Friday 31 December 2010

Lecture by the British Ambassador in Tokyo, Mr David Warren

Date: 25 January 2011, 18:30pm (booking by: Friday, 21st January 2011)
Venue: Cavalry and Guards Club, 127 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7PX
Fee: The event is free but booking is essential. To reserve a seat, please contact
Contact: events@japansociety.org.uk
Tel: 020 7828 6330
Web: http://www.japansociety.org.uk/events/
Dress Code: Please note that Club rules require gentlemen to wear a jacket and tie
Organiser: The Japan Society

Members will be extremely pleased to know that The British Ambassador in Tokyo, Mr David Warren has kindly agreed to give the Ambassador’s annual briefing to the Society during his forthcoming visit to London.

Mr Warren, who has been in post since the summer of 2008, has been asked to give his perceptions of the political, diplomatic and commercial situation in Japan. He has served twice before in the Tokyo Embassy and many of his other appointments have closely involved him in Japan – UK relations.

The annual talks by current British Ambassadors have provided very useful backdrops to the years ahead; they have been both relevant and useful and have always been extremely popular. The Ambassador will speak for about 30-40 minutes, after which there will be time for discussion and questions.

A pay bar will be available from 6.00 p.m. and also for a short time after the lecture. To enable a prompt start, you are asked to arrive at the Club by 6.20 pm. Club rules require gentlemen to wear jackets and ties and for telephones to be switched off.

To book your place please contact the Japan Society office on tel: 020 7828 6330 or email: events@japansociety.org.uk


Wednesday 29 December 2010

Excellent Marzemino

Date: 21 January 2011, 7:30pm
Venue: Jacqueline duPre Music Building, St. Hilda’s College, Cowley Place, Oxford OX4 1DY
Web:
http://www.ticketsoxford.com/
Admission: £18. £15. Students £8.
Organiser: Edmund Jones

Edmund Jones – violin
Mami Shikimori – piano

Mozart Sonatas K7. K301. K454. Readings from the Mozart family letters.

Messiaen Theme and variations.
Grieg Sonata No 3 in C minor.

Mami Shikimori graduated from the Royal College of Music in London in 1999 with the Principal’s Special Award and the Hopkinson Gold Medal. She won the Grand Prize in the Ibla International Piano Competition in Italy in 2003 and is one of Japan’s most talented concert pianists performing princpally in Japan and Europe.

Marmezino, Mozart’s favourite wine will be served in the interval and is included in the ticket price.


Monday 27 December 2010

Discover Korean Food #47: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "JIN-PI JANG-JO-RIM"

Jin-Pi Jang-Jo-Rim is a shredded Beef (Eye of Round) dish, boiled down with soy sauce and Citrus unshiu Markovich.
The skin of Mandarin is called “Jin-Pi”. The taste is bitter and it keeps the body warm. Jin-Pi contains Vitimin E and it is good for a cold, for digestion, and stopping hiccups. It also prevents from Arteriosclerosis and accumulating cholesterol.

Ingredients
* 200g Beef (Eye of Round), 4cups water, 10g spring onion, 20g garlic, some coriander
* Sauce: 2tbsp soy sauce, 1½tbsp sugar
* 15g Jin-Pi

Recepie
1. Wipe the beef. Cut it 5cm in width and 6cm in length.
2. Place the beefs in a saucepan. Pour water. boil them for 5 minutes at high temperature. Leave it for 15 minutes at a medium temperature. Soak the coriander for 15 minutes. Take out the coriander.
3. Boil them for 15 minutes after adding the sauce. Add Jin-Pi. Boil them for 5 minutes.
4. Shred the beefs 5cm in thickness. Place them on a dish with Jin-Pi. Pour the soup on them.

Tips
1. You can use a Pork filet instead of the Beef (Eye of Round)
2. Add the sauce after boiling the beef, otherwise the beef will get tough.


Friday 24 December 2010

Asiana’s International Passengers Reach Ten Million

Asiana Airlines (President: Young-Doo Yoon) international passengers has reached ten million since its establishment in 1988. Asiana recorded it’s highest ever results per quarters this year. Asiana initially predicted that 9,674,643 passengers will board Asiana’s international flights early this year but predictions have surpassed in which 10,480,000 passengers will board Asiana’s international flights by the end of this year.

Not only has the demand increased for Asiana’s strong routes such as Korea/Japan, Korea/China and the Southeast Asia routes but also continuous demand has increase for the U.S. routes leading to Asiana recording its highest record in performances this year. Asiana’s highest results in the past were back in 2007 with 8,623,594 international passengers.

Asiana’s President & CEO Young-Doo, Yoon commented “Due to our customers continuous support and loyalty not only did Asiana record it’s highest results but was able to achieve its record in reaching it’s tenth million international passengers.” “Asiana will repay this gratitude by improving and providing the world’s best of services to our customers.”

In order to repay for the continuous support of Asiana’s customers, Asiana held a giant cake cutting and lucky draw event at Incheon International Airport on the 17th of December.

Also on this day, Ms. Mee-Kyung, Choi (45), whom is going on a business trip to Paris on OZ501, was the tenth million international passengers to fly with Asiana and was provided with a business class round trip ticket as a token of appreciation.

Also, Asiana handed out gifts such as roundtrip tickets for Southeast Asia, Japan, domestic route, model airplanes, business card holders and LCD cleaners during the Lucky draw contest to passengers departing on the international flights this day from 7 am to 5 pm.


