On Saturday, April 19 at Spurlock Museum in the Knight Auditorium, Japan House is pleased to welcome Japanese calligrapher Seiran Chiba for a performance and keynote lecture titled, Stories of Fukushima: The Journey of Seiran Chiba. Doors to the Knight Auditorium will open at 12:45PM. Please allow plenty of time to arrive to get seated so we may start on time. Seating is first-come, first-serve and walk-ins are welcome if seating is available.
Japan House thanks the Center for Advanced Study for supporting Ms. Chiba's opening program through the George A. Miller Visiting Artist Program. Following the performance, there will be the Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima reception and artist meet and greet from 2-4pm in the Charles M. and Barbara. S. Hundley Central Core Gallery. Japan House thanks Spurlock Museum for co-sponsoring this event. Japan House and Spurlock Museum acknowledge support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Seiran Chiba's performance will be interactive with the audience and features musical accompaniment from Ho Etsu Taiko. The theme of the performance highlights the Japanese concept of goen (ご縁), which translates to “fortuitous encounters” and honors the value of community. Audience members will be able to contribute to the art piece she creates to illustrate human connection and friendship.
Professor Emeritus Kimiko Gunji says about goen, “We all have some kind of relationship with the things and with people around us which, according to the Buddhist belief system, are happening due to karmic connections from our previous lives, and we exist among these connections. This belief can be explained as ‘dependent co-arising’ in English, and it can be elaborated as everything arising in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions; nothing exists as a singular, independent entity.”
Chiba's journey has spanned over a decade to share the stories of Fukushima and contribute to the revitalization of the region. Her efforts have taken her across Japan and to the United States. In Japan, she taught calligraphy to adults and children living in temporary housing that remained after the 2011 tsunami. Through calligraphy, she teaches the importance of expressing one’s feelings and travels all over Japan with her calligraphy brush to share the beauty and strength of the Fukushima people despite the continued hardships that they still incur. Chiba visited Japan House in 2013 and 2018 for demonstrations and workshops with the local, university, and K-12 communities. She was a featured artist for Japan House’s Matsuri in 2018. In 2023, Japan House received the Education Grant from the Japan Foundation New York to support Chiba for an artist residency to teach calligraphy in Urbana-Champaign and perform at Matsuri. Chiba returned in 2024 to host workshops in Urbana-Champaign and was the featured artist for Gardens for Peace at Japan House. She continues to make visits to the United States to share her story and that of Fukushima through performances and workshops at numerous organizations.
The Kogei exhibition and programming are supported by the Japan Foundation New York through the U.S.-Japan Community Grassroots Exchange Program. Japan House is proud to highlight the traditional arts and crafts of Fukushima and feature the stories of Fukushima.
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FAQs
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
The location is the Knight Auditorium in the Spurlock Museum at 600 S Gregory St, Urbana, IL 61801. Parking on the weekends at all parking spaces are free as indicated on the signs. There are bike racks near the parking lots. Various buses service the area as well.
Doors to the Knight Auditorium will open at 12:45PM. Please allow plenty of time to arrive to get seated so we may start on time.
Questions about accommodations or accessibility?
Please email japanhouse@illinois.edu if you have any questions.
Is my registration/ticket transferrable?
Yes, ticket transfers are possible with a minimum of 48 hours advance notice. Please contact japanhouse@illinois.edu if you have any questions. You can also manually edit the guest name in your ticket registration.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
You do not have to bring your ticket. We will just need your name to check in. If space is available, walk-ins are welcome.
The name on the registration/ticket doesn't match the attendee. Is that okay?
The purchaser of the ticket can go to "My Tickets" and change the name to whomever will be attending. This is a free, public event but there is limited seating in the Knight Auditorium. We ask that guests who are no longer able to attend to please cancel their tickets so others may register.
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
The presentation is for all ages. Children are welcome as long as they can sit quietly during the event and are accompanied by a responsible, adult guardian at all times. All guests are required to abide by Spurlock Museum's Visitor Code of Conduct.
What is Tomonokai? How can I support Japan House?
Tomonokai are "Friends of Japan House." The Tomonokai program was established in 1998 with a goal of supporting Japan House programming and events and promoting an understanding of Japanese Arts and Culture. This tax deductible membership entitles you to special member benefits including discounts on events and merchandise, and vouchers for private tea ceremonies.
Japan House is non-profit and fully relies upon the generosity and kindness of supporters to continue to provide our campus and community vibrant programming that is immersive, engaging, and most importantly, that celebrates diversity! Consider becoming Tomonokai, or Friend of Japan House, or support by clicking here.
