Calling all Maple lovers to mark your calendars for October 5!

by aleks

SJG • 10/29/12 - Osakazuki, area X

Edit 9/24: if you cannot come to the meeting, email any plant committee member for a handout on the 16 featured maples; it contains descriptions of the trees, leaf shapes and colors, their location + pics (the tree itself and the leaves)...
_________

An October Continuing Education class will be on maples in the Japanese Garden in preparation for the Maple Viewing Event on October 13th and for your interests. It will be presented by the Japanese Garden Plant List Committee.

Meet at the Tateuchi Community Room at 10 AM and class will start at 10:00 sharp.

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM –General Introduction to (Japanese) Maples and explanation of handouts.

10:30 AM-12 PM—Guided walk of the Japanese Garden to learn about Trees selected for Maple Viewing.

Some of the coming attractions:

SJG • 10/19/12 - Samidare, area Q

SJG • 10/19/11- Vitifolium, area C & Z

SJG • 11/1/12 - Yatsabusa, area C

SJG • 11/1/12 - Yatsabusa, area C

Moon Viewing Event

Posted by Cara I.

SJG• 8/17/13 -

Koto performance by Marcia and Kuniko Takamura

© Aurora Santiago

On Saturday night, the Garden held its annual Moon Viewing event – always special because the Garden is only open one night a year. Once a year, the stone lanterns are lit, and candles on small boats sparkle in the pond. Paper lanterns strung on trees are aglow, and luminaria along the paths guide visitors, all to complement the moonlight.

SJG• 8/17/13 - © Aurora Santiago

The event is inspired by otsukimi, or moon-viewing, festivals in Japan. The practice started in the late 8th century CE, when the aristocracy enjoyed the moon’s reflection on the water from boats on lakes and ponds. Traditionally held on the 15^th day of the 8^th month of the lunar year, moon-viewing in Japan these days means eating round, white dumplings (tsukimi dango) and appreciating the beauty of the harvest moon.

SJG• 8/17/13 - © Aurora Santiago

This past Saturday, almost 300 celebrants at the Seattle Japanese Garden enjoyed an unexpectedly clear (rain was predicted!) and beautiful view of the almost full moon. Visitors sat in the orchard near the moon-viewing platform to see performances of music and dance – koto masters Kuniko and Marcia Takamura, flute (shinobue) player Yasuko Hongo Harris, and the Fujima Dance Ensemble helped us welcome the moon.

Others participated in a moon-viewing tea ceremony with Seattle Tankokai in the teahouse. Members of the Seattle Astronomical Society set up telescopes above the harbor town area so that we could ooh and ahh at detailed, clear images of the moon (There IS a rabbit  pounding rice in it!!). Inspired to creativity, many of us strolled to the east entrance where Haiku Northwest held a haiku writing contest – later, winners’ poems were recited for all to hear, including one about signs in the Garden, especially ‘Please Stay on the Path’, in which the poet noted that the moon does not follow rules….

SJG• 8/17/13  - Yashuko Harris plays shinobue at Moon Viewing celebration

© Aurora Santiago

As night fell, the entire Garden was gently lit by the lanterns and luminaria, and the many flickering, twinkling boats that volunteers launched into the pond. In spite of the crowd, the mood was serene, tranquil.

SJG• 8/17/13 - © Aurora Santiago

Throughout the memorable evening, denizens of the Garden – the koi and turtles, and the crows, squirrels, and bats we don’t see during the day – seemed perplexed but accepting of our intrusion. And the moon kindly watched over us all.

SJG • 8/17/13 • Fujima Dancers  © Aurora Santiago

Wandering and Wondering - butoh in the Garden

by Aurora Santiago

Here are a few photos taken during the Wandering and Wondering performance by Joan Laage and her Daipan Group.  I will be posting the pictures at my flickr site this week -  Aurora's Flickr account here...

SJG - 8/10/13 - © Aurora Santiago

SJG - 8/10/13 - Samuel Yoder © Aurora Santiago

SJG - 8/10/13 - Joan Laage © Aurora Santiago

SJG - 8/10/13 - Michael Shannon © Aurora Santiago

SJG - 8/10/13 -  Bruce Fogg © Aurora Santiago

SJG • 8/10/13 - Kaoru Okumura © Aurora Santiago

SJG • 8/10/13-  Stephen Passero © Aurora Santiago

Domo Arigato to all the dancers and those behind the curtains who made it happen!

* * * * *

Reminder:  MOON VIEWING tomorrow, Saturday, 8/16 at  6-10 pm...

Garden Party pics and handy calendar of SJG events

by aleks
If you attended the SJG Garden Party on 7/26 go to Aurora's Flickr account and contact her if she has your picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santiagoa/

SJG • 7/26/13 - Auctioned print from the original
paper cutting 'May Shower'  by Aki Sogabe. Photo: Aurora Santiago

  

SJG • 7/26/13 - Silent auction table; the big print in the background
is a photo/donation from Briand Sanderson, of Ray's photo-workshop.
Photo: Aurora Santiago

SJG • 7/26/13 - Kiyomi Tashiro, Chikuzen Biwa master of the Japan
Arts Connection Lab, plays Biwa ( Japanese Lute).
Photo: Aurora Santiago 

SJG • 7/26/13 - Kimono presentation was conducted by special guest, Yu Ugawa
from Kobe, helped by her daughter Mariko Ugawa Kayama  and  Linda Inagawa.
Here Linda describes the traditional wedding kimono and how it is worn.
Yu Ugawa did the same  in Japanese.  Photo: Aurora Santiago

