Visiting the Japanese Tea House at Meijer Gardens

pond side of the tea house showing transitional space: inside to outside

During the mild weather from May to October there is normally a Sunday afternoon each month from 1 to 4 during which visitors can tour the building and grounds. Here are a few scenes from September 2019, a few weeks before the fall colors were well developed.

Poems from Japan (in English) at Meijer Garden - cherry blossom cove

Although difficult to read under certain lighting conditions, or because of boulder texture and height above the ground (some are a bit low; some are a bit high), still it is nice to discover the verses here and there in and around the Japanese garden. One of the webpages describes the 2015 project with the artist who selected the translations and hand-carved the rocky material to leave a lasting message to visitors now and for many generations from now.

https://www.meijergardens.org/explore/for-the-garden/
This webpage also gives a link to a PDF of individual photos of the poem carvings.

Here is a photo of the bronze list of poets and their translators.

click image for full-size view of poem sources in the Japanese-size garden

Sister States for 50 years - many 2018 celebrations

Among the many events and commemorations is a special exhibit at Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 – JANUARY 6, 2019: Process and Presence: Contemporary Disability Sculpture.

Exhibition introductory panel (click image for full-size file)

And another Shiga reference appears as part of the annual display of Christmas and New Year traditions in two dozen or more countries. Among the 32 local Grand Rapids landmark buildings made from vegetable materials there are also landmark buildings from each of the city's Sister Cities around the world, including from Shiga-ken. Pagoda photo follows.

The 3-tiered pagoda from sister city in Shiga (click for full view)

visit the webpage for more particulars, http://www.meijergardens.org

Celebrating 22 years of art exchanges

welcome remarks by organizing committee chair, Jenny McCampbell

Few if any of the sister-cities have followed the lead of St. Johns, MI and Konan-city in Shiga prefecture, Japan. What started as a penpal attempt in 1994 evolved into a visual exchange of the elementary and later also junior high schools. The latest innovation may be to repurpose the Japanese pieces so that another Michigan location can host them side by side with local students' art, attaching them to fabric banners or wall spaces in the town library or other accessible venue. In this way the art may travel to several places. Meanwhile the St. Johns art will travel west across the ocean to appear next at the Konan-city library in August 2017, together with Japanese art produced in the new school year (school starts in April in Japan, so by August there will be lots of summery themed subjects to choose from). The Michigan-Shiga connection is based on the Great Lakes in USA and the large, Biwa (lute) shaped lake of Shiga prefecture and dates to 1968, soon to be celebrating 50 years. The other significant anniversary is 1917-2017, the 100th year since The Biwako Song was written. Here is an excerpt from the 20 fourth grade singers under the direction of their music teacher, Ms. Shirley Anne Ries, who taught them to strum along with ukulele, as well.

art exchange #22, St. Johns (Michigan) and Konan (湖南市), Japan

Stop by during the month of April for a walk through the library display space for students' art again this year from both sides of the Pacific. More information at www.briggspubliclibrary.org (or Facebook)

click the image for full-size view of the text

flower viewing 2016 season of 'hana mi' - Sakura in St. Johns

Saturday morning clean-up under the blossoms

The sakura blossoms are in full color this week. Stop by to view, for some quiet time, or for the photo opportunity. St. Johns ZIP is 48879 and is located 22 miles north of Lansing on (Business) US-127. Our volunteers combed the rocks free of litter for your enjoyment. The Garden dates to 2004 when the friendship city of Konan, Japan and local volunteers and donations came together to design and establish the garden. After 12 years the features and trees have matured nicely.

Scenes from the 2016 Art Exchange opening reception

Heavy snow cancelled school and the original reception of March 1, so the next opportunity at the town library to invite parents, grandparents, teachers and the general public to a performance of six children's and popular songs in Japanese by the 4th graders from Riley Elementary School was on March 21.

introducing "Somewhere Springtime"

M.C. Jenny McCampbell's opening remarks and background to this long-running annual exchange, rare among sister-cities in all of USA, https://youtu.be/EvyWvpF7LPw

Greetings by the 2014-2016 official representative from Shiga-ken in Michigan, Mr. Ueyama,
https://sjmi.wistia.com/projects/r984x0842u

Opening song, "Somewhere it's Springtime" (doko ka haru ga...), https://youtu.be/dEDfFk-eLCU
Other favorites include "Chi Chi Pa Pa" (The sparrows song),https://youtu.be/V-5Z1GpbSkc
and "Shabon dama" (The soap bubbles), https://youtu.be/F1B0bAZDu4o


