Takashi Film Series vol.0

Five top experimental filmmakers named Takashi are screening their work at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Tokyo this Sunday.  Takashi Film Series vol.0 will feature works by: 

• Image Forum program director Takashi Sawa (circle him on Google+)
• Takashi Makino, an experimental director who studied with the Quay Brothers after finishing his degree at Nihon University (official website)
• installation artist Takashi Ishida (official website)
• Image Forum co-founder and experimental filmmaker Takashi Nakajima
• legendary experimental filmmaker Takashi Ito (official website)

Order Takashi Ito's Works

Read DVD Review (Midnight Eye)

Programme:

Takuhain (Takashi Sawa, 2000) 16 min., shot on 16mm, screening video version
『特派員』澤隆志　16ミリ（ビデオ版）／16分／2000

Eve (Takashi Makino, 2000) 3 min, shot on 16mm, screening video version, music by Makino
『EVE』牧野貴　16ミリ（ビデオ版）／3分／2004　音楽：牧野貴

Film of the Sea (Umi no Eiga, Takashi Ishida, 2007), 12 min., video
『海の映画』石田尚志　ビデオ／12分／2007

Hōmonsha (Takashi Nakajima, 2010), 15 min., video
『訪問者』中島崇　ビデオ／15分／2010

Kansei (Takashi Nakajima, 2011), 10 min., video
『歓声』中島崇　ビデオ／10分／2011　　

A Sweet Life (Amai Seikatsu, Takashi Itō, 2010), 23 min., video
『甘い生活』伊藤高志　ビデオ／23分／2010
（上映間に作家５人によるトークを随時行います）

Event description at RealTokyo (JP)

Takashi Film Series vol.0
September 4, 2011, 18:00-21:00
Admission ¥1,500

3331 Arts Chiyoda 
6-11-14 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 101-0021
Tel. 03-6803-2441

- 1 min. from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Suehirocho station (Exit 4)
- 3 min. from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Yushima station (Exit 6)
- 6 min. from Toei Oedo Line Ueno-Okachimachi station (Exit A1)
- 7 min. from JR Okachimachi station (Southern Exit)
- 8 min. from JR Akihabara station (Electric City Exit)

Japan in Germany 4: Japan Media Arts Festival Dortmund

The Japan Media Arts Festival has been held annually in Tokyo since 1997.  Sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the festival aims to promote the development of innovative media arts.  They accept entries from all over the world and award prizes in four creative divisions: Art, Animation, Entertainment, and Manga.  Last year they had a total of 2,645 works entered into the competition including 694 from overseas.  Check out their website for their current call for entries.  

Dortmund U is hosting a selection of the best of the Japan Media Arts Festival this fall from September 9th until October 2nd, 2011.  The event has been curated by Stefan Riekeles (Les Jardins des Pilotes, Berlin).  The Exhibition itself will be open daily except for Mondays:

Tuesday - Wednesday 10:00 -18:00

Thursday - Friday 10:00 - 20:00

Saturday - Sunday 11:00-18:00

Featured Artists will include:

Art

HIRAKAWA Norimichi / QUE Houxo, KUROKAWA Ryoichi, KUWAKUBO Ryota, MIYAMOTO Naotaka, ONISHI Yasuaki, SHINTSUBO Kenshu, SHINTSUBO Kenshu / IKEGAMI Takashi, UKAWA Naohiro

Entertainment

FUJIKI Jun / SUZUTA Ken / SUZUKI Tatsuya, HAYASHI Tomohiko / SENBO Kensuke / KOYAMA Tomohiko, MASE Jitsuro / NAGAE Tom, MIYAWAKI Osamu, MIZUGUCHI Tetsuya, NAKAMURA Haruki, UCHIDA Shinya

Manga

AZUMA Kiyohiko, INOUE Takehiko, IWAAKI Hitoshi, YAMADA Yoshihiro, YAMAMOTO Naoki, YOSHINAGA Fumi, Nichimandoku

Animation

ANNO Hideaki, HARA Keiichi, HOSODA Mamoru, ISO Mitsuo, KOIKE Takeshi, MIYAZAKI Hayao, OSHII Mamoru, SHINKAI Makoto, TANIGAWA Nagaru / ISHIHARA Tatsuya, YUASA Masaaki

Concert

sasakure.UK feat. Hatsune Miku, Momoiro Clover Z 

For me, the highlight is of course the animation on offer.  I am planning on going up to Dortmund on the first Sunday of the event to see the Film Talk with Masaaki Yuasa.  He won the Grand Prize in 2010 for The Tatami Galaxy.  He also won the Grand Prize in 2004 for Mind Game and an Excellence Prize in 2008 for Kaiba.  All of these films/TV series will be screening at the Dortmund U event.  I also highly recommend the selection of short films on offer:

