Visit Korea #3: Yongpyong Resort (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Korea Tourism Organization)

Yongpyong Resort has the most slopes out of all the resorts in Korea, but it is also extremely famous as a film location. This was where the popular drama Winter Sonata was filmed, and you can still find mementoes of the drama at the resort. Yongpyong resort has also hosted an international ski championship, due to its 28 slopes and 15 lifts.

At Yongpyong resort there are various courses available, ranging from beginner courses to the Yellow and Pink slope expert courses. On selected courses various rails and fixtures have been installed so snowboarders can make jumps and test various skills. The T-Rain Park Course allows snowboarders to ride stair rails and gives them the sensation of jumping over cars. Snowboarders from all over the world come here to try out these more difficult stunts. The resort also has many other great facilities, including an assortment of restaurants and cafes. The Western restaurant, Chalet, in Dragon Hotel, served as one of the film locations for the drama Winter Sonata. Diners can look out over the slopes while enjoying a delicious meal.

Those who wish to explore the entire area of Yongpyong Resort can use the beautiful walking paths or the observatory gondola. Yongpyong Resort, along with Muju Resort, serves as the location for the Fun Ski Event each year.

Yongpyong Resort has various accommodation facilities, including the Dragon Valley Hotel with its beautiful view overlooking the resort, condos with kitchen facilities as well as bedrooms, and affordable youth hostels for those on a budget. The condo is available to both members and non-members, but during the high seasons non-members may find it difficult to make reservations. If you are not a member and want to reserve a condo, it is best to do it early and also to avoid weekends and the high seasons.

You can make reservations through the homepage after creating an account, and your confirmation will be sent to you via email. For non-members accommodation at the Dragon Valley Hotel starts at ￦242,000, and condo accommodation ranges from ￦280,000 to ￦500,000. Accommodation at the youth hostel ranges from ￦70,000 to ￦160,000. Prices will vary depending on the dates. For exact prices, log on to Yongpyong Resort’s homepage to make further inquiries.

Candy Art & Picture-Story Show

Date & Venue
9 Dec - Daiwa Japan House, Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QP
12 Dec - Kitchen studio in West London
13 Dec - The Japanese School in Acton

Dokudami Komachi is a two-women performance unit, performing traditional Japanese arts. Amezaiku is a traditional Japanese folk art of sculpting candy into a variety of shapes as animals and other characters.

It is said that even in Japan, there may be only handful people still practicing this centuries-old art form. In less than 3 minutes, using a pair of tiny scissors, one can make objects like birds and dolphins. The sugar syrup must be boiled to intense temperatures of 80°, before being stretched and pulled by hand. There's pressure to work quickly, before the sugar cools and hardens.Kamishibai means literally "paper drama", and is a form of story-telling that originated in Japan.

The stories are performed along with a musical accompaniment on the sanshin, a traditional Japanese musical instrument and dancing, by Fujita Naoko.

See Korean Film #1: Christmas in August (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Koreanfilm.org & Korean Cultural Centre UK)

Date: 11th December, 7pm

Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK, Ground Floor, 1 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5EJ

Fee: Free (Booking is Necessary for your free ticket)

Tel: +44 (0)20 7004 2600

Web site: www.london.korean-culture.org

Email: info@kccuk.org.uk

Review by Darcy Paquet (Koreanfilm.org)

This is a debut feature by director Hur Jin-ho and stars two of the most popular actors in Korea today, Han Suk-kyu (The Contact, No. 3, Green Fish, The Ginkgo Bed) and Shim Eun-ha (Art Museum by the Zoo). It was released in January and then screened in the International Critics Week section at the Cannes Film Festival in May. From what I hear the screenings generated a fair amount of interest.

The film was shot in a regional city called Gunsan and centers on a small photography shop owned by the main character (Han Suk-kyu). We learn soon into the film that he has a disease which leaves him only a short time to live. Nonetheless, the director chooses to focus on the more common details of his life: portrait-taking, drinking with friends, and spending time with his father and sister. At this time he meets Darim (Shim Eun-ha), a meter reader who drops by his studio to develop pictures of parking violators. As she becomes a part of his daily routine he finds himself becoming more and more attached to her.

I own a copy of this film, and I’ve watched it I don’t know how many times. Apart from the acting I love the film’s subtlety. Many scenes hinge on the most delicate changes in facial expression, and yet the film as a whole creates a powerful impression. The director has stated that he wanted to present an image of death in ‘warm tones,’ and I think he succeeds beautifully. The director, Hur Jin-ho, studied at the Korean film academy and worked as an assistant director on two films by noted director Park Kwang-soo, To the Starry Island and A Single Spark. He also co-wrote the screenplay for A Single Spark.

This film is notable for being the final, posthumous work of cinematographer Yoo Young-kil. The 1998 Pusan Film Festival screened a special retrospective on Yoo, whose remarkable career spanned several decades and included some of Korea’s most original and respected films. This is hardly the first film to choose death as its theme, but I believe it to be somewhat unique in its measured, intimate approach. It is well worth seeing.