Thursday 23 December 2010

Output from Japan

Date: 12 - 16 February 2011
Venue: Crypt Gallery, Euston Road, London, NW1 2BA
Fee: Free
E-mail:
Yumegiwa6@hotamil.com
Web:
http://www.nimo.asia/
Organiser: New Ikebukuro Montparnasse Organization (NIMO)


 
New Ikebukuro Montparnasse Organization (NIMO) is NPO group for independent artists established at February 2010. The organization is officially supported by Tosima-ku Tokyo Japan from April 2010, and the members are composed by artist, crater, and musician at any genre. NIMO’s main activity is organizing art event for the members and support each artists to develop and enhance quality of Japanese art culture.

NIMO is inspired by Ikebukuro Montparnasse, artist village existed around 1930s in ikebukuro city Tosima-ku Tokyo. During the 1930s many young artists set up studios in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, and many avant-garde artists worked together and developed Japanese art culture, artists including Saburo Aso, Masaaki Terada, Shunsuke Matsumoto, Iwami Furusawa, Ichiro Fukuzawa, and Kikuji Yamashita. Our activity aim to reproduce the artist village with our artists to contribute enhancement of Japanese artists motivation and development of Japanese art culture.

The concept of our group exhibition would be “out put from Japan”, in the other word, the concept is committed to each participating artists. In this group exhibition, there are almost 30 artists at many genres, such as painting, fin art, sound art, photograph, ceramic art, illustration, calligraphy, and sculpture.


Wednesday 22 December 2010

SOOM COMPANY: Goose's Dream

Date: Friday 7th JAN 2011, 8.00pm
Venue: THE PLACE, Robin Howard Dance Theatre, 17 Duke's Road, London,WC1H 9PY
Tickets & Information: 020 7121 1100
Web: http://www.theplace.org.uk/


 
SOOM (Korean for ‘breath’) is a newly formed company consisting of six dancers, all aged over fifty. Its founder, Yunkyung Song, is a professional dancer (Jasmin Vardimon company), choreographer and therapeutic teacher. Her work integrates the arts with the therapeutic process, much of it inspired by the physicality of older people.

SOOM explores the dreams and unfinished business of its members. Their stories and life experiences provide the starting point, then as the tales of loss, longing and hope fuse with mythology and folklore, they become universal. Using visual metaphor, SOOM’s work uncovers our differing perceptions and the fragility of dreams, expressing Song’s awareness that ‘life is not always the fairytale that we dreamed it would be’.

SOOM’s performers use dance and physical theatre to tell stories with an exciting difference.

Book your tickets now (ticket office 020 7121 1100) for what promises to be an unforgettable, enjoyable and inspiring experience!


Monday 20 December 2010

Crying Fist: 61st Korean Film Night

Date & Time: THURS 23rd December 2010,7:00pm
Venue: The Korean Cultural Centre, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
Title: Crying Fist (2005)
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Genre: Drama
Certification: 12
Running Time: 134mins
Fee: Admission Free, Booking required
Contact: info@kccuk.org.uk / 0207 004 2600


Synopsis
Years ago he was a Olympic Bronze Box Champion now, Tae-shik, finds himself unemployed, hounded by creditors and loan sharks, and out on the street after his wife kicks him out.
At the same time a young Sang-hwan is a troublemaker who ends up behind bars.
Both turn to boxing to put themselves on the straight and narrow with their eyes on the prize of an amateur title.
Sadly only one can win and they both have everything to prove by winning.

This film contains scenes of a violent nature.


Saturday 18 December 2010

Discover Korean Food #46: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "DANG-GUI SUK-JI-HWANG TEA"

Dang-Gui Suk-Ji-Hwang Tea is a Korean herbal tea made from Korean angelica root and Rehmannia glutinosa. Drinking this tea three times a day is good for ladies who suffer from Anaemia. The root of Rehmannia glutinosa is used for herbal medicines; dried one is called Gun-Ji-Hwang while the raw one is called Sang-Ji-Hwang; the alcohol-steamed one is called Suk-Ji-Hwang.
The taste of Rehmannia glutinosa is bitter and it keeps the body warm. Therefore, it is good for Backache, Irregular Menstruation, and Dizziness.

Ingredients
20g Korean angelica root
10g Rehmannia glutinosa
7 cups water
Some honey

Recepie
1. Boil the Korean angelica root and the Rehmannia glutinosa for 7 minutes at high temperature, Leave it for 5 minutes at medium temperature. boil them for 30 minutes at low temperature.
2. Strain them.
3. Add some honey before you drink.

YU-GEUN-PI
An elm is called “Yu” in Chinese; the skin is called “Yu-Pi” and the skin of the root is called “Yu-Geun-Pi". The taste is sweet and it does not contain any poison. Yu-Geun-Pi is used as a herbal tea and it is good for Insomnia, its Diuretic Effect, Tumefaction, and Big Sore.





Thursday 16 December 2010

Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion

Date: current - 6 February 2011
Time: Open daily 11am-8pm (Tue and Wed until 6pm), Thu until 10pm
Venue: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS


Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion is the first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the early 1980s to the present. Curated by the eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume Institute, the exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.
Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on the world fashion scene in the late 20th century and designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto redefined the very basis of fashion. Their works will be shown alongside Kawakubo’s protégé, the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, together with the acclaimed Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara, Fumito Ganryu, Matohu, Akira Naka, Mina Perhonen and Mintdesigns.



Wednesday 15 December 2010

Asiana Holds the Year End Party with a Distinguished Color

Asiana Airlines (President: Young-Doo Yoon), Incheon International Airport Service Sector staff in order to host a meaningful year end party, will be contributing goods to children in destinations that Asiana operates to.

