Embedded Files
Takanawa Gateway
Takeshiba, Tokyo
May 2025
May 2025
May 12: “War Bride: A Bridge Between the US and Japan”
A few days ago, I received an envelope from my high school alumni club. Inside was a leaflet about a documentary film and a stage drama featuring the life story of Keiko Hahn, a senior at our school.
Keiko-san has lived in Ohio, USA, since she married an American soldier after World War II. The film is titled “War Bride: A Bridge Between the US and Japan.” I saw the film on Amazon Prime Video. Due to our historical background, her children faced racial discrimination at school. However, Keiko-san successfully integrated into American society, worked hard to teach Japanese culture to Americans, and was actively engaged in her local community.
Moreover, my neighbor‘s older sister is a good friend of Keiko-san at school. Because of this relationship, my neighbor friend visited Keiko-san’s home in Ohio about fifty or sixty years ago when she was in her twenties. They were featured in a local paper in Ohio wearing a kimono. She showed me a photo of the paper.
The US-Japan relationship has continued to evolve. In the post-WWII era, the USA stood as a model of democracy and capitalism, admired by Japan and other countries. However, the global landscape has shifted, and the USA and Japan face numerous internal and external challenges.
This situation has prompted me to reflect on the past and the current state of the US-Japan relationship.
Ultraman, the iconic Japanese hero
FIRST LAST
by Tomokazu Matsuyama
The exhibition is visually stunning, almost like walking through a collection of picture books. Bright, vibrant colors dominate the scenes, and some of the works remind me of the patterns found on traditional Japanese kimonos. The artist's creations are vivid, contemporary, imaginative, and pop-inspired, yet they incorporate a diverse range of elements from both Japanese and Western cultures, blending modern and traditional influences.
I was particularly drawn to <We The People>, which reinterprets The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David, set against the backdrop of a supermarket. The artist invites visitors to reflect on the social issues faced by modern society.
The exhibition runs until May 11, 2025, at Azabudai Hills Gallery.
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Venue: Azabudai Hills Gallery,
Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A, MB Floor
May 5: Special Exhibition: The Korin, Okyo, and Kiitsu Trio: Masterpieces of Screen Painting at the Nezu Museum is being held until May 11th at the Nezu Museum in Minami Aoyama. This exhibition is an opportunity to experience the National Treasure Irises screens and superb tea utensils Mr. Nezu prepared for a tea gathering in May 1937. This is an annual event at the museum when we can appreciate the Iris Screens and Irises in the garden. We had a good time scrolling around the garden looking at irises by the pond.
NEZU MUSEUM
6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
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