Give this a listen. The 17-minute version is sugoi (great);
there's a 4 minute version on you tube as well.
"Genpatsu Zetai Hantai!!"
(I'll try to post some translated portions of the song later...)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
JAPAN CAR TALK
The other day on my way to work I found myself driving
behind a limo. It got me thinking about cars in Japan in
general. The limo, a dark Century sedan with white lace
headrests and lace curtains and a uniformed chauffeur
behind the wheel wearing white gloves and cap, had a
V.I.P. sitting in the back. Who he was I don’t know,
but I ended up tailgating him most of the way to the
university, before his limo veered off onto a busy highway.
I’ve been tooling around on Japan’s roads in my economical
(and proud of it) Honda Fit (in Europe, known as Jazz) for
the last five years or so, and before that in a Honda Concerto,
both blue in color. One seldom sees brightly colored cars on
Japan’s roadways—they’re mostly black, grey, silver or
white compacts, the occasional sedan, and the ever ubiquitous
4WDs that, despite the narrowness of the roads, compete for
space in an already crowded, mountainous island nation.
In addition to the cars, commercial trucks, sightseeing buses
with stoic drivers and their standing, long-suffering female
assistants, and black taxis with white-gloved drivers offer
the fairly predictable mix on the roads that I drive, the
occasional ostentatious Hummer barreling down a road
being the rare exception. As for America's love affair
with old classics or used cars, on Japan’s roads they are
few and far between. (It should be mentioned that cars in
Japan are driven on the left side of the road, with the steering
wheel and driver’s seat located on the right side of the car.)
I remember cars in my youth, cars I would be on the look-out
for or that I became familiar with while looking out the window
riding a bus or in the back seat of the family car on the roads
around Washington, D.C.—Mustangs, Pintos, Broncos, (Ford),
Jaguars, Cougars, Barracudas, Beetles, Rabbits (Volkswagon),
Stingrays (Chevrolet Corvette), Impalas, Chargers, Skylarks,
Thunderbirds, Marlins, etc. (Yes, that they’re all named after
animals is no accident, but I like the ring of these names, earthy
and recognizable. Nowadays most smaller cars, and even the
4WDs, have names that don’t seem to pack as much punch.)
The first car I ever owned in my life was a used black Datsun
510, like this one:
The second car I owned was a 1969 used silver convertible
Pontiac Firebird, like this one:
And the above have been followed here in Japan by the two earlier
mentioned Hondas, which suit me & my current car ethos, the one
I currently drive Tidewater blue in color, like this one:
It would be nice, however, if there were more eye-catching cars
on the road -- the vehicular equivalent, say, of the baseball great
Ichiro Suzuki--idiosyncratic, instantly recognizable, and one-of-a-kind.
behind a limo. It got me thinking about cars in Japan in
general. The limo, a dark Century sedan with white lace
headrests and lace curtains and a uniformed chauffeur
behind the wheel wearing white gloves and cap, had a
V.I.P. sitting in the back. Who he was I don’t know,
but I ended up tailgating him most of the way to the
university, before his limo veered off onto a busy highway.
I’ve been tooling around on Japan’s roads in my economical
(and proud of it) Honda Fit (in Europe, known as Jazz) for
the last five years or so, and before that in a Honda Concerto,
both blue in color. One seldom sees brightly colored cars on
Japan’s roadways—they’re mostly black, grey, silver or
white compacts, the occasional sedan, and the ever ubiquitous
4WDs that, despite the narrowness of the roads, compete for
space in an already crowded, mountainous island nation.
