Award Ceremony for the 2008–2009 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize & the Donald Keene
April 24th, 2009
6:00 PM
Award Ceremony for the 2008–2009 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize & the Donald Keene Center Special Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize Winner: Dennis Washburn
Donald Keene Center Special Prize Winner: Peter McMillan
Location: C.V. Starr East Asian Library (300 Kent Hall)
The recipient of the 2008-2009 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature is Dr. Dennis Washburn of Dartmouth College, who will be honored for his skilled translation of The Temple of the Wild Geese and Bamboo Dolls of Echizen, by Tsutomu Mizukami.
The recipient of the Donald Keene Center Special Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature is Dr. Peter McMillan of Kyorin University. Dr. McMillan is being honored for his superb translation of the classical poetry anthology One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each.
* Reservations are required. RSVP by April 17th by email ( dcc2119@columbia.edu ) or by fax (212-854-4019).
The Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI), in conjunction with the Donald Keene Center presents a Japanese film series:
Out of the Ashes: Early Postwar Japanese Movies
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| Film still from PU-SAN 1953 with permission from Toho Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. |
As Japan emerged from the catastrophic wreckage of WWII, many film directors turned to the bleak realities of the postwar to inspire their movies, and audiences flocked to newly-built theaters, hungry for entertainment that spoke to their privations. Ironically, through these stories of poverty, orphaned children, political turmoil and corruption, filmmakers ushered in Japan’s golden age of film. Working with a stylish palette of black humor, irony and compassion, Japanese postwar movies-some of the best of which are featured in this series-unflinchingly stared down a ruined nation and championed the unlikely heroes struggling to resurrect it.
Children of the Beehive (SHIMIZU Hiroshi, 1948)
Tuesday, February 26
6:00 – 8:00PM
Areldge Cinema, Lerner Hall
Alfred Lerner Hall is located at 2920 Broadway (at W. 115th St). Please go to http://www.columbia.edu/about_columbia/map/lerner.html for a concept map.
NO RSVP is necessary for Columbia ID holders. For guests to Columbia, please RSVP to outoftheashes_weai@hotmail.com by February 24 so that we may add your name to the front desk check-in list.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity (FUKASAKU Kinji, 1973)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 6-8 PM
Davis Auditorium, Schapiro Center, 530 W. 120th St. between Broadway and Columbus.
No RSVP necessary.
Doctor’s Day Off (SHIBUYA Minoru, 1952)
Monday, March 31, 2008, 6-8 PM
Arledge Cinema, Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (at W. 115th St).
NO RSVP is necessary for Columbia ID holders. For guests to Columbia, please RSVP to outoftheashes_weai@hotmail.com
Pu San (ICHIKAWA Kon, 1953)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 6-8 PM
Arledge Cinema, Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (at W. 115th St).
NO RSVP is necessary for Columbia ID holders. For guests to Columbia, please RSVP to outoftheashes_weai@hotmail.com
Black River (KOBAYASHI Masaki, 1957)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 6-9 PM (to be followed by panel discussion)
Arledge Cinema, Lerner Hall, 2920 Broadway (at W. 115th St).
NO RSVP is necessary for Columbia ID holders. For guests to Columbia, please RSVP to outoftheashes_weai@hotmail.com .
Donald Keene Center participates in Weatherhead East Asian Institute’s 60th Anniversary Event in Tokyo, Japan
On June 3, 2009, the Donald Keene Center was pleased to take part in a very special event in Tokyo. The day-long symposium, co-sponsored with other Columbia organizations, was entitled “Columbia and Japan: A Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute.” The event drew approximately 200 participants from an array of backgrounds, including Columbia University alumni, politicians, students, and businesspersons. It highlighted the quality and depth of East Asian scholarship at Columbia University and its significant influence on the region and beyond. Similar events were also held in Beijing and Seoul.
At the Tokyo event, the Keene Center took charge of the morning program. One of the highlights was the presentation of the Third Annual Donald Keene Prize for the Promotion of Japanese Culture, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions toward expanding awareness of Japanese culture in the world at large. Mr. Seiji Tsutsumi accepted the award on behalf of one of Japan’s most innovative private-sector foundations, the Saison Foundation, which focuses on promoting the performance arts. Prof. Donald Keene sent a special video message to the Saison Foundation, congratulating it on decades of “bridging the gap between Japan and the rest of the world.”
The award ceremony was followed by a panel entitled “Japan and Columbia: A Bridge to the Future.” Audience members listened attentively as prominent cultural figures such as the novelist and critic Shimada Masahiko and Satô Takanobu, fourth-generation president of the historic publishing house Shinchôsha, debated the complexities of cultural production and intellectual exchange across geographic borders, linguistic boundaries, and difference of genre and medium. Another special guest was Dr. John Carpenter, Associate Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who flew in from London expressly to attend the panel. Dr. Carpenter was the first recipient of a Shinchô Graduate Fellowship.
Hosting the morning session gave the Donald Keene Center an opportunity to focus on achievements by notable individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the promotion of Japanese culture in areas such as literature and the arts. The session also provided a forum to reflect on the past and present of the Columbia-Japan relationship and explore new possibilities for future partnership.
