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The fourth edition of the “Mini don, Grand don” event was held over three days from the 9th to the 11th of March at the Galerie Marais Ouest in the heart of Paris. The three organisers kindly allowed us to join the volunteer workers and give them a hand on one evening. Part of the collected funds were given to Japonaide, and directly sent to the NPO Kisyn no Kai to help with the completion of the “House for everyone” project in Rikuzentakata.

The idea behind “Mini don, Grand don” is to introduce people in Paris with Japanese culture, but it is also a great opportunity to discover the artists who volunteer for the occasion. For the fourth edition, the chosen theme for the event was the word “Party”. The three days were packed full with cultural animations : concerts, rakugo, kamishibai (picture theatre), a drawing exposition,…and passers-by were also able to enjoy some japanese food or take a look at the car boot sale.

The organisers had several goals in mind while preparing the festival : sending a message from Paris to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, for whom the word “party” seemed to have lost its meaning, and also collecting the financial support needed for the reconstruction of the country. With over 400 people gathering around those ideals, and close to 70 volunteer workers, “Mini don, Grand don” managed to remain for its fourth edition a genuinely warm and welcoming event, and more than anything a beautiful demonstration of the friendship between France and Japan.

During the event 2825 euros were gathered for the “House for everyone” project, as well as 59 euros collected from the japonaide charity box. The total will be sent to Kisyn no Kai for the completion of the project in Rikuzentakata.We would like to thank the three organisers one more time : Minako, Elodie and Kumi, as well as all the volunteer workers and passers-by who joined in the festivities.

Discover and have a taste of our fine Japanese products

In March the La Maison du Whisky will be participating in the general effort to bring relief to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the north-eastern coast of japan last year. In order to collect funds for those in Japan who have been living in precarious conditions up to this day, the « Maison du Whisky » will be presenting and organising events on the theme of Japanese products all throughout the month.
5% of the benefits made on Japanese products during the month will be sent directly to Japan and help funding the reconstruction of the country.

“Japanese Saturdays”

Those who wish to come will be able to discover (or rediscover) the large variety of japanese products we have to offer, with a series of free tasting sessions organised every saturday throughout the month of March. Each session will be centered around a different type of product, thus presenting you with the al the originality and singularity the country has to offer. Come meet us at the – LMDW Fine Spirits – store (Odeon station) every Saturday of the month of March from 12:00 am to 7:30 pm

DATE : Saturday March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st
OPENING HOURSE : from 12:00am to 7:30pm
PLACE : LMDW Fine Spirits
ADDRESS : 6 carrefour de l’Odéon 75006 Paris

March 3rd : Awamori & Shochu
- Kuroki Honten (Miyazaki-ken)
- Yonaguni (Sakimoto Shuzo, Okinawa)

March 10th : Nihonshu Sake
- Kamoshibito Kuheiji (Banjo Jozo, Aichi-ken)
- Dassai (Asahi Shuzo, Yamaguchi-ken)
- Denshu (Nishida Shuzo, Aomori-ken)
- Kawasemi (Koshi no Hana Shuzo, Niigata-ken)

March 17th : Nikka Whiskies
- Nikka Whisky

March 24th : Liqueurs de fruits
- Ume no Yado (Nara-ken)
- Asahara Shuzo (Saitama-ken)
- Choya (Wakayama-ken)

March 31st : Rhums
- Ogasawara (Ogasawara)
- Cor Cor (Grace Rum, Okinawa)

The Exposition of Wall Newspapers by the Isinomaki hibi shimbun dairy paper

Photos: Eric Rechsteiner

PLACE : Guimet Museum – Panthéon bouddhique
ADDRESSE : 19 avenue d’Iéna 75016 / M° Iéna
DATE : Saturday 10 March-Sunday 15 April
TIME : Every day from 9:45 to 17:45 except for Tuesdays
ADMISSION FREE
www.expoishinomaki.com

By March 2012, it will be a year from a disaster that stroked the northeast side of Japan. It will be a moment for all who are related to commemorating the event.
Guimet museum holds at this occasion an exhibition of wall newspapers which were prepared by the dairy Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun, the principal paper at Ishinomaki which lost more than 3000 inhabitants by the tsunami.
There will be also documentary pictures taken by a French photographer in Japan to describe the circumstances where the reporters of this local paper accomplished their duties.