In addition to the cars, commercial trucks, sightseeing buses
with stoic drivers and their standing, long-suffering female
assistants, and black taxis with white-gloved drivers offer
the fairly predictable mix on the roads that I drive, the
occasional ostentatious Hummer barreling down a road
being the rare exception. As for America's love affair
with old classics or used cars, on Japan’s roads they are
few and far between. (It should be mentioned that cars in
Japan are driven on the left side of the road, with the steering
wheel and driver’s seat located on the right side of the car.)
 |
| photo courtesy of Japan-guide.com |
I remember cars in my youth, cars I would be on the look-out
for or that I became familiar with while looking out the window
riding a bus or in the back seat of the family car on the roads
around Washington, D.C.—Mustangs, Pintos, Broncos, (Ford),
Jaguars, Cougars, Barracudas, Beetles, Rabbits (Volkswagon),
Stingrays (Chevrolet Corvette), Impalas, Chargers, Skylarks,
Thunderbirds, Marlins, etc. (Yes, that they’re all named after
animals is no accident, but I like the ring of these names, earthy
and recognizable. Nowadays most smaller cars, and even the
4WDs, have names that don’t seem to pack as much punch.)
The first car I ever owned in my life was a used black Datsun
510, like this one:
 |
| photo of used Datsun 510 from a sales website |
The second car I owned was a 1969 used silver convertible
Pontiac Firebird, like this one:
 |
| photo courtesy of a Firebird website |
And the above have been followed here in Japan by the two earlier
mentioned Hondas, which suit me & my current car ethos, the one
I currently drive Tidewater blue in color, like this one:
 |
| photo from a Fit afficionado website |
It would be nice, however, if there were more eye-catching cars
on the road -- the vehicular equivalent, say, of the baseball great
Ichiro Suzuki--idiosyncratic, instantly recognizable, and one-of-a-kind.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Japan's information "civil war"
Keisansho (Ministry of Economy) has made a budget to
pick out keywords related to anti-nuclear activities from
all publications, paper-based as well as web-based.
Any anti-nuke article is considered fair game, as it were,
for harassment. The purpose ostensibly is to collect
"incorrect" reports. This policy has been in place since 2008
and continues today, but since Fukushima it seems the anti-
nuke watchdogs (both self-employed and government-funded)
have increased their activities against anti-nuke bloggers
and Tweeters.
Whatever the source of the attacks, the anti-nuke alternative
media, including blogs, which try to report their "side of the
story" will never be able to appear in the wider media, due to
this harassment, i.e. deluge of comments, etc. Much energy is
spent by the anti-nuke media to delete comments posted
by the pro-nuke watchdogs, energy that otherwise could
be used in efforts to maintain a presence in the media
landscape.
Also, the pro-nuke contingent resorts to verbal assaults
and name-calling, deeming the anti-nuke contingent
"radiation scaremongers" and the like.
In this virtual world, then, an information "civil war" is
being waged on many fronts. On a larger scale, the
government is excluding, ostracizing, or otherwise
preventing private (read: anti-nuke) media reports from
reaching a wider public.
In Japan, there isn't a tradition of independent media. There
is one press organization, and one press organization only--
Kisha Club--to which all major newspaper journalists must
belong. The result is that all the newspapers end up reporting
more or less the same thing.
But since Fukushima, there is a growing independence, a
growing activism where anybody can start reporting from the
Internet. Obviously, not everything reported is reliable or
can be substantiated. But it is also true that much alternative
sources of information are being attacked or stymied, while
at the same time the government, keeping a tight control on
the flow and content of news, spoon-feeds information to
the public.
A small scale information battle or "civil war" is happening
now in Fukushima. Power (TEPCO, government, & corporations
including stockholders) doesn't want people to leave Fukushima
for tax reasons; Power doesn't want people to know they are in
crisis; Power wants to keep taking money from citizens.
The younger, internet-savvy generation, meanwhile, who are
at the front lines are at odds with the older generation who
receive their information from government-controlled sources.
The front-lines themselves are scattered across a wider media
terrain in our Internet age.
pick out keywords related to anti-nuclear activities from
all publications, paper-based as well as web-based.
Any anti-nuke article is considered fair game, as it were,
for harassment. The purpose ostensibly is to collect
"incorrect" reports. This policy has been in place since 2008
and continues today, but since Fukushima it seems the anti-
nuke watchdogs (both self-employed and government-funded)
have increased their activities against anti-nuke bloggers
and Tweeters.
