains, I was motivated all the more to do my part. Sacha Garah K. Weygan, is a Bachelor of Arts degree holder in Language and Literature. She is currently taking her Masters Degree in Language and Literature, also at the University of the Philippines Baguio. She usually writes about environment and culture, inspired by her being an avid mountaineer. She is the current president of Ubbog Cordillera Young Writers, a nonprofit-oriented group of young writers in the Cordillera. She became a volunteer of Cordillera Green Network since year 2008, and was involved on the editing of the Modules for Elementary teachers published by CGN in 2008. She is often involved in CGN’s activities such as tree planting and advocacy. 12 FEATURE L ast March, I set aside my sandals and sleeveless shirts and donned thermal clothing, a thick coat and boots for my first trip to Japan. Together with eighteen other young individuals from fifteen countries in Asia and Oceania, I spent two weeks immersed in Japan – looking at its history and how it has interacted with the rest of the world, observed its traditional and modern culture, met with religious leaders, community members and marginalized groups to observe how Japan is dealing with its past and how it utilizes peaceful methods to overcome challenges. The J apan East Asia Net wor k of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program is a regular activity conducted by the Japan Foundation to foster networking and dialogue among young people across different sectors. The theme of our program was “Comprehensive Peacebuilding Initiatives of Young Leaders in Asia and Oceania: The Potentials of Culture and Education.” Ms. Mika Mukai, the Japan Foundation Coordinator in Tokyo, likened the program to a dish made to be intellectually stimulating for the participants. She adds, “However, no matter how much the cook prepares the freshest and most expensive ingredients, without the different spices of your experience, enthusiasm and personality, the dish will be bland and tasteless. We are looking forward to seeing how your culinary dishes will be chopped, baked, braised, steamed, or raw (it will be held in Japan after all) during the program, and tasting its flavor at the end.” My travelling companions, or fellow cooks, were teachers, students, artists, journalists, lawyers, administrators, social workers, human rights advocates and members of civil society from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. We were hungry and thirsty for knowledge and experience, and wanted to bring in something new to the program. Food and peace, an unlikely combination, but we all had to agree with Mika that it would be an interesting concoction. In our first few days, we shared stories on our countries, most pressing situations of conflict, and our concepts of peacebuilding. Guided by our teacher, Prof. Hiroshi Sasaki of the Nigata University of International and Information Studies, we agreed that peace was a situation where there was minimal conflict or violence. This could only be achieved only once basic human rights are addressed. Constant effort and dialogue in the situation of conflict is needed to make it happen, and be sustained. N o t e ve r yo n e i n t h e gro u p h a d experience working on issues of peace and some of us were wondering what we could do in our own work to become a peace builder. Things became much clearer each day as our guides took us through Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa then back to Tokyo. The trip to Kyoto exposed us on wonderful initiatives of peace and of the importance of listening to the voiceless. Visiting the Kyoto Museum of World Peace at the Ritsumeikan University was definitely an eye opener. Museum Director Tomohiko Takasugi said, “A war museum encourages war. We are a museum that encourages peace”. The museum looked at the history of conflict from a different angle. It showed its root causes and ways people and countries have addressed this. One striking image for me was a display of elementary school Learning Sharing and history textbooks from different countries showing the differing accounts of world war two. It is people who write history, and we too have to be careful with how we record it, as this is what people will remember. The museum tries to point out that considering others perspectives is important; it does not mean agreement with their views, but acknowledging and understanding where their ideas and actions are coming from. Many of us in the group have different faiths but we all appreciated the session with the Reverend Yoshiharu Tomatsu at the Chion-in Temple of Pure land (Jodo sect) Buddhism. Sitting cross-legged on Tatami mats in a room at the temple complex, we were given a background on the history of Pure Land Buddhism, and found out how they are moving forward and reaching out to young people in Japanese society. A quiet session of meditation and mantra writing made me realize how important it is to listen to oneself in order to be able to listen to others. In Osaka, we heard testimonies from people saying, “When I was young, I hated being Korean, I wanted to be Japanese.” A Korean non-government organization shared situations of discrimination experienced by many Koreans, and other immigrants, who have been living for generations in Japan. The NGO, through education and media, helps non-Japanese embrace and celebrate their own culture, as well as let the Japanese people understand and appreciate others. They try to influence policy in order to pass better migrant laws in the country. The immersion in the island province of Okinawa was a culmination of our learning. 