Just across the street from Aoyama Gakuin University is another university that serves as a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organization, the United Nations University. This unique university is meant to serve as a bridge between the international academic community and the United Nations system.
The UN University frequently hosts public lectures and symposia for the general public on topics of general interest. Recent guest speakers have included the current head of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the former president of the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Find out about future events, which are held on an almost weekly basis, at: http://unu.edu/events.
The Tokyo Vegefood Festa is a food court style event that takes place in Yoyogi Park every autumn. People from all over the world participate in this festival, as vendors and as customers. All the food offered by the 100, or so, stalls is vegan (made from plant-based ingredients only).
There are a wide variety of stalls: those representing macrobiotic cafes; vendors offering organic vegetables, fair trade goods, and environmentally-friendly products; and many selling ready-to-eat vegan and raw food delicacies. In addition to the stalls, the event will feature workshops, stage talk shows, and music. There are opportunities to communicate with people from a variety of countries in a convivial atmosphere. You might also consider volunteering on the day of the event to help it run smoothly.
A unique food-focused film festival is back for the sixth time: the “6th Annual Gohan (Food) Film Festival.” It will be held in Shibuya’s Image Forum Theatre, a stone’s throw from the Aoyama Gakuin University campus, and at various restaurants and cafes throughout Tokyo. See the official website for schedule details.
The 10th UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Refugee Film Festival will take place from the 2nd of October to the 1st of November at the Spiral Building in Aoyama and at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Tokyo. With the advance of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the various conflicts in Africa, and the troubles in the Ukraine all contributing to the problem, the world now has more than 13 million refugees.
Due to these dire circumstances, the UNHCR Refugee Film Festival, which is held in Japan each autumn, is more relevant than ever. The films on the festival’s program include dramas and documentaries dealing with refugees from such diverse countries as Afghanistan, (South) Sudan, Japan, Nigeria, Syria, Jamaica, Columbia, and Kosovo. Some of the films focus on how the refugees adjust to their places of refuge and cope with day to day challenges.
All the films are completely free. This year 10 films will be screened in total. Click HERE for a PDF of the program.
The Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS — or 神田外語大学 in Japanese) will hold its “All Japan Student English Presentation Contest” in October of this year. You can find out details about it at their Web site: http://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/contest/. The grand prize is 1,000,000 yen and the US Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, will make an appearance at the contest to give a short presentation herself. This is an exciting opportunity for you!!!
EVENT: NGO “Not For Sale Japan” (NFSJ) Special Lecture SPEAKERS: Ms. Mariko Yamaoka (Director of “Not For Sale Japan”) and Ms. Kathy Burton-Lewis (Chairperson of the Wesley Center at United Methodist Church) WHEN:June 25th (Thursday), 1:20 PM – 2:50 PM WHERE: Bldg 6, Room 621 AUDIENCE: All are welcome–particularly students in the IE Program
Not For Sale Japan (NFSJ) is the Japan chapter of Not For Sale (NFS), a California-based anti-trafficking agency. Human trafficking includes labor and sex trafficking. According to this NPO, 30 million people are affected by modern slavery of these sorts. NFS (and NFSJ) strive to protect people and communities all over the world by providing a safe and stable environment for those at risk of trafficking or who have been the victims of it; by nurturing life skills and offering job training; and by helping victims find dignified work.
Here are some resources related to “Not For Sale Japan”:
The Tokyo International Players invite you to enjoy their production of the musical “The Secret Garden,” to be performed from May 14th – May 17th at Theater Sun Mall 「シアターサンモール」. There will be six performances in total.
The story is about an 11 year-old girl named Mary who was orphaned in India. Upon returning to Yorkshire to live with her Uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin, she is guided through a healing journey by spirits from her past. The play was the winner of three Tony Awards.
EVENT: “The Secret Garden,” A play based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett WHEN:May 14th – May 17th WHERE: Theater Sun Mall (Click HERE for a map)
The Tokyo International Players (TIP) was founded in 1896. Its members have mainly been made up of talent from the Tokyo foreign community, but Japanese cast members and supporting staff have also played key roles.
The organization, 100% volunteer-run, provides quality English-language entertainment for international audiences. Over its long history, many active members have appeared in professional theatre in Japan and abroad.
TIP is always looking for new on-stage talent, directors, designers, and backstage crew, as well as people to support their various front-of-house, fundraising, and promotional activities. They consider enthusiasm, energy, and a fun-loving nature to be more important than experience.
Earth Day takes place every year on April 22nd. It’s a day that’s been set aside for thinking about the earth and for discussing how the environment can be made cleaner and healthier. It started in the US in 1970 and, eventually, it was adopted as an international day for people to gather together and take steps for improving the environment. In Japan, Earth Day-related events take place near Yoyogi Park and in several other locations around Tokyo and in various parts of Japan.
EVENT: Earth Day Tokyo Weekend WHEN:April 18th (Sat) and 19th (Sun) WHERE: Yoyogi Park (NHK Hiroba)
As many NGOs gather to promote their activities during the Earth Day-related events, this is a good opportunity for you to learn about what NGOs are doing in Japan and around the world. You can see the program of events by clicking on the “EARTH DAY TOKYO 2015 EVENT PAGE.” In past years, there have been activists working to save the dugong in Okinawa, groups fighting for animal rights, advocates of organic farming, and those who deal in fair trade products that give people living in developing countries reasonable payment for the products they produce. The atmosphere is light and there’s always a lot of food, music, and interesting people to meet.
The Black Stripe Threater Company invites you to enjoy their production of the play “God Of Carnage,” to be performed from January 21st – January 25th at OGIKUBO SHOW GEKIJOU 「荻窪小劇場」. There will be six performances in total. Tickets are sold out but a limited number might be obtained at the theatre on the performance day should cancellations arise. The running time of the entire show is approximately 65 minutes. There will be no intermission.
God of Carnage is a play by the French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter Yasmina Reza. It is about two sets of parents–one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park–who meet to discuss the matter in a “civilized manner.” However, the discussion devolves into a spectacle no more civilized than their children’s playground behavior. In 2011 the play appeared as a film adaptation by Roman Polanski and was called simply “Carnage.”
EVENT: “God Of Carnage,” A play by the French playwright Yasmina Reza WHEN:January 21st – January 25th WHERE: OGIKUBO SHOW GEKIJOU (Click HERE for a map)
The Black Stripe Theater is a group of directors, actors, designers, and theater artists producing and performing English language theater in Tokyo. The company aims to present theater of high standard using material by contemporary playwrights. The company includes one of our distinguished faculty members, Rachel Walzer (at the far right in the above photo).
The 9th UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Refugee Film Festival will take place from the 4th to the 19th of October at various venues in Tokyo.
With the advance of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the various conflicts in Africa, and the troubles in the Ukraine all contributing to the problem, more than 51 million people around the world were displaced from their homes through violence by the end of 2013. According to Michael Lindenbauer, a representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, this is “the highest number of people [after] World War II to leave their homes and seek protection elsewhere.”
All the films, which are completely free, will be shown at four different locations in Tokyo: Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Tokyo, Instituto Cervantes de Tokio, Meiji University Izumi Campus Library / Hall, and at Hibiya Park during Global Festa JAPAN 2014.
This year, 13 films will be screened, including the Japan premiere of the Italian film “Border,” a drama about the conflict in Syria. Click HERE for a PDF of the program.