On the 9th of December, 6 of Asiana’s Incheon International Airport Service Sector staff visited the Kdei Run elementary school in Cambodia and donated 586 school bags, variety of school supplies, medicines, and sporting goods to the students.

This event was arranged by the wholehearted interest and voluntary response of the staves of Incheon International Airport Service Sector in which over 333 (From 366) 90% of the staves participated in this event and collected \13,000,000 in donation fee which was spent on purchasing goods for the children.

Asiana’s staff Mr. Seung-Hoon, Lee (Asiana Airlines Incheon International Airport Service Sector) commented“This year end party is a meaningful party just by seeing the happy, moved and warm faces of the Cambodian children when they were presented with the gifts.” “I would like to show and share the video of today’s event with my colleagues back home whom participated but was not able to come.”

In addition, Asiana Airlines will continue and increase the global social contribution event next year to destinations that Asiana operates to. Taking acknowledge of the staves wholehearted interest and voluntary participation in this year’s event, the company plans to fully support these kind of contribution events in the future.

Meanwhile, Asiana Airlines, for the fifth consecutive year, was awarded Best Flight Attendants in the World and Best In-flight Services in the World as well as Best Overall Customer Service- Airlines- Ground/Call center for third consecutive years by Business Traveler Magazine.

Asiana Airlines has excelled in various categories as a result of its continued focus on providing its customers with innovative and unique services, both in the air and on the ground

The awards are given to the airlines that receive the highest cumulative scores in the survey conducted by research institute MRI (Mediamark Research & Intelligence). MRI is the leading provider of consumer research and data from MRI’s survey.

Asiana Airlines cabin magic shows, in-flight make up services, and onboard chef and sommelier service are just some of the exclusive ideas that Asiana has produced and many positive compliments has been received.

Also other new services such as the ‘Pre Mom/Happy Mom Service’ aiding mothers in pregnancy to travel more conveniently and with the motto of ‘a voice that has an expression to deliver fast and precise services’ for the reservations call center services has been highly praised.

The Business Traveler awards ceremony was held on 9th of December, 2010 at the Beverly Hills Sofitel in Los Angeles at 6p.m (local time). Many people in the airline, hotel, and travel industry attended.


Tuesday 14 December 2010

Nam June Paik at Tate Liverpool showcases around ninety works from all phases of his career

Date: 17 December 2010 - 13 March 2011
Vanue: Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4BB


Video artist, performance artist, composer and visionary: Nam June Paik (1932-2006) was one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century. Tate Liverpool, in collaboration with FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) present the first major retrospective since the artist’s death, and the first exhibition of Paik’s work in the UK since 1988.

Nam June Paik at Tate Liverpool showcases around ninety works from all phases of his career, many shown in the UK for the first time, alongside a rich selection of documentary materials from Paik’s performances and early exhibitions.

The exhibition celebrates Paik as the inventor of media art. At a time when television was still a novelty, Paik foresaw the future popularity of this new and exciting medium. Thought provoking works like TV Buddha (1989) explore the clashing cultures of east and west, old and new, while Video Fish (1979 – 1992) considers nature versus the man made featuring both television sets and live fish in aquariums.

With artworks ranging from scores of early music performances and Paik’s involvement in the Fluxus movement to TV works, impressive robot sculptures and large-scale video installations; Tate Liverpool’s exhibition will both entertain and inspire.

The exhibition continues at FACT. Focusing on Paik's innovative use of creative technology, FACT will showcase the major laser installation Laser Cone (1998) for the first time in the UK, along with sixteen single channel video works, including Global Groove 1973 and groundbreaking satellite videos Good Morning Mr Orwell 1984 and Bye Bye Kipling 1986.

Groups of ten or more receive discounted entry to Nam June Paik when booking at least two weeks in advance of their visit. Adult tickets £5, concessions £4. Discounts are available Tuesday to Friday only.

Special introductory talks to this exhibition are available at an additional cost of £5 per person. Family tickets are available from £12


Monday 13 December 2010

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ‘THE GRUDGE’ COMES J-HORROR’S FIRST EVER LIVE-ACTION 3D SHOCKER

Japanese master of horror Takashi Shimizu, the writer-director and overall creative force behind the nerve-shredding and hugely successful ‘Ju-on/The Grudge’ franchise, takes J-Horror into a brand new era with the spooky and mysterious Shock Labyrinth 3D, which comes to DVD in January 2011 and features both the 2D and 3D versions of Shimizu’s latest spine chiller complete with two pairs of 3D glasses.

Directed by Shimizu and based on the world’s largest walk-through ‘haunted house’, The Haunted Hospital attraction situated at the world famous Fuji-Q Highland theme park, Shock Labyrinth 3D is the first Japanese film shot in HD Digital 3D (and J-Horror’s first ever live action 3D movie) and stars some of Japanese cinema’s hottest acting talents, including Ai Maeda (Death Note: The Last Name), Suzuki Matsuo (Robo-Geisha) and Shoichiro Masumoto (Goemon; Ichi; Tokyo Gore Police).

When a small group of young friends spending the day at a theme park near the foot of Mount Fuji sneak into the park’s haunted house attraction after hours, the innocent children’s escapade results in the mysterious disappearance of one of them, Yuki.

On a rainy evening ten years later, Yuki inexplicably reappears, turning up at the apartment of one of the girls who was present when she disappeared. Yuki is soon reunited with her friends but shortly afterwards collapses and the group rushes her to a nearby hospital where they are unable to find anyone to treat their friend. With little option but to wait in the hospital, they begin to look for help but soon find things are not as they seem. As the night wears on, the friends begin to relive the events from a decade ago and soon come face to face with the terrible truth behind Yuki’s disappearance.

