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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260617T180000
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DTSTAMP:20260614T195210
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SUMMARY:The World of Kamishibai: Japanese Paper Theatre and Storytelling
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special introduction to the world of Kamishibai\, Japan’s traditional and unique form of paper theatre storytelling. Visiting from Japan\, two experienced Kamishibai storytellers\, Tamachan and Piiman-san\, will present an engaging overview of the history and cultural significance of kamishibai\, its various styles and formats\, and the techniques behind live storytelling performances.\nThe event will also feature live Kamishibai performances using their storyboards\, offering you a rare opportunity to experience this dynamic storytelling tradition through narration\, illustration\, and theatrical presentation. Whether you are new to Kamishibai or an experienced storyteller\, participants of all backgrounds and ages are welcome. \n*The event will be held in Japanese\, with Japanese-English interpretation provided by Jocelyne Allen. \n*JFT Library has special opening hours from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on the day of the event. Feel free to explore our physical collection before the event! \n  \n\nAudience:\nEducators\, library professionals\, parents and anyone (6+ years old) who are interested in Japanese storytelling culture and techniques \nAdmission:\nFree (RSVP required) \nWheelchair Accessibility:\nYes \nRegister Here \n\nKamishibai Performers \n \nMIMOTO Fumiyo (a.k.a Piiman-san) performs kamishibai for children at libraries\, community centers and special events and also gives workshops in Yao City\, Osaka on handmade kamishibai. She won the top prize at the prestigious Minoh City Handmade Kamishibai Competition (箕面手作り紙芝居コンクール) in 2000 and has published many kamishibai stories for the elderly\, which she performs at elder caregiving seminars and facilities. \nMIMOTO is a co-founder of the Tezukuri Kamishibai-Kan in Osaka\, where she teaches children and adults how to create original kamishibai stories and shares classic street-performance kamishibai from the Shiozaki Children’s Kamishibai Museum. \n  \nOTSUKA Tamayo (a.k.a. Tamachan) is one of Japan’s leading practitioners of traditional street kamishibai and a cultural heritage practitioner dedicated to preserving\, transmitting\, and promoting Japanese kamishibai culture both in Japan and internationally. \nFor more than 45 years\, she has been engaged in kamishibai performance\, exhibitions\, publishing\, and educational activities. Beginning her career as a traditional street kamishibai performer traveling by bicycle to neighborhood parks\, she has devoted her life to preserving and transmitting Japan’s kamishibai heritage. \nIn recent years\, she has focused on discovering\, preserving\, reproducing\, and publishing handmade kamishibai created by children and community members. Working in collaboration with museums\, libraries\, schools\, and community organizations\, she promotes cultural heritage preservation and international exchange through kamishibai. \nThrough performances\, exhibitions\, workshops\, publications\, and international collaborations\, she has introduced kamishibai to audiences throughout Japan\, North America\, and Europe. \nShe currently serves as President of the Handmade Kamishibai Museum. \n*Learn more about OTSUKA Tamayo from here (PDF file) \n\nInterpreter\n \nJocelyne Allen is a Japanese translator and interpreter and has translated hundreds of short stories\, novels\, and manga\, including the Eisner Award-winning Frankenstein by Junji Ito and the critically acclaimed Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani. As an interpreter\, she has worked with Japan’s most celebrated authors and artists\, including Sayaka Murata\, Nagata Kabi\, Kyoko Nakajima\, and Asano Inio. @brainvsbook \n 
URL:https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/worldofkamishibai/
LOCATION:The Japan Foundation\, Toronto\, 2 Bloor St. East\, 3rd Floor\, Toronto\, ON\, M4W 1A8\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Lecture,Library,Performance,Talk Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260630T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260630T203000
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SUMMARY:JFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: Run Away With Me\, Girl by Battan [Pride Month Pick!]