Japanese Cinema for Busy People II Special

Date: 3 December 2008 from 6.30pm

Venue: Japan Foundation, London

The Japan Foundation will host this special lecture as a supplement to our successful series Japanese Cinema for Busy People II.

In this event, Jasper Sharp will provide an insight into the history and development of one of the most intriguing genres of Japanese cinema, Pink Film; the cultural phenomenon distinct from the cheaply produced world of Adult Video.

This event will focus on the art of this form of filmmaking and its position in relation to the Japanese cinema industry.

Jasper Sharp is co-editor of Japanese film website Midnight Eye, co-author (with Tom Mes) of The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film and author of the new book Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema.

Attendees to this event will be able to purchase a signed copy of this book at a special discount rate.

This event is free to attend but booking is essential. To register to attend, please contact event@jpf.org.uk giving your name and those of any guests.

This seminar will accompany the BFI’s season, Wild Japan: Sex in Japanese Cinema of the 60s and 70s.

Visit Japan #3: Chichibu Yomatsuri (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Japan National Tourist Organization London Office)

Dates: December 2nd and 3rd
Venue: Chichibu Shrine (City:1-1, Banba-machi, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture)

Chichibu Yomatsuri is a festival of Chichibu Shrine which has a history of more than 2,000 years.

It is one of Japan’s three greatest hikiyama (float) festivals, together with the Gion Matsuri of Kyoto (July 1st-31st) and the Takayama Matsuri of Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture (April 14th and 15th, and October 9th and 10th).

The main attraction of this festival takes place on the 3rd (the 2nd features an event held on the eve called Yoiyama).

Two kasaboko which are large parasol-like objects decorated on top with weapons such as spears, and artificial flowers together with four yatai floats shaped like small houses are paraded through the city streets.
In the afternoon, the floats are transformed into stages by pulling out wings on either side, where Kabuki plays are performed.

The most exciting scene of the festival unfolds on the evening of the 3rd when kasaboko and yatai floats, weighing 10-20 tons each and lit up with countless lanterns, climb up a steep slope with a mikoshi (a portable shrine).

The spectators’ excitement reaches its peak at the powerful sound of the drums and flutes, and the unique festival shouts of ‘Ho-ryai! Ho-ryai!’

The fireworks illuminating the clear winter evening skies are another of the attractions of this festival.

Wild Japan: Sex in Japanese Cinema of the 60s and 70s

Date: 1 December 2008 - 30 December 2008
Venue: BFI Southbank

The sexual preoccupations of Wakamatsu's movie were indicative of a rising and unstoppable tide. The first Japanese screen kiss came late (in 1946) but only a decade later a cycle of taiyozoku (or 'Sun Tribe Films'), which centred around the decadent generation of post-war Japanese teens, would push the boundaries of screen eroticism beyond anything seen in American cinema of the same period. In the mid-1960s, against a backdrop of ever-increasing independent pink film production, highly regarded film-makers Kaneto Shindo and Hiroshi Teshigahara would produce two masterpieces - Onibaba and Woman of the Dunes - which shocked international audiences with their sexual candour.
Later in the 1960s, as independent sex film production threatened to swamp the Japanese film market entirely, the Nikkatsu studio launched its glorious roman porno (softcore 'romantic pornography') strand of movies. A slew of highly talented directors - Noboru Tanaka, Masaru Konuma and Tatsumi Kumashiro included - used reasonable budgets and Nikkatsu studio stars to create some of the most memorable and artistic sex films in cinema history.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese filmmakers produced a series of films of unprecedented sexual candour. Returning to this legendary period of ‘pink films’, BFI Southbank celebrates the aesthetic achievements of these erotic masterpieces. Highlights of the thirteen films in the line-up include, Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses and Koji Wakamatsu’s Secrets Behind the Wall. The Japan Foundation has supported this season through the loan of six films.

Visit Japan #2: Yokohama Triennale 2008 (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Japan National Tourist Organization London Office)

Title: YOKOHAMA TRIENNALE 2008 YOKOHAMA 2008 (International Triennale of Contemporary Art)
Duration: 13 September - 30 November 2008 (79 days / Open Every Day)
Opening hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (entrance until 17:00)
Venue: Central and Waterfront Sites in Yokohama

The Yokohama Triennale series of international exhibitions of contemporary art, first held in 2001, make its third exhibition in 2008.
Based on the comprehensive exhibition theme set by the artistic director, a diverse range of artworks—including videos, installations, photography, painting, and sculpture—by 72 selected artists from 25 different countries and regions are put on display.
While showcasing newly-released artworks of the cutting-edge contemporary art around the globe, the Triennale also features many site-specific works highlighting the distinctive charms of the host city so that it unfolds the large extravaganza of art.
Vigorous supplementary events are conducted during the exhibition period, including symposiums to flesh out the Triennale concept and the workshops and gallery talks to enhance the dialogue among the artists, participants, and the visitors.
The Triennale also seeks to establish and strengthen ties with art organizations and other international exhibition secretariats in Japan and abroad.

