Alexander the Great
18 October-21 December 2003
East-West Cultural Contacts from Greece to Japan"
After the Tokyo National Museum (where had a great success) the exhibition is moving to Kobe, at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.

"The anabasis of Alexander the Great of Macedonia (B.C. 334-323) is a well-known historical fact. This anabasis transmitted Greek art, which was highly developed at that time, from the east coast of the Mediterranean sea to Central Asia and India. This influence reached Japan in the Far East via the Silk Road. With the cooperation of The British Museum and other renowned museums, this exhibition shows a variety of fine art from 7th century B.C. to 13 century. Please imagine and enjoy how Greek art influenced the Orient in ancient days"
Text from Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
1-1-1 Wakihama Kaigandori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073
TEL:+81-78-262-0901
e-mail:museum@artm.pref.hyogo.jp

8 December 2003, Monday, 21:00 Thessaloniki
Chamber Music with works for oboe and piano
Works by Nlikos Skalkottas, Luciano Berio, Robert Schumann, Francis Poulenc are interpreted by two brilliant musicians, a Greek and a Japanese: Dimitris Kalpaxidis (oboe) and Satoko Matsumoto (piano).
Matsumoto was born in Kobe (1964) and he lives in Germany and Kalpaxidis was born in Thessaloniki (1974).
Vafopoulio Cultural Centre, G. Vafopoulos 3, Thessaloniki
tel.: 2310-424132, 424133

21-30 November 2003
44th Thessaloniki International Film festival Thessaloniki
The Screening Programme includes movies by Japanese film directors.

At Friday, 21 November (Olympion Theatre) the festival opens with the film is ΖΑΤΟΙCHI (2003) by Takeshi Kitano related link

Zatoichi

In "New Horizons" section of festival there is a tribute to Shinya Tsukamoto with his movies:
1. TETSUO - THE IRON MAN, , (1989)
2. TETSUO II - THE BODY HAMMER, Shinya Tsukamoto, (1992)
3. TOKYO FIST, Shinya Tsukamoto, (1995)
4. BULLET BALLET, Shinya Tsukamoto, (1999)
5. A SNAKE OF JUNE, Shinya Tsukamoto, (2002)
related link

In "International Selection" section is included the movie RAMBLERS (Riarizumu no yado, 2003) by the 27 years old film director Nobuhiro Yamashita. related link

24 November 2003 Monday, 18:00
Ikebana demonstration by the Master of Ohara School Mr. Akihiro Nishi is being organised by the Greek Chapter of Ikebana Ohara School in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Greek Chapter of Ohara School of Ikebana.
Cultural Center "Roumelioton", Sina & 1A Dafnomili St., Athens,
tel. 210 3644715. Entrance free. Parking area available.

Related link: Ohara School of Ikebana

31 October-2 November 2003 Greek Stamp Exhibition (JAPEX '03, the 38th Japan Philatelic Exhibition) This event features the history and culture of Greece through rare postage stamps. In view of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and the keen interest shown by the Japanese people in the Olympics, the above-mentioned event will provide an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with Greek history and culture through the stamp exhibition. Organizer: Japan Philatelic Society Foundation Supporting Organizations: Embassy of Greece, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, Japan Post, Japan Aeronautic Association Special Exhibition: 1) Special collection of the commemorative stamps of the 1st Olympic Games in Athens 2) The autograph letter of Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn, 1850-1904) 3) Outline of the Greek stamps until today since the 19th century 4) Exhibition of the postal history of the postal administration activity in Crete 5) Collection of stamps depicting Greek myths Venue: 2nd floor of Sunshine City Culture Hall (3-1-3, Higashi Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku) Hours: 10:30-18:00 (10:30-16:00 on Sunday)

30 October 2003 17:30, ATHENS
Challenging Japan: Myth & Reality
Greek-Japanese Business seminar by the Greek Japanese Chamber of Commerce and the Athens Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Greece, on the occasion of the visit to Greece of Professor Yonekura, of the Institute of Innovation Research of Hitotsubashi University.

Conference Hall of the Athens Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises, 18 Akademias Str, 1st Floor.
More info: tel 210-364 1650, e-mail: gjcc@compulink.gr

21 October 2003
Screening of filmed theater performance
Medea (by Euripidis) Yukio Ninagawa (1984, Japan, 97')
Goethe Institute, ATHENS

1-15 October 2003 GREECE-JAPAN Two Cultures Encounter Art

Exhibition of works by Greek and Japanese painters in the frame of the affiliation of Milos and Shodoshima (sister cities). At the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Athens (Academias 50, 09:00-13:00 and 17:00-21:00 except Sunday afternoon and Monday). The Exhibition took place also in Thessaloniki and Milos island.