13 Peaceful discussions at the museum lobby. (Photo by Jerry Jose) Yasmin Tang presenting her country report. (Photo by Jerry Jose) ideas, thoughts and feelings through music is a powerful tool in communicating peace. The Director of the Machizukuri Koza Machi Shachu NGO mentioned that they come up with events like the Okinawa music festival to bring different countries together. He says, “We should cherish and nurture each other’s culture, enjoy one another’s music and food. Once we become good friends with different countries, we can eliminate war.” In the north, a small community in Yanbaru has run an eco-tourism business called the Yanbaru Nature School, showing how peace can be sustainable. The school teaches environmental awareness and preservation by taking visitors out to canoe in the river, trek along the mangrove forests, participate and witness local farming and Peace Though Okinawa has a long history of conflict and violent struggle, including the battles during the World War 2 and current occupation of a US Military base on the island, Okinawan people use peaceful means to overcome and improve their situation. In the town of Koza, we experienced Okinawan music that reflects a multicultural perspective.Through champuru (mixing), they appreciate the best from styles they are exposed to, like traditional Japanese music fusing with jazz brought in by the Americans, resulting in a unique sound appreciated in all of Japan. Expression of by Yasmin Mapua-Tang others. “Since local resources are used, all the people are involved” says Mr. Shimabukuro, the young vice president who plays an active role in this endeavour. He says that the Nature School has revitalized the entire local community -- even the young people who left have come back, to work together and take care of the environment. The Battle of Okinawa is said to be the bloodiest battle during the Pacific War. Over 200,000 people of all nationalities died in the battle, including around 100,000 Okinawan civilians. Located in the southern part of the island, the Okinawan Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum was erected to mourn for lives lost but also send a strong message to the next generation about the horrors of war and the need for lasting peace. The vast complex overlooks the sea and has Danial of Malaysia, Mika Mukai of the Japan Foundation and Danial of Brunei try out mantra writing at the Chion-in Temple in Kyoto. (Photo by Yasmin Tang) beautiful monuments and gardens, rows and rows of tablets etched with names of those who perished in the war. A large part of the complex is the museum, which shows the harsh realities of the events of the war, and a positive look into the future. Targeted for children, the “Outlook on the Future” focuses on the exposure and appreciation to other cultures and ways of living. After all bus, train and plane rides, encounters with groups, activities and meals together, our group had gotten quite close. We were happy to spend the night at a camp where we sat around a fire, barbecued food, sang songs and shared stories that reflected each other’s culture. A community elder shared a beautiful Okinawan saying, “Ichariba chode,” he said, “It means that once we meet, we are brothers and sisters”. This could be the secret ingredient to peacebuilding, but at that moment, it just expressed what we all felt about another. To close the program, share our knowledge and bring together how we can be builders of peace, the Japan Foundation arranged for the nineteen of us to conduct a workshop for the Japanese public in Tokyo. We delivered brief lectures, exercises and interactive activities that expressed the need to uncover hidden truths and injustices and use arts, media and education to build peace. As we stood side-by-side, different races, skin color, beliefs and ideas, we hope to have projected the image of a global community. I shed off my coat to welcome the warm air of the Philippines. However, even without the winter clothing, I feel heavier… from insights and learning gained and from the heavy heart I carry leaving Japan and my new “family” behind. Also, a few pounds heavier from eating all the delicious food! We did promise to bring in our unique spices, which blended well, coming up with an interesting and delectable dish -- definitely something to be shared back home. The energetic bunch of future leaders spicing up the program. (Photo by Dara Lim) Yasmin Mapua-Tang is the Executive Director of the Probe Media Foundation. A non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of media in the Philippines and Asia Pacific through training of professional and aspiring media practitioners. Their programs and activities focus on building the capacity of journalists and students on media for positive social change. 