How long have you been a member of the Japan Society of Boston?
I have been a member of the Japan Society of Boston since 1983.
What drew you to JSB?
About 1976 while on a vacation in San Francisco, I happened to enter the de Young Museum of Asian Art and fell in love with the Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). Upon returning to Boston, I visited the Museum of Fine Arts to learn more about them. In addition, I thought that Japanese films would show the culture and society especially in regards to samurai and geisha, so I attended films shown at the museum.
Soon I became a fan of samurai films (jidaigeki) and an actor, Toshiro Mifune. Peter Grilli, past President of the Japan Society of Boston, brought Mifune to the MFA for a retrospective of Kurosawa films. While I was thrilled to see my favorite actor in person, I learned that there had been a dinner in his honor at JSB the previous evening. The next day I became a member of JSB.
After some years of enjoying Japanese films at various locations in the Boston area, I got tired of reading subtitles. At Harvard Extension School I studied the Japanese language for four years in the 1980’s. For my Master’s degree in Biology at Boston University, my language requirement was fulfilled in the language. In the 1990’s I took a total of six years of Japanese language classes at the Japan Society of Boston.
How would you describe yourself and what you’re passionate about?
For all of my adult life, my passion has been Japanese culture, especially art, film, language, theatre and music.
In 1997 I was very fortunate to purchase a Japanese-style condominium in Cambridge, where the previous owner had installed numerous shoji and o-furo. Inspired by these surroundings, over the years I have collected a wide variety of Japanese objects such as urushi (lacquer), kimono and obi, ningyo (dolls), tansu, tatami, ukiyo-e, and pottery (chawan, sara, etc.). These Japanese objects were purchased in Boston, New York, Japan and online. During the annual JSB Oshogatsu celebration, I enjoyed the sale of various omiyage (souvenirs) and occasionally prizes from the raffle.
I also have an extensive library of books about Japan, including art (bijutsu), language (Nihongo), history (rekishi), film (eiga), poetry, Buddhism, travel, and cookbooks. The many fiction books are English translations of contemporary, traditional, and classical works of Japanese authors. When I have taken Japan-related courses at Harvard Extension School, these books are useful as my reference library.
Over the decades Japanese films and television shows have been important to me, and the media used have reflected the times. In the early days of cable TV, I recorded various Japanese shows and movies on VHS. Later I collected DVDs of jidaigeki, kabuki, and contemporary Japanese films. More recently, I have enjoyed the online streaming service from Japan, Jme. Locally I attend screenings of Japanese films at the Harvard Film Archive and other cinemas.
As a member of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, I frequently view the exhibits and listen to gallery talks and lectures about their extensive collection of Japanese art. As a member of the Japan Society of New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I occasionally travel to New York City to see their exhibits of Japanese art and attend Japanese-related lectures, film and performances.
Frequently I have attended the Black Ships Festival in Newport, RI, and the Manjiro Festival in Fairhaven, MA.
Do you have a favorite event or program that you have participated in with JSB?
While I have attended and participated in many exciting events and activities of JSB over the years, my favorite must be winning the Grand Prize of the raffle in 1997 and 2006. My first trip to Japan was from the end of October to the beginning of November, and my second trip was in May.
I spent almost all of my professional career in biomedical research at the Longwood Medical Area of Boston. During this period I worked with many Japanese dentists and doctors who typically returned to Japan after a few years. On my first two trips in Japan for three weeks each, I travelled by train and visited some of these former colleagues, who kindly advised and accompanied me with sightseeing and other unique activities, such
as staying at an onsen near Kumamoto, Kyushu, and at a ryokan in Kyoto. Besides the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, I visited Sendai, Chiba, Kobe, Hiroshima, Nara, Uji, Katsura, and Kamakura.
In July 2011 four months after the earthquake/tsunami, I travelled to Japan for a three-day visit. From Tokyo I went to Hiratsuka to observe Tanabata Matsuri, since the festival is the same day as my birthday.
While on the island of Miyajima, I met an American couple who were tired of visiting temple after temple, and I suggested that they go to Himeji castle instead. My trips to Japan have always featured a variety of different activities: a sake brewery near Osaka (whose owner I met at a JSB sake tasting event), a film studio (TOEI Kyoto Studio Park) and a noh theater in Kyoto, a sumo tournament and kabuki plays in Tokyo, not to mention museums, temples, shrines, and festivals (Aoi and Sanja matsuri).
Other memorable JSB events include a bus trip to Tanglewood to hear a gagaku performance, a staging of a kabuki play in Boston, and yearly events such as Oshogatsu and the Annual Dinner banquet, when notable leaders in the field and talented performers are present.
What about JSB sets it apart from other groups within the Boston area?
In the past I have been told that the members of the Japan Society of Boston are comprised of half Japanese and half non-Japanese (Americans and other Westerners, although currently the numbers of non Japanese is higher). Additionally, the programs are divided into cultural and business interests. At another local institution I was trying to join an interest group for “Japanese culture;” however the members are only “native Japanese speakers” so I am not qualified. JSB is open to all who are interested in Japan regardless of their nationality, language abilities, or focus.
I am also pleased to see JSB offering discounts for tickets to various Japan-related events and programs in the area. As an organization they are willing to expand their offerings to the members with this type of collaboration, something often not done in Boston.
What would you say to somebody who is considering joining JSB?
Recently I have participated online in several clubs for JSB members interested in Japanese films, books, and medieval women’s literature. Potential members should not feel constrained by their location to participate in activities of the JSB.
Thank you, Evelyn, for sharing your Japan journey!
Interested in becoming a JSB Member? Click here or reach out to info@japansocietyboston.org for more details.
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