CONTINUED EFFORTS TO SUPPORT TOHOKU & JAPAN RECOVERY
You can help make a difference in many different ways!
Please join the international effort to support the Tohoku people as they tirelessly rebuild their lives and communities from the damage of the earthquake and tsunami and face the dangers caused by the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO SUPPORT TOHOKU over the next years of recovery:
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| LATEST UPDATES 2012: Lectures, Films, and New Work |
FILM PROJECT IN TOHOKU
Want to be an important part of making this new feature documentary film?
Together, we can do that for Tohoku. See below the people who are now on the end roll credits to date.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are sorry that at this time, Linda is busy filming the fall season in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima and unable to update footage and re-launch a bilingual online Indiegogo campaign in Japanese and English.
Please look at the old site (in English only) at
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tohoku-no-shingetsu-stage-i
which is being renewed.
We will go online again by December 1, 2013. OR you can contact Linda directly at cindyohama@gmail.com or
in Tohoku, Mieko Sugimoto (Nihongo) at miesugi@live.jp
Sorry for the inconvenience.
TOHOKU NO SHINGETSU: Stories from Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS
Adrian Levy (Canada)
Johannes Halbertsma (Canada)
Mikio Segawa (Japan)
SPECIAL THANK YOU'S
to the following contributors helping to make this film project:
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Adrian Levy and Elizabeth Schatz (Canada)
Manfred Becker (Canada)
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Angela Robins (USA)
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Margaret Duncan (Canada)
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Chiko Hoge (USA)
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Natusko Ohama (USA)
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Johannes Halbertsma (Canada)
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Tona Walter Ohama (Canada)
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Laura Stapleton (Canada)
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Elinor Schatz (USA)
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Robert Smith (USA)
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UFA Mark Visnel (USA)
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Friso Halbertsma (Canada)
- Christine Nakamura Hannah (Canada)
- Heather Wardle (Canada)
- Stephanie Barthe (Canada)
- Klaus Sebok (Canada)
- Eunice Rousseau (Canada)
- Alice Kloosteboer (Canada)
- Connie Kaldor (Canada)
- Rory (Canada)
- Rossrev (Canada)
- Sandra Semchuk (Canada)
- Trudie Heiman (India)
- Ann Shin (Canada)
- Judith Williamson (Canada)
- Georgia and Jeff Vallis (Canada)
- Greg and Annie Kemp (USA)
- Skye and Ella (Canada)
- Kenneth Dent (USA)
- Carol Harmon (USA)
- Wayne Smith (Canada)
- Cari Green (Canada)
- Ed Wahl (Canada)
- Braden Haggerty (Canada)
- Svend Eriksen (Canada)
- Cris and Sarah Ohama (Canada)
- Stan Shaffer (Canada)
- Tak Yamamori (Aichi, Japan)
- Sharon Davis (USA)
- Mieko Sugimoto (Tohoku, Japan)
- Greg Strong and Kathi Mitsui (Japan)
- Laura Lelasalle (Canada)
- Nate Elkan (Canada)
- Jinhwa Hwong Ambrose
- Marilyn Clayton (Canada)
- Tak Yamamori (Aichi, Japan)
- Shoko Motokado (Canada)
- Brian and Irene Mitani (Canada)
- Emi Ito and Neil Humphreys (Canada)
- Friso Hlbertsma (Canada)
- Augusta Talbot (USA)
- Merry Conway (USA)
- Emil Struyk
- Andrew Robinson (USA)
- John Pickering (Canada)
- Katt Lissard (USA)
- Jenny Dent (Canada)
- Gloria Mayer (USA)
- J.M. Halbertsma (Canada)
- Deborah Ann Woll (USA)
- Robert Loewen (USA)
- Rose Mohoruk (Canada)
- Steve and Yoriko Gillard (Canada)
- Paul Varro (Canada)
- Patti Kyle (Canada)
- Mikio Segawa (Japan)
- Yuji Hosotani (Japan)
- Emiko Ando (Canada)
- Fumi Torigai (Canada)
- Richard Sadowsky (Japan)
- Kojiro Iuchi (Japan, Canada)
- Mahoko Higuchi (Aichi, Japan)
