Monthly Archives: October 2011

FLOODING IN THAILAND: SITUATION UPDATE

(27/10/2011)

The flooding in Thailand is mainly affecting the central provinces along the Chao Phraya River including Bangkok and Ayutthaya. Other popular tourist destinations in the central region including Pattaya, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, and Koh Chang have not been affected by the floods. Flood waters in several provinces in northern Thailand have begun to subside. Provinces in the south of Thailand have not been affected by the floods.

Most areas of central Bangkok where tourists normally go are not flooded. The Chao Phraya River, which runs through Bangkok, is at a higher-than-normal level. This is causing some flooding at tourist attractions that are close to the river.

In the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area, several suburbs and areas adjacent to the Chao Phraya River are experiencing flooding. As these areas are largely residential and industrial zones, they are not normally visited by tourists.

The TAT advises visitors to contact the TAT Information Line at 1672; check the latest reports in the local media; or get an update from the staff of the accommodations where they are staying if they are planning to visit tourist attractions that are located close to the Chao Phraya River.

Transportation:
Tourist destinations in the north, such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Sukhothai, are best accessed by air as some roads and railways in the central provinces are closed due to the floods. Provinces in southern and eastern Thailand remain fully accessible by road and train.

Tourists planning to travel to areas affected by the floods are advised to check the latest weather forecasts for their destination and confirm arrangements with the transportation providers with which they will be travelling. Tourists can call the TAT Information Line at 1672 to check local conditions, or visit the Thailand Meteorological Department web site at http://www.tmd.go.th/en for updated weather forecasts.

In & Around Bangkok: 
–Transportation from Suvarnabhumi Airport into central Bangkok including taxis, buses and the Airport Link have not been affected by the floods and are operating normally.
— Transportation in most areas within central Bangkok including taxis, tuk-tuks, the BTS and the MRT are also operating normally.
— In the areas affected by flooding, public transportation is being rerouted in some areas and the availability of taxis is limited.

Airports:
— Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok has not been affected by the floods and is operating as per usual. The airport has considerable flood protection measures in place and officials are monitoring the situation closely.
— Don Mueang Airport, which is located in a northern suburb of Bangkok and handles domestic airlines serving a small number of provinces, has been closed until November 1st due to flooding.
— All other airports in Thailand are open and operating normally.

Roads:
–Highway 32, also known as The Asian Highway (AH-2), in central Thailand is partly affected by the floods. Inter-provincial buses between Bangkok and the north and northeast of Thailand are operating, but subject to detours and extended travel times.
— Inter-provincial buses to eastern, western, and southern Thailand are operating as per normal.

Train services:
–Train services from Bangkok to northern destinations are suspended due to the tracks being flooded. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is offering full refunds on tickets for travelers who want to cancel their trips to destinations where train service is suspended.
–Train services to other parts of Thailand are operating as per normal.

Useful Contact Numbers: 
TAT Call Center: 1672
Thai Airways: +66 (0) 2356 1111
Bangkok Airways: +66 (0) 2265 8777
AirAsia: +66 (0) 2515 9999
Nok Air: 1318 or +66 (0) 2900 9955
Orient Thai Airlines: 1126
State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Call Center: 1690
Transport Co.,Ltd. Hotline:(Inter-provincial bus service) 1490

Major tourist destinations not affected by the floods include:

North:
Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
Lampang
Sukhothai

Northeast:
Loei
Ubon Ratchathani
Nakhon Ratchasima
Udon Thani

Central:
Hua-Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan
Pattaya, Chonburi
Kanchanaburi
Ratchaburi
Ko Chang, Trat
Rayong

South:
Chumphon
Phuket
Krabi
Ranong
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Songkhla
Narathiwat
Satun
Pattani
Surat Thani
Phang Nga
Trang
Phatthalung
Yala

English-language sources:
The Government Public Relations Department
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)

Thai- language sources:
Flood Relief Operations Center 
BMA Flood Control Center 
Airports of Thailand
State Railway of Thailand

English-language newspapers offering continuous updates on the flooding situation:
Bangkok Post
The Nation

Source: Tourism Authorithy of Thailand (TAT)

Manga: Professor Munakata’s British Museum adventure

Friday 25 November 18.30

Hoshino Yukinobu is one of Japan’s leading manga artists – a Japanese form of graphic novel.

In a unique collaboration with the British Museum Hoshino has created a compelling adventure that revolves around Professor Munakata’s attempts to unravel the mystery of the missing Stonehenge megaliths and the threats to the British Museum’s treasured holdings.