14 FEATURE Journeying Towards Sustainability JENESYS 2010, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) group by Lisa Tapang T he first images I recall were that of cherry blossom trees, their dark trunks pregnant with pale pink petals lining the avenues of Tokyo. Delighted to have seen the tail-end of the season, I considered this exquisite sight an auspicious welcome to our sojourn as participants of the JENESYS 2010 thematic group on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), from April 11 to 23. This journey, which gathered 23 other young environmental advocates from 14 countries and a team of facilitators led by Prof. Yoshiyuki Nagata and Hisae Shiwa, was a intense, two-week run through various sites and activities related to ESD in the Tokyo-Minamata-Ohkawa-Susubaru-OjikaNozaki-Nagasaki-Kyoto regions. In the end, I think that our group’s cohesiveness and very warm camaraderie attests to the new bonds formed as a result of these interactions and shared experiences. It isn’t always easy to capture the full range and depth of impressions, experiential learnings and personal reflections from this trip in the span of a few words and photographs. What follows, thus, are attempts at approximations: little stories and notes scribbled along the way, which have lingered after we have long gone back to our own countries and respective contexts. Learning from a tragedy Our first major stop was Minamata City in the Kumamoto region. The site of the world’s first pollution-triggered disease that reared its ghastly head amidst the rapid economic reconstruction of post-war Japan, this quiet coastal city now seems to harbor little of the toxic landscape which caused so much sadness for the past decades. The wide bay where effluents were discharged by Chisso Corporation (producing methyl mercury which accumulated in the food chain and triggered a lingering disaster) has been cleared of sludge and given way to reclaimed land. On this, other facilities and numerous memorials have been set up: a museum devoted to preserving testimonies of the victims, a field of votive statuettes, a poignant cenotaph facing the still Shiranui sea. I first learned about the Minamata disease through the internet: staring at haunting black and white photographs of a mother cradling her stricken son. But walking through Minamata’s very streets and memorials and talking to the people who lived through the tragedy provided a broader and deeper perspective of the issue. There, for instance, was the video documenting disease-stricken cats caught in violent convulsions, and a blown-up photograph of scratches on a wall—a seemingly innocuous image until one reads from the caption that these were marks made by a victim in the throes of death. There was the compelling testimony of a Minamata disease survivor who started sharing her story 15 years ago (I refuse to call her a victim, in recognition of her strength to overcome not just the physical symptoms, but also the fear and discrimination that being afflicted brought about). I recall her memories as a child, where she and her siblings used to playfully collect fish and shells on the shore—very near the drainage pipe where effluents were released—blissfully unaware of the poison accumulating in their system. The stories are sad, but what impresses me is the strong resolve to remember, and to communicate those memories so that others may learn from the lessons of Minamata. “What I learned,” Oya-san said, “is that we shouldn’t run but confront the facts.” Sense of Hope There was also the dialogue with Mr. Yoshii, former Mayor of Minamata city, whose speech touched on various concerns: the roots of the problem, questions on trajectories and contradictions of development policies, the complex web of socio-economic and political relations surrounding environmental issues, the moral imperative of scientific research and mass media. The session with Yukiko Takashima of the NGO Soshisa attested to the complicated web between victims, the corporation, central government and local governments yet also proved that citizens are striving to resolve and address the issue even now. Then there was the staff of Gaia Minamata, a small NGO producing organic orange marmalade, avoiding agricultural chemical inputs hazardous to health. Many disease survivors who formerly worked as fisher folk could not continue their work after the tragedy and turned to other means of livelihood, such as growing amanatsu oranges. They continue to face challenges related to production, marketing of their products, and the declining rural population. At the end of this visit, one of my strongest impressions left of Minamata was the strong sense of hope arising from all these years of sadness. This site which for three decades was a city of pollution, has gone beyond the “dissemination of Minamata’s suffering” and gradually worked to rebuild it as a city for environmental education. This process, Yoshii-san explained, is one that entails a lot of change: cultural values, attitudes, local and national policies, community involvement and political will. With hope, this unfolding story of Minamata leaves a taste like Gaia’s orange marmalade: bitter, but with a rising hint of sweetness. One is everything From the coastal plains of Minamata, we proceeded to the remote mountainous village of Kagumeishi in the nearby