Whatever the source of the attacks, the anti-nuke alternative
media, including blogs, which try to report their "side of the
story" will never be able to appear in the wider media, due to
this harassment, i.e. deluge of comments, etc. Much energy is
spent by the anti-nuke media to delete comments posted
by the pro-nuke watchdogs, energy that otherwise could
be used in efforts to maintain a presence in the media
landscape.
Also, the pro-nuke contingent resorts to verbal assaults
and name-calling, deeming the anti-nuke contingent
"radiation scaremongers" and the like.
In this virtual world, then, an information "civil war" is
being waged on many fronts. On a larger scale, the
government is excluding, ostracizing, or otherwise
preventing private (read: anti-nuke) media reports from
reaching a wider public.
In Japan, there isn't a tradition of independent media. There
is one press organization, and one press organization only--
Kisha Club--to which all major newspaper journalists must
belong. The result is that all the newspapers end up reporting
more or less the same thing.
But since Fukushima, there is a growing independence, a
growing activism where anybody can start reporting from the
Internet. Obviously, not everything reported is reliable or
can be substantiated. But it is also true that much alternative
sources of information are being attacked or stymied, while
at the same time the government, keeping a tight control on
the flow and content of news, spoon-feeds information to
the public.
A small scale information battle or "civil war" is happening
now in Fukushima. Power (TEPCO, government, & corporations
including stockholders) doesn't want people to leave Fukushima
for tax reasons; Power doesn't want people to know they are in
crisis; Power wants to keep taking money from citizens.
The younger, internet-savvy generation, meanwhile, who are
at the front lines are at odds with the older generation who
receive their information from government-controlled sources.
The front-lines themselves are scattered across a wider media
terrain in our Internet age.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Labor Thanksgiving Day-- Kamakura stroll
Yesterday was Labor/ Thanksgiving Day holiday
in Japan, a festive day when people go out to look at
autumnal leaves and so on. One sightseeing spot is
Kamakura. Putting aside all their differences between
the anti-nuclear and pro-nuclear contigents, whose
battles are being virtually waged on the internet
(more on this in a later post), out strolling in
Kamakura on this day were many people, my wife
and I among them, and unexpectedly many foreign
tourists in town as well, perhaps as a result of the
government's redoubled post-3/11 efforts to increase
tourism.
As we made our way from Kita-Kamakura to Kamakura
station, one train-stop away, then strolling along the
shop-lined streets in Kamakura, various sights caught
our attention, as seen in the photos below, ending
up at a shop, with its open kitchen and sidewalk cafe,
selling "taiyaki," a traditional Japanese dessert.
in Japan, a festive day when people go out to look at
autumnal leaves and so on. One sightseeing spot is
Kamakura. Putting aside all their differences between
the anti-nuclear and pro-nuclear contigents, whose
battles are being virtually waged on the internet
(more on this in a later post), out strolling in
Kamakura on this day were many people, my wife
and I among them, and unexpectedly many foreign
tourists in town as well, perhaps as a result of the
government's redoubled post-3/11 efforts to increase
tourism.
As we made our way from Kita-Kamakura to Kamakura
station, one train-stop away, then strolling along the
shop-lined streets in Kamakura, various sights caught
our attention, as seen in the photos below, ending
up at a shop, with its open kitchen and sidewalk cafe,
selling "taiyaki," a traditional Japanese dessert.
 |
| view from platform at Kita-Kamakura station |
 | ||
| Kamakura station, west exit |
 | |
 |
| traditional fish-shaped taiyaki dessert |
Monday, November 21, 2011
will Japan follow in Soviet Union's footsteps, or recover?
It is common knowledge that Chernobyl was a prime
cause for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When
Gorbachev in the 1980s visited Japan, he flattered its
government by calling it the most "successful socialist
state in the world," or words to that effect.