” The background of making the wall newspaper “

Immediately after the earthquake on March 11th, Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun was also a victim of the tsunami. Having lost their rotary press, they did not resign themselves to undertake their roles to mediate the information. Every team gathered day after day and made the hand-made wall newspapers which were put up in the evacuation areas and areas which suffered only slightly to assure the access to the latest and trustful news.
The initiative of Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun made itself widely known in Japan and aroused a great deal of controversy about the ideal method of the press in emergency.

” The wall newspaper and after… “

・ May 2011: Exposition in Museum of News & Journalism in Washington D.C. (permanent preservation)
・September 2011: Awarded the special prize by The International Press Institute
・October 2011: Awarded the 56th prize of Kikuchi Kan

Organizer : Guimet Museum
Coorganizer : ZOOM Japan / Espace Japan
Sponsor : Christophe Monteiro (COIFF1RST Paris le marais salon privé)
Rotary Club international Strasbourg Sud
Partner : Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun / Yamato Transport Europe B.V. / KIRIN / FOODEX MAGENTA COLOR / CYZARO / Yukie Uno-Nollet / Masako Saeki-Calbardure / JAPONAIDE / OVNI

MINI DON-GRAND DON Volume 4: MATSURI (Festival)

One year from the earthquake. ‘Mini Don Grand Don’, a group of creators from all over the world presenting under the theme of ‘Things across in your mind’, holds the fourth event under the theme of ‘MATSURI-festival-’ in Marais district, Paris.

 
DATE: from Friday 9th March to Sunday 11th March 2012
TIME:
9th March 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
10th March 10:30 am to 11:00 pm
11th March 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
PLACE: Galerie Marais Ouest 12
ADRESSE: 12, rue de Montmorency, 75003, Paris France

 
Total amount of proceeds through this event will be sent to SCHOP-DAN, a NPO providing help to the victims in the damaged area hit by Tsunami with removing debris, and to ‘Home for everyone’ project supported by JAPONAIDE.

OPENING EVENT
EXHIBITION OF ILLUSTRATION & ELECTRIC MUSIC NIGHT

Friday 9th March from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

6:00 pm
-OPENING PARTY

Thomas Bouveret
Izumi idoia
Antoine Bertrand
Ai Akiyama
etc..

From 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
- Electric Music Night 5 €

Xtronik (Live)
GNG (Live)
DJ Frank Bimbo Tower (DJ)
Marius (DJ)

MINI DON MATSURI (Festival)

Saturday 10th March from 10:30 am to 11:00 pm

10:30 am
- Japanese Brunch

11:30 am & 2:00 pm
- Kamishibai spectacle(for kids) with saxophone 3 €/ 5 €

4:00 pm
- Rakugo theater with Shamisen in French with Cie Balabolka 3 €/ 5 €

All day :
- EXHIBITION OF ILLUSTRATION
- Japanese food stand (takoyaki, choco banana, minidon, yakisoba, etc)
- Japanese book stand
- Japanese candy store (dagashi)
- Local products market from Tohoku

from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Electric Music Night 5 €
Cloudberry (Live)
HYPO & EDH (Live)
Kumisolo (DJ Karaoké) + Shun from Danger Money (DJ)

PRAYER DAY & CANDLE NIGHT

Sunday 11 March from 3:00pm to 6:00pm

3:00 pm
- Recitation for children by Eriko NAKAMURA (sur réservation : http://www.chocolatmag.com/)

4:00 pm
- Snack and Drink Bar

6:00 pm
- Candle night, a walk in Paris, holding candles to commemorate the tragedy

All day:
- EXHIBITION OF ILLUSTRATION
- Japanese food stand (takoyaki, choco banana, minidon, yakisoba, etc)
- Japanese book stand
- Japanese candy store (dagashi)
- Local products market from Tohoku

Organised by japanese volunteers residing in Paris, and their representant Kenzo TAKADA

We address this message to Japanese people all around the world, and to all those who kindly worked with us towards the reconstruction of our country.
One year has passed now, since that terrible day. Let us remember and pray together for those who died in the earthquake and for the repose of their souls. Let us pray together for Japan’s future.

