e-ShortNews

I came across Ms. W, a staff member of our Japanese Language Classes, on a street corner during the season when Japanese plums give off a sweet smell. She said, “To my delight, the number of participants at the Japanese Language Night Classes jumped sharply in January,” adding how busy the volunteers were dealing with the situation. The Japanese Language Classes of Meguro UNESCO Association started in 1985 as a fruitage of the “Introductory Course for Study of Teaching Japanese.” Now, 7 to 10 classes are held 4 times a week with the total number of the participants from about 50 countries exceeding 400 (friendship members) in a year. One of the purposes of the classes is to convey the spirit of UNESCO to people around the world. This is a joint undertaking with the Education Committee. Furthermore, it serves as a “bridge” towards the participation in the nongovernmental UNESCO movement initiated by Japan. On March 3rd, one of our annual events, “Cultural Exchange through the Enjoyment of Various Countries’ Dishes” will be held.
Foreign residents in Japan have also interacted at the Meguro UNESCO International Friendship Youth Retreat. Mr. Sai Non Nutt from Myanmar was one of the attendees. In his country, he is doing an educational activity as a volunteer while working. He built a school at Kyaungkone in cooperation with Japanese fellows. Four youth members will visit the site led by Mr. Mitsutoshi Masuda at the end of February to find out what Meguro UNESCO Association can do from a viewpoint of young people. Of course, Mr. Sai Non Nutt will take care of them while they stay there for 7 days and 6 nights. I hope the visit will be fruitful.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the start of the nongovernmental UNESCO movement. This month, people who are writing the manuscript for the “Chronicle of Sixty Years” to be published by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) are very busy to meet the deadline. The movement owes its success to the wisdom and efforts of leaders who have met various challenges while working at each UNESCO association. I renew my respect for our predecessors. The chronicle has 60 or more pages describing events as well as the history and activities of each UNESCO association. The activities, ranging from those in small villages to those in large cities, are wonderfully diversified. They are not only unique. There are many impressive activities to attract young people in our search for a solution to the problem of our ageing leadership. (To be published in June this year).
I received the newsletter of another UNESCO asso-ciation at the beginning of the month. This is an excerpt from its President’s statement to members. “Thanks to the best efforts made by each member with a limited budget and human resources, I am proud that our association has achieved good results compared with other UNESCO Associations in Japan. This is of course the result of cooperation from members. I hope each of you feel proud.”
Our association also cannot be run without cooperation from many people - Ms N, Ms Y and other people who send us handmade goods when they cannot attend our bazaar, concerned city officials and others, those in charge of management such as secretariat members who spare no effort, children excited about singing songs in our New Year party, etc. I hope the circle of the nongovernmental UNESCO movements will spread even further across generations and races, and that each member will serve as a small “bridge” to share the nongovernmental UNESCO movement with other people.

― A message of peace and culture to the next generation ―
Date: November 12 (Sun), 2006, from 15:00 at Meguro Persimmon Hall (Main Hall)
Performers: Kumiko Inoue, Michiyo Umezu, Etsuko Chida

A Meguro UNESCO Peace Concert was held at Meguro Persimmon Hall to make an appeal of sending “a message of peace and culture to the next generation”. For the first time ever in a Meguro UNESCO Association’s concert, and also the first experience for the Persimmon Hall, the concert was graced by the presence of Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko of Japan.
The first half of the concert consisted of five short solos by Ms. Kumiko Inoue. Then Michiyo Umezu and Etsuko Chida (awarded 3rd place in the International Harp Contest in Israel) joined her to play Handel’s “Harp Concerto”. In the second half of the concert, we enjoyed solos and duets, and also trio performances of old familiar Japanese songs (such as Hana ? cherry blossoms, Sakura Sakura ? cherry blossoms, Koujo no Tsuki ? Moon over the Ruined Castle, etc.) and melodies from the Sound of Music. The audience was absolutely enchanted; some children waving hands in time with the music. The harp, which before was alien to me, suddenly became very familiar.
Her Majesty entered the hall escorted by Ms. Kato, president of the Meguro UNESCO Association, and was greeted with thunderous applause by the audience.
Her Majesty enjoyed the concert with Mr. Matsuda, President of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ), Mr. Aoki, Mayor of Meguro City and others, until the encore and then left the hall waving her hands. We felt honored to hear later that Her Majesty had enjoyed the concert very much.

