Shiga News – by Philbert Ono Rotating Header Image

June, 2007:

Event notice: VOICE international event

Jun 22nd, 2007
by philbert.
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An international exchange group in Hikone called VOICE will hold an international event this Sunday, June 24, 2007. From about 2:30 pm, Jamie Thompson will sing Lake Biwa Rowing Song in English. 

I will also be there to sell our CD. The Viva City Hall is in Viva City, a shopping complex near Minami-Hikone Station. The event is free. 

Event poster: 
http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~akira123/voice/07world%20poster.htm 

Organizer’s HP: 
http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~akira123/voice/index.htm 

Tentative Event Schedule: 
第１部　　バラライカの調べとロシア民謡　（13:00〜14:00） 

第２部　　日本語劇（キャストは全員外国人）（〜14:25） 
　　　　　　ウズベキスタンのダンス（立命館大留学生） 
　　　　　　彦根横笛の会の演奏 
　　　　　　　（篠笛という日本の伝統的な笛の演奏です　） 
　　　　　　中国の民族舞踊（滋賀大留学生） 
　　　　　　琵琶周航歌を英語で！（ジェイミーさん） 
　　　　　　　　*合計約30分程度。（14:30〜15:00） 

第３部　　交流タイム 
　　　　　　　　※出演者全員とお客さんが、 
　　　　　　　　　　喋ったり歌ったり踊ったり楽しく交流します。

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Konan International Association started

Jun 20th, 2007
by philbert.
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The city of Konan in Shiga Prefecture established the Konan International Association (湖南市国際協会) in June 2007.

They are geared for Brazilians as well.

http://kia2007.org/

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Lake Biwa Rowing Song now on CD

Jun 17th, 2007
by philbert.
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On June 16, 2007, the English version of Shiga’s most famous song, Biwako Shuko no Uta 琵琶湖周航の歌, called Lake Biwa Rowing Song, was issued on CD.

Available for 800 yen at the Biwako Shuko no Uta Shiryokan museum in Imazu.

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Event notice: Biwako Shuko no Uta choir contest

Jun 17th, 2007
by philbert.
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第１１回「琵琶湖周航の歌」音楽祭合唱コンクール 

私が作成した「琵琶湖周航の歌」の英語版がまた公の場で歌われます。 歌の発祥地である滋賀県高島市今津町は、毎年の6月にこの歌の合唱コンクールを開催していて、今年はアメリカ人のJamie and Megan Thompson姉妹がゲストとして午後12:15に出場して英語版を歌う予定です。関西、近畿、北陸地方などの様々なコーラスが参加します。 

そして、会場内で英語版CDも発売されます。 

入場料は500円。コンクールは午前10時から始まるが、姉妹は何時ごろに出るかまだ分かりません。 分かりましたらまたお知らせします。 

高島市民会館　滋賀県高島市今津町中沼１丁目３番地１ 
（JR湖西線近江今津駅から徒歩5分。駅構内に観光案内あり）TEL: 0740-22-1764 

同時に今津町にある琵琶湖周航の歌資料館に英語版の写真展も開催されます。5月22日〜7月1日 
（このお知らせを自由にメール、ブログなど転送・転載してもOK.) 

The 11th Biwako Shuko no Uta Choir Contest will be held on June 17, 2007 at Takashima, Shiga. Various choirs from the Kansai, Kinki, and Hokuriku regions will participate to sing two songs: Biwako Shuko no Uta and one other song. 

Jamie and Megan Thompson have also been invited to sing my English version of the song. The contest starts at 10 am and lasts all day. The Thompsons will sing at 12:15 pm. Please come if you can. Imazu is a lovely place to visit as well. 

Place: Takashima Shimin Kaikan, near Omi-Imazu Station on the Kosei Line. Get out the East Exit. The station also has a tourist info booth.

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In Chunichi Shimbun

Jun 5th, 2007
by philbert.
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Today’s (June 5, 2007) Chunichi Shimbun (Biwako-ban page) ran an article about my photo exhibition in Imazu.

http://photoguide.jp/pix/displayimage.php?album=587&pid=17362

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/shiga/20070605/CK2007060502021591.html

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Yokaichi Giant Kite crashes into bamboo

Jun 3rd, 2007
by philbert.
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Yokaichi Giant kite stuck in bamboo forest.

On May 27, 2007, I went to see the annual Yokaichi Odako Matsuri or Giant Kite Festival.

Slightly past noon, they launched the first flight of the giant kite. What we were all waiting for. It was a pretty windy day, so the kite immediately went straight up and very high. What should have been a long and high flight ended 50 seconds later in a totally unexpected and spectacular head-first crash into a bamboo grove.

It took about 3 hours for them to finally recover the kite, after cutting down some bamboo trees, disassembling the kite and rolling it up. The kite was badly damaged, but repaired in June, taking about 20 days, for display at the Giant Kite Museum.

Photos here: Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival 2007 

This is the second “accident” at this kite festival in 3 years. In 2005, the giant kite snapped in half in the sky and crashed to the ground hitting a few spectators. The bamboo used in the frame was reported to be “too green” and thus weaker. It is also the second time in history that the kite has crashed into a bamboo grove.

Too bad for the people who arrived at the festival after the kite crash. They did not see the giant kite at all.

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Hino Hikiyama signs in English

Jun 3rd, 2007
by philbert.
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Sign in Japanese, English, and Korean.

Hino-cho holds the Hino Matsuri Festival every year on May 2 and 3. Ornate Hikiyama floats (there are 15 of them) are displayed and paraded along the main roads. If you go to Hino-cho, you can see the large yamagura storehouses for these tall floats. From this year, all the storehouses now have a brand new sign explaining about the float in Japanese, English, and Korean. Each float has an interesting history.

The person who wrote the English is a native speaker of English living in Hino-cho. His name is Austin Moore and he recently sent me email and told me about it.

For a rural town like Hino, it’s surprising and delightful to see anything in English. Hino also has a Web site with English sightseeing information.

If you’ve never visited Hino, it’s a very nice town to visit and people are friendly.
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=324
http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~hino-to/005.html

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