With the highly entertaining Shock Labyrinth 3D, Shimizu expertly combines a series of striking 3D visuals with his trademark filmmaking style to create a foreboding atmosphere and sense of unease that permeates the film until its final, alarming revelation.

Shock Labyrinth 3D (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£14.99) by Chelsea Films on 31st January 2011.




Saturday 11 December 2010

20 new works celebrate the talent and imagination of UK’s musical community as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad

PRS for Music Foundation has announced twenty outstanding pieces of new music which will feature centre stage of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad as London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The twenty works commissioned for New Music 20x12 each last 12 minutes and offer a snapshot of the quality and diversity of new music in the UK. Each piece will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and tour the UK – ensuring as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy excellent new music as part of the 2012 celebrations.

The works selected for New Music 20x12 cover a wide range of genres, reflecting the diversity and richness of musical life in the UK - from contemporary classical, folk and opera in Scotland and Northern Ireland to bell ringing, beatboxing, jazz and music for brass band in England and Wales.

Inspired by the dynamism of Olympic and Paralympic sports, the passion of human endeavour so central to the Games, and the once in a lifetime opportunity of creating a musical work which contributes to a global celebration, these commissions are full of the energy, hope and excitement that will emanate from across the Cultural Olympiad and the Games themselves.

The New Music 20x12 commissions were chosen by a judging panel consisting of composer Judith Weir, journalist Kevin Le Gendre, composer and performer Errollyn Wallen MBE, producer Joana Seguro and DJ and musician Rita Ray. The panel was chaired by Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the BBC Proms, who said:
“The panel was impressed by the quality and range of the UK wide applications and reluctantly rejected a number of distinctive project proposals. However, 20x12 means just that and only 20 ideas could be approved for funding. Those selected were considered to be outstanding and represented a range of compositional output by their wide variety of genres and styles. These pieces will form a vibrant and exciting celebration of British composition in 2012 and help to reflect the Olympic and Paralympic values through their creative excellence and inspirational ideas.”

Vanessa Reed, Executive Director of the PRS for Music Foundation, said: “We are delighted that so many talented music creators and organisations were inspired to apply to New Music 20x12, a fantastic initiative that will see the UK’s music community leaving its legacy as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The chosen 20 collaborations offer a snapshot of the UK’s fantastically rich and varied new music scene and we are proud to support their contribution to this unique, international celebration.”

Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said: “The exciting range of these compositions sums up why the UK is a world leader in culture. Not only does London 2012 offer an unprecedented moment to showcase our talent on the world stage, it will also demonstrate the power of collaboration. New partnerships are forming across the UK to deliver programmes such as this, encouraging innovation and engagement, which will leave a lasting legacy long beyond 2012. Congratulations to each of the chosen 20 – I can’t wait to hear what they come up with.”

New Music 20x12 was initiated by Jillian Barker and David Cohen and is delivered by PRS for Music Foundation in partnership with the BBC, LOCOG (the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) and Sound and Music.

New Music 20x12 is generously supported by committed patrons and funders from across the UK including the Arts Councils of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Creative Scotland.

The composers and commissioning organisations chosen for New Music 20x12 are:
Sally Beamish and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment: ‘Spinal Chords’
The Orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment is working with Sally Beamish to create ‘Spinal Chords’, a piece of music set to a text written by Melanie Reid, a columnist for The Times who broke her neck and back following a horse-riding accident earlier this year. The piece will reflect the positive spirit of Melanie and the many other people, including Paralympians, who display such a life-affirming attitude in the face of adversity.

David Bruce and The Opera Group: ‘Fire’The Opera Group and Salisbury International Arts Festival have commissioned David Bruce to create ‘Fire’, an outdoor spectacle of visual and musical fireworks. The celebratory piece is for virtuoso female voice, a fire artist, a trio of horns and a community chorus recruited in each of the three Festivals to which it tours – Salisbury, Brighton and Spitalfields (London).

Aaron Cassidy and EXAUDIEXAUDI, one of Britain’s leading contemporary music ensembles, will be working with Aaron Cassidy to generate new sounds for the human voice by exploring experimental approaches to vocal production. The Olympic idea of pushing the body to physical (and mental, and spiritual) extremes lies at the heart of Cassidy's conception for the new work.

Richard Causton and European Union Youth Orchestra: ‘Twenty-Seven Heavens’
‘Twenty-Seven Heavens’ is a work by Richard Causton that has been commissioned by the European Union Youth Orchestra, which will explore Blake’s Jerusalem where the poet parallels aspects of his mythological world with various districts of London, including areas such as Hackney, Bow and Stratford. The twenty-seven heavens are layers of obscurity that the individual must penetrate to see the vision of Eternity - an idea which has resonance for both the artist and the athlete.

Joe Cutler and Coull String Quartet: ‘Ping!’‘Ping!’ will explore the strong and distinct sounds and rhythms that table tennis players can create. It is a collaboration between composer Joe Cutler, the Coull String Quartet and various table tennis clubs. The piece will create intricate cross-rhythms between table tennis players, a string quartet and a soundtrack.

Graham Fitkin and London Chamber Orchestra Trust: ‘Track to Track’The London Chamber Orchestra is working with composer Graham Fitkin to produce 'Track to Track'. The piece inspired by works like Benjamin Britten and WH Auden's ‘Nightmail’ will celebrate the journey of the Olympic Javelin Train taking passengers from Kings Cross to Stratford and back during the Olympics. The work will be set to a text by poet Glyn Maxwell and composed for ensemble and string orchestra.

