Calendar

Saturday August 14 through May 2011

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Heaven and Hell in Japanese Art

Japanese images of heaven and hell range from depictions of serene paradises to grotesque realms of punishment. Heaven, situated in a land of bliss where devotees are reborn to reside with Amida, the Buddha of Infinite Light, is typically represented by luxurious palaces, jeweled trees, and tranquil ponds. Hell, with scenes of fire, torture, and suffering, is the destination awaiting those who fail to follow the sacred precepts of Buddhism. The concepts of the afterlife are derived from ancient Buddhist scriptures, and they have impacted morality, spirituality, and behavior up until the present day.

“Heaven and Hell in Japanese Art” features several Edo-period (1615–1868) Buddhist paintings that have rarely been exhibited. It also highlights a recent loan of a monumental 18th-century sculpture of Amida and his attendants descending on swirling clouds to the faithful.

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Now Through Sunday, January 2, 2011

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

465 Huntington Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Under the Skin:

Tattoos in Japanese Prints

Tattooing became an important feature of Japanese urban popular culture in the early 19th century, influenced strongly by the success of a series of woodblock prints featuring Chinese martial arts heroes with spectacular tattoos, vividly imagined by the artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Tattoo artists copied designs from the prints and invented new designs that were, in turn, depicted in later prints. "Under the Skin: Tattoos in Japanese Prints" explores the social background, iconography, and visual splendor of Japanese tattoos through the prints that helped carry the art from the streets of 19th-century Japan to 21st-century tattoo shops all over the world.

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August 2nd ~ September 24th

The Japan Foundation

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test will take place Sunday, December 5, 2010 at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. It is offered at 5 different levels and designed to measure a person's Japanese-language skills. Registration will take place from August 2, 2010 at 1:00 pm through September 24, 2010 at 8:00 pm. Click here for more information.

Log in or create an account here to register for the JLPT online or download the registration booklet here.

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September 13th

Showa Boston - Japan Society of Boston

Language Program

Fall Sememster Begins

Fall 2010 Language Program

Classes start during the week of September 13, and continue for 17 weeks. Each class meets once a week.

Our Japanese Program offers you:

•2 terms per year (see the table below)

•17-week conversational Japanese courses

•elementary, intermediate and advanced levels

•experienced native teachers

•Showa's Japanese college students as conversation practice partners

•small classes with individualized instruction

•affordable tuition

•free parking

This program is intended for men and women (high schooler age and up).

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Sunday, October 3, 2010 3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM

Center for the Arts at Thayer Academy

Braintree, MA

Benefit Concert with Reception to follow.

Directions

Benefit Concert

For

Boston Higashi School &

The Japan Society of Boston

A Wonderful Afternoon of Fine Music

Featuring these Brilliant Musicians

Tiger Okoshi (trumpet), based in Boston where he heads the brass-instrument faculty at Berklee College of Music, is a premier jazz performer. His unforgettable trumpet sound is heard on many CDs.

Ryu Goto (violin), an undergraduate at Harvard College, Ryu Goto has been performing in public since the age of seven, and has studied with Yoko Gilbert, Victor Danchenko and Cho-Liang Lin. Before coming to Harvard, he attended Trinity School in New York and Juilliard.

Soichi Muraji (guitar), a graduate of Walnut Hill School and New England Conservatory, who made his national debut in 2006 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

Joinatsuru Yanai (cello) has just entered New England Conservatory after graduating from Toho Gakuen Music School and the Walnut Hill School. She has recently performed in Japan with Seiji Ozawa and the Saito Kinen Chamber Orchestra for Young People.

Pei-Shan Lee (piano), a superb young pianist, is a member of the faculty of New England Conservatory. She is in high demand internationally as a solo recitalist, accompanist, and chamber-music performer.

The Boston Higashi Jazz Band, which recently traveled to Japan for several unforgettable concerts in Sapporo, will be led by jazz great Tiger Okoshi.

Proceeds from this concert will support the important work of both

the Boston Higashi School and the Japan Society.

We cordially invite you to attend!

Tickets: $100 (sponsor tickets), $35 (general admission) & $15 (student tickets)

Purchase your tickets before September 10th and save!

$90 (Sponsor tickets), $30 (general admission) & $15 (student tickets)

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