Australian Embassy, Tokyo

This site looks simple because you don't have a Web Standards compliant Web Browser. You can't see the site design, but all of our content is still available. Please enjoy your stay and consider upgrading your browser to view our full site design.

Address: 2-1-14 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8361 - Telephone: 03-5232-4111

Culture

2013

January

Culture Picture

CITYLIGHTS ~ 街の灯

14 - 20 January 2013

CITYLIGHTS~街の灯 will be a free public event combining sculpture, dance, sound, interactive electronics and live streaming, connecting Sydney and Yokohama. The event will take place simultaneously at the Cleland Bond building, The Rocks (AUS) and the new Izayoi Yoshidamachi Studio, Yokohama (JPN). Development has already begun, with the final event taking place from 14th - 20th January 2013.

David Kirkpatrick (AUS), sound and multimedia, is creating a series of simple 'city modules' which, when interacted with by performers and the public, will pulse with a warm glow and play sounds unique to cities of Sydney and Yokohama. With the aid of projected video links between the two sites he is hoping to create one inter-cultural space where the public can create a shared light and sound composition.

Anna Kuroda (JPN), choreography and design, is training a team of young artists in Sydney and Yokohama to move within the installation, exploring emotional and physical distance, the fragility of nature and the human body, and technology's effect on communication.

The logistics and technology involved sound complicated, and are certainly turning out to be, but our final aim is to create an experience that is both subtle and beautiful – blending the natural environment, surrounding architecture and themes of the work.

Commissioning and Japanese Key Organisations: Shopfront Contemporary Art and Performance, ST Spot Yokohama, Steep Slope Studio, Izayoi Yoshidamachi Studio, Australia Council, The Japan Foundation Sydney, Yokohama City.
Additional Support: The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Performance Space (Bec Dean).


Culture Picture

Reclining concert Richard Tognetti & Satu Vänskä Violin Duo Concert

16 January 2013

Australian violinist and national treasure Richard Tognetti is coming back to Tokyo! As leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Tognetti performed as part of the Reclining Concert series at Hakuju Hall in autumn 2011, making a deep impression on classical music fans in Japan.

This time, he will be joined by the Australian Chamber Orchestra's Assistant Leader Satu Vänskä for what promises to be thrilling violin performance. Vänskä is the niece of Osmo Vänskä, the world-famous Finnish conductor, and was born in Tokushima, Japan.

The eclectic program includes Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins, J.S. Bach's Chaconne performed by Tognetti, songs by popular rock band Radiohead (who are friends of Tognetti) as well as music written by legendary British singer-songwriter, Nick Drake.

Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra Japan Tour (2001)
Aiko Goto Violin Recital (2006)
Emanuel Pahud & Australian Chamber Orchestra (2008)
Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) at the Niseko Winter Music Festival (2010)
Australian Chamber Orchestra in Japan (2011)


Culture Picture

Gotye Japan Tour

30 - 31 January 2013

Chart-topping singer-songwriter Gotye to embark on his first-ever tour of Japan!

Born in Belgium and based in Australia, Gotye is a singer-songwriter and multi-talented artist who topped the charts in 18 countries and sold over 10,000,000 CDs worldwide in 2012. After releasing his debut album in 2006, he was awarded the inaugural Red Bull Award in recognition of Outstanding Potential. He also won the ARIA Award - the Australian equivalent of a Grammy Award - for best male artist in 2007. In 2011, he won 6 ARIA awards, including best male artist, best pop release, and single of the year. His third album Making Mirrors reached No. 1 in Australia.

Gotye


February

Culture Picture

Nicholas Bustin "This Beguiling Shelf" Residency Exhibition

9 - 24 February 2013

Bastin, having pursued a career as a jewelry artist since 90's in Australia and internationally, has in recent years begun to develop his activities within the contemporary art scene. He is currently undertaking a residency at Youkobo between December 2012 - the end of February 2013.