SJG • 7/26/13 - Kimono presentation was conducted by special guest , Yu Ugawa from Kobe.
helped by her daughter Mariko Ugawa Kayama  and  Linda Inagawa;
the man modeling blue kimono is Dick Foley, the master of ceremonies and auctioneer.
Photo: Aurora Santiago

SJG • 7/26/13 - Yu Ugawa removes Erica's hood to display the beautiful headpiece.
Photo: Aurora Santiago

SJG • 7/26/13 - Yu, Erica and Linda stroll in the garden.
Photo: Aurora Santiago

SJG • 7/26/13 - Garden guest thanks Yu and Erica for the wonderful
kimono presentation.  Photo: Aurora Santiago

• • • • • 

Confused about SJG news/events info coming from too many sources and wondering how to incorporate all of it into your own calendar? Oh, so am I... so here is a friendly PSA combining them all, or most of them, anyway. yours, aleks

for AUGUST 2013:

• 8/10, tomorrow - 2:00-5:00 pm - Wandering and Wondering - local BUTOH artists and musicians (including our guide Joan Laage) performances inspired by the Garden. SJG, just come and enjoy.

• 8/14, Wed. 9:30-11:30am - a tour of Seward Park led by Paul Talbert (PT is involved with the Seward Park Torii restoration project). if interested email Dewey.

• 8/14, Wed.  3:00- 5:00 pm - Mary's retirement party at Sandpoint clubhouse - if you need directions ask Jeanne P.

• 8/17, Sat.  7:00-10 pm  Otsukimi (Moon Viewing)  - report to Rachel for volunteering opportunities.

• 8/24, Sat., 10:30-12:00 noon  - Cont. Ed: Exquisite Japanese garden film—“Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden.”

For SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2013:

• Somewhere in September: photo exhibition of the workshop spring class - stay tuned.

Garden events:
9/15, 2013 (Sunday) - Keiro no Hi (Respect for Elders) - all day, report to Rachel for volunteering
10/13, Sun. - Momijigari (Maple Viewing) - all day, report to Rachel for volunteering

Cont. Ed. meetings: 
•Thur, 9/19, 10:30-12:00 - Robert Hoshide, Architect—Gatehouse Design, Seattle Japanese Garden.
•Thur, 11/ 21, 10:30-12:00 - Masa Mizuno—Maintenance and History of Seattle Japanese Garden.

Japanese Film Club (TCR, 1 PM):
• 9/26, Thursday, 1:00 pm, TCR:  My Neighbor Totoro.  Director:  Hayao Miyazaki.  86 minutes.  
 2006
• 10/24, Thursday, 1:00 pm, TCR:    Shishu (Poetic Beauty)Intuition and Feeling in the Japanese Garden. Director:  Marc Keane with Yasuo Kitayama, Joji Hirota.  53 minutes.
• 11/14, Thursday, 1:00 pm, TCR:   Hula Girls.  Director:  San-il Lee.   108 minutes.  2006.

Remembering Sadako Sasaki; Fukushima today

[will try to get a current pic of Sadako's sculpture in Seattle Peace Park later, in the meantime found this 2011 story. aleks. today's picture added 6 pm].  This is reprinted and picture copied from Magnolia Voice:

Lawton students fold 1,000 cranes

June 13th, 2011 

The Sadako Statue in the University District is now adorned with 1,000 cranes folded by students at Magnolia’s Lawton School.  The students are in Mrs. Ulmer and Ms. Hensley’s class where they read the story of Sadako’s life.  They folded  1,000 cranes in memory of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

The statue is located in Peace Park at the corner of N.E. 40th Street and Roosevelt Way N.E. 

About Seattle Peace Park,  from Seattle. Gov: Peace Park was the dream of Dr. Floyd Schmoe, who after winning the Hiroshima Peace Prize in 1998 used the $5,000 prize money to clear a small lot near the University of Washington. From a pile of wrecked cars, garbage, and brush, he worked with community volunteers to build the beautiful Peace Park.

Peace Park is the current home of the Sadako and the Thousand Cranes sculpture, created in 1990 by artist Daryl Smith. The statue is a life-size bronze of Sadako Sasaki, the young Japanese girl who survived the Hiroshima bombing only to die of radiation sickness at age 12.

The park was dedicated on August 6, 1990, the 45th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

• • • • • 

• Sadako's story from wikipedia: Sadako Sasaki (佐々木 禎子 Sasaki Sadako, January 7, 1943 – October 25, 1955) was a Japanese girl who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, near her home by Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. Sadako is remembered through the story of a thousand origami cranes before her death, and is to this day a symbol of innocent victims of war. [...]

•  There is a beautiful 4:40 minutes story about Sadako on youtube by a painter Steve Simon, but somehow cannot be uploaded here, you will find it on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcsKcgEtlNc  or on Steve's 'The Great Peacemakers' webpage. 

Sadako's statue at the Peace Park today, 8/6/13:
Lots of people left origami cranes on her hands and at her feet, also hand-made 'peace'  signs

• • • • • 

• Current news from Fukushima  BBC: 6 August 2013 Last updated at 02:44 ET 
Japan's nuclear watchdog has said the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is facing a new "emergency" caused by a build-up of radioactive groundwater.

A barrier built to contain the water has already been breached, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority warned.  This means the amount of contaminated water seeping into the Pacific Ocean could accelerate rapidly, it said.

• And here link to Fukushima Diary - - Life in Japan, after 3.11.11 - by Iori Mochizuki,  a civil engineer living in Yokohama.

• • • • •

How to fold a paper crane for beginners: