Conference: Tove Jansson and the Impact of Japan

Date:                27–28 November 2019, Tokyo

Organised by:    Finnish Institute in Japan

Proposals due 31st of October 2019

This year marks the centennial of the diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. It also gives an excellent platform to study the impact of the both cultures to one another. The Finnish multitalented writer, visual and comic artist Tove Jansson is widely known in Japan. Jansson made her first trip to Japan in 1971 and the second in 1990. She visited various places and was filming her experiences but what was the impact of Japan to her literary production and to her as an artist?

Call for Papers

We invite 20-minute paper proposals that address issues and discourses arising out of the theme of the conference. The proposals can, but are not limited to, discuss the following topics:

• Japanese translations of Tove Jansson’s books
• The philosophy and language in Tove Jansson’s books
• Female characters in Tove Jansson’s literary production
• Agelessness of the characters in Tove Jansson’s books

The conference also encourages papers that focus on Tove Jansson’s impact on the roles of today’s women in Japan and Finland. Kindly send your 250-word (maximum) abstract in English by October 31^th  2019 at the latest to: anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp. The participation fee will be waived for selected papers.

Conference Details

Date:                             27–28 November 2019

Excursion day:                29 November 2019

Venue:                           Meiji-Kinenkan, Tokyo, Japan

The Foundation of the Finnish Institute in Japan has elected Bachelor of Arts Rumi Okamoto as the Office Manager of the Finnish Institute in Japan for a three-year period starting on May 20th, 2019.The institute is located in Tokyo.

Rumi Okamoto has previously worked as the Client service assistant manager at Sotheby’s Japan. She also has work experience from various art galleries in Japan. 

The Finnish Institute in Japan is an academic and cultural institute operating in Tokyo. It identifies and anticipates the development and cooperation needs of Finland and Japan, especially in the fields of science, culture and higher education, and helps potential partners to find each other between Finland and Japan.

 The Finnish Institute in Japan is in the middle of eventful years. This year marks the celebration of 100 years of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan and next year Tokyo will host the Olympic Games.

  Finland has 17 cultural and academic institutes in total around the world. The Finnish Institute in Japan is currently the only office in Eastern Asia.

 For more information, please contact the Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan, Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen, (anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp, tel. +81 80 4069 7846).      

Come and experience Finnish life, learn Finnish language and culture in Joutseno, Finland this autumn! You can participate in Finnish language lessons, handicraft workshop, sauna, walks in the nature and many other activities! Please register now since we can only accept maximum 25 people. 

[Itinerary]

September 15th （Sun.）:We will meet up in Helsinki Airport, then travel to Joutseno, where we will stay for 5 days.

September 16th (Mon.) ~ 20th (Fri.) : You’ll have large varieties of activity everyday! 

（Finnish language lessons, picking up berries and mushrooms in Finnish forests, Lecture on Finnish society, handicraft workshop, visit to schools, preparing traditional sweets, sauna and lots more! )

Septemer 20th (Fri.): Travel back to Helsinki

[Participation Fee]

Adult：137,000 JYN

Child under 2 years old: 10,000 JYN / Children between 2 and 6 years old: 18,500 JYN 

・Included：Accommodation (either 1 or 2 room) for 5 nights, 15 meals and coffee time, materials for workshop, train ticket between Helsinki-Joutseno-Helsinki

・Excluded：Flight ticket between Japan-Finland-Japan

[Application and Inquiries]

Please download and fill in the application form. You can send it via email or post. 

The Deadline for the application will be on Wednesday 31st July 2019.

Practical matters：Akari Hara (Academic Research Coordinator) 

Tel：03-5447-6036 (Japan)

Email： science@finstitute.jp

Address：Finnish Institute in Japan,

                 3-5-39 Minami-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo, Japan

[Download the application form from here (*Japanese Only)]

カルチャー留学募集要項

カルチャー留学2019秋_申込書

The Secret Universe exhibition at Helsinki Design Museum presents the work of dynamic designer duo Aamu Song and Johan Olin! They have travelled around the world, seeking folkloristic spirit in traditional crafts techniques and manufacturing skills. These trips have resulted in art objects, clothing, accessories and furniture made together with local masters of crafts.

The exhibition will present Song and Olin’s artistic process from travelling to meeting craftsmen, from correspondence to production and to completed objects. Several masters have been invited to Design Museum’s special events, the Holy Days, which will be held during the exhibition. The Holy Days will feature Japan in May, the Finnish craft heritage in June, Russia in August, and Mexico in September. In addition to these Holy Days, workshop events for the visitors will be held monthly. The exhibition will be open until the 22nd of September.