In preparation for this exhibition he has developed a series of object based works in which he seeks out the possibilities of miniature collections. Based upon research into the manner in which individuals select and display mass produced objects which possess some form of narrative, he aims to construct his own miniature world while referencing to his own experiences in Japan.


Culture Picture

MYSTERY Japan tour

9 - 15 February 2013

Young Australian rockers MYSTERY have amazed audiences around the world on the first leg of their 2012/2013 'Thunder From dOWNuNDER World Tour', performing on main stages at major events alongside the biggest bands in the world.

They will now bring their electrifying show to Japan with three shows as part of the Melodic Metal Festival in Osaka and Nagoya and Melodic Metal Circle in Tokyo.

MYSTERY will also be participating in a special cultural exchange where they will visit the Toyama University of International Studies High School to perform a show and speak to students and teachers about music and life in Australia.

Supported by: Australia Council For The Arts, Four Sticks Productions, Rubicon Records, Majestic Film, Metal Warriors


Culture Picture

"Outback and Beyond" - a live electronic opera

13 - 24 February 2013

"Outback and Beyond" is a live electronic opera performed by Mike Cooper and Australian resident Grayson Cooke. To Cooper's blistering soundtrack of lap-steel guitar, deconstructed Blues and electronics, Cooke performs a live remix of archival footage of the Australian outback from the National Film and Sound Archive. Cooper also sings a libretto that explores the adventures and misadventures of Charles Todd, the man who built the Overland Telegraph between Adelaide and Darwin in the 1870s. With an outback road-movie soundtrack, and footage from docu-dramas and feature films from the 1920s to the '50s, "Outback and Beyond" presents the audience with a series of micro-narratives reminiscent of the themes and aesthetics of the Western film genre, but crucially, it is a Western set in Australia's outback, reflecting Australia's own relationship to its land, its history and its peoples.

Winner of Japan Media Arts Festival New Face Award in 2013.

Live performance at Talk & Live Performance "Trans Creation - Derivative expressions and creativity" at 18:00 on 19 Feb at SuperDeluxe in Tokyo.

Sponsored by Southern Cross University and National Film and Sound Archive
Outback and Beyond
SuperDeluxe
Japan Media Arts Festival


Culture Picture

"Scissors, Paper, Rock"

16 - 17 February 2013

The Haiyuza Theater Company's will present internationally acclaimed Australian playwright Daniel Keene's "Scissors, Paper, Rock" in a performance showcasing the talents of an up-and-coming director.

Playwright: Daniel Keene
Translator: Keiji Sawada

Cast: Tatsuhiro Ito, Akari Sato, Yasufumi Kuramoto, Takeshi Yatsuyanagi, Ami Tamotsu

Director: Kae Sugata
Set designer: Natsuko Takebe
Lighting designer: Masumi Sakurai (Tokyo Butai Showmei)
Sound designer: Taku Kiuchi (Onei)
Stage manager: Michitaka Ishii


Culture Picture

Daniel Sumegi to star in Bizet's Carmen

17 - 24 February 2013

Australian bass baritone, Daniel Sumegi will star as Escamillo in the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre's production of Carmen. Since his US debut in 1991, he has sung at many of the world's most famous opera houses and concert halls. He has also received many prestigious awards, including the 1994 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions - Bruno Walter Prize, the 1995 William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award, and he was a winner at the Placido Domingo World Opera Contest/Operalia 2 held in Madrid in 1995. He is also highly acclaimed in Japan for his performance in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen at the New National Theatre, Tokyo.

Daniel Sumegi
Daniel Sumegi in Wagner's Götterdämmerung at the New National Theatre


March

J.M. Coetzee at Tokyo International Literary Festival 2013

1 - 3 March 2013

Australian Nobel laureate author J.M. Coetzee will be in Japan for the Tokyo International Literary Festival.

J.M. Coetzee was born in South Africa in 1940 and educated in South Africa and the United States. Among his academic appointments have been professorships at the University of Cape Town and the University of Chicago. He is the author of thirteen works of fiction, as well as of memoirs, criticism, and translations. He has twice won the Booker Prize and, in 2003, the Nobel Prize for Literature. Since 2002 he has lived in Australia, where he is Professor of Literature at the University of Adelaide.

