UCLA Film Series: Landscape Theory An encounter between cinema and radical politics in 1960s-70s Japan Curated by Go Hirasawa February 3 – 5, 2015 James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall, UCLA Free and open to the public UCLA GSA Melnitz Movies has partnered with the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies to invite film scholar Go Hirasawa to curate a series on Japanese Landscape Cinema. Filmmaker Masao Adachi is often viewed as the progenitor of Japanese “landscape theory.” Inspired by Marxist film criticism of the 1970s, the theory posits that even the landscape around us is an expression of the...
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Los Angeles County Museum of Art / Film Programs Seven Samurai (1954, 207 min, black and white, 35 mm) Thursday, January 29, 2015, 7:30 pm Bing Theater in the LACMA   Screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni and Shinobu Hashimoto; directed by Akira Kurosawa; with Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Daisuke Kato, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba The film will be followed by a Q&A between film critic Elvis Mitchell and Robert Singer, Japanese art curator of the LACMA. Presented in collaboration with the exhibition Samurai: Japanese Armour from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection, Akira Kurosawa’s 1954...
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The Scripps College Ceramic Annual, the longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics in the United States, will open for its 71st year on Jan. 24, 2015, with works that “hint at the familiar and steer towards the indefinable.” A selection of hybrid works, this exhibition represents both emerging and well-established artists and will feature an illustrated catalog with an essay by art writer Leah Ollman. The Jan. 24 opening will begin with a special lecture from 4 to 5 pm at the Scripps College Humanities Auditorium, followed by an opening reception at the Williamson Gallery from 7 to 9...
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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art will exhibit two shows exploring  the subject of samurai art this fall. In October, LACMA presents the Southern California premiere of “Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Anne and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection,” a major presentation of battle gear worn by samurai from the 12th through the 19th centuries. Examining the evolution of samurai accoutrements through the centuries, this exhibition features more than 140 objects of warrior regalia, including eighteen full suits of armor, elaborate helmets and face guards, and life-size hore-clad armors. The Samurai Collection, one of the most comprehensive private holding of...
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KODO, Japan’s premier drumming ensemble will return to Walt Disney Concert Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 8:00 p.m. with breathtaking physicality in a show featuring classical and modern elements of the taiko art form. Tickets are $46 – $112. Contact ticket office at (323) 850-2000. www.laphil.com This year, KODO will bring “One Earth Tour 2015: Mystery” program directed by Kabuki luminary Tamasaburo Bando to U.S. audiences for the first time. KODO has seen a departure from its traditional costume styles and musical direction since Tamasaburo Bando took the helm as full-time artistic director in 2012. “Mystery” represents a...
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Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture 15770 Tenth Ave, Hanford, CA 93230 Final Exhibition Elegant Pastimes: Masterpieces of Japanese Art from the Clark Collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, 2 p.m. Opening lecture will be conducted by Dr. Andreas Marks, Head, Department of Japanese and Korean Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Reservation required. Tickets for non-members $10. Feb. 10 – Jun. 30, 2015 Elegant Pastimes: Masterpieces of Japanese Art from the Clark Collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts This exhibition was organized under the auspices of the Minneapolis Institute of...
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    USC Pacific Asia Museum Insight: The Path of Bodhidharma The Focus Gallery September 19, 2014 through February 15, 2015   Credited with introducing Chan (Zen in Japanese) Buddhism in China in the 6th century, the Indian monk Bodhidharma (known as Daruma in Japan) has become a well-known subject in Buddhist art, frequently depicted in ways that emphasize his non-East Asian origin and iconoclastic persona. As Chan Buddhism gained popularity, various legends associated with the Chan patriarch evolved and artists began to depict those legends alongside his conventional portraits. He is renowned for deeds such as meditating for...
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Los Angeles County Museum of Art Art of the Samurai: Swords, Paintings, Prints, and Textiles Pavilion for Japanese Art, East Wing and The Helen and Felix Juda Gallery November 1, 2014–March 1, 2015 “Art of the Samurai: Swords, Paintings, Prints, and Textiles,” showcases Japanese swords, samurai robes, battle screens, and woodblock prints depicting legends and battles. This installation in the Pavilion for Japanese Art complements the exhibition “Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection” from Oct. 19 through Feb. 1, 2015 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The East Wing features paintings and textiles...
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The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles will present a first-of-its-kind exhibition in honor of the 40th anniversary of pop icon Hello Kitty, beginning October 11, 2014. Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty will combine a product-based historical and sociological examination of Hello Kitty, including rare and unique pieces from Sanrio’s archives, with an installation of mixed media works by artists demonstrating Hello Kitty’s influence on contemporary art. Christine Yano, author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, will serve as curator for the retrospective component of the exhibition. Jamie Rivadeneira, founder and owner...
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    USC Pacific Asia Museum A New Way Forward: Japanese Hanga of the 20th Century April 25, 2014 through April 19, 2015 Closely tracking with the significant developments in Japanese political and social spheres of the early 20th century, traditional ukiyo-e woodblock prints fell by the wayside in favor of reinvigorated forms of printmaking as a means of artistic expression. The exhibition presents examples of shin hanga (modern or new prints) and sosaku hanga (creative prints) side-by-side to bring their differences and their shared aspects into focus for visitors, as well as distinguishing characteristics from the earlier print forms that originally gained popularity in...
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Setsuko Hayashi Textile Dyeing Class Wednesday, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. St. Francis Xavier Chapel (former Maryknoll) Japanese Catholic Center 222 South Hewitt Street,  Los Angeles, CA 90012  For info, please call 213-880-7725
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Shamisen, voice, kotsuzumi, and taiko classes for adults  Taiko classes for children  Classes are held three times per month at the following locations: Hollywood Japanese Cultural Institute, 3929 Middlebury Street, Los Angeles, CA 90004 Venice Japanese Community Center, 12448 Braddock Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90066 Oxnard Buddhist Temple, 250 South H Street, Oxnard, CA 93030 Contact instructor Kimisen Katada for current schedule: (805) 620-7282   http://fujijapanesemusic.org
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