The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art will present Japan Day: A Celebration of the Arts of Japan, Saturday, April 12, from noon to 4 p.m. Various traditional art forms and cultural ceremonies will be offered, drawing both from the museum's collections and the expertise of the surrounding community.
The program opens with a Suzuki performance by students from the Advanced Violin Ensemble of the Ithaca Talent Education School, directed by Sanford Reuning. There will be a demonstration of Aikido by the members of the Cornell Aikido Club. Hugh DeFerranti, a Mellon postdoctoral fellow in music, will perform Japanese Gagaku music using bamboo windpipes. There also will be hands-on activities and demonstrations of Kumihimo cord-tying, a Japanese art form similar to the Western tradition of lace-making; origami, the Japanese art of paper folding; and calligraphy.
The Cornell association of Yagu Shinkage Ryu Heihou will present 16th-century sword work and discuss the philosophy of style, and the Japanese Animation Society will give a video presentation of cartoons and discuss the relationship between U.S. animation and comics and Japanese animation. Visitors also will be invited to a tea ceremony hosted by Satoshi Inoue, and authentic Japanese refreshments catered by Osaka Ya will be served in the lobby.