DESCRIPTION:For the upcoming JFT Book Club (Hybrid)\, we will discuss Battan’s manga\, Run Away With Me\, Girl\, Volume 1 (original Japanese version: ばったん作『かけおちガール』１巻; English translation by Kevin Steinbach). This moving and thought-provoking yuri manga explores sexuality\, identity\, societal expectations\, and the search for happiness through the reunion of two women in their twenties whose high school romance ended abruptly. Yuri manga is a genre of Japanese comics that depicts romantic relationships between women. Even if you have never read a queer love story before\, its relatable characters and universal themes of love\, adulthood\, and finding one’s place in the world make it an accessible and rewarding read. \nHeld during Pride Month and following Battan’s appearance as a featured guest and poster designer at the 2026 Toronto Comic Arts Festival\, this is a perfect opportunity to discover one of Japan’s most compelling manga creators. Whether you are a longtime manga fan\, interested in Japanese creators\, or curious about LGBTQ+ stories\, our book club offers a welcoming space to connect with readers from diverse backgrounds. \nJoin us in person or virtually from anywhere in the world\, connect with fellow readers to share what touched you and discover new perspectives on this powerful story that you might not have found on your own!  \nWe also have a limited number of “Observer” slots available for those who prefer to listen this time\, or for anyone curious about how a book club works without the pressure to speak. First-time participants are welcome!  \nRegister Here \n*Please be aware that space may be limited.  \n*Depending on the number of participants and how the discussion goes\, we might extend the end time until 8:30 pm (EDT). However\, if you have other commitments\, feel free to leave at 8:00 pm. \n  \nIf you have any questions or concerns\, please don’t hesitate to email us at library_jftoronto@jpf.go.jp.  \n\nShow WHY JOIN JFT BOOK CLUB?  \nWHY JOIN JFT BOOK CLUB?\nYou can read a book by yourself\, but when you read something thought-provoking or moving\, it’s natural to want to discuss it with someone else. This will be an exciting opportunity to connect with other book lovers from different cultural backgrounds\, find new and interesting books\, authors\, or themes\, and develop a richer understanding of Japan that you wouldn’t gain from reading alone! \n \n\nShow HOW DOES THE UPCOMING JFT BOOK CLUB WORK?  \nHOW DOES THE UPCOMING JFT BOOK CLUB WORK?\n1. Once you register for the event\, you will receive guiding questions to help you think more deeply about the book. \n2. On the day of the event\, we will meet via Zoom and in person at Japan Foundation Toronto Library (2 Bloor St E #300\, Toronto\, ON M4W 1A8 Canada). *How to find us: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/about-us/how-to-find-us/ \n3. We will start with a quick introduction & ice-breaking activity (*Light refreshments will be served for in-person participants) \n4. Depending on the number of the participants\, we will break into a few small groups to discuss questions so that everyone has a chance to share their thoughts. \n5. After each breakout session\, each group will share what they have discussed with other groups. \n*There is no right or wrong answer. Different perspectives make discussion more fun and vibrant! \n \n\nShow WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK?  \nWHERE YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK?\nRun Away With Me\, Girl\, Volume 1 (physical copies and ebooks) and the original Japanese version『かけおちガール』１巻 (physical copy) are available at JFT Library! The checkout of the physical copies are limited to JFT Book Club participants for a 1-week loan period (non-renewable).  \nTo get a new library card or to renew your existing card\, please follow the instructions found here. \n  Borrow Ebook      Email Library to place hold (physical copy)  \n  \nFor more information about the book or where else you can get the physical copies\, click here. \n \n\nShow ABOUT THE BOOK  \nABOUT THE BOOK\n Run Away With Me\, Girl\n(The original Japanese version:『かけおちガール』)\nWritten by Battan  \nTranslated by Kevin Steinbach \nPublished by Kodansha\, 2020 / Kodansha USA\, 2022 \n  \nA dramatic\, funny\, and painful romance manga between two women about how\, sometimes\, you need to run away in order to find where you truly belong. Perfect for fans of coming-out yuri like How Do We Relationship? and masters of adult drama like Akiko Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish) and Takako Shimura (Even Though We’re Adults). You know that one person you just can’t forget? Not the one that got away\, but the one you had\, until suddenly you didn’t? Maki’s first love was her high school classmate\, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation\, saying they were now “too old to be fooling around dating girls.” Ten years later\, Maki still can’t get Midori off her mind\, and when the two women reconnect