I have lived here long enough, as a foreigner, to bear
witness to the partial truth of this statement. Japan,
however, is a complex organism. Right now there are
many missing pieces--
What really happened in Fukushima?
How much nuclear contamination are we experiencing?
Why was there such a delay, even compared with Chernobyl,
to the government's response or move against the disaster
last March?
People fear northeastern Japan may become a nuclear
wasteland. And they have cause to fear. It seems the
whole world is seeking such a nuclear wasteland, with
hundreds and hundreds of nuclear plants, nuclear stockpiles,
and nuclear weapons production facilities in existence.
Is Japan headed for a doom-ridden future? Or will it
miraculously overcome this once-in-a-century disaster,
as it did after World War II?
(The recent ekiden held in Fukushima prefecture was a
maddening, heartbreaking reminder of the lengths to
which authorities will go to "save face" at the possible
expense of the health of the marathon relay's young participants.
Fukushima's ekiden is held annually, and this year, despite
the proximity to the damaged nuclear plant, it was held again
in the face of opposition, namely a petition that circulated
calling for its cancellation.)
Speaking of Gorbachev, he apparently has been visiting
Japan every year, and this year has been no exception.
For Gorbachev's article "Chernobyl 25 years later: Many
lessons learned," click here.
cause for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. When
Gorbachev in the 1980s visited Japan, he flattered its
government by calling it the most "successful socialist
state in the world," or words to that effect.
I have lived here long enough, as a foreigner, to bear
witness to the partial truth of this statement. Japan,
however, is a complex organism. Right now there are
many missing pieces--
What really happened in Fukushima?
How much nuclear contamination are we experiencing?
Why was there such a delay, even compared with Chernobyl,
to the government's response or move against the disaster
last March?
People fear northeastern Japan may become a nuclear
wasteland. And they have cause to fear. It seems the
whole world is seeking such a nuclear wasteland, with
hundreds and hundreds of nuclear plants, nuclear stockpiles,
and nuclear weapons production facilities in existence.
Is Japan headed for a doom-ridden future? Or will it
miraculously overcome this once-in-a-century disaster,
as it did after World War II?
(The recent ekiden held in Fukushima prefecture was a
maddening, heartbreaking reminder of the lengths to
which authorities will go to "save face" at the possible
expense of the health of the marathon relay's young participants.
Fukushima's ekiden is held annually, and this year, despite
the proximity to the damaged nuclear plant, it was held again
in the face of opposition, namely a petition that circulated
calling for its cancellation.)
Speaking of Gorbachev, he apparently has been visiting
Japan every year, and this year has been no exception.
For Gorbachev's article "Chernobyl 25 years later: Many
lessons learned," click here.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Stop This Bill: Protect-IP (American Censorship Day)
http://vimeo.com/31100268
(the following is via VIMEO;
click above link for video)
Tell Congress not to censor the internet NOW! - fightforthefuture.org/pipa
PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement."
The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.
(the following is via VIMEO;
click above link for video)
Tell Congress not to censor the internet NOW! - fightforthefuture.org/pipa
PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement."
The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Kate Bush -- new album "50 Words for Snow"
here's the link. she's popular in Japan. the website
(in Japanese) offers a free trial for listeners (scroll down)
from Nov. 16 noon to Nov. 23...
(in Japanese) offers a free trial for listeners (scroll down)
from Nov. 16 noon to Nov. 23...
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Japanese music--Ryuichi Sakamoto, Misora Hibari, Hikaru Utada, Hideki Togi
If asked to name what I like most of Japanese music,
besides perennial favorite Ryuichi Sakamoto (& here)
and singer Hikaru Utada (now living in New York),
I would say off the top of my head, first, Okinawan folk
music—the ethereal singing accompanied by sounds of
the 'jabisen' (snake skin, native string instrument); then,
the Enka vocalist Misora Hibari—the Edith Piaf of
post-war Japanese Enka; and finally, Hideki Togi, the
New Age musician who plays the Hichiriki, a wind-
instrument of Japanese court music. Of the latter’s
music, I once brought to the U.S. one of his CDs as a
gift for a cousin living in San Francisco. Without a
doubt his sound, especially the music I heard some
years ago when he first became fashionable in Japan,
is striking.