Hoshino’s original work was featured in a Room 3 display in 2009. Nicole Rousmaniere, British Museum, discusses the creation of this manga and places it in the larger context of the medium. Introduced by Paul Gravett, Director of Comica Festival and editor of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die. This event marks the publication of Professor Manakata’s British Museum Adventure in English.

Followed by a pay bar.

£5, Members and concessions £3

Manga at the British Museum

29 September 2011 – 8 April 2012

Free
Room 91 (lobby)

An exclusive opportunity to see the original drawings from the manga series Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure.

Hoshino Yukinobu (b.1954) is the creator of Professor Munakata, one of Japan’s most famous manga characters. Millions of readers eagerly following his adventures in the fortnightly magazine, Big Comic.

Hoshino first visited the British Museum in 2009 and was inspired to work on a Professor Munakata mystery in the unique setting of the Museum. Japanese readers followed the series for five months, first published in Big Comic, before the thrilling mystery was bought to a close with a dramatic final scene that sees the Rosetta Stone in grave danger.

All ten episodes will now be published as a book in English by the British Museum Press, and to celebrate, Hoshino has lent the Museum his finished drawings (genga) and sketches and even two of his fude brush pens which he used to draw this adventure.

In this display you can see the development ofProfessor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure from conception to finished work. This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to uncover the process of how the first British Museum manga was created.

Dealing with Disaster in Japan: Flight JL123 Crash

Book launch

Published by Routledge, 2011

By Christopher P. Hood

Just as the sinking of the Titanic is embedded in the public consciousness in the English-speaking world, so the crash of JAL flight JL123 is part of the Japanese collective memory. The 1985 crash involved the largest loss of life for any single air crash in the world. 520 people, many of whom had been returning to their ancestral home for the Obon religious festival, were killed; there were only four survivors.

This book tells the story of the crash, discusses the many controversial issues surrounding it, and considers why it has come to have such importance for many Japanese. It shows how the Japanese responded to the disaster: trying to comprehend how a faulty repair may have caused the crash, and the fact that rescue services took such a long time to reach the remote crash site; how the bereaved dealt with their loss; how the media in Japan and in the wider world reported the disaster; and how the disaster is remembered and commemorated. The book highlights the media coverage of anniversary events and the Japanese books and films about the crash; the very particular memorialisation process in Japan, alongside Japanese attitudes to death and religion; it points out in what ways this crash both reflects typical Japanese behaviour and in what ways the crash is unique.

* The book will be available on the day at 30% off the retail price.   

 

Dr. Christopher P. Hood is a Reader in Japanese Studies at Cardiff University, UK. His publications include:Shinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern Japan, Japanese Education Reform: Nakasone’s Legacyand (as editor) the four-volume Politics of Modern Japan (all published by Routledge).

A new theme?

E’ da un po’ di tempo che ci sto pensando, forse e’ arrivato il momento di cambiare aspetto a questo Blog. Durante questo fine settimana decidero’ cosa fare. Il theme ‘Enterprise’ mi piace pero’, dopo quasi un anno, forse e’ arrivato il momento di dare un aspetto un po’ diverso a questo Blog. Al momento i due themes che preferisco sono ‘Skeptical‘ e ‘ITheme2‘; vediamo quale dei due si adatta meglio a questo Blog. Qualche consiglio?

Ps: mi sono reso conto che e’ passato tanto tempo dal mio ultimo post scritto in Italiano, nelle prossime settimane cerchero’ di usare la mia lingua madre piu’ spesso.

I think that its about time to give this Blog a new and refreshed appearance even if the theme ‘Enterprise’ has been used for less than a year and fits well with the needs of this Blog. As I’m not very familiar with blogs, to decide which theme to use has been a difficult task and at the present I’m thinking to use either the theme ‘Skeptical‘ or the newest ‘ITheme2‘; over this weekend I’ll decide. Any advise?

My Secret Cache

Films at the Embassy of Japan

My Secret Cache 

Monday, 24 October 2011, 18:30
Doors open at 18:00 No admittance after 19:00
Free admission. Prior registration essential.

Directed by  Shinobu Yaguchi　矢口史靖 /1997/83 mins

Much of the comedy of this film is generated by the ungainly physical humour of Sakiko’s single minded determination, using voice-over, flashback, and other forms of reconstructed narrative such as the ‘flick book’.

Money-lover, Sakiko is abducted by bank robbers to the Aokigahara forest, famous for its confusing layout and magnetic soil that confuses compasses. There they crash and burn: only Sakiko survives, unable to forget the money that she knows survived but which everyone else thinks burned up in the crash.