For more information: http://www.designmuseum.fi/en/events/special-events-of-the-secret-universe-exhibition/

We are launching a photo competition!   

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Finland we chose the theme “100”! This could be interpreted any way you like. 

How do I participate? 

You can enter the competition either by posting your photo on Instagram and using the hashtag ‘#JPNFINphoto100’ OR by sending your entry photo to us at info@finstitute.jp (for subject line please write “Photo competition 100”). The deadline is 31st of May and you can enter with more than one photo! 

A jury consisting of the staff at the Finnish Institute will choose 3 winners who will receive a great prize! The winning photos will be posted on our social media. 

This is your chance! Let your creativity flow and show us your best results!  

Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who attended Feel Finland – the biggest cultural event of this year that marks the centennial of the diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan! The event was historic in many ways – it was the largest Team Finland collaboration ever, it was the first open day at the Embassy of Finland’s compound and it was a major success with a total of 1200 participants! 

Special thanks to our excellent performers Vilma Timonen, Marianne Backlén, Mutsuko and Hisashi Yamamoto, Sami Tallberg, Tarmo Thorström, Miiko Toiviainen as well as Tango Alakulo (Jarmo Julkunen and Christian Garrick)!  

The first Knitting club with Novita Moomin yarns was a huge success! The workshop attracted 90 participants spread over three different sessions – the youngest participant being a 9-year-old boy! Many thanks to our sponsor Novita Knits for the yarns, needles and patterns! 

And finally, our utmost thanks to the magnificent Team Finland in Tokyo as well as the outstanding staff of the Finnish Institute in Japan! 

TOGETHER – we made this day an unforgettable one! 

The Foundation of the Finnish Institute in Japan has elected Bachelor of Arts Akari Hara as the Academic research coordinator of the Finnish Institute in Japan for a three-year period starting on April 8th 2019. The Academic research coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating the research projects, seminars and conferences of the Institute. The institute is located in Tokyo.

Akari Hara has previously worked both in corporate life and in international organizations.

The Finnish Institute in Japan is an academic and cultural institute operating in Tokyo. It identifies and anticipates the development and cooperation needs of Finland and Japan, especially in the fields of science, culture and education, and it also helps potential partners to find each other between Finland and Japan, as well as Eastern Asia on a wider level.

The Finnish Institute in Japan is in the midst of eventful years. The Institute celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. This year it will take part of the celebration of 100 years of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, and in 2020, Tokyo will host the Olympic Games.

Finland has 17 cultural and academic institutes in total around the world. The Finnish Institute in Japan is currently the only office in Eastern Asia. More information: Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan, Dr. Anna-Maria Wiljanen, (anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp, tel. +81 80 4069 7846).

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan, contemporary circus artists from both countries come together for a new collaborative project.

Ilona Jäntti. Photo: Claire Bilyard

The project begins in May with Ilona Jäntti’s workshops in Setagaya Public Theatre and Setouchi Circus Factory. The workshops also double as auditions for a shared performance later.

In the summer, a Japanese artist visits Finland to work with Jäntti and other Finnish participants.
The grand finale of the project is a collaborative show to be held in Fukuoka Civic Hall at the end of the year.

Applications for performers to join the workshops are open until April 15th. For more information, please visit Setagaya Public Theatre’s website.

The Finnish Institute in Japan (FIJ) promotes Finnish science, culture and higher education supporting and enabling co-operation and dialogue between Japan and Finland. The Institute identifies and recognizes trends and co-operation possibilities connecting potential collaboration partners. The Institute is part of Team Finland in Japan and one of the 17 Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes.

The Finnish Institute in Japan is looking for an Office manager as soon as possible or according to agreement.

As the Office manager you will take care of the different tasks related to the office management. The Office Manager will organize and coordinate office administration and procedures, in order to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Other tasks include administrative and executive support related tasks and coordinating FIJ’s activities such as events, meetings and seminars. The office manager will work under the guidance of the Director of the FIJ.

In order to manage the task successfully, the applicant should have

* An academic degree

* Fluency in written and spoken English

* Native-level Japanese language skills

* Ability to work in a small but dynamic organization where tasks and duties may vary

* Knowledge of Finnish culture and experience of studying and/or doing research in Finland

The employment contract will be made for a period of three years with an option for renewal.

Please send your motivation letter and CV, in English, to anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp by March 29, 2019.

Inquiries and more information: Director Anna-Maria Wiljanen, anna-maria.wiljanen@finstitute.jp, +81 (0)80 4069 7846

Available for phone inquiries on Tuesday March 26, at 2-4pm.