Luke Carver Goss and Black Dyke Band: ‘Pure Gold: a 4x3 Relay Race’Composer Luke Carver Goss has been commissioned by the award-winning Black Dyke Band to write ‘Pure Gold: a 4x3 Relay Race’, which will use the structure of a relay race. The piece will be divided into four three minute 'legs': power, speed, losing ground and finally, triumph, to tell the tale of success through team work and sporting pride. Goss will be working with poet Ian McMillan, Yorkshire Youth Brass Band and the Halifax Choral Society.

Gavin Higgins and Rambert Dance Company: ‘What Wild Ecstasy’In 2012, Rambert Dance Company will stage a new ballet to mark the centenary of a piece by Nijinsky, scored by Debussy. Gavin Higgins’, Rambert’s first Music Fellow, has been commissioned to create a new score for ‘What Wild Ectasy’, which will take Debussy’s harmonic palette as a starting point and create a partner to the re-scored original which will provide the musical underpinning of the work.

Emily Howard and Second Movement: ‘Zatopek!’Zatopek! (working title) is a 12 minute chamber opera by Emily Howard and Second Movement for baritone, mezzo, adult and youth chorus and mixed ensemble, inspired by legendary Czech Olympian, long distance runner, statesman, communist and dissenter Emil Zatopek (1922-2000). In 1954 Zatopek set a new world record for the 5000m running the distance in 13:57 minutes. Emily Howard and Second Movement will have just a little less time to celebrate his life and times from the starting pistol of his international breakthrough at the London 1948 Olympics to the final finish line.

Julian Joseph and Hackney Music Development Trust: ‘The Brown Bomber’Julian Joseph and Hackney Music Development Trust have won funding for jazz proposal, ‘The Brown Bomber’, based on the famous boxing battle between American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling in 1938. The piece will bring to life the relationship between the two athletes, who were adversaries in sport, but became great friends despite the ideological opposition that surrounded them.

Liz Liew and Andy Leung and Chinatown Arts Space: ‘XXXY’Chinatown Arts Space has commissioned Liz Liew and Andy Leung, who want to celebrate the contemporary British Chinese multicultural heritage that has shaped them as international composers. The piece ‘XXXY’ is inspired by the competition of life, and will reflect contrasting themes, such as traditional instruments versus experimental electronica.

Anna Meredith and National Youth Orchestra: ‘HandsFree’The National Youth Orchestra is working with composer Anna Meredith to inspire young people nationwide to share their musicianship and creative inventiveness without their instruments - through beatboxing and clapping – in a project called ‘HandsFree’.

Conor Mitchell and NI Opera: ‘Our Day’‘Our Day’ is a new opera set against a backdrop of events in Northern Ireland in 1972, which was one of the bloodiest of the troubles. It was also the year that local girl Mary Peters won a gold medal at the Munich Olympics, an event that briefly unified a country at war with itself. In 2012 it will be 40 years since that win, and composer Conor Mitchell and NI Opera are working on a piece to remember that sense of national pride Northern Ireland had in 1972.

Sheema Mukherjee and The Imagined Village: ‘Bending The Dark’Composer Sheema Mukherjee’s piece ‘Bending The Dark’ will be written from the point of view of a second generation immigrant tracing the path of the Indian diaspora across continents. The new piece will be performed by The Imagined Village, a band that unites some of England's finest traditional musicians alongside leading figures on the UK Asian and alternative electronica music scene.

Aidan O’Rourke and An Tobar, The Tobermory Arts Centre: ‘TAT-1’Fiddler and composer Aidan O’Rourke is working with An Tobar, The Tobermory Arts Centre to create ‘TAT-1’, inspired by the first transatlantic telephone cable which ran from Aidan’s hometown, Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Newfoundland. As the Olympics brings the world closer together, the cable had the same purpose and for many years carried the “Hotline” between Washington and Moscow.

Oliver Searle and Drake Music Scotland: ‘Technophonia’‘Technophonia’ will be written for a new kind of ensemble that brings together cutting edge music interfaces used by Drake Music Scotland, the nation’s leading arts organisation providing music making opportunities for people with disabilities. Oliver Searle's music will inspire the young musicians to combine their individual talents to achieve a unique team performance, which will challenge how the audience defines musical instruments and performing musicians.

Howard Skempton and Central Council of Church Bell Ringers: ‘Wild Bells to a Wild Sky’Howard Skempton will create a new work for eight church bells to mark the Olympic year with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers in partnership with music production company Third Ear, called ‘Wild Bells to a Wild Sky’. Skempton believes that bells proclaim moments of public gathering, of celebration and of important news, providing an ideal medium for New Music 20x12.

Mark-Anthony Turnage and Irene Taylor Trust: ‘Beyond This’Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage is partnering with the Irene Taylor Trust ‘Music in Prisons’ and some new composers, comprising a group of prisoners from HMP Lowdham Grange. Music in Prisons believes in music as a powerful vehicle for change and in enabling prisoners to contribute positively to New Music 20x12, the charity will not only be raising their aspirations, but encouraging a sense of society in them too.

Michael Wolters and Stan’s Cafe: ‘The Voyage’‘The Voyage’ is a collaboration between the composer Michael Wolters and theatre company Stan’s Cafe. The piece is focused on a mythological hero who leaves home, travels overseas to face trials and returns a hero.

Jason Yarde and Wonderbrass: ‘Skip, Dash. Flow’Composer, producer and saxophonist Jason Yarde and community band Wonderbrass, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012, are working on ‘Skip, Dash. Flow’ that will explore new world rhythms.