Workshop on Japanese and Anglo-Saxon Mythology: A Relationship

Date: 24 November - 7 December 2008

Venue: Greenwich Dance Agency, The Borough Halls, Royal Hill, London, SE10 8RE

Contact: Tel: 07912 620611
Email: info@theatreadinfinitum.co.uk

A two-week research and development workshop, exploring the mythological relationships between the two cultures, culminating in a presentation of the actors' findings on the 7th of December.
Merging physical theatre disciplines such as poetic movement, storytelling and music, they will explore and research the intercultural relationship that exists between the UK and Japan through mythology.

Visit Korea #2: 2008 International Migratory Bird Festival (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Korea Tourism Organization)

Period: 19.11.2008 ~ 23.11.2008 (Opening ceremony will be held on Wendseday November 19 at 11:00 a.m.)
Address: Jeollabuk-do Gunsan-si Seongsan-myeon 411-1
Location: Gunsan-si (Geumgang Migratory Bird Observatory and Geumgang lake)
Performance Times

Transportation: To get here, take a train to Gunsan Station, then take a taxi for about 2 kilometers to the Geumgang Migratory Bird Observatory. For additional information, please check the festival’s homepage.
http://www.gsbird.co.kr/index.htm
Telephone: *Korea Travel Phone +82-63-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, English) * For more info +82-63-453-7313~4 (Korean)
Sponsors / Management: Gunsan-si

Introduction
The fifth 2008 International Migratory Bird Festival will be taking place for a period of five days from November 19th, 2008 to November 23rd, 2008 in the Gunsan-si region. Visitors will have the pleasure of watching Baikal Teal flocks, the most representative migratory birds of Geumgang, fly through the air. This is also a popular festival for families as it boasts a great experience in the natural environment of the wild.Main events of the festival include the opening ceremony, an exhibition event, face painting, stage performances, and various other experience programs, offering a variety of sights to see and enjoy.

JAPAN CAR - Mobile Cell

Date: 29 November 2008 - 19 April 2009

Venue: Science Museum, London
Fee: Adults: £8.00, Conc: £6.25

The world of Japanese car design set against the backdrop of Japan’s unique culture is explored in a sophisticated new exhibition at the Science Museum, from 29 November 2008.
Japan Car, an exploration of the car as a “mobile cell”, has been conceived by two world class names from outside the world of automobile: Kenya Hara, the man responsible for much of the success of Muji, and Shigeru Ban, the distinguished Japanese architect currently designing a new satellite gallery in Metz for Paris’ Pompidou Centre.
The exhibition, sponsored by seven Japanese car manufactures, shows how Japanese car design reflects the ‘soil and the spirit of Japan’, shown through concept cars and special home market models. Japan Car explores three themes (size, environment and the moving urban cell) while examining the future of mobility in cities. Japan, being both highly innovative and densely populated, can be seen as the driving force behind transport solutions for twenty-first century cities.

* Visit the museum
Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD.
Opening Hours: Open 10am – 6pm every day except 24 to 26 December. The Science Museum will be open to the public every day this week from 10am to 6pm.

Discover Korean Food #3: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's Bibimbap (THE EAST Campaign in Association with The Institute of Traditional Korean Food)

Bibimbap is a dish mixed of cooked white rice, vegetables, beef, garnishes and fried red pepper paste. It is said that this dish came from the customs of memorial services and rural villages. This dish is very easy to prepare, just mixing together cooked white rice with various vegetables, namul and red pepper paste.

◎ Ingredients & Quantity

* 450 g (2½ cups) non-glutinous rice, 600 g (3 cups) water

* 300 g young pumpkin, 2 g (½ tsp) salt

* 200 g skinned bellflower roots, 4 g (1 tsp) salt

* 120 g beef (top round), 200 g soaked brackenseasoning sauce : 18 g (1 tbsp) soy sauce, 6 g (½ tbsp) sugar, 9 g (2 tsp) minced green onion, 5.5 g (1 tsp) minced garlic, 2 g (1 tsp) sesame salt, 0.3 g (⅛ tsp) ground black pepper, 4 g (1 tsp) sesame oil
* 2 ea (120 g) egg

* 3 g kelps, 26 g (2 tbsp) edible oil

* Fried red pepper paste : 95 g (5 tbsp) red pepper paste, 20 g minced beef, 9 g (2 tsp) minced green onion, 5.5 g (1 tsp) minced garlic, 90 g (6 tbsp) water, 18 g (1½ tbsp) sugar, 19 g (1½ tbsp) sesame oil

◎ Preparation

1. Wash the rice, soak in water for 30 min. drain water on a strainer for 10 min. (550 g).

2. Cut the young pumpkin into 5~6 cm-long, then cut them into 0.3 cm-wide/thick round, shred into matchstick, soak with salt for 10 min. wipe water with cotton cloths. Shred bellflower roots into 5~6 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide/thick, add salt and fumble them with hands, let it sit for 10 min. then rinse and squeeze water out.

