Both days will have screenings at 4pm and 7pm with Q&A, live samba music and capoeira performance. This documentary was made possible with the support of Princeton University’s Labouisse Fellowship. The documentary will have both English and Japanese subtitles.

Address: Totsune Building 1st floor Udagawa chou 37-18 Shibuya-ku
Advanced tickets: 1500 yen
Tickets at the door: 2000 yen

Please contact Soraya directly for advanced tickets: streetwitness@gmail.com

Synopsis: In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, graffiti artists make a living through art rather than crime; samba dancers rehearse for hours in order to have a better life; in-house-maids toil away during the week in wealthy homes of the city’s south side; and military police combat favela crime with minimal resources. Despite having to face social and economic problems, these individuals persevere by creating their own brand of happiness – a survival tool that is closely intertwined with their psychological wellbeing. What is their perception of happiness?
Is happiness a state of mind or a fleeting moment in time?

This documentary has premiered at international film festivals and will tour around the world with National Geographic this year.

Flyers are here and here.

www.streetwitnessproductions.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw8viu5n33I (trailer)

渋谷のUplink映画館で特別上映会ブラジルのドキュメンタリー「私は幸せ」。上映後には映画監督 梅若ソラヤのトーク、ライブのサンバ音楽とカポエイラのパフォーマンス。梅若ソラヤはプリンストンのラボイース奨学金を２００６年に受賞しこのドキュメンタリーを完成した。

日・時：２月２５日（４時と７時）　２月２６日（４時と７時）
場所：渋谷区宇田川町37-18 トツネビル１階

日本語と英語の字幕あり。

ストーリー：
リオデジャネイロのスラムで、グラフィティーアーティ ストは、犯罪ではなく芸術で生計を立て、サンバのダ ンサーは、より良い生活をしようと何時間もリハーサ ルをし、メイドは、市の南側の裕福な家庭で、一週間 を通してせっせと働く。そして憲兵は最小限の予算で スラムの犯罪と戦う。社会的、経済的問題に直面しな ければならないにも関わらず、これらの人々はそれぞ れ、自分自身の幸せを創り出そうと必死に頑張る。そ れは彼らの精神的な幸福と密接に絡み合った、生き残るための手段なのです。

www.streetwitnessproductions.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw8viu5n33I （予告編）

Happy 2012, everyone! We’re starting off the year with a gathering at Biervana in Akasaka. The venue is easily accessible from Akasaka, Akasaka-Mitsuke, and Nagatacho stations, and offers a casual but spacious environment for us to renew our friendships for the new year. Drinks start at 700 yen for the house wine, 750 for bottled beer, and we’ve managed to arrange for a discount on pints of Hacker-Pschorr Anno 1417 (on draft) for 800 yen. As always, there will be no set course, so people will be free to come and go as their schedules permit.

WHEN: Friday, January 27 from 7:30 to 11:00 pm

WHERE: Biervana in Akasaka. (Address and maps here: http://www.biervana.com/access)

WHAT: Drinks start at 700 yen with a special draft beer for 800 yen. Food can also be ordered off the bar menu.

DRESS: No dress code.

In the interests of getting a general headcount, if you’re even slightly interested in going — or if you should have any questions about the event — please email Peyton Bowman (Princeton ’02) at pgbowman@alumni.princeton.edu or Hugh Kennedy (Princeton ’00) at hdangerk@gmail.com.

After years of research, our fellow alumnus and our regular Bonenkai member, Adam Komisarof, has published a book called “On the Front Lines of Forging a Global Society: Japanese and American Coworkers in Japan”. Please see the summary and purchase information below:

Adam Komisarof, 2011, On the Front Lines of Forging a Global Society - Japanese and American Coworkers in Japan, Reitaku University Press

As globalization advances and national borders become increasingly porous, Japan is now facing the human reality of these rapid changes: greater cultural diversity in the workforce, which brings the concomitant challenge of how to integrate multicultural workers into their organizations of employment. Japan is also admitting foreign workers to compensate for a labor shortage as its retiree population grows and birth rate declines–thus intensifying the demographic shift towards greater numbers of long-term and permanent economic migrants. To better facilitate this movement towards a more diverse society, it is critical to examine which factors have contributed thus far to creating smooth mutual acculturation processes for foreign workers and Japanese people vs. those which have not.