Last night I found myself at a party in honor of a
well-known Japanese Shakespeare scholar. It is often
a custom at parties to switch seats midway through the
evening in order to socialize at different tables. This I
dutifully did, and wound up sitting beside a smiling,
middle-aged woman in the corner. We introduced ourselves,
and when she told me her name, I was shocked to
discover I was sitting next to Hideki Togi’s aunt! What
were the chances!? When I told her I was a fan of her
nephew’s music, she was delighted, albeit very humble.
She mentioned that she had brought an instrument with
her, and when I expressed curiosity about it she reached
behind her and removed from her bag a large object
wrapped in a colorful cloth. She carefully unwrapped it—
not unlike the 'furoshiki' cloth used for obento lunchboxes
—and finally brought out what she said was a 'sho.'
It was a mysterious wind instrument made of bamboo, a
kind of pan pipe, only instead of horizontal in shape it
was round, the 18-inch pipes forming a circle held together
by metal bands, with holes where one’s fingers could be
placed to change the notes. ('sho' demo) She very kindly
explained how to play the instrument, and with some
hesitation I took it and blew into the mouthpiece, momentarily
startling myself and everyone else at the party.
As I breathed in and out, the high-pitched, multi-note
sound of the ‘sho’ continued uninterrupted. But as it was
the only chord I could play, I quickly stopped. But it was,
for me, the highlight of a very enjoyable evening. It was
later that I realized its resemblance, although still quite
different of course, to the harmonica, a down-home
American instrument which I’ve played since my youth.
besides perennial favorite Ryuichi Sakamoto (& here)
and singer Hikaru Utada (now living in New York),
I would say off the top of my head, first, Okinawan folk
music—the ethereal singing accompanied by sounds of
the 'jabisen' (snake skin, native string instrument); then,
the Enka vocalist Misora Hibari—the Edith Piaf of
post-war Japanese Enka; and finally, Hideki Togi, the
New Age musician who plays the Hichiriki, a wind-
instrument of Japanese court music. Of the latter’s
music, I once brought to the U.S. one of his CDs as a
gift for a cousin living in San Francisco. Without a
doubt his sound, especially the music I heard some
years ago when he first became fashionable in Japan,
is striking.
Last night I found myself at a party in honor of a
well-known Japanese Shakespeare scholar. It is often
a custom at parties to switch seats midway through the
evening in order to socialize at different tables. This I
dutifully did, and wound up sitting beside a smiling,
middle-aged woman in the corner. We introduced ourselves,
and when she told me her name, I was shocked to
discover I was sitting next to Hideki Togi’s aunt! What
were the chances!? When I told her I was a fan of her
nephew’s music, she was delighted, albeit very humble.
She mentioned that she had brought an instrument with
her, and when I expressed curiosity about it she reached
behind her and removed from her bag a large object
wrapped in a colorful cloth. She carefully unwrapped it—
not unlike the 'furoshiki' cloth used for obento lunchboxes
—and finally brought out what she said was a 'sho.'
It was a mysterious wind instrument made of bamboo, a
kind of pan pipe, only instead of horizontal in shape it
was round, the 18-inch pipes forming a circle held together
by metal bands, with holes where one’s fingers could be
placed to change the notes. ('sho' demo) She very kindly
explained how to play the instrument, and with some
hesitation I took it and blew into the mouthpiece, momentarily
startling myself and everyone else at the party.