Okawa district, whose springs supply Minamata’s freshwater needs. There, we visited a unique institution called the Village Lifestyle Museum/Museum of Rural Community. Operating with almost no subsidies from the government, this self-sustaining community project aimed to revitalize the people and culture, and to build appreciation of their available natural and cultural resources. Over fresh, homegrown food, Mr. Tetsuro Yoshimoto explained the concept of jimotogaku (creation of a living culture), which guided the resource mapping and community studies which were a major feature of the musuem. This process aimed to gather information needed for a holistic understanding of community contexts and identify appropriate changes tht can be pursued for environmental rehabilitation. During the field interviews, Yoshimotosan advised participants to just ask simple questions from the community members: What is the best food you have ever eaten? What is the happiest moment in 15 JENESYS ESD participants presenting the outputs of an exercise in jimotogaku community resource mapping, Okawa village, Minamata. Mr. Yoshimoto’s philosophy of jimotogaku has guided the community mapping activities in the Okawa Village Lifestyle Museum. (Photo by Lisa Tapang) your whole life? What is the most valuable thing for you? What’s the place you like in this area? We later learned that these questions served not only as a subtle form of social investigation, but also a means to create values within the people to which these questions are posed. This was a form of taking time to develop people who have a sense of responsibility and ownership. I think this is a very important process especially in the context of working with communities: learning to infer their essential contexts in a process and manner emanating from the people’s own voices. “One is everything,” was a memorable quote from Yoshimoto-san, “if you investigate one house, you can learn about a whole village.” If you investigate one village, you can learn about the larger contexts beyond. Connected realities, same roots From Minamata and Okawa, which are part of the mainland, we proceeded to Sasebo to the north. From there, we took a boat ride to Ojika town. Composed of 17 islands, only seven of which are inhabited, small and remote Ojika faces the problem of a rapidly declining population since the 1950s. Currently, it is looking towards promoting ecotourism and strengthening of is agriculture and fishery industries as one way to encourage livelihood, selfreliance, and more young residents. This was starkly seen in the case of Nozaki island, where we spent an evening. Home to “hidden Christians” and small Author pointing to various debris washed up on Shirahama Beach, Ojika islands. (Photo by Reza Favhevi) communities in the feudal and pre-war years, the pristine Nozaki island was eventually left by its residents in the 1960s, as part of the shifting of populations from rural to urban areas. Housing a dam which supplies freshwater to other islands and a pier, the only other signs of human life in Nozaki are the rubble of deserted villages, a school converted into a tourism facility, and a small yet beautiful Christian Church built in 1908. If we are to believe that everything is interconnected, that events and realities happen in consonance and resonance with each other, then I think that the succession of visits from Minamata to Nozaki were significant in the sense that they point to the different effects of one trajectory of development. I recalled that the 1960s was also the time when the Minamata disease must have been full blown, in the face of industrialization and a fastgrowing economy; here in another part of Japan, at around that same period, people were leaving the rural areas and islands for the cities. Nozaki’s sparkling beaches and breathtaking scenery, in the face of declining forest cover and a growing deer population, thus presented a different facet to the same contradiction. These realities give us much food for thought, especially if we are to factor in the respective contexts of other countries. This sense of interconnectedness again surfaced while visiting the Shirahama Beach and different waste disposal facilities in Minamata, Susubaru, and Ojika. I found Lisa I. Tapang works as a program coordinator for the NGO Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines. both the domestic and industrial recycling and segregation facilities and systems very impressive compared to most countries—from the composting practices of our homestay family to the community-based segregation of wastes into 24 different types in Susubaru to the technological capacity of the incinerator and waste impactors in Minamata. In contrast to such precision and order, the sight of debris and trash along Shirahama Beach, a secluded and serene spot within Ojika, was a reminder of larger global realities and the need for connected solutions. Ojika Island Tourism Society representative Junji Kametsu pointed out that the waste came from different parts of Japan as well as other countries and regions, all being swept up in the Kuro Sio (Japan current) coming from the South China Sea and passing through two different streams in Japan and ultimately ending up in the North Pacific