- Ninette Poetzch (Germany)
- Christopher Nash (Canada)
- Danny Brody (Canada)
- Johannes Halbertsma (Canada)
- Nobuyuki Horiuchi (Japan)
- Martin Mauch (Germany)
- Greg Masuda (Canada)
- Janet Bullard (Canada)
- Alan Franey (Canada)
- Martin Kobayashi (Toronto, Canada)
- Gerry Hewson (Canada)
- Kathy Shimizu (Canada)
- Nobuaki Ohashi (Tohoku, Japan)
- Ayaka Hirakata (Japan)
- Bart Simmons (Canada)
- Jutta Simmons (Canada)
- Marcella Bryce(Canada)
- Sara Sutcliffe (Canada)
- Dianne Eden (Australia)
- Kimiko, John, Joe Prosky (USA)
- Keely Eastley
- Susanne Eggert(Germany)
- Alexander Lee (USA)
- Patricia Fletcher (USA)
- Gordon Kadota (Canada)
- Derek Iwanaka (Canada)
- Nicola Ogiwara
- Beth Carter (Canada)
- lscraig
- Elisabeth Pechlaner (Canada)
- Tonianne Nash (Canada)
- George Doi (Canada)
- Sheri Alcordo (Canada)
- Alexis MacDonald Seto (Canada)
- Greg Tong (Canada)
- Kyohei Yoshida (Japan)
- Jared Brookes
- Yoko Tomita
- Michelle Trudgeon (Canada)
- Mrs Jinno (Aichi, Japan)
- Taizo Fukaya (Aichi, Japan)
- Takashi Suzuki (Aichi, Japan)
- Yasuhiro Kato (Aichi, Japan)
- Naoki Honda (Aichi, Japan)
- Youko Sakai (Aichi, Japan)
- Norm Ibuki (Canada)
- Sherry Kennedy (Canada)
- Moira Simpson (Canada)
- Russ Magee (Canada)
- Nick Sueyoshi (Canada)
- David Graber (Canada)
- Peg Campbell (Canada)
- Shelley Kanegawa (Canada)
- Tona Pitt (Canada)
- Chigusa Saito (Aichi, Japan)
- Hiromi Ikeda (Aichi, Japan)
- Mika Toff (Aichi, Japan)
- April Bosshard (Canada)
- Saki Ishihara (Japan)
- Gael Maclean (Canada)
- Dan Nomura (Canada)
- Linda Bisesti (USA)
- Natsuko Ohama (USA)
- Johannes Halbertsma (Camada)
- Scott Kawaguchi (Canada)
- Ai Urita (Aomori, Japan)
- Chieko Segawa (Tohoku, Japan)
- Norihiro Nakanishi (Japan)
- Nobuaki and Sakiko Ohashi (Tohoku, Japan)
- Toshiko Kumasaka (Japan)
- Yoshikazu and Sachiko Kaneko (Tohoku, Japan)
- Keiko Mitsusuka (Tohoku, Japan)
- Mandy Shintani (Canada)
- Akira Koizumi (Tokyo)
- Mika Toff (Nagoya)
- Toyoko Namba (Nagoya)
- Kikue Toff (Nagoya)
- Miwako Dias (Tokyo)
- Danny Molden (Canada)
- Gunji Katsuichi (Tohoku, Japan)
- Tsuto Nambu (Tohoku, Japan)
- Kimiyo Hozawa (Tohoku, Japan)
- Toyohashi Chapter of JALT (Japan)
- Marcia Shimizu (Canada)
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A FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Production Tohoku region and Onomichi, Japan
Yuugao Productions
After spending time in 2011 and 2012 to support recovery in the Tohoku region as a volunteer for various projects including direct donation programs and creating awareness outside of Tohoku for young people with the Canada-Tohoku-Japan Cloth Letters, Linda has decided to make a documentary film of some of the stories from Tohoku that she has experienced.
"For the past year and a half, I have been involved with helping Tohoku as a mother, grandmother and a Nikkei Canadian.
Sometimes life so obviously leads you to things, people and places. Call it en, destiny, full circle, or whatever....And after a certain point, you no longer really have a choice in what comes next. This is what happened to me in Tohoku.
It started over a decade ago from my introduction and first visit to Japan which was to Onomichi, Hiroshima ken. Since then, I have grown to love Japan and the Japanese people and the Japanese within me.
Helping Tohoku through their very difficult times is something I personally needed to get involved with in the ways I could...just as another person, not as a filmmaker.
But in July 2012 while in Fukushima, the filmmaker in me rose to the surface. It's too late to walk away.
I will attempt to tell some of the moving and inspiring stories from Tohoku as a filmmaker, mother, grandmother and Nikkei Canadian." (Linda Ohama)
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AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE EXPERIENCE
Special lectures back by popular demand!
Popular classes, workshops and presentations with LINDA OHAMA, 2012 - 2013
Now available for scheduling in Japan, June 2012 - March 2013
Please contact Linda Ohama to book or for more information.