Click here for booking details.

Call for Artists for ‘2011-2012 UK based Korean Artists’ Exhibition

Deadline for Submissions: 5pm, October 31st 2011

Each year the Korean Cultural Centre UK promotes UK Based Korean Artists with an Exhibition at the KCCUK, now in its fourth Year, the 2011-12 Exhibition will focus upon video art that is inspired by London.

 In collaboration with the British Council Korea, the KCCUK is seeking submissions of 3 minute video clips under the theme of ‘My Muse, My London’ from artists of Korean origin based in the UK.  Selected works from this open call will be exhibited here at KCCUK from December 2011 to January 2012; further additional events for the exhibition are being planned in both Korea as well as the UK in the build up to and during the 2012 London Olympic Games. (For more details, please see attachment)

Application guidelines:

This scheme is open to all UK based Korean artists/designers/architects etc.  or collectives working in the field of visual arts as well as art students of undergraduate level or above.

You must have demonstrable experience of having studied or practised in the UK in order to be eligible, please include your CV (2 Pages max) and Artistic Statement of your work with your application.

Please submit your 3 minute Video clip inspired by working and/or living in London in one of the following formats: CD or DVD (video clip shall be no more than 3 minutes) in avi or mov file format.

Video Files must be received by the KCCUK no later than 5pm 31st October 2011

Submissions may be delivered by hand or posted to the following Address, (submissions can only be returned if a Self Addressed Envelope including postage is included)

 

2011-12 UK Based Korean Art Exhibition

The Korean Cultural Centre UK

 

Grand Buildings

 

1-3 Strand

 

London

 

WC2N 5BW


The submitted works will be reviewed carefully by an advisory panel, the selected artists be announced in November 2011 along with the exhibition schedules.

Application forms and guidelines are available from the Korean Cultural Centre UK or at: http://www.kccuk.org.uk

 

Yoga

Yoga (2009)

October 20, 2011

Yoon Jae-yeon

Hyo-jung visits a mysterious yoga institute run by an ex-actress where her radically changed friend recommended for her to go. At the intensive training course the young yoga master, Nani, explains to Hyo-jung and four other girls that only one person can master the course and successfully discover the secret of immortal beauty.

Support for the Arts in the UK and Japan

This seventh seminar in the 2011 series, Uncertain Futures: The Individual, Society and the State in the UK and Japan, will consider the issues surrounding support for the arts in the UK and Japan. In recent years, arts funding in both the UK and Japan has undergone severe cuts and dramatic changes. Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business, and Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator of the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, will explore the current landscape and look to the future in assessing the impact of spending cuts and priorities for supporting the arts in these uncertain times.

Colin Tweedy

Colin Tweedy OBE is the Chief Executive of Arts & Business. He is also Chairman of CEREC (Comité Européen pour le Rapprochement de l’Economie et de la Culture). He is a Trustee of the Headlong Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre Trust, the Serpentine Gallery and The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts. Colin Tweedy is also a director of The Ideas Foundation, a Council member of the National Musicians Symphony Orchestra and a Governor of the University for the Creative Arts. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). In 2000 he received an OBE for services to business partnerships with the arts in The Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Mami Kataoka

Mami Kataoka has been the Chief Curator at the Mori Art Museum (MAM) in Tokyo since 2003. She is currently overseeing many international projects, including the 9th Gwangju Biennale 2012 in South Korea as the Joint Artistic Director, and Phantoms of Asia at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as guest curator. She was the International Curator at the Hayward Gallery in London between 2007 and 2009, curated Laughing in the Foreign Language(2008) and co-curated Walking in My Mind (2009). Kataoka frequently writes and gives lectures on contemporary art in Asia.

Jenny White (Chair)

Jenny White has 25 years’ experience of producing arts projects in UK, Latin America, East Asia and Japan. After working as manager of Scotland’s Communicado Theatre, she first encountered the British Council, and worked with them, initially in Japan for ten years, introducing contemporary British artists and programming two UK-Japan festivals UK90 and UK98, and then in Thailand and in London, as Head of Arts Development. From 2006-2009, she was Director of the British Council in Cuba, hosting the visit of the Royal Ballet and producing UK’s contribution to the Latin American Film Festival and the Habana Biennial of Art. She is currently on assignment to manage the Environmental impact of British Council’s global cultural relations work. With a lifelong interest in Japan and the intersection between Japanese and British cultures, Jenny will draw on her experience to contribute to this topical debate for both the UK and Japan.