Friday 03/09   Notre-Dame Cathedral

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article1313

Sunday 03/11   Trocadero Square

One year ago, at precisely 2:46 pm and 18 seconds ( 6.46 am Paris time ) , the first earthquake
of a long series hit the north-eastern coast of Japan. Together one year later, at the exact same moment, we will observe a minute of silence to honour the victims.

For reasons of security please refrain from bringing candles to the gathering.

We hope that you will be many to answer our call and give your support to the project !

One year ago, on March 11th, the North-Eastern coast of Japan was struck by a terrible earthquake, followed a few minutes later by a tsunami that laid waste to cities and villages in the whole region. Many buildings were destroyed and many people died in the event.In the aftermaths of the catastrophe, and before the reconstruction of the cities could be properly planned, priority had to be given to providing temporary lodgings for those who had lost their houses. However people soon felt the need for a warm and welcoming place where they could find some comfort and discuss their plans for the future. In an effort to alleviate the victims’ sufferings, architect Ito Toyo set out to build the first Home for Everyone (Minna no Ie) with the support of the Kumamoto prefecture. The house was inaugurated in the fall of 2011.
 
Another such Home for Everyone is to be built in Rikuzentakata, for which Ito Toyo required the assistance of several young architects such as Inui Kumiko, Fujimoto Sou and Hirata Akihisa. Ideally, new homes should be built everywhere near temporary lodging areas.
 
Kishin no Kai is the association in charge of the Rikuzentakata project, and was founded by Ito Toyo and other famous japanese architects, including Yamamoto Riken, Naito Hiroshi, Kuma Kengo and Sejima Kazuyo. Now they need our help for the project to be succesful.
 
Zoom Japon has decided to participate to the fund raising campaign, and appeals to all its readers, hoping to gather the 50000 euros needed for the completion of the Rikuzentakata Home for Everyone.
 
 
The funds will be collected by association Japonaide, and transferred entirely to Kisyn no Kai for the construction of the Rikuzentakata common house.
 
For those who wish to participate, please send a cheque adressed to ASS JAPONAIDE at
Zoom Japon
Opération Maison pour tous
12 rue de Nancy 75010 Paris
 

11.3.11 One year after

“What can be done in the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake?” in order to answer to this question, we set out to organize a charity concert on April 10th, 2011 at the UNESCO’s Room I. 114 musicians, all living in Paris or its surroundings helped raise a total sum of 21354.93 euros, all of which was sent to the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in JAPAN. One year after the earthquake, our wish is to organize a second charity concert in memory of the victims, with the help of an orchestra –composed almost exclusively of voluntary professional musicians – and the Super Kids Orchestra, all performing under the direction of renowned conductor Yutaka Sado. The goal of this one-year anniversary concert will be to raise new funds for the earthquake’s victims, and send a message of gratitude from Japan to the rest of the world, as well as the solidarity between the musicians from all around the world.

Date : On March 11th 2012 on Sunday Photo exhibition at 14:00, Concert starts at 15:00
Place : Maison de l’UNESCO salle I
Address : 125, avenue de Suffren, 75007 Paris (Métro : Ségur)

Ticket fee： 30 euros , 20 euros (student)
*The total amount of the ticket sales will be sent to “UNESCO Association Scholarship for 3.11 Disaster Stricken Children and Students” programe and Ishinomaki Meiyukan, an evacuation shelter run by volunteer stuffs in Miyagi.
Tickets are now on sale at Fnac.
Please purchase the ticket in advance. No ticket sales on the day of concert.

*Concert reserved for person of over 7 years old.

Concert official site

Program

• 1st part
  The Super Kids Orchestra
  • J.S. Bach – Air sur la Corde de Sol
  • Frédéric Chopin : Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 11 2nd movement Romance – Larghetto
    Soliste : TSUJII Nobuyuki
  • etc.
• 2nd part
  1. Ludwig van Beethoven – Egmont Overture, Op. 84
  2. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
     Soliste：Ryosuke Suho
  3. Maurice Ravel – Boléro
  4. FURUSATO(Pays Natal)

Yutaka Sado

Born in Kyoto, Japan and having studied with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Sado captured world attention by receiving the first prize at the International Conducting Competition in Besançon in 1989. Sado assisted late Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas and the London Symphony Orchestra in 1990 to inaugurate Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan where he has served as resident conductor and later as guest conductor. Having served as Principal Conductor of the Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux, Paris from 1993 to 2010, Sado has been guest conducting major orchestras throughout Europe including Berlin Philharmonic, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Gewabdhausorchester Leipzig, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande . In 2005 Sado has been appointed as Artistic Director for Hyogo Performing Arts Center and its resident orchestra in Nishinomiya.