The finale is the cherished song of Lake Biwa, emblem of Shiga prefecture

wide view, 2016 art exhibit installed

Our opening reception was postponed by the two days of school cancellations due to snow and wind. But this year's layout can be seen in these views, stitched from several individual pictures to form a panoramic view. [click the image for full size view]

art exchange #21 Shigan-ken's Konan city & St. Johns, Michigan

What began with pen pals in the mid-1990s has turned into an annual exchange of art involving the elementary schools around the St. Johns district and from Japan growing from the original schools of Kosei to the nearby schools of what until 2005 was the neighboring town of Ishibe. The national government gave incentives for merging towns and consolidating administrative work to save money. The result is a larger number of students and artwork on the Japan side of the exchange.

For the past 6-7 years, or more, the high school students from nextdoor Ovid-Elsie's National Art Honor Society have done much of the installation work at the library in downtown St. Johns. At the end of the month-long display they also help to collect the artwork - the U.S. work to travel over the Japan to join in the exhibit they do during summer vacation in August.


This year's NAHS crew worked quickly with staplers, tape, pushpins and banners to create the colorful exhibition that attracts the attention of people young and old who visit the library,
http://briggspubliclibrary.org

annual High School exchange, Michigan - Shiga

The Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Michigan-Shiga High School Exchange program.

The Michigan-Shiga High School Exchange Program began in 1990 to promote international relationships between American and Japanese high school students. For two weeks during the summer, 15 American students have the opportunity to travel to Japan and live with a host family in Shiga prefecture. There, the participants meet with a Japanese student partner, experience Japanese high school classes, and participate in unique cultural events within the surrounding community and their host family. The program also coincides with a Japanese high school student cultural festival called a bunkasai, in which the Japanese students organize activities involving sports, dances, games, and music. In September, the Japanese student partners travel to visit their American counterparts' home, attending high school and living with their family in Michigan for two weeks. 

Students interested in this program can receive more information and download and application packet on the JCMU website, or visit the program Facebook page to see alumni testimonials. The application deadline for the program is Friday, March 11, 2016. For inquiries or further information, please contact the JCMU office in East Lansing at (517) 355-4654or by email at HS@jcmu.org. 

Celebrating 20 years of Art Exchange

 [click photo for full-size]
These scenes come from opening night of the exhibition, installed with the help of the National Art Honor Society of Ovid-Elsie High School and on display until March 28. The suggestion for a short video message by students of each country to playback at one another's exhibition came up. So perhaps we'll have that in the coming season, too.

 

and "Somewhere Springtime is Coming" (doko ka de haru ga...)

 

Our official representative from Shiga-prefecture in Lansing, Mr. Ueyama, also made some remarks.

radio interview "Current State" wkar.org > Sister State since 1968

[originally aired Feb 14, 2014]
http://wkar.org/post/exploring-michigan-s-decades-long-relationship-japan
blurb,

In 1968, Michigan Governor George Romney signed an agreement with the governor of Shiga Prefecture, which is one of Japan’s 47 state-like territories, to create a sister state relationship. The cultural partnership between the two states is one of the longest-running in the country and is still going strong today.

Kate Simon, president of the Michigan-Shiga Sister State Board, says the relationship developed because Shiga and Michigan both have great lakes...

Lake Biwa song (biwako no uta)

Traditional praise of the great freshwater lake around which Shiga prefecture takes its shape; about the surface are of Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay.

 - Riley Elementary 4th graders on the occasion of the 19th annual art exchange between St. Johns, Michigan and Konan-city, Shiga-prefecture, Japan.

art exchange 2014 - songs from Riley Elementary 4th grade

Under the direction of Ms. S. Ries at St. Johns Public Schools

Shabon-dama ('soap bubbles')

Chichipapa

Snow ('yuki' in Japanese, that is)

art show from Shiga to Michigan, August 2013

 

 

early May, Shigematsu Japanese Garden at L.C.C.

http://www.lcc.edu/cs/facilities/006.aspx gives more details of this garden, now completing its springtime glory.

Art Exchange 2013 PREVIEW

View the movie here (4') or full-size at YouTube, or download the PowerPoint
Opening Reception at Briggs Library in downtown St. Johns 48879 on March 5, 2013

making Woodblock prints

Linda J. Beeman led National Art Honor Society students of Ovid Elsie High School in making traditional-style woodblock prints after school in February 2012.

