Schedule of Events*

Monday, September 19 - Opening Ceremony

State of the University Address by Dr. Daniel Ball, President
Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium, Lander University

Lander University President Dr. Daniel W. Ball delivers updates on the university and its ongoing and future initiatives.

Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium, Lander University

Remarks: Dr. Sung-Jae Park, dean, International Programs, Lander University

Proclamation of Japan Week: Mayor Welborn Adams, City of Greenwood, S.C.

Performance of national anthems of Japan and United States of America: Drs. Robert Kelley, Lila Noonkester and Chuck Neufeld, Lander Department of Music

Remarks: Shinji Kataoka, president, Fujifilm Manufacturing USA, Inc.

Japanese Fashion Show
Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium, Lander University

Reiko Blackwell, Jean Murphy, Lander professor of theatre Monique Sacay-Bagwell, and Lander students Rachel Piper and Corbin Childs model traditional Japanese fashions.

Refreshments provided by Old Main Catering to follow in the Johnston Commons.

Movie: Hachi
Location: Greenwood County Library

Series, Hachi is based on a true story and focuses on a man and his extraordinary bond with his loyal dog.

Tuesday, September 20

Paper Crane Exhibit
Location: Larry Jackson Library, Lander University Campus

Dr. Josie Ryan, assistant professor of mathematics at Lander, displays 1,000 paper cranes that she has personally folded.

Fujifilm and the Community
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Allen Creighton, vice president of Environmental Health and Safety and Corporate Compliance at Fujifilm Manufacturing USA in Greenwood, discusses Fujifilm’s philanthropic and community-centered efforts including its partnership with Burton Center in Greenwood.

Japanese Craft Making
Location: Greenwood County Library

A make-and-take session on Japanese crafts, open to all ages.

Gallery Tour: The Shiro Kuma Collection – Asian Paintings, Ceramics and Sculpture
Location: Monsanto Gallery, Lander University

Edwin Symmes, author of Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature, leads a tour highlighting the various works within The Shiro Kuma Collection. (NOTE: The Shiro Kuma Collection exhibit runs Sept. 1-30 in Lander's Monsanto Gallery.)

Origami Demonstration
Location: Outside of Carnell Learning Center Room 200, Lander University

Lander Anime and Manga Society members Emily Brogan and Kayla Anderson conduct an origami demonstration.

Location: Lander University Amphitheatre (Rain location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium)

Join Lander director of Student Activities Jeff Constant and assistant director Mandy McCaslan as they host a fun-filled karaoke competition featuring Lander University President Daniel Ball.

Wednesday, September 21

Lecture: Japanese Ceramics for a Tea Ceremony, and Tea Ceremony
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

William Holt, a Certified Tea Master in the Higo Koryu School of Tea having attained third scroll (out of four) in rank, has performed over 50 tea ceremonies in Japan, including at the re-dedication of the Kumamoto Castle grand hall. He has performed numerous tea ceremonies since returning to the United States and he has earned 30 dan certificates in various Japanese arts.

9:10 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Lecture: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Edwin Symmes, author of Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniature, honored by having the late HIH Prince Norohito Takamado write the foreword to his book. He has published several books on bonsai, and his photography has been exhibited in Japan, the United States and Europe.

Calligraphy and Sumi-e: Ink and Brush Painting
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Japanese artist-in-residence Yoshiko Moon demonstrates the beauty and technique of traditional Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e painting.

Tea Ceremony and Kimono Demonstration
Location: Johnston Commons, Lander University Campus

Reiko Blackwell, a hostess from the Omote Senke Tea School, is licensed in ikebana flower arranging and holds a 5th-degree ranking in kyudo. She regularly hosts tea ceremonies at local and regional events.

Calligraphy and Sumi-e: Ink and Brush Painting
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Japanese artist-in-residence Yoshiko Moon demonstrates the beauty and technique of traditional Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e painting.

Movie: “Between the Folds
Location: Centennial Hall Multipurpose Room, Lander University

Dr. Linda Neely, chair of Lander’s Department of Art, hosts a presentation of Between the Folds, a documentary focusing on the applications of origami in art, science and mathematics.

Lecture: “Cultural Shock in Japan Leading Up to Tsunami Aftermath”
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University Campus

Robin Nichols, who taught English in Japan, describes her experiences when the earthquake and tsunami devastated part of Japan in March.

Thursday, September 22

Movie: The Ramen Girl
Location: Carnell Learning Center Room 274, Lander University

Lander University professor of finance and international business Dr. Uma Sridharan hosts The Ramen Girl, an American-Japanese film about a girl who relocates to Japan and decides to become a ramen cook. (NOTE: Event is open to Lander students only.)

Story Time at The Greenwood County Library
Location: Greenwood County Library

Japanese-themed children’s literature will be highlighted in this event, which is designed for preschool-aged children.

Japanese Cuisine
Location: Lander University Dining Hall

Enjoy a Japanese cuisine-themed station in the Lander University Dining Hall, provided by ARAMARK/Lander University Dining Services. All-you-can eat salad, entrée and dessert bars are also available. Lunch offered at the faculty/staff price.

Lecture: “World Music: Music of Japan” (Lecture)
Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium

Lander associate professor of music Dr. Robert Kelley presents a lecture on Japanese music that includes recorded examples.

Suzuki Voice and Movement
Location: PEES Dance Studio, Lander University

Lander professor of theatre Monique Sacay-Bagwell discusses training for actors developed by Tadashi Suzuki, which has its roots in traditional Japanese movement.

Lecture: The Place of Enlightenment: Temples, Gardens and Train Platforms
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Lander professor of philosophy Dr. John Moore discusses and shows examples of temple and garden design for inducing and sustaining the kind of mindfulness necessary for personal enlightenment. His talk also examines more recent examples of urban and industrial design that show an awareness of Zen.

