The Indo-Japan Friendship Association(IJFA), Gujarat has organized four day Japan festival in Ahmedabad in co-operation with the Consulate General of Japan, Mumbai supported by Hitachi Home & Life Solutioan(India) Ltd.

Japan Festival is designed to unfold Japan in its vibrant colour and splendour. It will provide a meaningful and fascinating insight into Japanese Art, Culture, Values and Life Style. ‘The Centre for Japanese Studies’ being launched by IJFA in co-operation with AMA, aims at providing continuous and advanced Japanese Language Learning Facilities, as also setting up a well equipped Library of books and audiovisual media for study, research and reference on various aspects relating to Japan. Given below are details of the Japan festival.

January 10th, 2009

Inaugural function

H.E. Pandit Naval Kishore Sharma
Governor of Gujarat
has kindly consented to inaugurate
THE JAPAN FESTIVAL.
Hon’ble Hirotsugu Hagiuda
Consul General of Japan at Mumbai
will bless the eventful launch of
THE CENTRE FOR JAPANESE STUDIES.
Mr. Shinichi Iizuka,
Managing Director
Hitachi Home & Life Solutions (India) Ltd.
will grace the occasion as Guest of Honour.
Date: Saturday, 10th January, 2009
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Hitachi Home & Life Exhibition Arcade
Ahmedabad Management Association
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Marg, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 380 015.

January 11th, 2009

Exhibition of Japanese Kites and Tops
Time: 11 am to 7 pm

Kites

Japan’s Kites (Tako,) the history of which originates from the 6th Century, are among the most spectacular in the world, treasured as much for their aesthetic worth as for the pleasure they give as toys. Traditional Japanese Kites are usually made of rice paper and bamboo and beautifully decorated with different shapes or symbols such as fish, birds, dragons or portraits of historical and religious figures.

Tops

Tops (Koma), spun either by hand or with a string have also been popular toys in Japan for over a thousand years. Handmade from wood native to Japan, Japanese Tops are exquisitely painted by hand in brilliant colours and are highly cherished even as collector’s items.

Scintillating Photo Classic on Fall Colours in Japan through the Lens Eye of Mukesh Patel

‘Kouyou’, meaning ‘season of red leaves’ or ‘fall colours of autumn,’ is as important to the Japanese, as their fabled cherry blossom festival in the spring. It is a time of dazzling beauty, with streaks of red, orange, yellow and gold splashed across vast areas of the countryside. Mukesh Patel, Founder and President of the Indo-Japan Friendship Association, Gujarat and an ardent photographer, shares at this Exhibition some scintillating photo classics of Fall Colours in Japan, captured through his lens eye during his recent visit to Japan.

On January, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th
International Award Winning Japanese Films

-Tht film show has been organized at Ahmedabad Management Asociation

-For viewing of Japanese Films kindly send E-mail request for movie passes to indojapan.gujarat@gmail.com

-All Japanese films will be shown with English Subtitle

Waterboys – Wota Boizu: (91 minutes).
At 10 am, on Saturday, 10th January

A 2001 comedy film written and directed by the Japanese film director Shinobu Yaguchi, about five boys who start a synchronized swimming team at their high school. Winning awards for ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Music Score,’ the success and popularity of Water Boys also inspired a spin-off television drama that eventually ran for three seasons.

The Face of Jizo – Chichi To
Kuraseba: (99 minutes).

At 10 am, on Sunday, 11th January
Kazuo Kuroko directs the film version
(2004) of the famous stage play. Set in Hiroshima around 1948, this film dramatizes the traumatic lives of bombing survivors living in postwar Japan, focusing its narrative on the close relationship between a loving father (veteran actor Yoshio Harada) and his devoted daughter, played by award winning actress Rie Miyazawa.

HINOKIO – Inter Galactic Love:(111 minutes)
At 2 pm, on Sunday, 11th January, at AMA

A fantastic Japanese science-fiction film of 2005, this is the story of a young boy, who attends school through a remote controlled robot ‘Hinokio.’ Acclaimed as a highly entertaining film both for children and adults at several international film festivals, this is a touching coming-of-age drama, which will blow audiences away with its stunning visual effects.

The Hidden Blade – Kakushi Ken:
Oni No Tsume (132 minutes)
At 6 pm, on Sunday, 11th January

A 2004 film set in Japan of the 1860s. After the popular success of his Oscar-nominated The Twilight Samurai, veteran director Yoji Yamada created this classic humanistic drama, another loving depiction of the bygone days of Samurai Heroism. In addition to 16 nominations, the film garnered awards for Best Art Direction, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

Sumo Do Sumo Don’t – Shiko Funjatta: (103 minutes)
At 6 pm, on Monday, 12th January

Setting a new tradition in Japanese comedy, this film provides an entertaining glimpse at what makes Sumo unique in the world of sports. It created massive popularity for Japan’s classic sport Sumo, attracting new audiences and particularly young women. On the Awards front, this 1992 Masayuki Suo Film received an astounding 24 wins and 2 nominations.

Sanjuro: (95 minutes)
At 6 pm, on Tuesday, 13th January

Rated as one of the all time greats of the legendary Japanese Director Akira Kurosawa, ‘Sanjuro’ won some of the best American Reviews Kurosawa ever received. Toshiro Mifune (awarded Best Actor) swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in a power-packed performance as the wandering, master-less Samurai in this tightly paced, beautifully composed 1962 black and white classic.