Japanese songs to share, Biwako Song & medley

Finale of the opening reception to the 17th annual exchange of children's art between St. Johns, Michigan and Konan-city, Shiga-ken, held at the Briggs Public Library on March 6, 2012. This song is sort of like the Auld Lang Syne for the people of Shiga prefecture.

sister cities forum to exchange ideas

Annual art sampler 2012

Selected from the 303 pieces received from the 10 elementary and middle schools of Konan-city, Shiga-ken and on display at the Briggs Public Library from March 6 the the end of the month.

more reports on Michigan - Shiga children's art exchange

Full article, http://www.artsusa.org/pdf/information_services/research/policy_roundtable/BackyardDiplomacy.pdf

Blog story at: http://blog.artsusa.org/2012/01/11/backyard-diplomacy-international-cultural-engagement-local-arts-agencies-from-arts-watch/

children's art exchange, fall 2011 in Konan-city

More than 15 years of elementary & middle school art exchanges and still going strong!
These early November scenes come from the city library in Konan-shi, Shiga-ken.

direct contribution to Tohoku March 11 triple disaster

 Direct Relief  –  a great organization because 100 percent goes to charities. It has an endowment to cover its overhead and costs and works with some excellent Japanese nonprofit organizations that need funding because there is still so much work to do in the Tohoku region. Click here to contribute to tsunami relief through Direct Relief.

old highways of Japan - passing through Shiga prefecture

Thoughtful write-up by Phil at www.photojpn.org

The Tokaido and Nakasendo Roads were the two main roads in Japan during the samurai/Tokugawa period up to 1868. They connected Tokyo (Edo) where the shogun lived and Kyoto where the Emperor lived. Both roads went through Shiga before reaching neighboring Kyoto.

Here's a good map of the coastal Tokaido Road between Tokyo (Edo) and Kyoto. Each lodging town was numbered. Ishibe in Konan was No. 52. So 52 on this map is Ishibe: http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/tokaido_hoeido/images/tokaido_map.GIF Lodging towns No. 50 (Tsuchiyama) to 54 (Otsu) are all in Shiga.

Here's an excellent Web site showing Hiroshige prints of the Tokaido Road: http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/tokaido_editions/tokaido_editions.htm
You can see that Ishibe in Konan was the 52nd lodging town on the Tokaido Road. And you can see various print editions of each town by Hiroshige. The most well-known edition is called Hoeido. Lodging towns No. 50 (Tsuchiyama) to 54 (Otsu) are all in Shiga.

More info about the Tokaido: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/53_Stations_of_the_Tokaido

The other major road that connected Tokyo with Kyoto in the old days was called the Nakasendo Road which went through the interior instead of the Pacific coast: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/69_Stations_of_the_Nakasendo

The Nakasendo (also called Kisokaido) also passed through Shiga on the way to Kyoto. The Tokaido and Nakasendo Roads intersected at Kusatsu and Otsu. There are woodblock prints for all the Nakasendo lodging towns as well.
http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/kisokaido/images/Kisokaido%20map.gif
http://www.hiroshige.org.uk/hiroshige/kisokaido/kisokaido07.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixty-Nine_Stations_of_the_Kiso_Kaido

Singing, Water, Shiga rowing

about the song in detail:http://photoguide.jp/txt/Lake_Biwa_Rowing_Song

video at length here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOUwlb6P_9s

John Denver once visited Shiga and sang in Japanese too:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn2R7-1sM_0 Very beautiful voice, (singing phonetically). He got most of it right.

Japanese version (by Kyoto Univ. Rowing Club Alumni)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH3mtrS3xWo

Photos related to the song:http://photoguide.jp/pix/index.php?cat=273

The girls also sang the song in English on national TV during a well-known amateur singing contest. They were well received.http://photoguide.jp/pix/displayimage.php?album=517&pid=14043