J.M. Coetzee will be reading at two sessions of the Tokyo International Literary Festival:

TOKYOLITFEST x Roppongi Art College

19:00 - 19:55 on Friday 1 March (Doors open at 18:30)
「Keynote Readings」
Introduction: Natsuki Ikezawa
Keynote Readings: J.M. Coetzee and Shuntaro Tanikawa
(Simultaneous interpretation provided)

TOKYOLITFEST x Waseda University Part 2

17:50 - 18:30 on Sunday 3 March (Doors open at 17:20)
「Closing Reading」
Introduction: Yukiko Konosu
Reading: J.M. Coetzee, Japanese Reading: Shosuke Tanikawa
(Simultaneous interpretation provided)

Tokyo International Literary Festival


Culture Picture

CCA Kitakyushu Sound Workshop LIVE

7 March 2013

The Center for Contemporary Art, CCA Kitakyushu invites young sound artists to hold workshops and live concerts every year as a part of the CCA's research program. This year, Australian musician Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke - both of whom have participated in this event over the last several years - and John Duncun from Bologna will hold a live concert at the Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center.

Center for Contemporary Art, CCA Kitakyushu
Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center
Oren Ambarchi
写真: © CCA Kitakyushu


Culture Picture

Hanchos' Meeting in Cowra

8 - 24 March 2013

5 August 1944

The year is 1944 and Australia is at war.

545 Japanese prisoners of war at a camp in Cowra, New South Wales, plan the largest escape attempt in Australia's history.

Each group of Japanese soldiers elects a representative to speak for them. These representatives then vote whether or not to go through with the plan.

Back in the present, a group of women attempts to ascertain the truth about the soldiers and their fateful decision.

This play is the first in a series celebrating the Rinkogun Theatre Company's 30th anniversary.

After the performance on 10 March, there will be a talk by Yoji Sakate and Aubrey Mellor, Australian senior fellow at the LASALLE College of the Arts.

RIN KO GUN Theatre Company
Illustration by Haruyo Mita

Logo

Culture Picture

Book Launch for debut novelist Grant Wales's "Man After His Kind"

15 March 2013

Man After His Kind, the debut novel from Australian Author Grant Wales is a tale of have's and have not's and the process by which one finds oneself arranged into which category. Lifting the story's frame from the verses describing Noah's Ark and set in vivid exotic locations, the story follows those chosen to be left behind on a mission of revenge, and those chosen to be on board the voyage as they seek redemption.

The book launch event will feature readings by the author as well as belly dance performances and live music from several Tokyo based musicians and singers.

Where: Heimat Café, Musashi-Koyama, Shinagawa
When: March 15, 2013. 8pm-10pm

About the author: Grant Wales was born and raised in Melbourne. After obtaining a degree in English he moved to Japan where he has continued to live and write for 10 years.

Grant Wales
Heimat Cafe


Culture Picture

Lecture: 'Australian Theatre - Indigenous Culture Meets Modern Theatre' / Part of the SPT × ITI Lecture series "Learn About Theatre Around the World!"

26 March 2013

It has been 225 years since the British arrived in Australia and just over a century since federation. Naturally, a young country like Australia does not have a long theatrical tradition. For many years, theatre in Australia was strongly influenced by the British tradition. Australia’s home-grown theatrical culture eventually emerged at the end of the 1960s thanks to a number of small theatre movements. At the same time, the theatre traditions of Australia’s Indigenous peoples – who have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years – began to transform Australian theatre into something much more interesting. The lecture will introduce examples of exciting modern Australian theatre productions that have been influenced by Indigenous culture, including text-based plays, musicals and multimedia performances.