after a chance encounter\, Maki realizes that\, while her feelings haven’t changed\, Midori has long moved on—in fact\, she’s engaged. Yet the more Maki hears Midori talk about her soon-to-be-husband\, the more red flags she notices. And Midori has another secret\, one she hasn’t yet shared with Maki. Will it be the last blow to Maki’s hopes that their romance might be rekindled? Or will it be the push that sets them on a new path—one they’ll travel together? \n— from Publisher’s website \n \n\nShow ABOUT THE AUTHOR  \nABOUT THE AUTHOR\nBattan debuted in 2016 with her title Nijiiro konpurekkusu (Rainbox Color Complex)\, published by KODANSHA. Her other works include Ane no yujin (My Older Sister’s Friend\, LEED)\, Kakeochi garu (Kodansha; published in English as Run Away with Me\, Girl)\, Kemutai ane to zurui imoto (Annoying and Cunning Sisters\, Kodansha). Soshite hiroin wa inaku natta (And Then There Were No Heroines) is currently being serialized in the online comic platform Web Action. Battan loves dogs. \n \n\n\nShow Video Archives of Past Event on Manga  \nVideo Archives of Past Event on Manga\nFind out how manga are translated across genres in the first of the Parallel Worlds series of discussions\, Parallel Worlds: Translating Manga\, where translator Jocelyne Allen sits down with colleagues David Evelyn and Jenny McKeon to discuss the challenges and thrills of connecting two different cultures. You can now watch the recording on our YouTube channel. \nFor more recordings of past JFT lectures\, interviews\, presentations\, and expert discussions\, check out our Japan Dialogues collection.  \nWatch Here \n\n  \n \n\n\n \nPrevious Book Clubs\n \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) : Sakura by NISHI Kanako – April 16\, 2026 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time –Books Adapted into Film – February 24\, 2026 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Seesaw Monster by ISAKA Kotaro – Nov 8\, 2025 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – Food in Japan – September 25\, 2025 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: Look Back by FUJIMOTO Tatsuki – Jun 10\, 2025 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – Japanese Architecture\, Civil Engineering\, and Landscapes – April 15\, 2025 \n\n \nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – First Love by SHIMAMOTO Rio – February 8\, 2025 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – Yōkai – November 21\, 2024 \n\nJapanese Tadoku Book Club – October 26\, 2024 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by KAWAGUCHI Toshikazu – September 4\, 2024 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – Japanese Ceramics & Life in the Edo to Meiji Periods – June 18\, 2024 \n  \nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: BL Metamorphosis by TSURUTANI Kaori – April 18\, 2024 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid): Mild Vertigo by KANAI Mieko – February 13\, 2024 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – Holiday Reading Recommendations – November 16\, 2023 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Manga: Planetes by YUKIMURA Makoto – September 28\, 2023 \n\nJFT Book Club (Hybrid) – With Silent Reading Time – LGBTQIA+ Books -June 20\, 2023 \n\nJFT Book Club Online – Manga: After the Rain by MAYUZUKI Jun -April 24\, 2023 \n\nJFT Book Club Online – Three Short Works by NISHI Kanako: On beauty\, the Female Experience and Othering – February 8\, 2023 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: Temple Alley Summer by KASHIWABA Sachiko – September 15\, 2022 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: Manga – June 15\, 2022 \n\n \nJFT Book Club Online: Bring Your Own Book – April 13\, 2022 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura– February 9\, 2022 \n\nJFT Book Club Online:Colorful by Eto Mori– November 10\, 2021 \n\n \nJFT Book Club Online: Heaven by Mieko Kawakami – August 12\, 2021 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: Manga – June 10\, 2021 \n\n \nJFT Book Club Online: Bring Your Own Book – April 8\, 2021 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: The Memory Police – February 11\, 2021 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: Breasts and Egg – November 5\, 2020 \n\nJFT Book Club Online: Travel Japan – August 20\, 2020 \n\nJFT Book Club Online – June 11\, 2020 \n\nMemoirs of a Polar Bear – February 20\, 2020 \n\n \nThe Little House – December 12\, 2019 \n\nMystery Book Club – October 10\, 2019 \n\nMovies and Books – August 8\, 2019 \n\nBooks and Tea – June 6\, 2019
URL:https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/jft-book-club-hybrid_manga-runaway-battan/
LOCATION:The Japan Foundation Toronto Library\, 2 Bloor St E #300\, Toronto\, ON\, Canada\, M4W 1A8
CATEGORIES:Library
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ORGANIZER;CN="The Japan Foundation%2C Toronto Library":MAILTO:library_jftoronto@jpf.go.jp
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