3. Clean blood of beef with cotton cloths, shred into 6 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide/thick. Wash the bracken, cut into 5 cm-long. Season beef and bracken with seasoning sauce respectively.

4. Panfry egg for yellow/white egg garnish, shred it into 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-wide/thick.

◎ Recipe

1. Put the rice and water in the pot, heat it up for 4 min. on high heat. When it boils, continue to boil it for another 4 min. then lower the heat to medium, boil it for 3 min. When the rice become sodden, lower the heat to low, steam for 10 min. to be well-done (1.03 kg).

2. Preheat the frying pan and oil, stir-fry pumpkin on high heat for 30 sec. spread out and cool down (80 g).

3. Preheat the frying pan and oil, stir-fry bellflower roots on medium heat for 5 min. (120 g).

4. Preheat the frying pan and oil, stir-fry beef and bracken respectively on medium heat for 3 min. (beef 80g, bracken 164g).

5. Pour edible oil into the pan, oil fry kelps on medium heat for 10 sec. Crush it into large size.

6. Put the minced beef, green onion, garlic and half of the sesame oil in the pot, stir-fry them on medium heat for 2 min. Add red pepper paste, sugar and sesame oil, stir-fry for 5 min. Add water into it, stir-fry for another 3 min. to make fried red pepper paste (167 g).

7. Serve steamed rice with prepared stuffs and fried red pepper paste on top.

About The Beauty of Korean Food: With 100 Best-Loved Recipes
Korean food has been appraised as a genuine, slow, healthy food for its organization with the seasons and regional specialties, harmony of food ingredients and combination of food groups. In spite of high interest in Korean food by global villagers, there haven't been any good books introducing Korean food with internationally comprehensible recipes. As part of the project "Research and Development Project for Standardization of Korean Cuisine" driven by the Korean government, this book is designed to standardize the recipes of the selected 100 Korean foods by using international system of units (SI unit) and to present the pleasure of cooking healthy Korean food easily for everyone around the world. It also gives useful tips, such as service temperature, total cooking time, suggested utensils, nutritional information for one se
rve, along with specific instructions for preparing ingredients and cooking.

About Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon
As a principal researcher of the Research and Development Project for the Standardization of Korean Cuisine, she has been in the lead to popularize and globalize the Korean food.
She has been extending diverse R&D, lectures and writing books, and also acting as a publicity ambassador for the globalization of Korean food at the various overseas exhibitions.
She has held the Special Exhibition of Korean Royal Court Cuisine during the APEC Korea in 2005 and promoted the 4th Korean Food Festival in UN Headquarters in 2007, won high praises from ambassadors to UN and overseas journals for the beauty and excellence of Korean food. Major works are: "Korean Food," "Traditional Korean Food," "The Store and Fermentation Food of Korea," "Korean Traditional tteok," "Cookies and Beverages," "Good Morning, Kimchi," "Gyuhapchongseo," "The Beauty of Wedding Food" and so on.

Visit Korea #1: Choenamdan Moseulpo (Southernmost) Yellowtail (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Korea Tourism Organization)

Date: 11.11.2008 ~ 16.11.2008
Venue: Jeju-do Namjeju-gun Daejeong-eup Maseulpo Port
Transportation: To get there, take a taxi to Moseulpo Port from Jeju International Airport. It takes approximately 50 minutes. Interpreter guides in English, Japanese, and Chinese languages are available at the venue.

Held for the 8th time in 2008, the Choenamdan Moseulpo Yellowtail Festival celebrates bangeo, or yellowtail, which boasts the best fish quality. This year, it will be held from November 14th to 16th near Moseulpo Port in Seogwipo, Jeju-do. Major events include bangeo catching, bangeo fishing, bangeo traditional market, national gaetbawi fishing contest, inline skate festival, and visit to historical sites. There will also be a bangeo cooking exhibition and free sampling, as well as the ceremony of pungeoje to pray for a bountiful catch and vessel parade.

For more information please visit:
http://www.bangeofestival.com/

or Korea Tourism Organization website:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_2.jsp

World Travel Market - Now Open

World Travel Market is officially open and the halls are alive with visitors and exhibitors.
With 5,500 exhibitors representing over 200 countries and regions and a packed seminar and conference programme.

Staged annually in London under one roof, World Travel Market is a must attend business to business exhibition that provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business. By attending World Travel Market, participants efficiently, effectively and productively gain immediate competitive advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry.

This year’s exhibition at ExCeL London, Monday 10 – Thursday 13 November 2008, is bursting with potential; delivering a full programme of strategic content and bringing together the largest global industry gathering of destinations, tour operators, hotels, airlines, technology and online travel services under one roof.

In addition to the stimulating programme, WTM has been working on an extended WTM seminar, conference and events programme and several new initiatives, created to further improve and enhance the visitor experience.