Date: 19:00-21:00, Tuesday 26 March
Lecturer: Keiji Sawada
Fee: 1,000 yen
Venue: Seminar Room A, Setagaya Arts Center, 5th floor, Carrot Tower (near Sangenjaya station on the Tokyu line)
Number of places: 25 (Applications will close once all places have been filled)
Application: Setagaya Public Theatre (03-5432-1526, http://setagaya-pt.jp/)

The lecture is a part of "Learn About Theatre Around the World!" series, the result of collaboration between Setagaya Public Theatre (SPT) and the International Theatre Institute (ITI). This series has three main themes: "theatre and society", "theatre around the world" and "global communication through theatre."

The lecturer, Keiji Sawada, is a professor at Waseda University (theatre studies/cultural research) and a translator. He has written a number of publications on Australian theatre and is a winner of Yuasa Yoshiko award for translation of foreign-language stage plays.

主催: Setagaya Arts Foundation / Japanese Centre of International Theatre Institute
企画: Setagaya Public Theatre / Japanese Centre of International Theatre Institute
協賛: Asahi Beer / Toray


April

Culture Picture

Live in Concert: Donna Burke Shine On!

13 April 2013

Spectacular, romantic, epic songs from well known games including Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Gundam. Australian Donna Burke has two concerts on Saturday, April 13th, at 1pm and 5pm at Akasaka Hall. Hear epic, popular songs by Japanese composers, many of which are being performed live for the first time ever. Proceeds go to Shine On Kids, an NPO founded by Donna's best friend that supports sick children in Japan.

Tickets are available here
Link
About Donna:

Donna Burke, from Perth, Western Australia has a voice well known to most Japanese. She is the English announcer on the Tokaido Shinkansen and a voice actor and singer for hugely successful anime and games including Lyrical Nanoha, Little Charo 2 and Silent Hill 2 and 3. Donna is also the lyricist and performer of songs from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, God and Man and Last Remnant. However, her 2010 hit Heaven's Divide that reached 18 on the Oricon charts is what she is most famous for worldwide.


Culture Picture

"Classroom of the world": Enjoy the art and music of Australia's indigenous people!

29 April 2013

Enjoy the paper made Dijeridoo with Aboriginal art painting.

Link

Culture Picture

"True Spirit" by Jessica Watson is now available in Japanese -The story of a 16-year-old Australian girl who sailed solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world-

Starting 22 February 2013

"True Spirit"
By Jessica Watson / Translated by Mikico Tashima / Published by Shoshi Kankanbou

Link

May

Culture Picture

Nat Bartsch Trio Japan Tour

17 - 19 May 2013

This musical trio led by young Australian female pianist Nat Bartsch - who won the Melbourne Prize for Music Development Award in 2010 - will come to Japan to showcase their unique brand of melodic, soulful music.

The trio was initially formed in 2006 when the members were studying improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. Bartsch is now joined by double bassist Tom Lee and drummer Daniel Farrugia.

The trio's repertoire is inspired not only by great Australian jazz players but also indie rock and pop music of the likes of Elbow and Sigur Ros, and the improvised music of Europe. These influences enable the trio to communicate their heart-warming music to a broad range of listeners, extending far beyond the general jazz scene.

The trio's debut EP Nat Bartsch Trio in 2008 was followed by their highly acclaimed release Spring for all the Winters in 2010. As a follow-up to her acclaimed 2009 tour of Japan, Nat Bartsch will visit Japan again, this time as part of a trio. The group also toured Europe in 2010. Their new album is scheduled to be released in March.

Japan Tour:

19:00 on 17 May at RAG in Kyoto
20:00 on 18 May at Pit Inn in Shinjuku, Tokyo
16:00 on 19 May at Jokoji temple in Joetsu-shi, Niigata
To purchase tickets, please send an email to ticket@spn1.speednet.ne.jp or call 03-3728-5690.