Japan & Lansing Community College in 2011

LCC students will have the opportunity to engage in academic study, service learning, and a business independent study in Lansing’s sister city, Otsu, located in Michigan’s sister state, the Shiga Prefecture. The new Japan Immersion program, running from June 7 through August 17, 2011, will include the following activities: Japanese language and culture study at the Kyoto Institute of Culture and Language. Cultural and service learning opportunities with local nonprofit and governmental organizations. Three-credit LCC independent study in business on the Biwako-Kisen Company (BKC) Michigan boat, a Mississippi River-style stern-wheeler on Lake Biwa. Students will work part-time on the tourist vessel. LCC and BKC have partnered on three student programs between 1982 and 2007 and are pleased to renew their partnership. Shiga Prefecture and the City of Otsu are well removed from the devastation of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as well as from the ongoing issues with the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Shiga, and neighboring Kyoto, continues to host literally thousands of international students and tourists year-round. All local Japanese universities are accepting international students as usual -- as are the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU) and the Associated Kyoto Programs (AKP). Both of these major study-abroad programs also have assessed the situation in this region as safe and will have normal summer programs running this year. The cost of participating in the program -- including LCC tuition, Kyoto Institute of Language and Culture tuition, and air fare – is estimated at $3500. Housing is provided and scholarship funds to cover part of the program cost will be available for students. No prior Japanese language study is required for this program. Applications for this program are due April 20, 2011. For more information or to request application materials, contact Professor Marc Thomas at thomasm6@lcc.edu or 517-483-1912.

the 15th annual art exhibit

highlights from March 1, 2011 at http://briggspubliclibrary.org

online Japanese language learning

via Senseionline 18 June 2010:
 
...for people who would like to learn Japanese and aren't conveniently located by an institution or
a friend that will teach it to them, this might be just the information they were looking for:

*UAB NihongoCast,* http://www.uab.edu/foreignlang/nihongocast/, the online version of Japanese
101 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a joint production of the UAB Departments of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Communication Studies, and Theatre, taught by Tim Cook of Georgia Public Broadcasting's *Irasshai.*

Lake Biwa & Museum

"Learning innovative measures from the regions"

Water is the source of all life. One sixth of Shiga Prefecture, which I visited last weekend, is taken up by Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa. Lake Biwa supports the lives of 14 million people living in the Kinki region.

Japan faced pollution problems during the 1960s and the 1970s, which the government established various regulations to counter. In addition to these regulations, Shiga Prefecture advanced its own measures, such as establishing an ordinance on sewage standards that are stricter than the national standards.

At the Lake Biwa Museum which I visited, Governor Yukiko Kada of Shiga Prefecture, who was once a senior researcher of the museum, showed me an exhibition of a private residence from around the mid-1950s and explained how people dealt with water in their daily lives at that time.
FULL STORY

art exchange - 14th annual for St. Johns & Konan

Opening scene of artwork hung on banners, then video clips of the performance:
Music by East Olive Elementary 3rd & 4th graders under the direction of Ms. Ries.


Panorama views of the exhibit of artworks from elementary and middle schools
(see also http://art-sjkonan.wikispaces.com/)

some Shiga headlines lately - early 2010

Shiga at the Olympics - Shiga will be well represented at the Vancouver Olympics. Miki ITO, from Hino-cho, is on the Moguls Team. Rana OKADA, from Otsu, is on the Snowboarding Team. Shuhei NARITA, who is originally from Aomori but now works from Eins in Omihachiman, is a coach for the Nordic Combined Team. Look for Miss Ito and Miss Okada during their respective events!

--News Stories (adapted and edited from News on Shiga)--
Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd. donated 100 million yen to Shiga Prefecture for Renovation of the Uminoko
…went into service in 1983. There are 420 thousand students who have ridden on the ship in total.

Shiga's image around Japan not good according to a marketing research survey
…most people in Greater Tokyo have no impression about Shiga. 30% of them negatively think it is quiet and obscure.

--Other News Stories (copied directly and unedited from News on Shiga)--

The population of Shiga's international residents has dropped

Shiga's labor market was worst ever in 2009

Budget cuts at Shiga Univ. and Medical School

Otsu joins the Mayors for Peace
Otsu joined the Mayors for Peace, a conference that consists of cities advocating the abolishment of nuclear weapons. Otsu is Shiga's 12th city taking part in the conference.

Shiga Environmental Business Exhibition came to an end with great success


City Merger -New Nagahama-city adds 6 towns: Torahime, Kohoku, Takatsuki, Kinomoto, Yogo, Nishiazai.

Shiga Election for Govenor will be in July with Gov. Kada running for re-election [Japan’s 5th woman gov’r elected]

Michigan-Shiga Sister Cities online

http://mishiga.org

In 1968 Governor Romney of Michigan and Governor Nozaki of Shiga Prefecture, Japan signed the agreement to establish a sister state relationship. This Michigan-Shiga partnership is the oldest and most comprehensive sister state relationship between the United States and Japan. Residents of Michigan and Shiga continue to maintain close ties through partnership activities between sister cities and exchanges involving students, teachers, community members and government officials....