Opening Dates & Times
Monday 10 November - 10:00-18:00 (Admission by invitation only)

Tuesday 11 November - 10:00-18:00

Wednesday 12 November - 10:00-18:00

Thursday 13 November - 10:00-17:00

Venue

ExCeL London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London Docklands, E16 1XL

Contact

http://www.wtmlondon.com/
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7069 4000

Stand

China National Tourist Office - Stand : AS4100

Japan National Tourist Organization - Stand : AS2200
Korea Tourism Organization - Stand : AS3100

Surface Matters: Machine Drawings by Tetsuo Fujimoto

Venue: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QP
Date: 12 November 2008 - 17 December 2008 (Monday-Friday, 9.30am-5.00pm)
Organised by: The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation

Fujimoto describes his work as ‘machine drawings’ which are created through layers of stitches upon stitches, covering the base cloth and building up an extraordinary surface which ultimately becomes three-dimensional. The marks are laid down in a random manner creating a form of impasto or surface layering of lines that build towards the viewer. Such a dense surface texture causes considerable shrinkage; a 5 meter cloth can end up as a 4 meter finished piece.

Fujimoto talks about his work as encompassing the macro and the micro. From a distance the work appears as a dynamic surface, from 2 meters we experience it as an engulfing space and from 15 cm we see the intense layering of thread and stitch. He says ‘I am now very interested in the fact that the universal macro world and the inner micro world seem to be alike. I am trying to make the macro and micro world coexist in one picture surface, through the linear expression of the sewing machine. The overlapping of lines leads us from the surface to the inner world of that thing.’

Tetsuo Fujimoto (b. 1952) was initially trained and practiced as a weaver for many years before deciding to experiment with freer forms of expression. He studied at the Kyoto City University of Arts and was awarded Fulbright Artist/Scholar in Residence (1992-3) and stayed at Montclair State University as Visiting Professor. He is currently Professor at Division of Contemporary Art and Theory, Faculty of Art, Hiroshima City University. He has had numerous solo and group shows internationally. Recent exhibitions include Vision of Asia Contemporary Fiber Art at The Museum of National Academy of Arts, Soeul (2008), Transformations: the language of craft at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (2005- 2006), Textural Space, touring exhibition in the UK (2001-2002), and ITF the 6th International Textile Competition at the Museum of Kyoto (1998). Public collections include The Museum of Kyoto, Museum Bellerive, Switzerland, and The National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Surface Matters: Machine Drawings by Tetsuo Fujimoto is organised by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. It is a Japan-UK 150 event and is supported by the Pola Art Foundation in Tokyo and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Visit Japan #1: Tori-no-Ichi (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Japan National Tourist Organization London Office)

Dates:The days of the Tori or Rooster in November(the date changes each year, so please check the Japanese calendar)

Places:Otori-jinja Shrine and other shrines

City: 3-18-7, Senzoku, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Tori or rooster is one of the Junishi or the twelve animal signs of the Oriental zodiac, namely, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and wild boar. Formerly, the Japanese used to combine these twelve zodiac signs with the system of Jikkan (the ten celestial stems), which were applied to each year and each day. The Tori-no-Ichi is conducted according to old Japanese customs, and is held on the days of the rooster in November.

Days of the rooster occur every 12 days in November, which means that the month of November has at least 2 or even 3 days of the rooster, depending on the year.

The Tori-no-Ichi is a fair held on the days of the rooster in November at various Otori-jinja shrines found in all parts of Japan. This fair is sometimes called by the familiar name of Otori-sama. The patron deity of good fortune and successful business is enshrined at Otori-jinja shrines which have many worshippers, and on these days of the rooster, a fair is set up in the precincts, with open-air stalls selling kumade rakes for 'raking in wealth and good fortune.'

This good-luck rake is made of bamboo and is decorated with masks and koban (old gold coins).

Although the Otori-jinja Shrine in Taito-ku, quite close to Asakusa, is the most famous shrine for the Tori-no-Ichi fair, similar fairs are also held in about 30 other shrines in Tokyo such as Hanazono-jinja Shrine in Shinjuku-ku, Kitano-jinja Shrine in Nakano-ku and Ebara-jinja Shrine in Shinagawa-ku. Moreover, when a rake is sold, it is common practice for the seller and buyer to clap their hands rhythmically in harmony with one another (known as tejime). Quite a few people visit the fair just to hear the lively shouts which always accompany these hand clapping ceremonies.

Invest Japan Symposium 2008, London

Date: Friday, November 14th, 2008

Venue: Savoy Place, The Institution of Engineering and Technology2 Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL

Organised by: JETRO, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan (METI), UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)

Supported by: The Japan Society, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Confederation of British Industries (CBI), British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)

Main Theme: Japan, as a base for high value creation

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) are organizing Invest Japan Symposium 2008 in London on 14th November, 2008 to highlight investment opportunities in the Japanese market and to promote further business activities between Japan and the UK.

The Japanese government is active in promoting foreign direct investment into Japan by setting a target to make the stock value of FDI reach around 5% of the GDP by the end of 2010. There is no doubt that East Asia will thrive as the driving force of the global economy in the years to come and in order to present Japan as the strategic base to the region.