Kanako Abe

After having obtained the diploma in composition in Tokyo and then 7 prizes at Paris Conservatoire, Kanako Abe begins her career as a pianist.Her recording of piano works
by Toru Takemitsu(2002) was particularly welcomed by critics.
From 2003 she is regularly invited to conduct the contemporary works performed by the Ensemble L’Itinéraire,Smash Ensemble,(Spain), Festival Biennale de Venise(Italia).
In 2005 she founded with the composer Yann Robin the french Ensemble Multilatérale, a chamber orchestra for contemporary music where she is currently music director.
She has already made more than 80 world premieres. Her discography includes three CDs monographic Régis Campo and a disc/DVD monographic Colin Roche.While attending to her aesthetic interest to different style of symphonic music, she conducts the Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre National de Lorraine, AmorPhilharmonic Orchestra(Korea) at Cairo Opera(Egypt), Soul Art Center(Korea), Arsenal de Metz, Rhin National Opera(Strasbourg), Zürich Opera House(Swiss).
She was an assistant conductor at the Montpellier National Opera and has worked with many conductors and stage directors as Jerzy Semkow, Lawrence Foster, René
Koering, Jean-Paul Scarpitta, Moshe Leiser.
in April 2011, she organized and conducted at UNESCO a charity concert for the victims of Earthquake and Tsunami in Tôhoku, sponsored by Japanese Embassy.

Nobuyuki Tsujii

Blind since birth, Nobuyuki TSUJII believes that “there are no barriers in the field of music.” At the age of 10, he made noted debut with Century Orchestra, Osaka. In 2005, at the age of 16, he was presented the Critic’s Award at the 15th International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. In 2009, he won the Gold Medal at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Since winning the competition, he has appeared such as with the BBC Philharmonic, the Aspen Music Festival, etc. Highlights of the 2011/12 season include his London debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy, and a solo recital in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. Now 23,he has appeared as soloist with all the major Japanese orchestras and worked with conductors including Eliahu Inbal and Yutaka Sado. Nobuyuki Tsujii has made a number of recordings for avex-CLASSICS, Tokyo.
Official Site http://www.nobupiano1988.com/

Ryosuke Suho

Ryosuke Suho, born in 1995, began learning the violin at age 7. In 2008, while in his first high school year, he won 3rd place at Japan’s national music student competition. He then joined the Kyoto Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of Naoto OTOMO.
2009: won the 1st Prize and the Virtuoso Award at the Kulturstiftung Hohenlohe’s International Competition for Violin, as well as the EMCY, a European award for young classical instrumentalists.
2010: won the 1st Prize and the General Sponsor Award at the Moscow International David Oistrakh Violin Competition.
Selected by the association Young Prague – The International Music Festival, he joined the Prague Chamber Orchestra Without Conductor.
2011: 1st Prize and Audience Award at the Tokyo Music Competition.
He is currently a 1st-year scholarship student at the Tokyo College of Music.

The Super Kids Orchestra

In 2003, the cultural centre of the town of Hyogo had the idea of setting up a string orchestra with children of primary and secondary school age. The centre’s artistic director Mr Yutaka Sado is also the orchestra’s conductor.
Every year, young musicians from all over Japan audition. Those who are selected practice regularly, take part in summer schools and perform at concerts, always under the direction of Mr Sado.
For the conductor, it is not just technique that is important, but also sharing the joy of performing music with the children.
In August 2011, Mr Sado organised a concert on Negishi beach in Kamaishi, a town that was completely destroyed by the Tsunami of 11 March 2011.
Mr Sado’s goal is for the Super Kids Orchestra to gain international renown. This concert in France will be the orchestra’s first outside Japan.