Shiga Fair 2009 in Novi

Sunday, October 4. Contact this year's Shiga Official Representative,
Ms. Miyamura at shigaken ATmsu.edu

vast photo collection - Shiga prefecture

http://shiga-ken.com/ has comprehensive coverage, in fact you may ask what more is left to record visually? And there is a similar approach to other parts of Japan, as well.

annual citizen exchange moves to Fall slot

The Michigan-Shiga Sister State Board welcomes applications for the Goodwill Mission to Shiga, including five days of home-stay experiences with a Shiga host family as well as day trips to Kyoto and other neighboring areas. http://www.isp.msu.edu/jcmu/alumni/goodwill/

annual art exchange through Feb. 28

http://www.briggspubliclibrary.org/ is exhibiting over 200 pictures in the 13th annual display

of art from Konan-shi, the sister city to St. Johns, Michigan, through the month of February.

View a sample of pictures (others from 2008), or see this year's work with commentary by Shiga Official, Ms. Miyamura:

some of the songs performed at the opening reception Feb. 5,

or hear Alyson G, one of the young artist who describes her work.

visit by master potter, Mr. Tamura

*About the pottery style of Shigaraki-yaki
The pottery comes from Shigaraki region of Koka City ( also famous in early modern times for its ninja clan) in Shiga prefecture (twinned with the state of Michigan).The special quality of its clay sets it apart. Its rusticity has communicated the traditional Japanese spirit and the aesthetics of wabi and sabi to the present day.

A word of history
Pottery production seems to have begun more than 1200 years ago in 742, when the Emperor Shomu built a palace in Shigaraki from roof tiles and vessels fired from this local clay.Thanks to its central location on the main Japanese island, Shigaraki-yaki took on an important role in people’s daily lives (jars, vats, braziers) as well as in traditional arts such as the Japanese tea ceremony.

At the December 2008 visit to Michigan by Master Potter, Mr. Tamura
Master Tamura demonstrated his craft on stage, using his potter’s wheel to make the clay dance and bend into beautiful shapes. He offered advices in throwing pots. A brief outline of Shigaraki-yaki's history allowed the audience to experience all aspects of the unique role played by Shigaraki-yaki in Japanese history and culture.

Biographical sketch of the Pottery Master
Mr. Shizuo Tamura is President and board member of multiple pottery associations in Shigaraki and throughout Japan. His works have won numerous art awards and have been featured in exhibitions around Japan. Mr.Tamura’s unique artistic vision seeks to remain true to the traditional aesthetics of Shigaraki-yaki while also introducing modern, creative elements that will resonate with audiences internationally.

*courtesy photos by Shiga representative to Michigan, Ms. Miyamura, shigaken ATmsu.edu

audio recordings - 40th Anniversary ceremony

Commemorating 40 years of sister-state relations between the state of Michigan and Shiga prefecture, several honored guests spoke.


[hotlink to audio recording; unlinked names are awaiting permission to put online]



State Superintendent of Education, Mr. Michael Flanagan.
Superintendent of Education for Shiga-ken, Mr. SUEMATSU Kyoiku-cho.
Alumnist of the JCMU program (Japan Center for Michigan Universities), Mr. Brian Forest.
Alumnist of the Michigan-Shiga High School Exchange, Mr. Mario James.
Student representative of the Science High School exchange, Mr. TAKAHASHI Wataru.

40th anniversary of Michigan-Shiga sister statehood

August 20 welcome ceremony AND the August 25 banquet are open to the public.
Details online at http://japanlore.googlepages.com/mi-sisterstate

Related Japan links in Michigan

Midwest Japan Seminar, http://www.asianstudies.msu.edu/MJS/
sometimes hosting the monthly event in Michigan

Japan Festival in Saginaw (September), http://www.japaneseculturalcenter.org/

Michigan-Japan Professionals Association, http://www.michiganjapan.org/
telephone at 517-507-5420 or email info@michiganjapan DOTorg

Sister cities, JapanKits for loan, Japanese Quizbowl

Annual Michigan Japanese Quiz Bowl for young people, www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/mjqb

Lending kits of artifacts for teachers, www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/japankit

Michigan sister cities in Shiga-ken, http://www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/sisterstate/

woodblock print Michigan artist

http://www.marybrodbeck.com/ is based in Kalamazoo and is working fall 2007 as Visiting Artist at the JCMU, Japan Center for Michigan Universities in Hikone (east coast of the country's biggest freshwater body of water, Lake Biwa).