Korean Painting and Craft Art, "Korean Arts and Crafts: Tradition and Creativity"

Date: 11 Nov 2008 - 4 December 2008

Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW

The exhibition showcases JU-WON JANG, NAMI KIM, CHEON-BO, and YOUNG-JUN KIM, four Korean artists who have shaped recent developments in precious ornaments, embroidery, painting and modern lacquer manufacturing.

Korean Jade by Ju-won JANG
Jade has been used in Korea from the Stone Age onwards, especially during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-935 AD) as evidenced by the many jade beads excavated from various ancient tombs. The white, soft qualities of Jade convey persistence, mildness, subtlety, and patience. Emblematic of the Korean character, Jade symbolises the best of human qualities. During the Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918-1392) jade craft developed into sculpted ornaments for the royal families and aristocracy. Jade ornaments were also heirlooms passed down from mother to daughter and mother-in-law to daughter-in-law.
From his childhood, Jun-won JANG learned the traditional methods of trimming, creating and repairing artistic objects made of jade. He has gone on to develop his artistry with Jade carving openings, elaborate incense burners, kettles, and pedants. He is especially famous for his unique ability to carve linked chains of Jade.

Korean Embroidery by Nami KIM
For more than 2000 years, Korean traditional silk thread embroidery has developed the ability to harmonise Korean colour patterns using blue, red, yellow, white and black in particular, as illustrated on court dresses and suits, and with the symbols of good fortune, lucky pocket bags used as wedding gifts. This exhibition present the work of a mistress of this tradition, Nami KIM (born 1939), including a pair of flower-patterned shoes, decorated with peony blossoms, hand-sewed with leather. Red, blue and yellowish green are her preferred colours.

Korean Painting by Cheon-Bo
Traditional Korean paintings use brush, ink, paper, and ink slab with an emphasis on the speed at which the artist wields the brush and the shading of the ink. Compared to Western paintings that attempt to fill the entire space, the empty space is an important dimension of the art work. It is the way the artist utilizes the power of the strokes and the beauty of the empty space that creates the desired aesthetic. Here the four works of “Audacity”, “The Face of God,” “Dirt ” and “Climbing up that Cliff,” portray Cheon-Bo's ideals and thoughts using the medium as of old. In “Audacity” if you are bold you can even avoid death. In “Someone Climbing up the Cliff” you can climb the mountains of life and faith without ever becoming discouraged. The work is 135 cm long and 75cm wide that exhibit power and a remarkable aura. Yet the brush stroke takes only 30 to 60 seconds to complete, without a breath, and in absolute focus, in a line that takes hours of practice and effort to achieve.

Korean Lacquer Ware Inlaid With Mother-of-Pearl by Young-Jun KIM
The sophisticated craftsmanship of Korean lacquer wares is admired and sought after by collectors and aficionados worldwide. Widely used as household items in the past, they are now gaining a reputation in the luxury art market. The Korean phrase "najeon chilgi" literally means "lacquer ware decorated with mother-of-pearl" also called ‘nacre’. Korean ‘nacre’ is thought to originate from the third century. It gained popularity during the unified Silla period (668~935). The oldest surviving lacquer wares are those from the Goryeo Dynasty (918~1392).
Lacquer, as a resin made from highly toxic saps of lacquer trees, a variant of poison ivy, can cause serious skin rashes. Lacquer on wood, often referred to as a natural plastic, is remarkably resistant to water, acid and heat. The secret to this resistance to heat and water lies in a coating of many layers. The colouring is normally black or dark brown although variation comes through adding natural and artificial agents. Young Jun KIM studied design in Italy and married traditional techniques with modern design in applications that range from the interior of cars to the X-Box that Bill Gates gave to Korean President Lee.

Masterpieces of Ukiyo-e

Date: 12 December 2008 - 15 March 2009
Venue: Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London SW7 2RL

Julie and Robert Breckman Gallery and part of the Edwin and Susan Davies Galleries (rooms 90 and 88a). A smaller selection of prints will also be on display in the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art and Design (room 45).

Ukiyo-e (浮世絵, Ukiyo-e), "pictures of the floating world", is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre and pleasure quarters. It is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan.
The "floating world" (ukiyo) refers to the impetuous urban culture that bloomed and was a world unto itself. Although the traditional classes of Japanese society were bound by numerous strictures and prohibitions, the rising merchant class was relatively unregulated, therefore "floating."
The art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating with the single-color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a brush, but in the 18th century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.
Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were meant for mainly townsmen, who were generally not wealthy enough to afford an original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular activities and scenes from the entertainment district. Beautiful courtesans, bulky sumo wrestlers and popular actors would be portrayed while engaged in appealing activities. Later on landscapes also became popular. Political subjects, and individuals above the lowest strata of society (courtesans, wrestlers and actors) were not sanctioned in these prints and very rarely appeared. Sex was not a sanctioned subject either, but continually appeared in ukiyo-e prints. Artists and publishers were sometimes punished for creating these sexually explicit shunga.