JAPONAIDE Orchestra

JAPONAIDE Orchestra is composed by volunteer musicians reside in Paris and Il-de-France region. The “Comité des Concerts de Charité pour les Sinistres du seisme au Japon à Paris” (CSJP) was founded two days after the earthquake hit Tohoku on 11th of March 2011, by the students of the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMD). CSJP soon posted comments on Facebook for a classic concert, more than 100 musicians from not only France but also other countries of Europe contacted CSJP back to participate the concert. The orchestra was named “JAPONAIDE Orchestra” after the charity association based in Paris, which was created also two days after the tragedy to support the victims. On the occasion of the charity concert at UNESCO on the 10th April 2011, JAPONAIDE Orchestra played Dvorak’s symphony No.9 of his New World, Ravel’s piano concerto with the new star pianist Mami Hagiwara under Kanako Abe’s direction who was also the representative of CSJP.

This year on the 11th of March, JAPONAIDE Orchestra is renewed its members and mainly composed by volunteer musicians from l’Orchestre National de France, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, l’Orchestre de Paris, l’Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris, l’Orchestre Lamoureux, l’Ensemble orchestral de Paris and students of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris.

JAPONAIDE Chorus

JAPONAIDE Chorus was founded by volunteer vocalists including those who of the Radio France chorus. They performed at the charity concert at UNESCO on April 10, 2011 for the disaster victims of the earthquake in Japan. In the concert, “Sakura – cherry blossom” and “Furusato – home country” lead by JAPONAIDE Chorus were sung along with the audiences. The thought to the stricken area filled and echoed the music hall.

Co-organizer : Comité du 3.11 Memorial Concert at UNESCO, Association internationale du personnel de l’UNESCO (AIPU/ISAU), Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, JAPONAIDE
Sponsor : Délégation permanente du Japon auprès de l’UNESCO, Ambassade du Japon en France
Partner : JAPAN AIRLINES, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Fondation Franco-Japonaise Sasakawa, avex-CLASSICS, Tokyo College of Music, Conservatoire Paris, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Canon France, La Maison franco-japonaise, Shimizu Octo Inc., Labo Love Japon, Paris Komatchi

Photo exhibition – Tohoku : Tohoku Photo Exhibition Executive Committee, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, The Kahoku Shimpo, Canon France, Shimizu Octo Inc.,

Date: From 14 February to 28 February
Opening: 14 February at 8H00 pm
Place: Le Bougnat
Address: 28 rue saintonge Paris 75003

PARIS JE T’AIME?

An art series exhibition titled ” PARIS JE T’AIME ” start from February 14 in north Marais.

About the art series exhibition

Can we create the places of encounter get across to hearts in big cities? Is the art able not only to touch our heart but also to bring closer us? Are the artists factors of the urban life? Is Paris like a town of lovers drawn on a movie?

« PARIS JE T’AIME » is an artistic exposition in several stages that will be held in north marais from 14 February until 28 February. The exhibition is more than a limit of conventional galleries and familiar to the resident of Paris is performed.

Participating artists present the idea for love and it appeal to the heart of those who visited. The artists bring to share their vision of the love, a romantic place for lovers, an opportunity for meeting people. The love, the passion, the curiosity will be able to combine the wonderful meetings with the art.

« Quel est donc ce lien entre nous cette chose indéfinissable ? Où vont ces destins qui se nouent pour nous rendre inséparables? » Feist (the film « Paris je t’aime »)
- What is this sense not to be able to express through the words? Where do these destinies bound together continue ? -

Particulars Information

A heart mark appears in the street of North Marais area to the exhibition hall at the time of an event holding start. Shops and galleries, the participation from the Paris community spaces during a holding period will be big welcome.

PARIS + JAPON = PARIS JE T’AIME 2

« Paris je t’aime » becomes as the 2nd year of holding gives a thought to the earthquake disaster on March 11, 2011. This theme of « Paris je t’aime 2 » executive committee which has introduced the various photographs, images, graphics and illustrations, is Japan. Three Japanese artists open a Parisian’s hearts.

More info : www.facebook.com/pages/Paris-je-taime-parcours-artistique-en-forme-de-coeur/120978844637251