- reported by Takashi Saito, vice president of the Meguro UNESCO Association

Speaker: Ms. Aleksandra Kova_, Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia
Nov. 26, Sun. (13:30 - ), Kumin Gallery of Meguro Museum of Art
Mariko Doioka, member of Meguro UNESCO Association

I heard about this UNESCO Art Exhibition and Lecture on Serbia from a friend who had recently visited Serbia. Even though I traveled to many countries for my work related to sports, having been raised in the West Coast of the United States where we had few immigrants and very little information about international affairs at the time, I didn’t have much background knowledge of foreign cultures and customs. Although I was aware of the country, Serbia-Montenegro through watching WC Soccer last year, I’m embarrassed to say that I did not know that Serbia had become an independent country until I heard about this art exhibition. After hearing that Serbia was a part of ex-Yugoslavia, I knew the location on the world map, but I had no idea about its culture and customs.
The lecture was presented by Ms. Aleksandra Kova_, Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Tokyo. She wore a national costume which she said had no chance to wear before serving for the Embassy. While using slides and video clippings to explain in proficient Japanese, Ms. Kova_ spoke mainly on the old traditional festivity called “Slava”, which is the most important celebration in the lives of Serbian nationals. Through the presentation about this celebration that last for days, perhaps, Ms. Kova_ wanted us to know that Serbian people are warm and inviting people who will welcome, not only friends and relatives, but even tourists off the streets, into their homes for good food and wine. Serbia is now on my list of countries I want to visit.

Tomotaka Segawa, Director of Meguro UNESCO Association

From November 22 to 26, the UNESCO Art Exhibition was held at Kumin Gallery of Meguro Museum of Art. The exhibition which featured the World Heritage in Serbia, was filled with a variety of artwork as usual, such as works made by members of the UNESCO Association, children’s pictures, and the works by students of UNESCO Art classes, which I joined as an instructor. Especially, I was impressed by two of the exhibits. One of them was photos titled “The World of Amish” by Mr. Asami Hasegawa. The other was a work of art made by Ms. Ikuko Houjo, who participated for the first time from Osaka, using pressed flowers which might be mistaken as a real painting.
It has been almost 10 years since I first participated, thanks to my relation with Mr. Yousei Itaka’s pottery class, in the UNESCO Art exhibition. Since then, I am afraid, the aging and decreasing number of participants has been continuing. I am told that initially many of the participants were very famous artists and they enjoyed active interchange with each other.
Next year will be the 50th anniversary. As an exhibition with a long history, in order to grow further, I feel we have now come to a time to examine how the exhibition should be and how the artists and the members of the association can stimulate each other. Especially, it is urgently needed for us to make every effort to draw the younger generations’ attention which would shoulder the future world.

Jan. 27, Sat. (12:30 ? 14:30), Lunchroom of Gohongi Elementary School

Our New Year’s party this year was held in the lunchroom, next door to our office, of Gohongi Elementary School. The weather was unseasonably warm, and we were privileged to have as our guests Mr. Aoki, Mayor of Meguro City, and some members of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly and Meguro City Council, who kindly took time from their busy schedule. A total of seventy people ? regular Meguro UNESCO members, friendship members, school children, etc. ? had a very good time, exchanging rather belated New Year’s greetings.
On the table were many dishes with international flavors as well as various desserts, all made by the participants as in past years. Every dish looked and tasted good, and I was deeply impressed by their cooking skills. The singing voice of the children from a chorus group “Cosmos” lead by Ms. Miyashita, a Meguro UNESCO member, created a feeling of togetherness among the participants. The audience gave the children generous applause as they sang using some sign language and keeping rhythm with hand percussion instruments of their own making. Towards the end of the party a lottery was held as usual. Both children and adults looked serious when they chose from a variety of prizes.
One member, who doesn’t usually have enough time for many UNESCO activities, looked really satisfied with the party and left the venue saying, “I always look forward to meeting other members on an occasion like this.”
I deeply appreciate the people who organized and prepared for this party. I would also like to express my gratitude to Gohongi Elementary School who kindly let us use the lunchroom although it happened to fall on their open school day.
- reported by Michiko Hisatomi, PR Committee

Nov. 19 (Sun.), Kawasaki-City Japanese House Museum, 44 participants
Anu Shrestha, friendship member from Nepal
As the weather was gloomy, I was lying in bed wondering whether I should give up going. But then I suddenly realized that it was going to be the last chance for me to go on a trip with teachers of Meguro UNESCO Japanese classes. So right at the last minute I jumped out of bed and hurried to the meeting place. Though I arrived five minutes late, the teachers were there waiting for me. It was a rainy day, but the lively atmosphere the participants created overcame the depressive weather.
It was a wonderful museum that we visited. My most enjoyable moment of the trip was when we had lunch together. I’ll never forget the soba noodles in hot soup I had on that cold day. Although I’d forgotten to bring an apron with me, I enjoyed hands-on experience in indigo dyeing, a Japanese traditional art. I thank Meguro UNESCO Association for giving me such a precious opportunity. (Anu-san returned to her country in January.)