Nat Bartsch
Real&True
Support: Arts Victoria
Production: Office Ohsawa
Production cooperation (19/5): Free paper cocola
Cooperation: Disk Union


Culture Picture

Echigo-Tsumari Artist-in-Residence Program 2013-2015

2 May 2013

Read more


Culture Picture

Australian short films at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2013

23 May 2013 - 16 June 2013

Australian films at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2013
  • The Interviewer (2012), directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith & Robin Bryan
  • Self Help (2012), directed by Alyson Standen

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2013
The Interviewer
Self Help


Photo: Self Help (2012)

June

Culture Picture

OLIVER MANN – Melbourne's experimental folk singer-songwriter JAPAN TOUR

8－9 June 2013

Tokyo
Yokohama


Culture Picture

Joe Robinson -"Australia's Got Talent" winner, super guitarist's performance @ COTTON CLUB

17 - 18 June 2013

Young Australian guitarist Joe Robinson coming to Japan to showcase his amazing skills!

At just 22 years old, Australian guitarist Joe Robinson is set to conquer the world! A favourite pupil of Tommy Emmanuel, best known for his complex fingerstyle technique, Joe is now Australia's hottest young guitarist with amazing skills that have wowed professional guitarists around the world. Switching between electric and acoustic guitars, his method of simultaneously playing melodies and chords is reminiscent of Chet Atkins. Joe first picked up a guitar at the age of ten and he went on to master a wide range of genres including jazz and country rock. His 2007 debut "Birdseed" contained a number of original compositions and many hailed Joe as a guitar prodigy. In 2008, he won the "Australia's Got Talent" grand final at the age of 16, and in 2009 he also won the "World Championships of Performing Arts" in Hollywood. He has grown dramatically in the areas of both technique and song writing since then, establishing his own unique style combining pop, rock, blues, country and R&B influences with sweet vocals, which he showcases on his latest album "Let Me Introduce You" (2012). His latest album is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for all ages. Joe will be performing at Tokyo's Cotton Club at 6:30pm and 9:00pm on 17 and 18 June. Don't miss this chance to see Joe in action!

Member: Joe Robinson (g,vo), Mitch Cairns (b), Kayce Grossman (ds)

Link

Culture Picture

Australian drummer and sound artist Darren Moore Japan Tour June 2013

5 – 29 June 2013

リンク

Culture Picture

"The Tree" (Film)

Starting 1 June 2013

A little girl loses her beloved father...

An 8-year-old girl becomes convinced that her recently deceased father is whispering to her through the leaves of a massive tree that towers over her house. The Tree is a story of hope and recovery through the eyes of a girl and her mother, who is also struggling to cope with the death of her husband.

The film is based on Australian author Judy Pascoe's debut novel Our Father Who Art in The Tree. The role of 8-year-old Simone is played by Australian rising star Morgana Davies, who made her debut in this film.

The film The Tree is French-Australian co-production.

http://papanoki.com/


July

Culture Picture

Biwako Hall Summer Festival: Didgeridoo performance and workshop

22 July 2013

Part 1: Didgeridoo performance
Part 2: Let's make a didgeridoo
[Enquiries] 077-523-7150 (10:00-17:00/closed on Tuesdays)


Culture Picture

Biwako Hall Summer Festival: Children's Cheering Carpet "Saltbush"

24-25 July 2013

http://www.biwako-hall.or.jp/2013/05/7365/


August

Culture Picture

Angelica MESITI at Aichi Triennale 2013

10 August 2013 - 27 October 2013

While reflecting on arts in the wake of the 2011 East Japan Earthquake, the upcoming second Aichi Triennale 2013, "Awakening - Where Are We Standing? - Earth, Memory and Resurrection", will bring together Japanese and international cutting-edge contemporary arts, performing arts including dance and theater, opera, and architecture, which manifest and resonate with the socio-political changes occurring in various areas of the world. This time, a video installation work by Angelica Mesiti from Sydney, Australia will be exhibited beside the Hori River that flows through Nagoya City. Ms Mesiti is one of the hottest young artists in Australia right now. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the unique space she creates to reflect the theme of this Triennale.

Angelica MESITI

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1976. Lives in Sydney and Paris. Ms Mesiti artworks include video, performances and installations. Her art explores the difference between cultures, space and the intersection of time. She is a founding member of Sydney performance group "The Kingpins" and participated in a group exhibition for NEW12, showcasing up-and-coming artists at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne in 2012.

