Press Release
An Innovative Arts and Culture Center
The International Center for Japanese Culture at Yokohama International School Stroll through the streets of a major Japanese city today and you might mistake it for a typical American city--darting cars, bustling sidewalks, familiar restaurants, and neon glow. From clothing, food and architecture, to sports, movies and music, the Japanese have eagerly embraced Western culture. Tracing its roots, this cultural revolution first impacted the island nation during the Meiji restoration (1867-1911), when trade with western nations flourished anew and Japan adopted a western legal system and constitutional government. For the next century, Japan’s traditional identity shifted westward, and centuries-old traditions gave way to modernization. However, one international school in Japan is bringing Japanese traditional arts and culture once again to the forefront of the world’s main stage. The International Center for Japanese Culture (ICJC) at Yokohama International School is a non-profit institution promoting traditional and modern Japanese arts and culture. ICJC is designed to help international K-12 students and adults explore and appreciate Japan’s rich and unique culture through music education, arts programs, special guest lectures, and live performances. Located on the scenic campus of YIS overlooking Yokohama Harbor, ICJC resides in a traditional-style Japanese house boasting a performance/lecture space, a Japanese tearoom, a Japanese traditional music room, multi-purpose rooms, and an innovative multimedia resource facility. Founder and director of ICJC, Dr. Joseph Amato has spent over nine years building a successful and award-winning Japanese Music Program at YIS. But while on a performance tour with his students in New York City several years ago, Dr. Amato was surprised to see American audiences so enthusiastic about Japanese music and culture. “Their interest sparked the idea to create a new program for people of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in Japanese music and cultural heritage,” he says. ICJC officially opened on August 1, 2011 with fanfare and celebration. ICJC poses to be an international landmark for unique and creative Japanese arts and cultural programs. ICJC now offers the following programs: The ICJC Japanese Music Program is within the YIS school curriculum and open to all students from Grades 4-12 with extra-curricular classes for younger students as well. These classes are taught in Japanese and Eng-
lish. Focusing on a deeper understanding and appreciation of traditional Japanese music through education and performance, the Japanese Music Program seeks to reach a broader international audience for Japanese music through its activities in Japan and abroad. The ICJC Curriculum Enhancement Program provides additional Japanese arts and culture classes for the entire YIS school body. Elementary CEP classes for the 2011-2012 academic year include Japanese calligraphy, Japanese Way of Tea, Japanese Taiko, and Japanese Dance. Middle School students will explore Japanese kimono design and dressing as well as a workshop in Japanese Kabuki. Special guests lecturers will present to high school students on various topics including Japanese language and literature, arts and architecture. The ICJC Evening Community School is geared toward high school students and adults. ICJC’s professional artists and craftsmen share their expertise in small and intimate classes. ICJC hosts an array of tuition fee programs including Japanese language, tea ceremony, calligraphy, Japanese dance, Japanese history, Japanese film, architecture, flower-arranging, kimono/clothing design, 13-string koto, shamisen, taiko and much more. The ICJC Friday Night Lecture Series provides an evening of discussion and interaction led by specialists in Japanese architecture, history, literature, music, visual arts and much more. Each year, six regularly scheduled evening lecture presentations provide the ICJC community with the most diverse and up-to-date perspectives about everything Japanese. ICJC’s Friday Night Lecture Series are live-streamed with recorded broadcasts later posted on the ICJC website. The ICJC Grants and Artists in Residency Program supports artists and musicians who specialize in Japan as a fundamental strategy in promoting global awareness of Japanese culture. Through the support of its donors, ICJC offers various grants and Artist in Residency programs for Japanese and non-Japanese interested in sharing their art with the ICJC community. For more information about all ICJC programs, please visit our website at www. yis.ac.jp/icjc or contact us at icjc@yis.ac.jp. Winter 2012 Issue 49
