Opening Day Celebration for "Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism"

La Belle Vie at the Legion travels east for events inspired by Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism.

Opening Day of Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism
noon–12:30 p.m. Emeryville Taiko in the Court of Honor (outside, in front of the museum)
12:30–4:00 p.m. Artist demonstration of traditional woodblock printing techniques by Tomoko Murakami in Gallery F (lower level)
2:00–3:00 p.m.Traditional music by Sawai Koto in the Florence Gould Theater
2:00–3:00 p.m. Free Saturday art classes for kids in Gallery 10
4:00–4:45 p.m. Enjoy organ concerts every Saturday and Sunday in Gallery 10

Emeryville Taiko
Court of Honor
noon–12:30 p.m.
Taiko drumming is an exciting, modern art form with ancient roots originating in Japanese ceremonies and festivals. Emeryville Taiko is a nonprofit group providing classes, workshops, and rehearsal space for the taiko community. For over ten years Emeryville Taiko has performed at numerous private and public events, fairs, and  festivals around the greater Bay Area. Visit www.etaiko.org for more information, to find classes, and to view upcoming performances.

Artist Demonstration by Tomoko Murakami
Gallery F (lower level)
12:30–4:00 p.m.
Tomoko Murakami will demonstrate traditional ukiyo-e woodblock carving and printing techniques and engage visitors in hands-on experience with sample blocks and carving tools. Tomoko is a multi disciplinary artist who explores the medium of printmaking as a multi-dimensional art form, bringing attention to new possibilities in the mixed media art world). She received her MFA in printmaking from San Francisco Art Institute and MA in Transformative Arts from John F. Kennedy University. She is a recipient of the 1992 Kala Art Institute Fellowship and 2008 Susan Boulet Award. Her work has been presented by Gloria Delson Fine Arts in Los Angeles, Gallery on the Rim in San Francisco, Tomura Gallery in Tokyo, Richmond Art Center, and Sebastopol Center for the Arts. For the past 20 years, she has taught and lectured at a number of universities, colleges and art schools throughout the Bay Area, including California State University at Chico, San Francisco State University, San Francisco Art Institute, Berkeley City College, and John F. Kennedy University. Currently, she teaches at California College of the Arts, NIAD Art Center and Kala Art Institute. 

Doing and Viewing Art for Children
Gallery 10
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Children ages 4–12 can drop in to enjoy a hands-on art project inspired by Japanese woodblock landscapes. 

Sawai Koto featuring performers Shoko Hikage, Brian Wong, Kanoko Nishi, Eddie Yun Shieh, Chie Chang, and Toshiko Yamada
Florence Gould Theater
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Sawai Koto performs traditional pieces for the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, ranging from the beginning of the Edo period to contemporary compositions. Rokdan, traditional koto music, was originally for solo koto, but through the years, has been embellished with parts for an additional koto, plus sangen (shamisen) and shakuhachi. Sawai Koto will perform rokudan in traditional chamber music style on the koto and shangen. The program will include: Rokudan, composed by Kengyo Yatsuhashi, one of the most well known and oldest pieces in koto music; Tori no Yoni (Flying Like a Bird) by Tadao Sawai, Sakura, a well-known folk Japanese folk song, arranged by Tadao Sawai and Shoko Hikage, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, one of hte most prominent figures in the field of Impressionist music, and Tsuranaru by Tadao Sawai, which demonstrates many of the traditional koto techniques.

Shoko Hikage began playing koto at the age of three. Her first teacher was Chizuga Kimura of the Ikuta-ryu Sokyoku Seigen Kai in Akita Prefecture, Japan. From 1985, she received special training from the 2nd and 3rd IEMOTO Seiga Adachi (hereditary head master of the Ikuta-ryu Sokyoku Seigen Kai). In 1988, Hikage graduated from Takasaki college with a major in koto music, and she was accepted as a special research student (uchideshi) in Sawai Sokyoku In (Sawai Koto Academy) under Tadao and Kazue Sawai where she subsequently received her master's certificate(kyoshi). Hikage also completed a one-year intensive seminar at the Sawai Sokyoku In. In 1992, she moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, to teach koto at the Sawai Kotot Kai Hawaii (Sawai Koto Academy branch) and University of Hawaii koto class. There she held her first American solo recital at the Honolulu Academy of Arts Theatre as part of the New Music Across America series. In 1997, she moved to San Francisco, where she continues her pursuits in improvisational dance and music. Most recently Hikage performed Hyo-shin Na's "Song of one lost in the Fog" with new chamber music ensemble Earplay at the Herbst Theatre. She is member of koto ensemble Lantana, Koto Phase, and Wooden Fish Ensemble.

Brian Mistuhiro Wong began playing koto when he was four years old. He studied with his mother and grandmother. Brian has a Koshi degree with "Grand Prix" honors from the Sawai Koto School in Tokyo where he studied Kazue Sawai and Hikaru Sawai. He also received his bachelor of arts degree from California State University, East Bay in music composition. Brian performed and records around the Bay Area and teaches koto, saxophone, and general music studies.

Kanoko Nishi is a performer currently based in San Francisco. Although her primary training is in classical piano performance, her interest since attending Mills College in Oakland from 2002–2006 for BA in musical performance has widened from avant-garde music and free-improvisation to traditional Japanese music on her second instrument, koto. She has been exploring, both on the piano and koto, various extended techniques, in addition to more traditional techniques, in order to widen the range of vocabularies on each instrument for freer expressions in more varieties of musical genres. She has studied with and inspired primarily by improvisers Fred Frith, Joelle Leandre, and koto master Kazue Sawai. She is a member of koto ensemble Lantana and Wooden Fish Ensemble.

Eddie Yun Shieh is a member of the Washington Toho Koto Society and has been playing koto for seven years. He has performed in several concerts at the Guildenhorn Recital Hall at University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center as well as on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage in Washington, D.C. He has also participated in the Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony as part of D.C.'s annual Cherry Blossom Festival as well as numerous volunteer performances in Maryland and Virginia. Shieh is a member in the koto class of Shoko Hikage for an advanced player.

Chie Chang began studying koto at the young age. She studied with Ikuta Koto School in Japan and the United States. She has participated in several concerts with Ikuta koto group in San Diego. She is currently taking the class of the koto in advanced player under Shoko Hikage, and is active in ensemble concert performance.

Toshiko Yamada is member of koto ensemble AMASIA Sakura-tai. Yamada has given several performances and demonstrations in the Bay Area and performs regularly at the AMASIA Hide’s Sushi bar. Most recently she performed with koto ensemble Lantana at Campbell Recital Hall Stanford in March.

Sponsor

We would like to thank the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco for their support of our opening day celebration and the artist studio. 

For more information on programs related to Japanese culture and history, please visit:
Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Japan Society of Northern California