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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

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