As I breathed in and out, the high-pitched, multi-note
sound of the ‘sho’ continued uninterrupted. But as it was
the only chord I could play, I quickly stopped. But it was,
for me, the highlight of a very enjoyable evening. It was
later that I realized its resemblance, although still quite
different of course, to the harmonica, a down-home
American instrument which I’ve played since my youth.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Qi teacher, Shu-sensei
I have attended qi-gong exercises off and on in the
past two years through my wife's encouragement, and
have during this time come to know of "psychic"
people--people who can find ailments in others and
heal them without touching them. They use
qi energy--a form of energy practice developed
and sustained in China over millenia. Such
practices have undergone a resurgence in China
in recent decades (like martial arts, yoga, and other
ancient meditation practices) and have subsequently
spread to Japan and other countries.
My wife's teacher is Shu-sensei, a Chinese martial
artist, qi-gong master and meditation teacher, as well as
author. Shu-sensei was sent to Yokohama National
University from China twenty years ago, but instead of
returning to China he settled here in Japan, establishing
a qi-gong school and working as a teacher and healer.
Originally from Shanghai, he just had a baby boy
on March 1st with his wife in China. Luckily, she went
back to her hometown in China to give birth to her baby,
so she and her newborn baby have not experienced post-
3/11 Japan. Shu-sensei writes that upon the birth of his
son he felt a dream-like, mysterious feeling filling his heart.
His wife and child will be joining him in Japan this
month. With the earthquake behind us but the Fukushima
crisis still ongoing, Shu-sensei has expressed his wish
to remain in Japan to help build a good karma and overcome
the crisis with the people of Japan. We can have a stable,
happy life even under these difficult circumstances, he
says. In order to do this, he adds, we should tie our feeling
together or spiritually hold hands and go through this.
past two years through my wife's encouragement, and
have during this time come to know of "psychic"
people--people who can find ailments in others and
heal them without touching them. They use
qi energy--a form of energy practice developed
and sustained in China over millenia. Such
practices have undergone a resurgence in China
in recent decades (like martial arts, yoga, and other
ancient meditation practices) and have subsequently
spread to Japan and other countries.
My wife's teacher is Shu-sensei, a Chinese martial
artist, qi-gong master and meditation teacher, as well as
author. Shu-sensei was sent to Yokohama National
University from China twenty years ago, but instead of
returning to China he settled here in Japan, establishing
a qi-gong school and working as a teacher and healer.
Originally from Shanghai, he just had a baby boy
on March 1st with his wife in China. Luckily, she went
back to her hometown in China to give birth to her baby,
so she and her newborn baby have not experienced post-
3/11 Japan. Shu-sensei writes that upon the birth of his
son he felt a dream-like, mysterious feeling filling his heart.
His wife and child will be joining him in Japan this
month. With the earthquake behind us but the Fukushima
crisis still ongoing, Shu-sensei has expressed his wish
to remain in Japan to help build a good karma and overcome
the crisis with the people of Japan. We can have a stable,
happy life even under these difficult circumstances, he
says. In order to do this, he adds, we should tie our feeling
together or spiritually hold hands and go through this.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
POETRY KANTO 2011: free copies available
This year's issue of POETRY KANTO No. 27 is now
available. If you wish to receive a free copy (while copies
last) just notify me by e-mail:
alan@kanto-gakuin.ac.jp
and include your name and mailing address.
This offer applies to anyone interested in reading this
year's issue-- a pivotal year here in Japan marked by
the March 11 Great Eastern Earthquake and the subsequent,
ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Nuclear Facility.
The line-up of poets in issue No. 27 is:
Ito Hiromi
Jeffrey Angles
Libby Hart
Geneva Bronwyn Hargreaves
William I. Elliott
Gavin Bantock
Sally Bliumis-Dunn
Gregory Dunne
Leila Fortier
Niels Hav
Changming Yuan
William Heyen
Michael Sowder
Adele Ne Jame
Yumiko Tsumura
Jane Hirshfield
We especially encourage prospective future contributors--
poets or translators-- along with potential reviewers to
request a copy and to help spread the word about this
bi-lingual journal aiming to promote dialogue between
Japan and the English-speaking world.
