FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 2004 CONTACT: Dawn Singh 857-544-0739

Ondekoza, Agatsuma, Bamboo Orchestra The Music of WA: Essence of Japanese Harmony

Presented by the Japan Society of Boston

The Japan Society of Boston will present a special concert by shamisen master, Hiromitsu Agatsuma, the Ondekoza drummers and the Bamboo Orchestra on Saturday, April 17 at 7 pm, at the Copley Theatre, 225 Clarendon Street in downtown Boston. Tickets are $40 ($30 Japan Society members, $20 children and students with ID) and may be purchased by calling the Japan Society of Boston at 617-451-0726.

Hiromitsu Agatsuma has been instrumental in creating a contemporary audience for the three-stringed tsugaru shamisen, a banjo-like, long-necked, fretless instrument (sometimes referred to as the "Japanese guitar") through his interpretations of rock, funk, jazz, techno, urban and Latin influences. A superstar in his native country of Japan, Agastuma has performed with jazz bassist, Marcus Miller, legendary guitarist, Larry Coryell and, appeared in February with jazz pianist and composer, David Benoit, and the Asia America Symphony.

Appearing on stage with Agatsuma will be the highly energized Ondekoza drummers from Japan. This unique group debuted at the Boston Marathon in 1975. After crossing the finish line they immediately jumped onstage for a drum performance! In the early 1990[base ']s, Ondekoza ran the perimeter of the United States, some 9,500 miles in 1,071 days and performed in 335 cities while wearing out 121 pairs of shoes. They performed at Carnegie Hall in 1990 and 1993. In 2002 they were invited to perform at the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer Paris Collection and, on the suggestion of designer, John Galliano, collaborated on a house mix with DJ Jeremy Healy for the performance.

The Bamboo Orchestra, led by Makato Yabuki, plays a unique palette of more than twenty bamboo instruments of Japan and Asia. Based in Tokyo and Marseille, France, the Orchestra has performed extensively in Japan, including the Ministry of Culture Asia Arts Festival, World Ceramic Exposition in Saga and Japan Expo in Fukushima. They perform throughout France and in 1998 they participated in the 5th World Bamboo Conference in Costa Rica. They approach music through an elemental vision of harmony and co-existence between people and nature, a characteristic feature of Japanese culture.

This event is part of the Japan Society of Boston[base ']s Centennial Celebration which kicked off January 1 and will continue through 2005 with dozens of special programs including Kabuki Theatre at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, the 150th anniversary of the origins of the US-Japan Relationship at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, with exhibitions of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Children[base ']s Museum and Peabody Essex Museum, conferences and presentations at Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley and MIT, film retrospectives, sporting events and many more explorations of Japanese culture. For more information, visit www.us-japan.org/boston.

The Japan Society of Boston is a tax-exempt American organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, benefit and enjoyment. As the oldest Japan Society in the United States, it serves as a bridge for a network of individuals, cultural and academic institutions and business and financial firms that are linked together by a strong interest in Japan as well as a shared recognition of the importance of the US-Japan relationship.

For more information on The Music of WA: Essence of Japanese Harmony and the Japan Society of Boston, contact Dawn Singh at 857-544-0739 or dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 3, 2004 CONTACT: DAWN SINGH 857-544-0739

Japanese Filmmaker, Yasujiro Ozu, Subject of Major Film Retrospective Opening Night Introduction by Author, Susan Sontag

The Harvard Film Archive, the Japan Society of Boston and the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University will present a comprehensive retrospective of the work of master Japanese film director, Yasujiro Ozu, beginning April 2 and continuing through May 11. More than thirty films, many shown here for the first time, cover the director[base ']s expansive career from 1929 through 1962 including his best known masterpieces, Tokyo Story and Late Spring. His early film, A Straightforward Boy, (1929) will be introduced on opening night by noted author, Susan Sontag (a long-time admirer of Ozu films) and will be followed by a screening of his classic 1953 film, Tokyo Story. The program is one of dozens of traditional and contemporary cultural events that will be presented in 2004-2005 to celebrate the Japan Society of Boston[base ']s Centennial Celebration. The British Film Institute heralded Ozu "one of the greatest artists of the 20th century in any medium and in any country." The filmmaker[base ']s work spans many genres of film including crime, film noir, drama, comedy and his unique interpretation of Hollywood[base ']s silent films. Ozu[base ']s elegant portrayal of every-day life is presented on screen with a depth of emotion and richness that has been referred to as "transcendental minimalism." The daily issues of family responsibility, marital relationships, work, school and friendships provided the theme for many of Ozu[base ']s films, and were often underscored with social commentary. Ozu[base ']s silent film, I Was Born But[sigma]. (April 24) will be "narrated" by Midori Sawato, a contemporary benshi. Benshi were the voice of silent films in Japan and were stars in their own right. Ms. Sawato has been instrumental in reviving the tradition for audiences in Japan for silent films from Europe, Asia and the US. The Ozu Film Retrospective will conclude on May 11 with the screening of Ozu[base ']s last film, An Autumn Afternoon, and an introduction by contemporary Japanese director, Masahiro Shinoda, best known for his film, Double Suicide (1969), which will be shown May 14. Shinoda[base ']s most recent production, Spy Sorge, will be presented on May 16 with an introduction by the director. Additional support for the Ozu Retrospective was provided by Shochiku Company, Ltd., a leading film production company in Japan, the Japan Foundation, the Freeman Foundation, the Cinematheque Ontario and the Pacific Film Archive. The Ozu Retrospective will also be presented in Washington, D.C., New York, NY, and Berkeley, CA. Advance tickets to opening night with Susan Sontag on April 2 and to the live benshi performance by Midori Sawato on April 24 are $15 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors and are available at the Harvard Box office at 617-496-2222 from 12 noon-6 pm daily. Tickets to all other events are available at the Harvard Film Archive 30 minutes before show time. The Harvard Film Archive is located at Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. For more information, call 617-495-4700 or visit www.harvardfilmarchive.org. The Japan Society[base ']s Centennial Celebration kicked off on January 1 and will continue through 2005 with dozens of special programs including Kabuki Theatre at the Emerson Majestic Theatre, exhibitions of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Children[base ']s Museum and Peabody Essex Museum, conferences and presentations at Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley and MIT, film retrospectives, sporting events and many more explorations of Japanese culture. For more information, visit www.us-japan.org/boston. The Japan Society of Boston is a tax-exempt American organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, benefit and enjoyment. As the oldest Japan Society in the United States, it serves as a bridge for a network of individuals, cultural and academic institutions and business and financial firms that are linked together by a strong interest in Japan and a shared recognition of the importance of the US-Japan relationship. A complete listing of films, descriptions, dates, credits and photos of Yasujiro Ozu, Susan Sontag and movie stills are available. For more information, contact Dawn Singh, 857-544-0739 or dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com.
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