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.