Therefore, the aim of this book is to assess the extent and manner in which the degree of compatibility of Japanese and American coworkers’ acculturation strategies affects their quality of intercultural relations (including job effectiveness), with the broader goal of building inclusive organizational spaces where both American and Japanese employees enjoy camaraderie, opportunities for advancement, and productive daily work lives.

On the Front Lines of Forging a Global Society contributes to both theoretical and methodological developments in the study of acculturation. On the theoretical level, revisions are made to the Interactive Acculturation Model–one of the premier theories in the acculturation field. New ground is broken in methodology by using the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (a leading acculturation strategy assessment instrument) as a tool to characterize perceptions of cultural outgroup members’ acculturation strategies. Furthermore, quantitative and qualitative methods are utilized to gain a more nuanced picture of the current state of American-Japanese intercultural relations and to generate numerous insights as to how they may be improved.

In the final chapter, practical advice is offered to cultivate better Japanese-American intercultural communication. Therefore, this book is intended for not only acculturation researchers, but also for administrators, teachers, and business people interested in promoting more effective American-Japanese communication. As the research findings are applicable to other cultural groups besides Americans (particularly Western ones), this work is also written for people from other nations who are curious about and/or professionally involved with Japan. The author’s hope is that this volume will aid both researchers and practitioners alike in their quests to facilitate smoother intercultural relations between Japanese and Americans, as well as Japanese and other non-Japanese ethnocultural groups.ADAM KOMISAROF is an associate professor of intercultural communication at Reitaku University. (ISBN 978-4-89205-602-4 C3036, Reitaku University Press)

For those wishing to purchase this book in Japan, copies may be bought directly from the Reitaku University Press or most major Internet book sellers, such as Amazon, Kinokuniya, and Rakuten.

Brown University Club of Japan

Year-End Party of the Princeton Club of Japan will be this Saturday. Those who have not decided are welcome to join since the space is still available abundantly.

RSVP if you would like to attend, and pay the fee to the bank account below by Dec. 14.　If it is difficult to pay by the 14th., you can pay at the door on the 17th.

Account： Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.
Branch: Tokyo Eigyobu
Futsu Koza: 211-1520205
Name of holder: Tsumuraya Masakazu

Masakazu Tsumuraya
Managing Partner – Horton International Japan
1-7-7 Minami Kugahara, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 147-0084
Phone: 03-5700-4867
Fax: 03-5700-4845
Cellular: 090-9144-8658
e-mail: tsumuraya@hortoninternational.com
Web: http://www.hortoninternational.com
Column: http://www.icompass.ne.jp/careerup/headhunter/

The afternoon begins with an explanation of sitting technique, followed by three meditation sessions of approximately ten minutes each. The meditation will be followed by a Q&A conducted in English and Japanese with interpretation. Participants are welcome to tour Engakuji before and after the session.

Date & Time: Sunday, December 18, 13:00 at Engakuji Kojirin (Meet at 12:30 at Kita-Kamakura station to walk there).

The sessions will end by 15:00 and participants who leave then should make it back to Tokyo station by about 16:30.
Admission: 1500 Yen

After the event, all participants are welcome to have tea and chat with the abbot of Ryuu-in-an, a major sub-temple of Engakuji.

*In addition to the admission fee, the Clubs welcome donations to support the ongoing Tohoku relief efforts of Hands On Tokyo and Grace City Church Tokyo.

Please RSVP to jonathan@jonathanharlow.com
Space is limited, so please indicate your interest ASAP.

What a traumatic and difficult year it’s been!  What with the earthquake, tsunami, and electricity rationing - now we would all just like to get together with friends – old and new - and reflect on our experiences as well as look forward to a new year.

Please join us in a private room at the French brasserie Va Tout in Roppongi for the BUCJ Bonenkai dinner party.  Every year we have a great turnout, makiing this one of our most enjoyable events.  Don’t miss this chance to raise a glass in cheer with your fellow Brunonians!  

The cost per person is as follows:
-3,000 yen for students  and 2011 Brown graduates 
-6,000 yen for everyone else

Please RSVP by November 25  to,
mailto:bonenkai2011@bucj.org

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there.

Aiko Wakao ’04, Secretary
Kevin Sholes ’91, Treasurer
Brown University Club of Japan
www.bucj.org

Brown Club members are warmly encouraged to attend.