Angelica Mesiti
Aichi Triennale 2013


September

October

Culture Picture
©2013 Railway Man Pty Ltd, Railway Man Limited, Screen Queensland Pty Limited, Screen NSW and Screen Australia

"The Railway Man" directed by Sydney-born Jonathan Teplitzky to be screened at the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival

19 October 2013

Director Jonathan Teplitzky and producer Chris Brown (both Australian) will attend the screening.

http://tiff.yahoo.co.jp/2013/en/lineup/works.php?id=S0016


Culture Picture

"TRACES - BLUE" at Setouchi Triennale 2013

Autumn： Sat 5 October - Mon 4 November

Traces - Blue is a site-specific Mixedmedia installation by Craig Walsh & Hiromi Tango from Australia, developed in collaboration with the people of Teshima, in response to the changing circumstances in the village of Kou. The project aims to generate conversation with the community around issues of change, where traditional values and the pace of island time contrast with contemporary society.

Incorporating existing objects, structures and a collaborative artwork, the projectdocuments and reframes this conversation through community workshops.

The resulting work honours an old fishing boat located in the harbour as the core motif for the project. A vessel for exploring ideas of place and change, the boat has been transformed through encasing it in a mirrored surface. No longer an elegiac remnant of the past, the boat now functions as an oscillating configuration of reflective screens, projecting the contemporary environment and its community.

A disused house near the harbour will be the site of a 3-channel video and sculptural installation, and will incorporate 'Traces' from all the components of the project. The video works will be responsive to the sculptural and collective artworks created throughout the village, distilling and representing a community response to these sculptural interventions.

Traces - Blue foregrounds the strength and resilience of this community and enables us to collectively reflect on and embrace their challenges in an ever-changing enduring environment.

Spanning 12 islands in the scenic Seto Inland Sea, Setouchi Triennale will be held in 3 sessions so that you can enjoy the charms of the area's changing seasons.

Spring： Wed 20 March - Sun 21 April
Summer： Sat 20 July - Sun 1 September
Autumn： Sat 5 October - Mon 4 November

Setouchi Triennale 2013
An Australian Journey in Setouchi 2010
Craig Walsh
Hiromi Tango

Supported by:

The Australia-Japan Foundation
AJF Crest

The Australian Embassy, Tokyo
Embassy Crest

Australia Council for the Arts
Australia Council Logo

Meat & Livestock Australia
MLA Logo



November

Culture Picture

Up-and-coming violinist Ray Chen to perform with the Tokyo Symphony in November

3 - 4 November 2013

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra is pleased to invite Mr. Chen from Australia for its subscription concert No. 615 at Suntory Hall on November 4th, 2013. Mr. Chen has received global attention as a talented up-and-coming violinist and he will perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto, conducted by TSO Music Director Hubert Soudant.

Future Maestro Series 2012-2013 RAY CHEN - Violin Recital
Ray Chen


Culture Picture
Photo: CHRIS DUNLOP

Violin Recital by Ray Chen

5 November 2013

http://www.concert.co.jp/concert/detail/555/


Culture Picture

Autumn Gathering at Australia House
Snow Fences, Onigiri Lunch and Autumn Seminar

10 November 2013

Autumn has come to Australia House in Urada and we are holding a gathering to celebrate! The Tsumari region is known for its heavy snowfalls and autumn is the perfect time to prepare for the cold winter ahead.　Our speaker, Mr Tetsuro Iizuka, will give participants a brief explanation about snow fences and the community's preparations for winter before demonstrating the installation of a snow fence at Australia House.

For details:
Autumn Gathering at Australia House - Snow Fences, Onigiri Lunch and Autumn Seminar


Culture Picture

Deborah Louise Metz: Work in progress at 2013 MI-LAB Artist-in-Residence at Lake Kawaguchi

6 October - 11 November 2013

An open studio event will be held on 2 November 2013.

http://www.endeavor.or.jp/mi-lab/


December

Past Events