The New Music 20x12 judging panel are:
Roger Wright took up the post of Controller, BBC Radio 3 in November 1998 and, in October 2007, also became Director of the BBC Proms. The BBC Proms is one of the world's greatest music festivals. Roger also co-ordinates the BBC's classical music output across all BBC platforms.

Judith Weir's interests in narrative, folklore and theatre have found expression in a wide range of musical invention. She is the composer and librettist of a series of operas (King Harald’s Saga, The Black Spider, A Night at the Chinese Opera, The Vanishing Bridegroom and Blond Eckbert) which have been frequently performed over the last thirty years. Folk music from the British Isles and beyond has influenced an extensive series of string and piano compositions. She has regularly worked, in England and India, with storyteller Vayu Naidu; and on collaborations with film director Margaret Williams. She spent some time as resident composer with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and has also written music for the Boston Symphony, BBC Symphony and Minnesota Orchestras.

Kevin Le Gendre is a journalist and broadcaster with a special interest in black music. Deputy editor of Echoes, he contributes to a wide range of publications that include Jazzwise, MusicWeek, Vibrations and The Independent On Sunday and also appears as a commentator and critic on radio programmes such as BBC Radio 3's Jazz On 3 and BBC Radio 4's Front Row.

Errollyn Wallen MBE has been described as the “renaissance woman of contemporary British music” (The Observer). She is respected as a singer-songwriter of pop influenced songs, as well as a composer of contemporary new music. She has been commissioned by outstanding music institutions from the BBC to the Royal Opera House and her work is performed internationally and in outer space – on the NASA mission Atlantis ST-115. Errollyn was awarded an MBE for her services to music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June 2007.

Joana Seguro is an independent producer working in electronic music and new technology, with a growing interest in linking these across other forms and disciplines. In 2001, she set up her own company Lumin, of which she is owner and Director, and throughout has pursued partnerships with some of the major music institutions active in contemporary and electronic music.

Rita Ray is a DJ, musician and African music expert.


Friday 10 December 2010

Replica of Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Peace Prize medal delivered to Chinese Embassy in London

Yesterday, on the eve of Human Rights Day, a giant Nobel Peace Prize medal was delivered to the Chinese Embassy in London, to highlight the continued imprisonment of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, and thousands of other prisoners of conscience across China.

As well as delivering the medal, Chinese, Uighur and Tibetan Solidarity UK (CUTS UK) sent a letter to the Chinese Ambassador, calling on the Chinese government to immediately release Liu Xiaobo, release all prisoners of conscience in China, Tibet and East Turkestan, and to uphold the rights and freedoms of its citizens as guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Fabian Hamilton, MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, added his support to the demands issued by CUTS UK, saying,
“On the eve of Human Rights Day and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony I call upon the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo, a defender of human rights and promoter of democracy, and to release all prisoners of conscience. Over the past 20 years we have seen dramatic changes in China's economic development, much of which has been positive for both China and the rest of the world. Now it is time for the Chinese government to apply the same rigour and effort to improving its human rights record. I support the demands issued today by Chinese, Uighur Tibetan Solidarity UK and I also call on the British government to support processes in China which will bring about real democracy for all the citizens of China and freedoms for the people of China, Tibet and East Turkestan.”

A statement from CUTS UK was read out on the steps of the Chinese Embassy echoing Liu Xiaobo’s call for freedom and democracy in China, and urging the Chinese government to stop violating the human rights of those under its control.
Chinese, Uighur & Tibetan Solidarity UK statementTwo years ago, on 10 December 2008, a brave group of scholars and activists inside the People's Republic of China published Charter 08; a groundbreaking document demanding human rights and democracy. In response, the Chinese government detained, harassed or placed under house arrest the majority of the signatories.

On 10 December 2010, Liu Xiaobo, one of the key authors of Charter 08, will be awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. However, Liu will not receive his award in person as the Chinese government has sentenced him to 11 years imprisonment on charges of “inciting subversion of state power”. Liu Xiaobo’s ‘crime’ was his expression of his opinions and beliefs, freedoms which are guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following the recent release of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, China is now the only country to have a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in detention.

Liu Xiaobo’s incarceration is part of the Chinese government’s wide-scale crackdown on human rights defenders, which has resulted in the arbitrary detention, disappearance and increased surveillance on thousands of dissidents and intellectuals across China, Tibet and East Turkestan.

Currently thousands of prisoners of conscience in the People’s Republic of China face torture and inhumane treatment on a daily basis simply for speaking out against occupation, oppression and human rights violations. Amongst them are Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan film-maker serving a six-year prison sentence for directing a documentary about the realities of life in Tibet; and Nurmemet Yasin, a Uighur writer serving a ten-year prison sentence for a short story that was interpreted as critical of China’s rule.

Thursday 9 December 2010

Discover Korean Food #44: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Insamcha (Ginseng Tea)"

Insamcha is a tea made with tiny ginseng. It has a strong fragrance and taste. Ginseng is a special product of Korea, and is good for physical strength. Certain studies have found saponin in ginseng to have anti-cancer properties. Korean ginseng has been identified with the highest saponin content and the best effects.

[Ingredients & Quantity]
100 g ginseng (fresh wet ginseng)
40 g (10 ea) jujube
1.4 ㎏ (7 cups) water
3.5 g (1 tsp) pine nuts
38 g (2 tbsp) honey

[Preparation]
1. Trim and wash ginseng cleanly, remove the head part.
2. Wipe the jujube with damp cotton cloths.
3. Remove tops of the pine nuts and wipe the nuts with dry cotton cloths.