WHEN: Friday, November 25 from 7:30 to 11:00

WHERE: The Conrad Hotel’s Twenty Eight Bar and Lounge in Shiodome.

Bar webpage: http://conradtokyo.co.jp/twentyeight/

Hotel access: http://www.conradtokyo.co.jp/access/

WHAT: 30-50 percent off beer, wine, and soft drinks, bringing the total price down to 1000 yen per drink. Snacks will also be available.

DRESS: Smart casual

In the interests of getting a general headcount, if you’re even slightly interested in going — or if you should have any questions about the event — please email Peyton Bowman (Princeton ’02) at pgbowman@alumni.princeton.edu or Hugh Kennedy (Princeton ’00) at hdangerk@gmail.com.

A good friend of mine, Toshi Suga, Santa Clara University BA’79, MS’81, has brought to my attention the troubles facing college students who suffered from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Toshi and his wife Keiko introduced me to Sister Wada, the president of Sendai Shirayuri Womens College. Her message is below.

Message from the President of Sendai Shirayuri Womens College

ブラウン大学同窓生の皆様、

はじめまして！
こちらは仙台白百合女子大学という小さな大学です。この度の東日本大震災で、大勢の学生が被災いたしました。残念なことにそのうちの一名は津波の犠牲になり亡くなりました。家が津波に流され、家族が亡くなったり、家計維持者が職を失ったため学業を続ける事が困難になった学生は、160名位おります（在学生総数　1,142名）。そのような学生達のための奨学費として、今年の前期分だけでも約4,000万円が必要でした。これは善意の方々の温かいご支援による義援金で充当する事が出来ましたが、今年の後期、また今後数年の間支援を続けなくてはならないと考えております。

大変厚かましいお願いではございますが、ご協力頂けましたら幸いに存じます。被災しました学生達が有意義な大学生活を送り、将来、人々の幸福のために貢献出来る人材として社会に出て行けますように、お力添え下さいますよう心からお願い申し上げます。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　感謝の祈りをこめて、
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　仙台白百合女子大学　学長　和田　美稚子

To Brown University Alumni,

Greetings from Sendai Shirayuri Womens College. Many students from our small college have suffered from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Most regrettably, one of our students fell victim to the tsunami, and passed away. Out of a total enrollment of 1,142 students, about 160 students face difficulty with continuing their studies because their homes were destroyed by the tsunami, members of their family passed away, or their household primary wage earner was forced out of work. For the first semester of this year, 40 million yen in scholarships were needed to support these students. Although we were able to supply these funds through the contributions and warm support of many well-intentioned individuals, these students continue to need assistance in the second semester and for the next few years to come.

Although it is an impudent wish, I would be very happy for your assistance. With your aid, the students who have suffered so much can lead a meaningful university life, and later enter society as talented individuals contributing to the well-being of all.

With a prayer of gratitude,
Michiko Wada, President
Sendai Shirayuri Womens College
http://sendai-shirayuri.ac.jp/

Sister Wada with Toshi Suga’s wife, Keiko

The Brown University Club of Japan is accepting donations for student scholarships at Sendai Shirayuri Women’s College.
Donations may be deposited in the following account.
Mizuho Bank
Meguro Branch
Regular Account #: 1089352
Account holder: BROWNUNIVERSITYCLUBOFJAPAN (<-all caps, no spaces)

If anyone would like to make direct contributions, please send me your name and address and I will send you bank transfer forms specific for this purpose.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at bdfrog@nifty.com or by phone at 090-6305-0952.

Respectfully yours,
Kevin Sholes, Treasurer
Brown University Club of Japan

Participation will be casual and people are encouraged to come and go as their schedule permits. There will likewise be no course or set menu, so purchases can be made a la carte.

Brown Club members are warmly encouraged to attend.

Just to get a general headcount, if you’re even slightly interested in going — or if you should have any questions about the event — please email Peyton Bowman ’02 at pgbowman@alumni.princeton.edu or Hugh Kennedy ’00 at hdangerk@gmail.com.

Groups will have the option of hiking up the mountain or riding the funicular to the top and taking in the sights from there. Afterward, we plan to gather for dinner, either at the beer garden at the top or at one of the soba restaurants at the base of the mountain.

Brown Club members are warmly encouraged to attend.

If you’re interested, please email Peyton Bowman (Princeton ’02) at pgbowman@alumni.princeton.edu.