Partial 2012 Schedule:
June 4, 2012
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Symposium "One Year after the Tohoku Earthquake-looking back on the media coverage and the Aid"Special speaker and panel member, Kanda University, Tokyo, Contact person: Professor Norie Yazu and Prof. Fujita, Director of MULC
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Special Lecture on Film, showing Obaachan's Garden
June 11-22, 2012
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Series of Creative Writing Class presentations, Expressing Yourself through Writing, Aichi Shokutoku University, Nagoya, Contact person Prof. Mika Toff
June 15 and 22, 2012
June 19, 2012
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2 Special interactive Reactions to Tohoku Seminars with Senior Medical Students, Aichi Medical University, Nagoya, Contact person Prof Tak Yamamori
June 5, 2012
June and July 2012
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Volunteer presentations and lectures to students of Sendai University, GOZAIN, English Study groups of junior high, and local community groups in Tohoku
October 11, 2012
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Life Writing Lecture, Aichi Shokutoku University, Nagoya
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Writing for Business Lecture--How to raise over $250,000, Aichi Shokutoku University, Nagoya
November 3-10
November 10, 2012
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International Exchange Special Guest Lecture: Cloth Letters in Tohoku, International University of Kagoshima, Contact Satoko Fukudome, coordinator
November 24, 2012
November 25, 2012
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Guest presentation, The Cloth Letters and How Young People Can Express Themselves, Tokyo KAISEI Boys High School, Tokyo
November 27, 2012
November 28, 2012
November 29, 2012
November 30, 2012
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Film Class I -The Beginning, Guest Lecture, Chukyo University, Nagoya
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Film Class 2-A Living Script, Guest Lecture, Chukyo University, Nagoya
January 15, 2013
-Film Class-Guest lecture, Chukyo University, Nagoya
January 17, 2013
-Film Class-Guest lecture, Chukyo University, Nagoya
April 18, 2013
-Cross Cultural Studies lecture, Tohoku Fukushi University, Professor Takahashi
April 29, 2013
-Research Methods lecture, Aichi Shokutoku University, Professor Mika Toff
April 30, 2013
Presentation on Tohoku, Aichi Shokutoku University, Professor Mika Toff
May 2, 2013
Tohoku and Filming Techniques and Process, Aichi Medical University, Professor Tak Yamamori
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Japan-Canada Kids for Kids Quilt Project Update
Since the beginning of this project on March 12, 2011, this inspiring project has spread out to represent the voices of young people across Canada, Tohoku, and now from several cities in Japan. (please check website for the location details)
NEW ADDITONS: Originally, the project was 2 large cloth letters. Now has grown to over 20 beautiful, expressive cloth letter quilts.
Recently, the young people of Kagoshima created their 'Kagoshima' cloth letters from 104 original haiku poems. Kobe City youth added a hand-ewn 'Kobe City' cloth letter full of lyrical colorful letters that express energy and love that is handsewn.
NATIONAL EXHIBITION TOURS: This exhibition has been traveling on a national exhibition tour of Japan since it's exhibition launch at the Prince Takamado Gallery, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo from October-December 2011.
The final exhibitions in Japan will take place in TOHOKU during late November and month of December 2012. After these exhibitions, the cloth letters will travel to Canada for showings.
TOHOKU TOUR 2012: Minamisinriku, Minamisoma, Iwaki City, Kesenuma, Ishinomaki, Ogatsu, Sendai/Yuriage, Otsuchi....
HOW TO JOIN: We are inviting individuals or groups to join this project for young people by scheduling an exhibition or creating your own cloth letters to add to this expression of care and love.
CATCH A CBC RADIO INTERVIEW on the project: www.cbc.ca/nxnw/linda ohama cloth letters project
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| a finished cloth letter square |
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NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC POETRY EXHIBITION
"Tohoku no Shingetsu: One more flower begins to bloom"
A collection of mounted personal photographic works taken in the Tohoku region of Japan, June- September 2011, with original poems.
This exhibition was first exhibited in Onomichi, Hiroshima September 15, 2011 with the support of the University of Onomichi and the Onomichi Ruri Lions Club.
A collection of these photo and poems was included with the "Canada-Tohoku-Japan Cloth Letters" exhibition held at the Canadian Embassy's Prince Takamado Gallery in Tokyo from October-Decmeber, 2011.
This series of photos and collection of poetry is currently on exhibit in various cities in Japan (Nagoya, Kagoshima, Osaka, Kobe).
Poem No. 11 'I still believe...in the magic of life'
written by Linda Ohama, Japanese translation by Mika Toff
Witnessing the two sides of Nature (peaceful/violent)
The two sides of people's characters(beautiful/ugly)
And the two sides of being (life/death)...
I still believe in the magic that surrounds us every day...
When a stranger can act like a friend
To another stranger
And show kindness, not judgement...
This makes me believe.
When people's families can grow bigger, instead of smaller
And religion, money, language, job and action
Are not judged right or wrong; or better or worse...
This makes me believe.
When a small seed is planted in my garden
And it grows into green leaves and flowers,
And then seeds again...
This makes me believe.
In Tohoku, one can see these things more clearly.
What is important to life becomes more apparent.
Trust. Humility. Forgiveness. Generosity. Strength. and Love.
They make me still believe.
(Linda Ohama, August 2011)
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TEMPORARILY ON HOLD...PLEASE WAIT
For the new romantic movie"SUMMERHOUSE DREAMS"
A NEW FILM WORK TAKING SHAPE IN ONOMICHI
Due to the March 11, 2011 disaster in north eastern Japan's Tohoku area, this film took a 12 month hiatus to join the recovery efforts in the Tohoku area.
Director Ohama and producer Mr. Otani have put this feature film production on hold during 2012, in order to allow Linda to make the documentary, "Tohoku no Shingetsu".
The first draft script of "Summerhouse Dreams"stage and research are now completed for this film.
Please watch for this romantic love story set in the traditional settings of old Onomichi coming up soon.
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