[Recipe]
1. Put the ginseng, jujube and water into the pot.
2. Heat it up for 7 min. on high heat. When it boils, lower the heat to medium, boil it for another 1 hour.
3. When the ginseng and jujube soaked fully, sieve, add honey and mix well.
4. Put the tea in a teacup, top with pine nuts.

[Recipe]
* More sugar and/or ginseng may be added upon taste.









Wednesday 8 December 2010

The Great Escape (A Borrower’s Tale)

Date: 4- 31 December 2010
Vwnue: Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
Tel: 020 7223 2223
Web:
http://www.bac.org.uk
Organiser: Kazuko Hohki at BAC
Admission: Child £8 (£5 concs), Adults £12 (£8 concs) Tuesdays (11.30am performances) Pay What You Can

This Christmas, explorers aged 6 – 11 are needed to join a secret agency and take part in a special mission.

Using your super sleuth skills, search our building to discover tiny clues for the existence of Borrowers (the small people who live under the floorboards). Will you be successful finding Bob the Borrower and helping him escape the evil clutches of the KBD (Keep Borrowers Down)?

An interactive adventure based on the famous book The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Conceived & Created by Japanese artist Kazuko Hoki. Written & Designed by Kazuko Hoki & Andy Cox.

‘Really really REALLY fun’ Ronelle aged 10

Parents are welcome to leave children for the duration of this fully supervised performance. Relax in our Café over lunch or enjoy a slice of homemade cake, while your children experience this magical show.


Tuesday 7 December 2010

MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN -- THE FANTASTIC CINEMA OF ISHIRO HONDA by Peter H. Brothers

For the first time in America, a book has been published on Japan's foremost director of Fantasy Films: “MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN – The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda” (AuthorHouse, ISBN: 978-1-4490-2771-1).

Known primarily for directing such classic Japanese monster movies as Rodan, Mothra, Attack of the Mushroom People and the original Godzilla, Honda has been a much-overlooked figure in mainstream international cinema.

MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is the first book to cover in English print Honda’s life as well comprehensively evaluates all 25 of his fantasy films. It is also gives objective and critical analysis of Honda's filmmaking methods, themes and relationships with actors and technicians.

Making use of extensive interviews from Honda’s colleagues, as well as a wealth of original source material never before gathered into one volume (including previously-unpublished essays), MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is an affectionate tribute to the most-prolific and influential director in the history of fantasy films.

Monday 6 December 2010

The Directorspective: Akira Kurosawa (Part of Aspects of Japanese Cinema)

Date: 3 - 19 December 2010
Venue: Barbican Cinema, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Tel: 020 7638 8891
E-mail: film@barbican.org.uk
Web: www.barbican.org.uk/film
Organiser: Barbican Cinema
Film tickets: £8.50 online / £10.50 full price; Members £6.50 online / £8.50 full price; Concessions £7.50; Under 15 £5.50 subject to availability

Curated by Japanese film expert Helen McCarthy, the season demonstrates this master film maker’s thrilling artistry and marks the centenary of Kurosawa’s birth on 23 March 1910.

Fri 3 Dec 6pm
Introduced by Helen McCarthy.
Throne Of Blood (Kumonosu jo) 12A
Kurosawa's unforgettable transposition of Macbeth to the ghostly forests and grim castles of medieval Japan in the Age of Warring States..
Japan 1957 Dir. Akira Kurosawa 109 min.

8.45pm
Rashomon 12A
Set in feudal Japan, Kurosawa's master work is a compelling exploration of the nature of truth, as various witnesses present their diverse accounts of a rape and murder in 12th century Kyoto. Presented on a newly restored digital print.
Japan 1950 Dir. Akira Kurosawa 87 min.

Wed 8 Dec , 6pm
Drunken Angel (Yoidore tenshi) PG
A feast of striking imagery this intense and powerful thriller initiated Kurosawa’s rewarding collaboration with actor Toshiro Mifune. Mifune's flashy gangster outfits and the Western dress of the other characters form a stark contrast to Kurosawa's historical dramas.
Japan 1948 Dir. Akira Kurosawa 98 min.

8.30pm
The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin) PG
A light-hearted romp in war-torn feudal Japan. Kurosawa’s first experiment with the Tohoscope widescreen format which was an inspiration for George Lucas’s Star Wars.
Japan 1958 Dir. Akira Kurosawa 139 min

Thu 9 Dec , 7pm
Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) PG
In sixteenth century Japan, a convicted robber with a striking resemblance to a mortally wounded warlord is spared execution in order to impersonate the ruler after his death. This vividly colourful epic uses 5000 extras for the final battle sequence.
Japan 1980 Dir. Akira Kurosawa 181 min.

Sun 19 Dec , 2.30pm
Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) PG
In 16th century feudal Japan seven samurai warriors defend a village from a marauding band of ruthless outlaws. Kurosawa's epic achievement is a cornerstone of world cinema, which again brought Japanese cinema to amazed audiences in the West.


Saturday 4 December 2010

Kiyoko Fukuo’s ‘Concert for the Christmas Season’

Date: 14 December 2010 from 1:15 to 2:00pm
Venue: Bristol Cathedral, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TJ
Tel: (0117) 926 4879
Email: godfreyking316@btinternet.com
Web: www.ajsw.org.uk
Organiser: Anglo-Japanese Society of Wessex
Admission: Free

Kiyoko Fukuo’s ‘Classical Concert for the Christmas Season’
with Kiyoko Fukuo (piano) with Simon Gilliver (flute)
Daniel Davies (Cello) and Emily-Jane Thomas (soprano)

Kiyoko Fukuo’s 2nd Xmas Season Concert organised for the AJSW this year in the beautiful Bristol Cathedral. Kiyoko has shown exceptional ability in organising and choosing musicians to present to a wider public.

