JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — Dai Fujikura, ‘Tokyo Godfathers,’ Japan Nite
By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from live showcases that will transport you to another time and place, some new anime screenings, and a rock showcase you won’t want to miss.
This month’s highlights include:
Thursday, March 5, 8:00 p.m.
Dai Fujikura: Composer Portrait
Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway
$7-$30
The works of Osaka-born Dai Fujikura are performedwith regularity by conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel and by some of the mostacclaimed orchestras and ensembles in the world. As one of the leading voicesof his generation, his signature “high octane instrumental writing” (The Guardian) willbe exhibited in this Portrait featuring International Contemporary Ensemble,longtime champions of Fujikura. A selection of recent chamber works provide aglimpse into his unique soundworld, including Minina—inspired by the birth of hisdaughter—and abandoned time, written for electric guitar and ensemble.
March 6-7, 7:30 p.m.
JapanSociety, 333 Easy 47th Street
$32, $25 members
Isolation, contagion and instability: Fruitsborne out of rust, conceived of and directed by internationally known Japanese visualartist Tabaimo, uses drawings, videoinstallations and live music to probe these unsettling themes that lurk beneathdaily existence. Her intricate animations transform the stage into a wood floorapartment, a large birdcage that traps the dancer with a dove, and a line oftatami mats that swallows the dancer whole. Tabaimo's collaborator,award-winning choreographer Maki Morishita, mischievously blends the subtle movements of thedancer's fingers and toes with the dynamic drive of her limbs and torso,enhancing Tabaimo's peculiar and introspective world. The March 6performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception. The March7 performance is followed by an Artist Q&A.
March 9 & 11, 7:00 p.m.
RegalE-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMCEmpire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
AMCKips Bay 15, 570 Second Avenue
$14-$20
Tokyo Godfathers, theacclaimed holiday classic from master director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue), returns to theaters in a brand-new restoration.In modern-day Tokyo, three homeless people’s lives are changed forever whenthey discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fastapproaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve themystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way,encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confronttheir own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future, together.Co-written by Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop) and featuring a whimsical score by KeiichiSuzuki, Tokyo Godfathers is a masterpiece by turns heartfelt, hilarious andhighly original, a tale of hope and redemption in the face of seeminglyinsurmountable odds. The March 9 screening is presented in Japanese withEnglish subtitles, with the March 11 screening presented in English.
Sunday, March 22, 8:00 p.m.
KnittingFactory Brooklyn, 361 Metropolitan Ave.
$12 (ages 18+ only)
The indie rock event of the season! This year’slineup features Nishinomiya experimental punkers Kyuso Nekokami, Kobe classicrock girl group The Tomboys, “life-adherent loud rock” vets Uchibuki GokumonDokoukai, and popular samurai jazz band with rocky looks and sophistivated andpowerful performances Tri4th!
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