Some pictures from the UFRA-UIFA bus trip to Nikko
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
UFRA General Meeting
UFRA General Meeting
All UFRA members are cordially invited to attend the annual General Meeting. It's your chance to voice your opinion, make a suggestion, or just get more involved with the organization!
Date: April 11th, Saturday
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Place: Il Mare Kokusai Center
All UFRA members are cordially invited to attend the annual General Meeting. It's your chance to voice your opinion, make a suggestion, or just get more involved with the organization!
Date: April 11th, Saturday
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Place: Il Mare Kokusai Center
Hanami (Cherry Blossom Watching) with Seaside Lions
Hanami (Cherry Blossom Watching)
Come and join the picnic under the cherry blossoms with members of UFRA and Seaside Lions Club!
Date: April 4th, Saturday
Time: 11:00am- around 1:00pm
Place: Chuo Koen, Tomioka
* Bring food to share, drinks, picnic mat
*Cancelled if it rains.
Come and join the picnic under the cherry blossoms with members of UFRA and Seaside Lions Club!
Date: April 4th, Saturday
Time: 11:00am- around 1:00pm
Place: Chuo Koen, Tomioka
* Bring food to share, drinks, picnic mat
*Cancelled if it rains.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Spring Festival 2008
On Sunday February 15, the large hall at Wave in Shin-Urayasu was the venue for the Spring Festival. Chinese music and dance, the high-energy Super Tanken Tai, a vast array of potluck, and an exciting raffle brightened up everybody's spirits on this late-winter evening. Enjoy some pictures that I took!
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rakugo in English
I've always loved the performing arts - of any kind (opera, theater, stand-up comedy, mime) or of any culture. Unfortunately because of my poor Japanese, I've always regretted that the whole world of Japanese performing arts has been more-or-less closed to me. Except for the Kabuki, which offers simulcast translations in English, it is difficult to partake in the rich diversity of performances available in Tokyo , be they classical or modern. So it was a joy to be able to watch Ms. Kimie Oshima both perform Rakugo and explain how and why she performs rakugo to foreign audiences.
As Rakugo is based entirely on the spoken word, with a solo performer on a bare stage, no costumes and only a fan and a piece of cloth as props, it may be one of the least accessible art forms to us non-Japanese speakers. On the other hand, the stories, the characters and the humor of Rakugo are both timeless and universal - which is why modern Japanese audiences as well as those of us lucky enough to watch Oshima-san's performance in English, can laugh and enjoy the comedy as easily as audiences in times past.
On a rainy, cold and windy day, a capacity crowd turned out for this performance. And judging by the smiles that lit up the room, they clearly enjoyed it.
Gerald Wright
Ms. Kimie Oshima
Audience member catches a ball
As Rakugo is based entirely on the spoken word, with a solo performer on a bare stage, no costumes and only a fan and a piece of cloth as props, it may be one of the least accessible art forms to us non-Japanese speakers. On the other hand, the stories, the characters and the humor of Rakugo are both timeless and universal - which is why modern Japanese audiences as well as those of us lucky enough to watch Oshima-san's performance in English, can laugh and enjoy the comedy as easily as audiences in times past.
On a rainy, cold and windy day, a capacity crowd turned out for this performance. And judging by the smiles that lit up the room, they clearly enjoyed it.
Gerald Wright
Ms. Kimie Oshima
Audience member catches a ball
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