The V&A's collection of ukiyo-e is one of the largest and finest in the world, with over 25,000 prints. This display will feature highlights from the touring exhibition Masterpieces of Ukiyo-e from the Victoria and Albert Museum, shown at 7 venues in Japan in 2007/8.
It will comprise some 60 prints & drawings from the V&A's unique collection, along with illustrated books and albums. Exhibition themes will reflect the strengths of the collection: glorious full-colour prints, fan prints, illustrated poetry books, and artists' sketches and copyists' drawings that offer unique insights into the production methods of ukiyo-e.

Min-Jung Kym at Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple

Date: Sat 8 Nov 2008, 7:30pm
Venue: Queens Theatre, Barnstaple
Conductor: Shuntaro Sato
Piano: Min-Jung Kym

Mendelssohn: Incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Dvořák: Symphony No. 7
Tickets £21.50 & £20

British pianist Min-Jung Kym has a widely-recognised reputation for her diverse range of styles and repertoire as a soloist, duo and chamber musician.
A former Purcell School scholar, Min-Jung made her London solo concert début at the age of twelve with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.
Her numerous prizes and awards include the British Young Pianist of the Year, Ettlingen International and the YMFE competitions.
As a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, she studied with Christopher Elton and graduated with the Eric Brough and Elsie Horne prizes, in recognition of her outstanding concerto and recital performances in her final year.
Min-Jung’s interpretations have been enjoyed in the USA, Europe and throughout Britain at venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Purcell Room, St John Smith’s Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Leicester’s De Montfort Hall.
She has also appeared at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Cheltenham Festival and the RNCM Broadwood International Piano Festival.
Min-Jung is the pianist of choice for the master classes for legendary violinist, Ruggiero Ricci, and has enjoyed successful collaborations with violinists Pierre Amoyal and Sergei Levitin, the renowned Haffner Ensemble, with whom she gave a highly-acclaimed Wigmore recital, and the Molto Musica Ensemble.
A regular invitee at Music Societies and Festivals throughout the UK, her versatility combined with a subtlety of technique, are widely appreciated.
A Steinway artist, Min-Jung will make a number of concerto appearances in the forthcoming season with the world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra.

An Unmissable Selection of the Best of Korean Cinema Returns to the Barbican

Ticket information
Book online and save up to £2 off every ticket!
Standard: £7.50 online (£9.50 full price)
Barbican Members: £6.50 online (£7.50 full price)
Concessions: £7.50
Screentalk: £11.50 online (£13.50 full price), Barbican Members £10.50 online (£11.50 full price), Concessions £11.50
Animation Day!: all films £5.50 (FFC Members advance discount applies to the Family Film Club screening)
Special Offer!: Book for two films (excluding ScreenTalk and Animation Day!) and each ticket is just £6.00.

An unmissable selection of the best of Korean Cinema both past and present, the London Korean Film Festival,returns to the Barbican this November from Thursday 6 to Wednesday 12. Highlights this year include a special preview of Cannes 2008 hit The Good, the Bad and the Weird and an a exclusive ScreenTalk with director Kim Ji-woon; a timely retrospective of the work of acclaimed director Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine, Peppermint Candy, Oasis, Green Fish); rare screenings of breathtaking classics from the Korean Film Archive UK premieres of brand new Korean feature films and a day of Korean Animation for all ages. The London Korean Film Festival is presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korea Culture and Content Agency (KOCCA).

For further information contact Laura Bushell, Sarah Harvey
Publicity: 020 7703 2253; (www.barbican.org.uk/filmCinema Hotline: 0845 120 7527)

KOSTU (Korean Students in the UK)

Service Time: Every Tuesday 6.30pm – 7.00pm Prayer meeting, 7.30pm – 9.30pm Worship & Service
Kostu Address: Raynes Park Methodist Church, Worple Road, London, SW20 8ET
Contact Tel: 07950 496906

Kostu marked its 9th anniversary on Tuesday, 28th October in the same way that it had marked every Tuesday 50 weeks of each year for the past 9 years. A service will take place where youth from various churches across London and England will gather with the common objective of worshipping God. KOSTU (an acronym for Korean Students in the UK) has been a place of service and worship for many Korean Christian youth for the last 9 years. Numerous Korean and also English students studying and living in London have for 9 years come and been a part of the KOSTU movement based on an ideology of being one in serving Christ through their youth. Whilst many churches and religious organizations become more and more redundant in modern society, KOSTU has endured and lasted for a long time through the passion and determination of the students who are part of it.

Through worship and prayer, many young youth, mostly living away from their native country and family were able to gain strength and comfort through the grace of God. Initially founded with the aim of empowering 2nd generation Korean youth with the Gospel before they place themselves in society. Students from all walks of life have come to London and through the KOSTU meeting found a vision and meaningful path in their life which they have pursued in to their various careers and professions.