22-28 August 2003
CLASSIC JAPANESE CINEMA again in Athens
22-23 Aug "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953) by Kenji Mizoguchi
24 Aug "Chikamatsu monogatari" (1954) by Kenji Mizoguchi
25 Aug "Harakiri" (Seppuku, 1962) by Masaki Kobayashi
26 Aug "Jigokumon" (Gate of Hell, 1953) by Teinosuke Kinugasa
27 Aug "Biruma no tategoto" (1957) Kon Ichikawa
28 Aug "Tokyo Story" (1953) by Yasujiro Ozu

Municipal Cinema ORFEAS, Artemonos 9 & Ipparhou, Athens
tel. 210 9210810

14-17 July 2003 CLASSIC JAPANESE CINEMA Athens


14 July, Monday "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953) by Kenji Mizoguchi
15 July, Tuesday "Jigokumon" (Gate of Hell, 1953) by Teinosuke Kinugasa
16 July, Wednesday "Harakiri" (Seppuku, 1962) by Masaki Kobayashi
17 July, Thursday "Yabu no naka no kuroneko" (The Black cat/Kuroneko 1968) by Shindo Kaneto

Municipal Cinema STELLA, Tenedou 34, Fokionos Negri, Athens
tel. 210 8659200

9 July 2003 Japan National Press Club Tokyo
On Wednesday July 9th, the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was screened at the Japan National Press Club (thanks to the initiative of the Club's General Manager Mr. Hiroshi Ishikawa) with over 230 members/journalists attending.
The First Secretary of the Embassy of Greece in Japan Mr. Thanos Kafopoulos was invited by the Japan National Press Club to give an introductory speech before the screening of the movie in order to explain to the Japanese audience the history and cultural identity of the Greek Americans.

1st June 2003 Chikamatsu monogatari (Crucified Lovers) 1954 a film by Kenji Mizoguchi Municipal Cinema "Melina Merkouri", Leoforos Irinis 50, Ano Ilioupoli, ATHENS. tel. 210 9919818

11 May 2003 19:00
CINEMA "Back Door" (Greek title: Pisso Porta)
A film by Yorgos Tsemberopoulos, 2000, 100 min.
In the frame of "European Film Days", organized by the Greek Presidency, the Delegation of the European Commission and the Embassies/Institutes of the EU member states in Tokyo. The event is part of the "EU - Japan Friendship week".
French Institute: 15 Ichigaya-Funagawara-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 5261-3933.



10 May 2003 19:00-22:00
Speech Contest in Japanese Language organized by the Embassy of Japan in Greece and the Association of Japanese Language teachers. The 1st prize will be a return air-ticket Athens-Tokyo. Applications until 17 March at the Cultural Section of the Embassy of Japan, tel: 210 7245875.
The event will take place at Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Japan, Vas. Sophias 63, Athens.

20 April 2003 The 5th Nagano Olympic Commemorative Nagano Marathon is cooperated with Athens Classic Marathon. Among the invited athletes are Greek runners. Starting point: Olympic Memorial Torch Platform, Yamanouchi town. Finishing point: Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano. Related links: - Nagano Marathon

9 April 2003 Wednesday, 18:00
Ikebana demonstration by the Master of Ohara School Mr. Takumi Ito, organized by the Greek Chapter of Ikebana Ohara School and the Embassy of Japan.
Cultural Center "Roumelioton", Sina & Arahovis Str., Athens.
The arrangements by Mr. Ito will also be displayed at the hall on Thursday, 10 April from 9:00 till 13:00hrs.
Related link: Ohara School of Ikebana

16 March 2003, Sunday 11:30 am CINEMA Ugetsu Monogatari (1953, B&W) by Kenji Mizoguchi The images are a montage of old posters for the film. The movie will be followed by a discussion with the audience and two Greek cinema and literature critics. Cine Apollon Renault, Αthens. Related links: - Ugetsu Monogatari review at University of Michigan pages - Ugetsu Monogatari film is based on 17th famous tales of Akinari Ueda. Here is the original text in Japanese at the site of University of Virginia Library

11-16 March 2003 Antigone by Sophocles The National Theatre of Greece gives 6 performances of Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone" at Nippon Cultural Centre (Tokyo International Forum Hall C). Antigone was first performed in Athens in 441 BC. The story is based on the mythical Theban cycle and is a continuation of Aeschylus' tragedy, The Seven Against Thebes. It is one of the best known and most frequently performed ancient tragedies.

Nippon Cultural Centre

A detailed page about Antigone at Bouno.net (in Japanese)

2 March 2003 Akira Kurosawa's film "The Idiot" (Hakuchi) - 1951 A movie of the "Sensei of Cinema" Akira Kurosawa. The story is based on the Dostoevski's novel "The idiot". The movie will be followed by a discussion with the audience and 2 Greek writers. Cine Apollon Renault, Athens

3 March, 2003 TOKYO GREEK COMEDY "LYSISTRATA" The first-ever world wide theatrical event for peace is coming to Tokyo. Theater artists in Tokyo will stage a reading of the Greek anti-war comedy Lysitrata, by the famous ancient Greek comedy writer Aristophanes. The English reading is at Bar Isn't It in Roppongi. The Japanese reading will be at Tokyo Women's Plaza near Omotesando.

information: LysistrataProjectJapan@yahoo.co.jp Related links: - The Tokyo Comedy Store - An article about the event in Japan Times - About Aristophanes

18, 25 January and 1 Feb, 2003 JAPANESE FILM MONTH

- Kikujiro no natsu by Τakeshi KITANO - Nabbie no koi by Yuji NAKAE - Osaka Story by Jun ICHIKAWA Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Japan, Athens.

13 Jan -1 Feb 2003 Japanese Calendars Exhibition
Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Japan, Athens.