19 October 2011

6:00 – 7:45pm, followed by a drinks reception to 8:45pm

Daiwa Foundation Japanese House

Organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

BOOKING FORM

Creating Impressions of Colonial Korea: The Role Played by the Japan Society and its Membership, 1910-1939

Monday, 17th October 2011 6.45 pm

The Oriental Club
Stratford House
11 Stratford Place
London W1C 1ES

A pay bar is available before the lecture
(Please note that Oriental Club rules require gentlemen to wear a jacket and tie)

Dr Susan House Wade, Independent Author and Lecturer

Japanese perspectives were often either directly or indirectly responsible for images of colonial Korea which emerged in England between 1910 and 1939. The role played by English and Japanese enthusiasts, who were frequently members of the Japan Society, will be addressed in this talk. The position occupied by the Society allowed it to make a significant impact on the study and exchange of Japanese arts and culture, and it was to the Transactions and Proceedings that both scholars and other interested parties looked for the informed perspectives of the Society’s high profile membership. Activities of these members, including those who resided overseas, went well beyond the papers they presented, to inform and influence the writings of others.

Dr Susan House Wade is an independent author and lecturer, with an MA in Art and Archaeology from SOAS, University of London, and a PhD in Humanities from the University of Brighton. Alongside writing and lecturing, she is currently engaged in preparatory work for the publication of her PhD thesis entitled Representing Colonial Korea in Print and in Visual Imagery in England, 1910-1939. Before embarking on an academic career, Susan worked in media, including assignments as diverse as bureau chief of a US-based newswire, to the creation of large scale events for Spanish language broadcast. She has also played active roles in Japan 2001, and later as chairman of the Japan Society Art Circle.

Booking Information

Please contact the Japan Society office on tel: 020 7828 6330 or email:events@japansociety.org.uk to book a place for any of our events. When emailing, please include the event title in the subject line.

Learn more about upcoming events at www.japansociety.org.uk.

Japan to offer 10,000 free trips to foreigners to boost tourism industry

TOKYO —

Japan will offer 10,000 foreigners free airfares to visit the country next year, in an attempt to boost the tourism industry which has been hit by the ongoing nuclear disaster, a report said Monday.

The Japan Tourism Agency plans to ask would-be travelers to submit online applications for the free flights, detailing which areas of the country they would like to visit, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said.

The agency will select the successful entrants and ask them to write a report about their trip which will be published on the Internet.

Tourism authorities hope that positive reports from travelers about their experiences in Japan will help ease international worries about visiting the country, the newspaper said.

The program, which will require travelers to cover other costs such as accommodation, is expected to start from next April, subject to government budgetary approval.

The number of foreign tourists to Japan fell more than 50% year-on-year during the three months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that triggered meltdowns and explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The sharp drop began to ease somewhat in the summer.

In June and July, tourist figures were down 36% from a year ago, easing to 32% in August as the country worked to reassure foreign tourism markets.

The government has said Japan is safe except for the immediate vicinity of the crippled plant, where work crews are still trying to bring the facility to a cold shutdown.

From JapanToday

Japan Foundation at the 2011 Language Show Live

21 October 2011 – 23 October 2011 from 10.00am

National Hall
Olympia Exhibition Centre
Hammersmith
London
W14 8UK

Come and see the Japan Foundation at the 2011 Language Show Live – the UK’s largest language event.

We welcome all Japanese learners, teachers, and anyone else with an interest in sharing or learning about Japanese language and culture.

The Japan Foundation exhibit will feature:

:: Fun Japanese language games and quizzes, including the chance to win a Japan Foundation goodie bag!
:: A name-writing corner – learn how to write your name in Japanese
:: Origami – learn how to make Japanese kabuto (samurai’s helmet) simply from folding paper
:: The chance to practice Japanese with native Japanese speakers
:: Stacks of information about learning and teaching Japanese language, and advice from Japan Foundation staff

Additionally, we will be holding a FREE Japanese language taster session on Friday October 21st, from 15:00 to 15:30.  Tickets will be issued by Language Show organisers on the day and will be given out based on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you get to the show early to avoid disappointment. Class tickets are available to collect from the ‘Taster Class Ticket Desk’.

The Japan Foundation will also be sharing the stand with JP-Books, who offer a large range of Japanese language learning materials.

Click here to read about Japan Foundation’s activities at last year’s Language Show.

Register in advance for the language here for FREE entry!  We look forward to meeting you!