Japan

Korean culture conference makes Japan debut

“Korean culture conference makes Japan debut”

via “Korea JoongAng Daily”

When you’re into a person, you’re naturally drawn to discovering his or her most intimate details.

The same goes for fans of K-pop stars.

Followers of these celebrities want more than to simply see their favorite singers perform at concerts or act on screen. They want to get to know them personally – finding out about the clothes they wear, the makeup they use, the food they eat, how they eat it and where they hang out.

Essentially, that’s what KCON, one of Korea’s largest conventions on so-called K-culture, hopes to provide. The event is organized by CJ E&M, also known as CJ Entertainment, the showbiz affiliate of CJ Group.

The annual convention, which concludes with a large-scale K-pop concert, began in 2012 in Los Angeles, a city with a large population of Koreans.

CJ Group executives, including Chairman Lee Jay-Hyun, has said on numerous occasions that the company’s goal is to make people around the world watch two or three Korean films a year; eat Korean food once or twice a month; watch one or two Korean dramas a week; and listen to Korean music every day. CJ has film, food, restaurants, retail and logistics businesses, among others.

One of the conventions will be held in Japan for the first time this year. KCON 2015 Japan will start on April 22 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama amid soured bilateral ties between Seoul and Tokyo due to intensified historical and territorial disputes.

Why Japan and why now?

The word “CON” in KCON stands for three things – convention, concert and cultural content – three things visitors can experience at the event.

“In order to increase KCON’s presence in 2015, we’ve added more destinations,” CJ E&M said through a press release. “Besides Los Angeles, where it has been held every year, we’ve added the east side of the U.S. as well as Japan. A total of three KCONs will be held this year.”

CJ E&M chose to hold a KCON in Japan as it has hosted the “M Countdown” K-pop concert in the nation around this time most years anyway and because it is where Hallyu, or the popularity of Korean pop culture abroad, began more than a decade ago. . . .

Shanghai collector tries to list chopsticks as a cultural heritage

“Shanghai collector tries to list chopsticks as a cultural heritage”

via CCTV

Chopsticks have been around in China for 3,000 years and have deeply influenced Chinese life in terms of etiquette, cuisine and even philosophy. And they could be listed as an intangible cultural heritage in Shanghai this year, thanks to the efforts of an enthusiast.

Lan Xiang’s pride and joy is collection of more than 2,000 pairs of chopsticks, ranging from the largest to the smallest kind.

Now in his eighties, Lan has been collecting chopsticks for more than 30 years, and in 1998 he set up a museum, the first of its kind in the country.

Lan Xiang

Lan Xiang

It is his way of sharing his passion with others and to preserve and promote the culture of chopsticks.

“Chopsticks have a history of more than 3,000 years in China,” Lan said.

“As something that we use on a daily basis, the chopsticks are not that well preserved in China. I’ve visited Japan several times, and it struck me how highly they regard the culture of chopsticks. It’s not just the organizations that study it; they’ve also made every August 4 the Chopsticks Festival. So I’m applying to list the chopsticks as an intangible cultural heritage in Shanghai.” . . . .

Art I Love: Sensoji Temple

“Sensoji Temple in Edo” (1809)

Coming Exhibition: Loving Devotion: Enter the Mandala

“Enter the Mandala”

“Taima Mandala” (1300s – 1400s)

Who: Asian Art Museum

When: Mar. 14, 2014 – Oct. 26, 2014 (Tues-Sun. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thurs. 10 a.m. – 9 pm.)

Where:

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA

How Much:

Adults ~ $15
Seniors, Students, Youth ~ $10

More Information: Here.

“Mandalas are maps of Buddhist visionary worlds.

Minutely detailed and saturated with philosophical meaning, these works (most often paintings or sculptures) are a feast for the eyes and the mind—nested squares and circles are arrayed to represent the center of the cosmos and the four cardinal directions. For Buddhist practitioners, however, mandalas are not just images to view, but worlds to enter—after recreating the image in their mind’s eye, meditators imaginatively enter its realm.But is it possible to have this experience without years of meditative discipline?

Enter the Mandala says yes. In this exhibition, 14th-century paintings align a gallery with the cardinal directions, transforming open space into an architectural mandala—a chance to experience the images in three dimensions, to dwell in the midst of the cosmic symbols and be transported to another world. Visitors can literally “enter the mandala,” exploring places in the cosmos—and perhaps themselves—that might otherwise remain invisible. “