At present a service is held every Tuesday where Christian youth come and join in energetic and active worship, with a vision of serving the community and poorer regions of the world. At a time where hatred and diversity in the world separates race and culture, causing war and atrocities not just in places that we see on the news, but in hidden parts of the world that do not get as much exposure as Iraq and Afghanistan, KOSTU prays for the brothers, sisters and governments in these regions. An example of this were the recent deaths of many Christians in the Indian region of Orissa where people were persecuted and killed for their faith and belief. To date, around 142 churches have been burnt or ravaged by Hindu extremists using religion as an excuse to solve political and economic disputes. A nun was reportedly raped by 9 men in front of the local priest and in another instance a disabled boy had petrol doused over him and set alight for being a Christian. Due to such cases, more than 50,000 Christians were displaced from their homes and took shelter in wretched refugee camps where further atrocities followed.

The Christians had to endure attempted forced conversions by relief workers in these refugee camps whilst being told that they wouldn’t be able to return to their homes, and in some instances threatened with the possibility of not seeing their families again unless they converted back to Hinduism. More shocking was that not a single news channel chose to broadcast these events in the mainstream news.

Therefore through no fault of their own, the British public remains unawares of the persecution and hatred that exist outside Afghanistan or Iraq where there are no British soldiers or politicians being killed. As it is clearly evident, no political or human intervention has been able to prevent or stop these killings, partly due to the fact that in most cases it is exactly those entities that caused the problems. Though not able to have a political or economical influence on these matters, through submission and faith to God, KOSTU prays for these countries where the compassion and love of God is most needed. Whilst celebrating its 9th anniversary, a growing need for a change in direction has been realised in KOSTU whereby following the purpose and principles of the life of Christ, serving all regardless to race, gender or belief is needed to spread the true love and compassion of God.

Going forward with a vision of unity amongst Christians from all races, KOSTU hopes to network with Christian youth from various minority groups with the aim of making a positive change in society. As the great warrior Ghengis Khan once demonstrated to his sons, “one arrow can easily broken, but many arrows are indestructible” – unity amongst minorities can bring strength and achieve the unachievable. Through fellowship with various Christian groups, KOSTU hopes to be able to play a small part in a bigger vision of overcoming racial barriers in serving with other minority groups as one people in Christ.

While being a non profitable and wholly voluntary youth movement, KOSTU aims to begin a new chapter in their history by being free of any cultural and religious traditions and branching out to non-Korean Christian groups for unified worship and service. By doing so, the hope is not to build a big church or new age Christian movement, but simply to bridge the gap between Christians from different nations and cultures. Using Korean Christians as a good example, 99% of mainstream Korean churches cater only for Korean people, however declare a compassion and love for other nations. Though not malicious or unethical in any way, it is difficult not to sense any hypocrisy in the racial barriers that exist in the churches today, taking in to consideration that we live in one of the most diverse communities in the world. Maybe more important to remember is the fact that it is the seed of those very same racial and religious stereotypes and barriers, albeit in a more concentrated and radical form, that bore fruit which raped an innocent nun and saw 50,000 people displaced from their homes fleeing in fear that they may be killed due to their faith. We at KOSTU pray that the love and humbleness of God can be spread between all the nations through respect, understanding and true compassion for all our brothers and sisters, regardless of colour and creed.

Membership Christmas Lunch: 15 December 2008

Speaker: Stephen Green, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc
Venue: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Time: 12.30 for 1.00 pm
Cost: £65 per head

Stephen Green is Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc. Green was educated at Lancing College and Oxford University and received a master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Green began his career with the British Government’s Ministry of Overseas Development. In 1977 he joined McKinsey & Co Inc., management consultants, with whom he undertook assignments in Europe, North America and the Middle East. He joined The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in 1982 with responsibility for corporate planning activities, and, in 1985, was put in charge of the development of the bank’s global treasury operations. In 1992 he became Group Treasurer of HSBC Holdings plc, with responsibility for the HSBC Group’s treasury and capital markets businesses globally. In March 1998 Green was appointed to the Board of HSBC Holdings plc as Executive Director, Investment Banking and Markets responsible for the investment banking, private banking and asset management activities of the Group. He assumed additional responsibility for the Group’s corporate banking business in May 2002. His appointment as Group Chief Executive took effect on 1 June 2003. In January 2005 Green became Chairman of HSBC Bank plc. On 28 November 2005 HSBC announced that he would become Group Chairman when Sir John Bond retired on 26 May 2006.Some of his other directorships include The Bank of Bermuda Limited, HSBC Mexico, SA and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. He is also Chairman of HSBC Private Banking Holdings (Suisse) SA and HSBC North America Holdings Inc., Deputy Chairman of HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG and is a board member of HSBC SA. Green is married to Janian and has two daughters, Ruth and Suzie. He is an ordained minister in the Church of England and is the author of the book Serving God? Serving Mammon?. On the 7th July 2005 he was appointed a Trustee of the British Museum. Green has a sister called Elizabeth who lives in the USA and a brother, George Francis Green, who is a Professor of Economics at the University of Kent.