Ocean. The effects of these debris and trash on marine and coastal biodiversity and our food chain, of course, are sobering and should be a wake-up call. Lessons Learned The ESD program was quite an intense program for me: not just in terms of itinerary, but also in terms of the lessons that it left. It stressed the challenge to define what sustainability means for us, concretely, in our contexts, and to reflect on how these conception define what type of development our respective societies strive for. I think that Prof. Nagata’s positing of ESD as a holistic paradigm shift, rather than an additionality to the curriculum, is also a critical aspect of the program. More than a series of topics, ESD is also about values—values which influence the ways we investigate, learn, and teach. Lastly, I think the most valuable messages were that of hope, solidarity, and moving forward in terms of building sustainable societies . Like the pretty cherr y blossoms of Tokyo, our own respective natural, cultural, and social resources and patrimony may be here one day, but gone the next. It is imperative that we do not take these for granted, and seek ways to conserve, develop, and defend these. I consider the ESD program a journey that doesn’t end with the formal closing of the itinerary–it’s a sojourn that will continue, this time, in ever widening circles. 16 ANNOUNCEMENTS The Japan Foundation Grant Programs Fiscal Year April 2010- March 2011 CATEGORY: ARTS and CULTURAL EXCHANGE Invitation Program for Cultural Leaders Dr. Raul M. Sunico Cultural Center of the Philippines CATEGORY: JAPANESELANGUAGE EDUCATION OVERSEAS Short-Term Training Program forTeachers of the Japanese Language Ms. Violetta Niaga (July 14-September 4, 2010 – summer course ) Nihongo Center Foundation Inc., Manila Ms. Maria Eleanor Tanteo (January 26-March 18, 2011 – winter course) De La Salle University – College of Saint Benilde, Manila Ms. Mercidita S. Villamayor (winter course) Bukidnon State University, Bukidnon Long-Term Training Program for Teachers of the Japanese Language (September 15, 2010 – March 11, 2011) Ms. Roelia V. Alvarez University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City Ms. Lemila M. Cabudoy Abendan Nippongo Center, Mandaue City Japanese Language Program for Overseas (Outstanding Student) (September 1-15, 2010) Ms. Manna S. Dominguez Nihongo Center Foundation, Inc., Manila Japanese Language Program for High School Students (June 30 – July 14, 2010) Mr. Jess Anthony P. Alcid Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai – International School, Davao City Japanese Language Program for Specialists (Specialists in Cultural and Academic Fields) (June 23-August 18, 2010) Ms. Kristine Grace B. Reyes Asian Studies, University of the Philippines Asian Center, Quezon City CATEGORY: JAPANESE STUDIES OVERSEAS AND INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE Support Program for Organizations in Japanese Studies Sikhay Kilos Development Association 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Community Development “Enriching CD Education amidst the Global Economic and Environmental Crisis - October 21 to 23, 2010 Probe Media Foundation, Inc. Kabataan (Youth) X-Press - Peace Production and exhibition of multicultural films for peace in Mindanao made by youth of Mindanao - July 26 to August 8, 2010 (for trainings) and October 28 to 29, 2010 (for Media Summit) Asia Leadership Fellow Program Ms. Amina Rasul Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy Ateneo de Manila University (Japanese Studies Program) De La Salle University (Japanese Studies Program) The Japan Foundation Fellowship Program Prof. Ronald Everette David Holmes Dept. of Political Science De La Salle University, Manila September 16, 2010 – March 15, 2011 Grant Program for Intellectual Exchange Conference Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center Islam, Childhoods, and Building Cultures of Peace in Southeast Asia - August 18 to 19, 2010 Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) X3-Expertise and Experiences Exchange - August 21 to 23, 2010 The Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Programme (JENESYS) was launched by the Government of Japan as a result of the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) in January 2007. It is a 35-billion-yen youth exchange program, inviting about 6,000 young people to Japan mainly from the EAS member states (ASEAN, Australia, China, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea) every year for five years with a view to establishing a basis of Asia’s stalwart solidarity by expanding youth exchange. Japanese Language Education Young Japanese-Language Teachers Dispatch Program (July 2009 – March 2010) 17 Ms. Megumi Katayama – F. Torres High School and Valenzuela City Science High School Ms. Jessica P. Isidro University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City Ms. Sayoko Minami – Makati Science High School and City of Mandaluyong Science High School Special Invitation Programme for Graduate Students (July 21 – September 3, 2010) Ms. Sayaka Hanami – Pasig City Science High School and Muntinlupa Science High School Ms. Kayo Fukunaga - Trade -Tech International Science Institute, Inc., Mandaue City Ms. Ayano Nakazawa - Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, Davao City Special Invitation Program for Japanese Language-Teachers (May 27– July 21, 2010) Ms. Maria Isabel Madrideo Japanese Language Research Center, Manila Ms. Sharwin Trinidad Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, Davao City Ms. Doreen Cajilig Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu City Training Program for Japanese-Language Learners (Spring Course, May 12 - June 23, 2010) Ms. Mary Joy V. Yap Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, Davao City Ms. Josabel C. Bersabe Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, Davao City Ms. Jennelyn G. Arroyo The University of Manila, Manila Ms. Jemima G. Galeon University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City Ms. Carla Luna Japanese Studies Program, De La Salle University, Manila Ms. Sahara Brahim Asian Studies, University of the Philippines Asian Center, Quezon City East Asia Future Leader Programme (Youth Exchange) Re-Acknowledging Cultural Diversity: The Roles and Possibilities of the Asia and Oceania Region (April 1 - 13, 2010) Mr. Leoncio Banaag Mangyan Mission, Oriental Mindoro Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education: Preservation of the Natural Environment and Promotion of Sustainable Development in Communities (April 11 - 23, 2010) Mr. Oliver R. T. Paderanga Siliman University, Dumaguete Ms. Lisa Ito Tapang Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines, Quezon City Disaster Prevention and People: Working Towards the Creation of a Strong Society (June 21 - July 2, 2010) Ms. Catherine C. Abon National Institute of Geological Sciences, UP Diliman, Quezon City Community Design through Culture: Creative Practices for the Passing Down of Cultural Properties (July 8 - July 20, 2010) Arch. Michael F. Manalo Escuela Taller de Intramuros Arch. Ramil B. Tibayan Design Coordinates, Incorporated Program for Creators Ms. Elena O. Laniog (UP Dance Company) July 12 to September 5, 2010 NPO Dance Box Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Mr. Jaime Pacena II (Asia Pacific College) June 29 to September 18, 2010 Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori Prefecture Local Grants 3rd Bagasbas Beach International Eco Arts Festival 2010 May 30 to June 6, 2010 Daet, Camarines Norte Virgin Labfest June 22 to July 4, 2010 Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Studio Theater) Cultural Center of the Philippines (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm) 53rd Annual Philippine PEN Literature Conference December 4-5, 2010, Cebu City - Participation of Japanese writer Ms. Nori Nakagami in the panel on “Writing and Writers in Asia” within the conference theme : “Solidarity in Literature without Borders” (Philippine Center of PEN, c/o Solidaridad Bookshop; [email protected]) 18 People • Events • Places 2010 Nihongo Fiesta February 27 • SM Mall of Asia Japanese all-female rock band Shonen Knife with Philippine’s all-male dunk (dance and punk) group Pedicab at the 2010 Nihongo Fiesta. Naoko san and Ritsuko san of Shonen Knife giving an all-out performance. Winners and organizers of the 37th Nihongo Speech Contest last February 27, 2010. The Japanese and Filipino Street Fashion Exhibit & Contest was held last February 22-28 and February 27. Photo shows judges Mr. Steven Tan and Ms. Millie Dizon, with first prize winner Ms. Benjas Mae Morato. Participants of the 2nd Nihongo Quiz Bee for High School Students held on February 27, battling it out with their knowledge of the Japanese language and culture. Hiroshi Shinomiya, director of the documentary “Basura,” during the open forum at the Video Act! Japanese Film Documentary Now!! held on Mar. 6 & 7 in Shangri-La Plaza and Mar. 17-18 at the UP Film Institute. The exhibit featured a blend of current and traditional lifestyles of Tokyo and Manila’s contemporary generation. People • Events • Places 19 The Course on Japan for High School Classroom Instruction was held from April 12May 21 at the Nihongo Center Foundation, Makati campus. This course aimed to develop the capacity of high school teacher participants in teaching the Japanese Language (Nihongo) as well as Japanese culture. “Appropriating Japan - Evolving Southeast Asian Views of and Approaches to Japanese Studies” was held last January 29, 2010 at the Ateneo de Manila University. The 3rd Cordillera Youth EcoSummit (CGN) held last January 22-26 in Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet, and Bangued, Abra. International lecturers, local resource persons, guests and women representatives from all over the country convened on January 24-27 for the Regional Conference of Women Peace Advocates (Aleemat) in Davao City led by Former Senator Santanina T. Rasul, Chairperson of the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc. (MKFI) and Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) Lead Convenor M. Amina Rasul. Kurosawa September 14 Tuesday CCP Little Theater September 15-19 Wednesday to Sunday CCP Dream Theater September 19-30 UP Film Institute BUSINESS MAIL ENTERED AS THIRD CLASS (PM) Postage Paid at Makati Central Post OfficeUnder Permit No. PM -05-53-NCR Valid Until: December 31, 2010 Subject for Postal Inspection Copyright Toho Co., Ltd.) Film Festival