Kiyoko started piano lessons at the age of 5 in Japan and then singing lesson at the age of 15 making it her first study. But it was for further piano studies she first came to England in 2001 into Trinity College of Music then to the Guildhall College of Music where she specialized in piano accompaniment bringing her awards and the participation in master classes both for solo piano and accompaniment.

Kiyoko is now a freelance pianist and teacher and a musician held in high esteem by the society.


Friday 3 December 2010

Discover Korean Food #43: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Seolleongtang (Ox-Bone Soup)"

Seolleongtang is a soup made by simmering ox bones, intestines and shank for a long time. The name of the soup comes from a story in which the king held a memorial service at the seonnongdan (an altar) with his officers, and offered an ox as a sacrifice and shared ox bone soup afterwards with the attendants.

[Ingredients & Quantity]
1 kg ox-knee bone, 600 g gristle, 700 g ox-tongue, 5 kg (25 cups) precleaning water
200 g beef (brisket), 200 g beef (shank)
7 kg (35 cups) boiling water
Fragrant seasoning : 30 g green onion, 65 g garlic, 20 g ginger, 50 g onion
Seasonings : 40 g green onion, 8 g (⅔ tbsp) salt, 0.3 g (⅛ tsp) ground black pepper

[Preparation]
1. Wash and clean ox-knee bone, gristle and ox-tongue, soak in water for 5~6 hours to draw out the blood.
2. Wipe blood of brisket and shank with cotton cloths. Wash fragrant seasoning cleanly.
3. Trim and wash vegetables for fragrant seasoning and green onion cleanly. Chop green onion finely.

[Recipe]
1. Pour water in the pot and heat it up for 10 min. on high heat. When it boils, add ox-knee bone, gristle and ox-tongue, and boil it for 5 min. for precleaning, then discard boiling water.
2. Put water, ox-knee bone and gristle in the pot, boil it for 1 hour on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium, simmer it for 5 hours while skim the foam and fats. Add ox-tongue, brisket and shank in the pot, boil for 1 hour. Add the fragrant seasoning, boil for 1 hour, then boil it for another 30 min. after reduce the heat to low.
3. When ox-tongue and beef are well-done, take them out from the broth, cut into 3 cm-wide, 4 cm-long and 0.2 cm-thick. Cool down the broth, skim fats, and boil for 10 min. on high heat.
4. Place the cut beef in a bowl, pour broth and serve with seasonings.

[Recipe]
* Ox-head meat, ox-hooves and/or breast meat may be added.
* Large size onion and radish in the soup may be more tasteful.
* Ground red pepper may be added upon taste.




Thursday 2 December 2010

Year-End Thank You Concert with Pianist Sunwook Kim

Date: Friday 10 December 2010
Time: 7:00-8:00pm (Concert), 8:00-9:30pm (Reception)
Venue: The Korean Cultural Centre UK, Ground Floor, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
RSVP: Closed now due to the popularity

Beethoven Sonata in E major, op.109 / Sonata in c sharp minor, op.27-2
Schubert 4 imprompts D 899

21-year-old Sunwook Kim came to international recognition when he won the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006. The competition’s youngest winner for 40 years, as well as its first Asian winner, his performance for the finals of Brahms’s Concerto No.1 with Mark Elder attracted unanimous praise from the press, and led to concerto engagements with some of the UK’s finest orchestras as well as recitals throughout Europe.
Over the past season he has appeared as concerto soloist in the subscription series of the London Philharmonic (Vassily Sinaisky), Hallé Orchestra (Mark Elder), BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Tadaaki Otaka), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, as well as on tour in Korea with the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin (Janowski), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Myung-Whun Chung), Budapest Festival Orchestra (Ivan Fischer) and the BBC Philharmonic (Gianandrea Noseda).

Recent recital appearances include a highly successful Brussels debut at the Klara Festival, the Beethovenfest Bonn, Klavier-Festival Ruhr and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festspiele in Germany, the Aspen Music Festival in the USA, New York’s International Keyboard Institute, the Duszniki Zdrój International Chopin Festival in Poland as well as the Tongyeong International Music Festival and Kumho Rising Stars Series in Korea.

Future concerto engagements include the Philharmonia Orchestra (Ashkenazy), Hallé Orchestra (Elder), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (M-W Chung), BBC Philharmonic (Noseda), Bournemouth Symphony (Karabits), Tokyo Philharmonic (W-H Chung), Seoul Philharmonic (Mikko Franck) and the KBS Symphony (Hubert Soudant). Highlights among recital appearances include debuts at the Wigmore Hall, London, and the Vancouver Chopin Society.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Imaginary Landscapes: Ji Seon Kim, Gyeong Yoon An and Chinwook Kim

Date: 2 December - 23 December 2010
Venue: ARCH 402 GALLERY,Cremer Street, E2 8HD
Email: gallery@arch402.com
Tel: 020 7043 2027

Ji Seon Kim, Gyeong Yoon An and Chinwook Kim

Paintings drawings and sculptures by three emerging artists on the theme of imaginary landscape. Inspiration for the works comes from nature, architecture and the people inhabiting these spaces and is expressed in the abstract or from structure related to the space. The artists would like to take you on a journey, by use of colour and form, with the hope of evoking an atmosphere personal to the viewer.


The East News