Ambassador’s diary – “Hunting for the Red Maple Leaf”
Celebrating the season and following the Japanese custom to go out in the fields and mountains to enjoy the changing colors of autumn leaves, Embassy staff took a well-deserved day off and travelled by train, bus and on foot to Hinohara-mura, a 3 000 year old forest village west of Tokyo to enjoy “momiji-gari”.
Visit to Japan by Rikke Lind, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, November 6-10
Inauguration of the solar power generation system at Ishinoaki commercial high school
During her stay, Deputy Minister Lind had meetings at Deputy Minister level in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Deputy Minister Lind delivered key-note address inaugurating the “Nordic Green” conference on environmental technology, as well as at a Norwegian-Japanese workshop on Osmotic Power. Deputy Minister Lind signed a co-operation agreement between her Ministry and the Japanese company ClassNK concerning classification services. She furthermore met J-Win, the group of Japanese women executives in industry, to exchange views on efforts to improve gender equality. On the last day of the program, Deputy Minister Lind visited Miyagi prefecture, where she met with the mayor of Sendai and visited Ishinomaki, one of the most heavily affected area by the great earthquake and tsunami in March. In Ishinomaki, she took part in an inauguration ceremony of a solar power generator which Elkem donated to Ishinomaki commercial high school.
“Julenisse” post office opened in Shinagawa, Tokyo
In collaboration with the Christmas House in Drøbak, Tokyo Prince Hotel launched on November 30, in the presence of Mrs Shimazu, the Emperor’s sister, a Nisse post office, where people can deliver letters to Julenissen in Norway. The Hotel’s nisse-promo profiled Norwegian Christmas customs and articles at the hotel and at the busy Shinagawa Station. School children received diplomas as Nisse’s helpers.
God Jul Concert
Miki Anbo(piano) and Kotomi Watanuki (oboe) give Christmas concert in Hokkaido and Tokyo. The two musicians have both studied at music academy in Norway. (December 9, 11 and 19)
Bent Hamer’s new film “Home for Christmas”
Screening of Bent Hamer’s latest film “Home for Christmas” in cinemas in Tokyo from December 3.
WAT 2011 animation film festival
Norwegian film “Det siste norske trollet” is among the selected films to be shown at this year’s World Animation Theatre in Tokyo. (November 26 – December 25)
Norwegian Movie Night – “The Snow Cave Man”
The monthly Norwegian Embassy Movie Night in December will show a documentary feature film “The Snow Cave Man”. Venue: Arctic Hall of the embassy. (December 13)
Norwegian salmon Christmas menu
Seasonal recipe suggestion by NSEC. This month, three different dishes suited for Christmas table are introduced, using Norwegian salmon.
Criminology seminar
Mr. Erik Nadheim, Director, Norwegian National Crime Prevention Council, and Ms. Camilla Louise Giske, Professor, Norwegian Police University College, will talk about Norwegian criminal policy following the July 22nd incident. The seminar is subtitled “Will the July 22 incident change the Norwegian criminal system – criminals’ correction and social safety”, and it will take place in the Arctic Hall of the Embassy. (December 19)
Lecture – Ibsen’s Doll’s House
Theatre workshop and lecture taking place in Tokyo, inviting Wu Xiao Jiang, prominent stage director from China. (December 8 and 9 in Osaka, December 15 and 16 in Tokyo)
Steinar Raknes Quartet
Norwegian jazz band Steinar Raknes Quartet plays with Japanese and Finnish musicians at concerts in Tokyo. (December 16-18)
Dans Les Arbre Japan Tour
Multinational contemporary music band of Norway and France tours in Japan. (December 14 – 18)
Storm Weather Shanty Choir’s Japan tour started in Ishinomaki
Storm Weather Shanty Choir started their Japan tour in Ishinomaki (Miyagi Pref) on November 11, where they sang for 500 junior high school students/parents, who were hit by the earthquake/tsunami eight months ago. The charity concert in Ishinomaki was organized to cheer up the local youngsters, who received the musicians with full enthusiasm. (November 11)
Mariko Mitsui’s report from Norway
Mariko Mitsui, researcher on gender issues, reports about her visit to Oslo during the last local election. The report includes interviews to the Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombud Ms. Sunniva Ørstavik, who explained about challenges to enforce the gender balance especially in the public sector on local level.
Oslo Fashion Week
Journalist for Senken newspaper, industrial paper specialized in textiles and fashion, makes reports from his visit to Oslo fashion week in August this summer.
Report: Norwegian architecture
Taku Kitagawa, Japanese architect, reports to shares his views on Norwegian architecture trends from his recent visit to Norway when he participated in the Oslo Architecture.
Norwegian Christmas featured on NHK BS1
TV program “El-mundo” on December 30 features Christmas in Norway showing interviews and reports by Mr. Takanori Nakamura, “Hr. StyleNorway”, during his visit in Norway . (“Hr. StyleNorway” is a spokesperson towards Japanese media on Norwegian design, appointed by “Norway design network”, a networking group organized by several Japanese importers of Norwegian furniture and interior design products.)
www.thelocal.no
www.thelocal.no launched a new website that publishes news and information from Norway, written in English. Useful source of information catered to non-Norwegian speakers.
Norway in Japan Newsletter, December 2011 >> (JPN)