Japan Desk Scotland has carried out various Romani-related activities since 2013, such as making documentaries on Romania and running workshops on Japan at the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, University of Bucharest, Romania.
In addition, in April 2015 we brought more than 50 books in English on Japan to the Department. These books, mostly out of print now, were collected by late Mr Walter Joyce, Glasgow University, over the years. His widow, Mrs Margaret Joyce, came to our Japanese Matsuri, Glasgow, in June 2014, and asked us to find an appropriate institution where his books would be of some use. It was natural for us to recommend Bucharest University’s Japanese Department. A Scottish friend of ours, Dr Jim Brown, who is teaching British cultures at the university, and who introduced us to the Japanese Department in the first place, kindly helped us transport some of the books from Glasgow to Bucharest.
Documentary made on Romania
(1) ‘Our Japan: Bucharest students’ views’ (2014)
The link to this video on the homepage of Moving Image Archive, National Library of Scotland, is here.
(2) ‘Live a tradition in Maramureş, Romania‘ (2014)
The link to this video on the homepage of Moving Image Archive, National Library of Scotland, is here.
(3) ‘From Ehime to Bucharest‘ (2015)
(4) ‘Design Kimono – Koji YOSHIE’ (2017), which was made following Kimono Workshop in Romania.
The link to this video on the homepage of MovingI Image Archive, National Library of Scotland, is here.
Workshops on Japan held for the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, University of Bucharest, Romania
(1) On Sunday 21 April 2013: the screening of ‘Our friends in Fukushima‘ as part of the 4th Michi-Biraki Festival organised by the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, University of Bucharest, at Bucharest Botanic Gardens;
(2) On Monday 22 April 2013: a workshop in Japanese for the second-year undergraduate class;
(3) On Sunday 13 April 2014: the screening of ’100 Bq/Kg, 0.23 μSv/h: The standard of living in Fukushima’ as part of the 5th Michi-Biraki Festival at Bucharest Botanic Gardens;
(4) On 14-15 April 2014: workshops, with ‘Our Scotland: A Japanese Perspective’ for the first-year undergraduate class and ‘Hiroshima in 2013′ for the second-year and the third-year classes. In addition, an interview was carried out with 80 students and the two teachers, which was developed into a documentary ‘Our Japan: Bucharest students’ views‘;
(5) On 3-4 September 2014: Kimono workshop, with Mr Koji Yoshie and Mrs Junko Yoshie, Yoshie Senkojyo, Kyoto, Japan, as a lecturer and instructor;
(6) On Friday 5 September 2014: A public lecture on kimono at the University Hall, University of Bucharest, with Mr Koji Yoshie and Mrs Junko Yoshie, Yoshie Senkojyo, Kyoto, Japan, as a lecturer and instructor;
(7) On Sunday 26 April 2015: the screening of ‘Here and there in Fukushima‘ as part of the 6th Michi-Biraki Festival at Bucharest Botanic Gardens;
(8) On 27-29 April 2015: workshops with a talk on ‘Inter-cultural communication’ for the first-year undergraduate class in English on Tuesday 28th, for the second-year undergraduate class in Japanese on Wednesday 29th, and in English for the first-year Master students in Japanese, Chinese and Korean Studies. In addition, ‘Our Japan: Bucharest students’ views‘ was shown to the second-year undergraduate class on Monday 27th.
(9) On 2-3 September 2015: workshops on ‘Washi (Japanese paper) on Wednesday 2nd and on ‘Wadaiko (Japanese drumming) on Thursday 3rd. At both workshops, JDS’s documentaries of ‘Our Japan: Bucharest students’ views‘, ‘From Ehime to Bucharest‘ and ‘Live a tradition in Maramureş, Romania‘ were screened. On the former ‘The bird, the tree, the bell and the fish of Glasgow‘ was also screened;
(10) On Saturday 21 November 2015: a workshop on Wadaiko (Japanese drumming) as part of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Japanese Language and Literature. Participation, as a panellist, in a round-table discussion on international exchange on Friday 20th;
(11) On Sunday 17 April 2016: the screening of ‘Fukushima: 2011-2015‘ as part of the 7th Michi-BirakiFestival at Bucharest Botanic Gardens. We also assisted the Taiko workshop held as part of the festival;
(12) On 18-20 April 2016: JDS participated in the second-year undergraduate class on ‘kanji‘ (Chinese characters) on Monday 18th and the third-year undergraduate classes on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th;
(13) On Monday 12 September 2016: two workshops on ‘Onigiri‘ (rice ball) and ‘Bento‘ (lunch box);
(14) On Wednesday 16 November 2016: ‘Chai Party for All‘;
(15) On Sunday 2 April 2017: Supporting Taiko workshop at the 8th Michi-Biraki Festival;
(16) On 3-5 April 2017: workshops on Japan for the Master’s class on Monday 3rd, with the screening of ‘Fukushima: 2011-2015‘, and for the second-year Masters’ class on Monday 3rd, the first-year and the third-year undergraduate classes on Tuesday 4th and the second-year undergraduate class on Wednesday 5th, with the screening of ‘‘Japanese isn’t English‘;
(17) On 7-10 November 2017: ‘Chai Party‘ on Tuesday 7th; the screening of ‘Design Kimono – Koji Yoshie‘ and presentation on ‘Business communication with people from Japan’ for the second-year undergraduate class on Wednesday 8th; participation in ‘Conversation between Romanian learners and Japanese native’ for the first-year undergraduate class on Thursday 9th; and support for the Taiko workshop at the Japanese Cultural Evening on Friday 10th;
(18) On 19-24 November 2018: ‘Chai Party‘ on Monday 19th; the screening of ‘Evacuation Order in Fukushima – July 2017‘ for the first-year Masters class on Tuesday 20th; participation in conversation in Japanese with high school students on Wednesday 21st; the screening of ‘Design Kimono – Koji Yoshie‘, ‘Hiroshima after Fukushima‘ and ‘‘Live a tradition in Maramureṣ, Romania‘ for the first-year undergraduate class on Thursday 22ed; the talk on culture translation for the first-year Masters class in the Department of English on Thursday 22nd; and the demonstration on how to make ‘bento’ (lunch box) on Friday 23rd;
(19) On 14 April 2019: ‘Bento Workshop‘ at the 10th Michi Biraki Festival; and
(20) On 14 November 2019: ‘Chai Party‘ as part of Japanese Cultural Week organised by Department of Japanese Studies.