Towada Art Center Summer 2011 Events

Upcoming events at the 十和田市現代美術館 Towada Art Center

企画展示：　マイケル･リン　ミングリングーふれあい
Special Exhibit: Michael Lin Mingling
Date: May 28 - July 28, 2011
Time: 9:00-17:00 (last entrance: 16:30)
Admission: 400yen adult; 300yen per person for groups of 20+; Free for high school students & below


ジャズコンサート Jazz Concert
PDF Flier (Japanese)
Date: June 25, 2011
Time: 14:00-15:40 (including a 20min break)
Location: 十和田市現代美術館休憩スペース　Towada Art Center Rest Space
Admission: Free  (no registration required)
Description: Featuring SASAKI Yuuka on the flute and INOUE Satoshi on the guitar

オペラコンサート Opera Concert
Date: July 30, 2011
Time: 18:30-19:30
Location: 十和田市現代美術館休憩スペース　Towada Art Center Rest Space

Admission: Free  (no registration required)

レイト開館 Late Hours
Date: July 29-August 6 & 9-14, 2011
Time: 17:00-20:00
Admission: Permanent Exhibit: 500yen adult; 400yen per person for groups of 20+; Free for high school students and under (see above for Special Exhibit admission fees)

2011 Summer Events in Towada

ルピナスまつり Lupinus Matsuri (Festival)
Date: May 28 - June 30, 2011
Time: 9:00-17:00
Location: 手づくり村鯉艸郷 Risoukyo
Admission: FREE for Towada residents (proof of residence required) until June 30, 2011; Adults 500yen; Elementary-Junior High School Students 200yen; Groups (15+ people) 450yen; Physically Disabled 400yen
Description: Enjoy 10,000 flowers spread over 4000 square metres


芍薬まつり Shakuyaku Matsuri (Chinese Peony Festival)
Date: June 11-26, 2011
Time: 9:00-17:00  
Location: 手づくり村鯉艸郷　Risoukyo
Admission: FREE for Towada residents (proof of residence required) until June 30, 2011; Adults 500yen; Elementary-Junior High School Students 200yen; Groups (15+ people) 450yen; Physically Disabled 400yen
Description: Enjoy about 2000 blooms of 140 varieties

花菖蒲まつり　Hanashoubu Matsuri (Japanese Iris Festival)
Date: June 18 - July 24, 2011
Time: 9:00-17:00
Location: 手づくり村鯉艸郷　Risoukyo
Admission: FREE for Towada residents (proof of residence required) until June 30, 2011; Adults 500yen; Elementary-Junior High School Students 200yen; Groups (15+ people) 450yen; Physically Disabled 400yen
Description: Enjoy 20,000 flowers of 500 varieties

第15回奥入瀬ろまんパークフェスティバル Oirase Roman Park Festival

Date: Sat. July 2 - Sun. July 3, 2011
Location: 道の駅おいらせ「奥入瀬ろまんパーク」 Oirase Michinoeki "Oirase Roman Park"
Description: Peruse stalls selling fresh local produce and foods while watching various performances.


第46回十和田湖湖水まつりTowadako Kosui Matsuri (Lake Towada Lake Festival) 
Date: Sat. July 16-Sun. July 17, 2011
Description: Enjoy yosakoi and various other performances and activities during the day, and fireworks at night.

十和田市夏まつり第54回花火大会　Natsu Matsuri Hanabi Taikai (Summer Festival Fireworks Display)
Date: Sun. August 14, 2011
Location: 陸上競技場・中央公園内 Athletic Track/Chuo (Central) Park

Disgraceful political opportunism

Perhaps this is just my political naivety showing, but I really can't imagine how ousting (Japanese Prime Minister Naoto) Kan with a non-confidence vote and initiating an election would be of any benefit to the disaster recovery and nuclear crisis handling efforts.

If, as many pundits seem to believe, the vote of non-confidence isn't actually meant to succeed but is merely an act to weaken/divide the party, then I think it's truly a disgraceful display of political opportunism.

At a time such as this--with the nuclear crisis still ongoing and a long road ahead for recovery from the earthquake/tsunami--all Japanese politicians should be focused on creating and passing policies that will aid the recovery efforts rather than wasting time, resources and taxpayers' money on political bickering and power mongering.

I am particularly disgusted with Ozawa and his supporters in the DPJ. It's understandable that other parties would want to take advantage of a chance to take down the DPJ, but I think it's self-defeating to weaken/destroy your own party just so that you can take power. Even if you succeed in taking over, you end up with a weakened party and a bad public image. (I see some parallels here with the current state of the Liberals thanks in part to the Chretien/Martin debacle.)

Some online articles:
Bloomberg: "Kan No-Confidence Vote May See DPJ Split"
Japan Times: "Kan foes in DPJ set to join ouster ploy" "Kan's foes readying no-confidence vote"

[Update 1: Japan Times Online "No-confidence vote set for Kan cabinet"
Update 2: Japan Times Online "Kan survives no-confidence motion yet offers to quit after 'certain degree' of postquake recovery"]

Tired =_=

It has a been a very long week of Sports Festival preparations.

Apart from Monday (when I was at the Board of Education and not at school), I stayed late every day (Thursday I left Kirita around 6:30pm and Tuesday I was actually at school until 8:00pm! @_@ ) and on top of that I worked both Saturday (7:55am-4:45pm) and Sunday (7:55am-3:30pm).

Then today I had daikyu (a substitute holiday since I attended the Sports Festival on Sunday) today, but I spent pretty much the entire afternoon preparing the script for the play that Towada and other nearby ALTs will be performing in Japanese at the June 5th Towada Association for International Relations party.

It's all stuff that I chose to and enjoy doing, but it's still tiring. (Going to school on Saturday for the Sports Festival practice/preparations, for example was completely voluntary--i.e. I won't get daikyu or even mileage reimbursement.)

There's so much that I want to do, but I just don't have the energy to be running around non-stop for days and weeks on end anymore. Even though in retrospect they often feel like "wasted time", I think the days that I can sleep in and then lounge around the house doing absolutely nothing are becoming more and more important to my sense of well-being.

*sigh* It's times like this that make me feel really old.