Poetry Kanto will begin reading submissions for the
2012 issue from December through April.
Poetry Kanto, a not-for-profit journal distributed free in
Japan and in locations around the world, is funded by
the Kanto Poetry Center of the College of Humanities
at Kanto Gakuin University in Yokohama, Japan. The
bi-lingual journal, featuring contemporary and modern
Japanese poets in translation, and English-language
poetry from around the world, has been in publication
for nearly 30 years.
For more on Poetry Kanto, please visit our websites:
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
http://mamaist.com/poetry_kanto
@@@
Poetry Kanto
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
mamaist
http://mamaist.com/
Walt Whitman of Cosmic Folkore
available. If you wish to receive a free copy (while copies
last) just notify me by e-mail:
alan@kanto-gakuin.ac.jp
and include your name and mailing address.
This offer applies to anyone interested in reading this
year's issue-- a pivotal year here in Japan marked by
the March 11 Great Eastern Earthquake and the subsequent,
ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Nuclear Facility.
The line-up of poets in issue No. 27 is:
Ito Hiromi
Jeffrey Angles
Libby Hart
Geneva Bronwyn Hargreaves
William I. Elliott
Gavin Bantock
Sally Bliumis-Dunn
Gregory Dunne
Leila Fortier
Niels Hav
Changming Yuan
William Heyen
Michael Sowder
Adele Ne Jame
Yumiko Tsumura
Jane Hirshfield
We especially encourage prospective future contributors--
poets or translators-- along with potential reviewers to
request a copy and to help spread the word about this
bi-lingual journal aiming to promote dialogue between
Japan and the English-speaking world.
Poetry Kanto will begin reading submissions for the
2012 issue from December through April.
Poetry Kanto, a not-for-profit journal distributed free in
Japan and in locations around the world, is funded by
the Kanto Poetry Center of the College of Humanities
at Kanto Gakuin University in Yokohama, Japan. The
bi-lingual journal, featuring contemporary and modern
Japanese poets in translation, and English-language
poetry from around the world, has been in publication
for nearly 30 years.
For more on Poetry Kanto, please visit our websites:
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
http://mamaist.com/poetry_kanto
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Poetry Kanto
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
mamaist
http://mamaist.com/
Walt Whitman of Cosmic Folkore
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Pushcart Prize nominations of Poetry Kanto 2011 (available soon)
Below are this year's Pushcart Prize nominations
of Poetry Kanto 2011. Notice of the Pushcart
Press selections will be announced in April, 2012.
http://www.pushcartprize.com/
Libby Hart (Australia): "North Wind"
Sally Bliumis-Dunn (U.S.): "Earthquake"
Gregory Dunne (Japan): "Hirosato"
Niels Hav (Denmark): "Visit from My Father"
Michael Sowder (U.S.): "Kellen in My Lap, Eight Months Old"
Adele Ne Jame (U.S.): "The Essence of Arrak"
@@@@
Poetry Kanto
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
mamaist
http://mamaist.com/
Walt Whitman of Cosmic Folkore
of Poetry Kanto 2011. Notice of the Pushcart
Press selections will be announced in April, 2012.
http://www.pushcartprize.com/
Libby Hart (Australia): "North Wind"
Sally Bliumis-Dunn (U.S.): "Earthquake"
Gregory Dunne (Japan): "Hirosato"
Niels Hav (Denmark): "Visit from My Father"
Michael Sowder (U.S.): "Kellen in My Lap, Eight Months Old"
Adele Ne Jame (U.S.): "The Essence of Arrak"
@@@@
Poetry Kanto
http://home.kanto-gakuin.ac.jp/~kg061001/
mamaist
http://mamaist.com/
Walt Whitman of Cosmic Folkore
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
some trees (Hayama photos)
 |
| night view of tree in front of KGU Hayama Seminar House |
 |
| another night view of same tree |
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| the next morning... |
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