Lecture: Tokugawa Era Influences on 21st century Japanese Culture
Location: Carnell Learning Center, Room 300, Lander University

Sensei Aaron Blackwell, president of the South Carolina Kyudo Renmei and the highest ranked kyudo practitioner in the Western Hemisphere, has lived, studied and traveled extensively in Japan and is well-versed in Japanese history.

Martial Arts: Karate or Taekwondo, Judo, Kyudo and Aikido
Location: Lander University Amphitheatre (Rain location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium)

Demonstration of martial arts forms by Dr. Sung-Jae Park, 8th degree black belt in judo; Sensei Aaron Blackwell, 6th degree black belt in kyudo; Grand Master E.S. Moon, Martial Arts, Greenwood.

Lecture: Wabi-Sabi: The Japanese Acceptance of Transience as an Aesthetic Value
Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center, Room 250, Lander University

Lander associate professor of art history Dr. Tom Pitts examines some of the basic concepts behind many Japanese cultural creations. The aesthetic known as wabi-sabi is manifest in haiku poetry, ikebana, bonsai, the Japanese garden and the tea ceremony, with its distinctive architecture and ceramics. The lecture includes artworks demonstrating that all things in this world are transient, in a state of perpetual change and never complete.

Friday, September 23

Lecture: Nuclear Crisis in Japan
Location: Lois Grier Room, Lander University

Lander associate professor of chemistry Dr. David Gardner, discusses the nuclear crisis in Japan following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Lecture: UpstateSCAlliance: Who We Are and What We Are Doing with Japan
Location: Carnell Learning Center Room 300, Lander University

Hal Johnson, president and CEO, UpstateSCAlliance; and Mark Warner, CEO, Partnership Alliance, Greenwood

Lecture: The Past, Present and Future of Culture and Education in Japan after the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami
Location: Carnell Learning Center, Room 300, Lander University

Yuji Kishimoto, Clemson University Emeritus Professor, and board member, Japan America Association of South Carolina (JAASC)

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Lecture: The Past, Present and Future of Economy and Business in Japan after the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami
Location: Carnell Learning Center, Room 300, Lander University

H. Harry Watanabe, board member, JAASC, and member of the Alliance for Business Professional Service; and other presenters

Panel Discussion by Japanese Business Executives: The Past, Present and Future of Culture, Business and Economy of Japan after the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami
Location: Carnell Learning Center, Room 300, Lander University

Professor Yuji Kishimoto; H. Harry Watanabe; Katsuhiko Ishikawa, co-chair of the JAASC board of directors and president, JTEKT Automotive South Carolina, Inc.; Takuma Kondo, chair, Japan Affairs Committee of JAASC, and executive vice president, Associated Fuel Pump System Corp. and Craig Lundgren, CPA, business development executive, Dixon Hughes Goodman.

Closing Ceremony - Keynote Address
Location: Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium

Hon. Takuji Hanatani, Consul General, Japan, Consulate-General of Japan, Atlanta, Ga.

Performance of the National Anthems of Japan and the U.S.A
Lander music department chair Dr. Lila Noonkester and associate professors of music Drs. Robert Kelley and Chuck Neufeld.

Monsanto Gallery

The Shiro Kuma Collection: Asian Paintings, Ceramics and Sculpture
The Shiro Kuma Collection of Asian Art spans three millennia, starting with Ban Chiang ceramics. The focus however, has been in two areas: Chinese and Japanese paintings, especially from the Japanese Kano School, which dominated Japanese painting for nearly 400 years. The Kano school paintings in the collection range from the time of Rembrandt to the 20th century. The second specialty has been Japanese netsuke: the miniature carvings that served to anchor the portable “pocket” called an inro, developed to complement the Japanese kimono which had no pockets for carrying miscellaneous items. These miniature sculptures are true masterworks of art as well as illustrations of Japanese cultural and historical events.

The paintings shown at the Lander University Monsanto Gallery range from mid 1600s to the 20th century and cover several traditional Japanese schools, including, Kano, Shijo, Nanga and others. Images range from a portrait, exquisitely rendering every detail of the Court Kimono to a simple one stroke “portrait” of the moon.

Several scrolls devoted to calligraphy illustrate different styles of writing, from formal clerical script, to a boldly rendered character for “Dragon.”

Hawks, a tiger and dragon diptych, quails among fall flowers, landscapes, seaside scenes and various deities round out the two dozen scrolls never before presented to the public in this exhibition from the Shiro Kuma Collection.

The netsuke are mostly carved from ivory which is now regulated and not importable. Several contemporary pieces are carved from the regularly harvested hippopotamus teeth from captive animals or mammoth ivory. An Ox by Tomotada and a Tiger by Masanao are two 18th-century pieces. An impossibly delicate ojime (bead) crafted in the 19th Century from silver in the form of a lotus pod has gold inset, movable seeds. Twentieth-century pieces included a pair of swans and an image of a mythological bird, both carved by the president of the International Netsuke Carver’s Association who is known by the singular name, Bishu.

Japanese Cultural and Historical Exhibit
Location: The Arts Center Greenwood
Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

A month-long display of Japanese cultural and historical items.

Ink and Clay: An Exploration of the Floating World
The exhibition features 20 traditional Japanese" Ukiyo-e" woodblock prints, largely from the Edo period, showcasing many kabuki scenes from the permanent collection of the Consulate-General of Japan, and selected ceramic works by artist Mike Vatalaro.

The Center will host a reception featuring traditional Japanese foood on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 for those who are unable to visit the exhibit during business hours.