[EVENT ALERT] NYC - “Kawaii” presented by Blue Roses illustrators

Get ready for some awesome "KAWAII" art as the Blue Roses, illustrators from Japan Present “Kawaii” Showing in New York City and Tokyo at the same time!



I idea of “kawaii” in Japan for me means all things cute or adorable.
The term and concept became big in Japan around the 70's and has since become
a staple of Japan's pop culture from entertainment clothing, and food, to toys, comic books, personal appearance, and behavior and mannerisms. You can't go to japan and not see something as "Kawaii"

So Recently kawaii-style illustrations featuring little girls and women have gained momentum, and established a new genre that’s commonly referred to as “Girls Illustration”. The name is deceiving, since the style is not simply “cute” and by no means childish. “Girls Illustration” can feature sophisticated themes and appeal to people of all ages.

18 illustrators and up-and-coming artists who have been creating “Girls Illustration” since 2009 make up Blue Roses They have taken the genre in unexpected directions introducing innovative elements and unique styles. The first Blue Roses group show in Tokyo, in December 2009, was a huge success, with more than 500 people attending. “Kawaii” will feature 15 members of the group and a special guest who will present their personal interpretations of this fascinating and beautiful concept.

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New York Show
June 4 – June 17, 2010
EXCY GALLERY
147 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
www.excygallery.com
Map

Opening Reception: Friday June 4, 6pm – 9pm

—–

Tokyo Show
May 31 – June 11, 2010
12G
3-1-25, 2nd FL. Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 106-0031
No opening reception in this show.



For more information for the Blue Roses, please visit
http://www.blue-roses.info/

For more information for the NY exhibition, please contact EXCY GALLERY
info@excygallery.com or 212-695-1888
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(Video Blog) Okonomiyaki ( お好み焼き) Night

If you love Japan, chances are you are in LOVE with Japanese food...Well,
this isn't always the case. So if you love Japan, but can't stand Japanese food,
Well, first I must apologize for that unfortunate situation as your taste buds are surly missing out on some amazing flavors, and textures.

My love affair with Japanese food, has been going on for quite sometime, and I'm happy to say that the relationship is still going strong, maybe stronger now that I have had the opportunity to visit Japan twice. Living in NYC also helps as I've never.. NEVER had so much access to Japanese cuisine ..OUTSIDE of Japan. Anyway My friend Hiro had sent me a text about going over to his place for dinner. I was excited as the food for that night's menu was Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き).


For those that have no idea what I just typed, (take your time and sound it out.. it's not that hard) Okonomiyaki can be described as a kind of Japanese-style pancake or even pizza where you can add your favorite ingredients.(It is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam or kimchi though). You can have it made for you as fast food, or, in some okonomiyaki restaurants, you can cook your own okonomiyaki on the iron table. I love being able to cook my own, but maybe I need more practice.


Osaka and Hiroshima are two areas where okonomiyaki is very popular, and don't be fooled, both areas make their okonomiyaki differently. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, has the ingredients layered rather than mixed together. Chopped cabbage is cooked on top of the batter and you can find yakisoba noodles are added in as well!! Osaka-style okonomiyaki, is a more common style that can be found throughout most of Japan. The ingredients are mixed rather than layered and fried on both sides!
When cooked you can top it with otafuku/okonomiyaki sauce, aonori (seaweed flakes), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger (beni shoga).

I recorded my friends making Okonomiyaki, so have a look. Can you tell which style they are making?






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EVENT ALERT:[NYC EVENT] SAKURA MATSURI-MAY 1st-MAY 2nd 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

2008 Cherry Blossom Time-lapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden from Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Vimeo.

Although spring is almost over, and in Japan, most of the Cherry Blossom celebrations are over with, It's just getting started here in NYC! Yes, it's that time of year again for the annual SAKURA MATSURI 桜祭り held at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. For those that remember I attended this event last year and had a great time. You can read about last year's events by clicking the link HERE

SAKURA MATSURI 桜祭り at at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, will be held from MAY 1st through MAY 2nd, and will be celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events and performances, as well as a viewing of the Botanical Garden's 220 cherry trees! Some event's You can be sure to find are: Anime Stand-up Comedy, Japanese Hot-Pot Cooking,Japanese music and dance, manga, mataro Ningyo Doll Making Demonstration, taiko drumming performances, ikebana flower arranging, Japanese DJs, tea ceremonies,and various workshops. A complete schedule of event can be found on the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens page.
Just like last year, I'm hoping to catch The Infinite Spirits: A Samurai Drama (Samurai Sword Soul) stage performance on Sat. May 1st. I arrived a bit late and was not able to get an up front view but what I did get to see was pretty amazing. I'll be sure to arrive extra early this year!

So if you are around the NYC area, this is an event you don't want to you. You have two days so there is no excuse for you not to attend ;-)
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EVENT ALERT:[NYC EVENT] ANIME! at American Museum of Natural History, April 17-18

I LOVE Japanese related events in NYC and this is one you DON'T want to miss if you are in the NYC area. The American Museum of Natural History, which is located at 79 Street And Central Park West, is having a Global Weekends program which will feature Bollywood and Anime on April 17 (Sat) and 18 (Sun). There is an entire guide to this event so I won't go into every detail but I will highlight a few key events that should get your attention!

FEATURED ANIME FILMS:
There will be an anime film PREMIEREon April 17 (Sat) at 3:45pm at the Kaufman Theater. It will be the U.S premier of director Rintaro's film titled Yona Yona Penquin
This fantasy adventure features Coco, an adventurous little girl who is obsessed with penguins. Her eyes are soon opened to world she has never seen before.





Another film to makes it's US debut is Eureka Seven: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers, showing April 18 (Sun) at 12:00pm at Kaufman Theater. This film is based on the hit anime TV series Eureka Seven, and is a must see for any fan of the series.




ANIME GALLERIA:
Showing on April 17 (Sat) and 18 (Sun) 1:00pm – 5:00pm at Grand Gallery,there
will be a showing of a large collection of anime trailers from exciting 2009/2010 titles by various anime distributors including Aniplex and FUNimation. A big one that will be showing will be HALO LEGENDS This series was highly anticipated, and brought together the finest talent in Japanese animation to take on one of the largest game franchises for the XBox. HALO LEGENDS explore the mystery and action of the Halo universe in Eight episodes, shedding new light and epic perspective on Halo lore.





You can count on there being videogames, and manga, toys, and figures as well to feed your need. Even a CG Anime Production!






The main draw for me at least will be the LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE of the entire two day event. On April 17 (Sat) and 18 (Sun) 3:30pm at the Grand Gallerynthere will be a performance by West Coast/Tokyo based Japanese Hip Hop artist, Shing02!
This is exacting because it will be a rare performance by the artist well known for lending his vocals on the opening track “Battlecry” of the hit anime series Samurai Champloo. “Battlecry” was produced by Nujabes, who recently passed. I am curious to see Shing02's performance and hear what he has to say in regards to the late Nujabes passing. It would have been great to see both live at this event!



The Global Weekends program is a free event and seating for Shing02 is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so of course you will need to get there early to ensure you have a good view! I'll be sure to bring my camera along and record as much as I can, so look forward to a follow up post in the days to come following this event!

For full information about the BOLLYWOOD ANIME Program, please visit
http://www.amnh.org/bollywoodanime



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