JMAF Short Film Special 

Sept. 9 (at the opening event), 24 and Oct. 2nd

ISHIDA Hiroyasu: Fumiko's Confession

ITO Naoki / Frank HAHN: Nike Music Shoe

MASHIMA Riichiro: Ski Jumping Pairs

MIZUGUCHI Tetsuya / TAMAI Kenji: make.believe / Genki Rockets

NAKAMURA Magico u.a.: Hibi No Neiro (Tone of everyday)

OKAMOTO Noriaki: Algol

OKAWARA Ryo: Animal Dance

SAKAMOTO Yusuke: the river

SEKI Kazuaki: arukuaround / sakanaction

TAKAHASHI Nobuo: Musashino Plateau

TAKEUCHI Taijin: a song like a fish

YAMAMURA Koji: A Child's Metaphysics

YKBX: natsu wo matteimashita / amazarashi

Here is the Full Film Program:

Saturday, September 10th

20:00 Redline (Takeshi Koike, 2009)

Sunday, September 11th

16:00 Kaiba (Masaaki Yuasa, 2008, TV series)
18:00 Film talk with special guest: Masaaki Yuasa
20:00 Mind Game (Masaaki Yuasa, 2004)

Thursday, September 15th

20:00 Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (Hideaki Anno/Masayuki/Kazuya Tsurumaki, 2007)

Friday, September 16th

20:00 Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Hideaki Anno/Masayuki/Kazuya Tsurumaki, 2009)

Saturday, September 17th

16:00 Summer Wars (Mamoru Hosoda, 2009)
18:00 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Mamoru Hosoda, 2006)
20:00 The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (Tatsuya Ishihara/Yasuhiro Takemoto, 2010)

Sunday, September 18th

16:00 Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)
18:00-23:00 The Tatami Galaxy (Masaaki Yuasa, 2010, TV series)

Thursday, September 22nd

20:00 Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995)

Saturday, September 24th

16:00 JMAF Short Film Special | 13 Films, 60 min.total
17:00 Den-noh Coil  / CyberCoil (aka  Dennō Koiru, Mitsuo Iso, 2007, TV series)
18:00 Summer Wars (Mamoru Hosoda, 2009)
20:00 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Mamoru Hosoda, 2006)

Sunday, September 25h

16:00 Crayon Shinchan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States (Keiichi Hara, 2002)
18:00 Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone  (Hideaki Anno/Masayuki/Kazuya Tsurumaki, 2007)
20:00 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (Mamoru Oshii, 2004)

Thursday, September 29th

20:00 Buttgereit's Monster Film Selection (TBA)

Friday, September 30th

19:00 Talk with Director Jörg Buttgereit
20:00 Buttgereit's Monster Film Selection (TBA)

Sunday, October 10th
.
16:00 Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)
18:00 JMAF Short Film Special | 13 Films, 60 min.total
20:00 Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Hideaki Anno,  2009)


This blog post is part the Japan in Germany series.

Japan in Germany 3: Nippon Puffed Rice Chocolate Squares

Nippon puffed rice chocolate squares are common sight on the chocolate shelves of German grocery stores and kiosks. Made by the Hosta company in Stimpfach, Schwäbisch Hall, the squares appear to simply be puffed rice covered in chocolate, but the ingredients actually include other grains or grain derivatives.

The squares come in a variety of sizes and occasionally can be found in dark bitter and white chocolate varieties. The official website for Nippon squares does not give any history as to why the product was called “Nippon”.  Perhaps the logic was that the product  contains rice and rice is a staple food in Japan.  It is possible that the snack was inspired by Tochoco’s Rice Chocolate bar. It is featured on the Showa Navi because the product was launched in 1953 – Showa 28 on the Japanese calendar. The Tochoco puffed rice chocolate bar contains a lot more chocolate than the German Nippon square.  Read a product review of the Tochocho Rice Chocolate at Japanese Snack Reviews to learn more.

Although I have not yet tried it the German company Wawi apparently has a competing line of chocolate rice squares which they claim won the award for Best Brand of Puffed-Rice Chocolate in Germany in the Lebensmittel Zeitung (a grocery consumer publication) in March. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it next time I’m at the supermarket. Other similar products include the Australian company Sunrice’s Tumbles.

My children really like Nippon, but they are not really to my taste. I prefer dark chocolate and I had the impression when taste-testing them that they contain quite a lot of vegetable oil and fatty cacao butter as it left my mouth feeling quite greasy afterwards. I recommend taste-testing them with a strong coffee to counteract this.  While looking in vain for historical information about the Nippon squares, I discovered an intriguing recipe using them as the base of a cake.

You can find the rest of the recipe for Nippon Chocolate Cake with Yogurt Cream & Strawberries at lecher.de.  I have worked the cake table at Kindergarten events before and the cakes heavy with cream are always a big hit here in Germany.  I will have to give this one a try the next time we have guests.


This blog post is part of a new series called Japan in Germany.  

© Catherine Munroe Hotes 2011