Category Archives: japan & asia

Montbello High School Drumline prepares for their trip to Japan

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The Montbello High School Drumline — an awesome precision drumming group — is traveling to Japan for a once-in-a-lifetime cultural exchange, on the new United 787 Dreamliner’s direct flight between Denver and Tokyo. After performing at the home of U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, the students will travel on to Takayama, Denver’s Sister City, to perform for schools and in a concert hall with a famous taiko drum group.

The Montbello group was invited by Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, who had traveled to Takayama himself when he was a high school student, and who was a principle player in bringing the direct Tokyo flight to Denver International Airport.
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Video: Two giant Japan scholars, Donald Keene & Joyce Lebra, interviewed abt their careers, Japanese culture

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David Wagner, a consultant, trainer and journalist who is originally from Colorado but has lived for years in Japan, had the opportunity to sit down and speak with two giants of Japan scholarship. Dr. Donald Keene and Dr. Joyce Lebra (a professor at the University of Colorado).

It’s a fascinating and far-ranging conversation, starting with both Keene and Lebra’s arrival in post-war Japan and how they came to be such esteemed scholars (and in Lebra’s case, how she became an India expert too). They also cover the 1970 suicide of Japanese author Yukio Mishima (whether it was a political or artistic act), and the explosion in Japanese studies over the decades.

Anyone interested in Japan or Japanese studies should take some time and view this video.

Japanese web star Maru the Cat celebrates 6th birthday with a compilation video

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Not many cats get their own Wikipedia entry, but Maru the Cat does. If you’re a cat hater, Maru may leave you cold. But anyone with a soft spot for furry animals in generals and felines in particular won’t be able to resist grinning over this “best of” collection by Maru’s owner, a woman who remains off-camera and anonymous, under the YouTube username “mugumogu.”

“Maru” means “round” in Japanese, which is appropriate for this fat cat — he’s not enormous, just… round. He has the normal cat’s curiosity, especially for bags, boxes and any other container, even if it’s a tight fit for his girth. The videos are charming not just because he’s cute, but because he’s so slow and deliberate about almost everything he does.

Mugumogu’s YouTube channel for Maru has over 300,000 subscribers and Maru’s videos have been viewed almost 214 million times. That’s some serious kitty quality time.

Watch this compilation, then subscribe to the channel, and join the Maru club.

Japanese ball player Munenori Kawasaki gives inspired post-game interview

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I was nervous that this YouTube clip of a post-game interview with shortstop Munenori Kawasaki would be just an opportunity to make fun of the onetime Japanese baseball star, but I didn’t need to worry. His likable enthusiasm came through in spite of his struggles with English, and his team’s appreciation for the player came through loud and clear when one player stepped aside to allow him to be interviewed, and two others doused him as if they’d just won the World Series.

It wasn’t the championship: Kawasaki had just helped his Toronto Blue Jays win a game in the 9th inning against the Baltimore Orioles by hitting a walk-off double. Although (or maybe because) he had started the season in the Blue Jays’ minor league club (he had been released after one season with the Seattle Mariners).

I hope his Major League career continues to be as bright and happy as this day.
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Late Boulder photographer William Corey’s incredible photos of Japan’s gardens put on display at DIA

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Denver International Airport is preparing for the long-awaited launch of the direct flight between Denver and Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and as part of the hubbub, a Boulder photographer who died in 2008 of cancer will be paid special tribute with his enormous images on display at the airport. The photos will establish a isual — and visceral — connection with Japan for travelers before they even step aboard United flight 139’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet for the 12-hour trek.

The Boulder Daily Camera wrote up a nice piece on Corey. His widow, Reimi Adachi, is a dedicated keeper and promoter of the artists’ work, and pushed for this exhibit.

You can enjoy Corey’s spectacular talent for capturing the beauty and spiritual essence of Japanese gardens on williamcorey.com.