Weekly Cultural News, substitute for monthly Cultural News June 22-28, 2020

Academy Museum’s new opening date set for April 30, 2021 with inaugural exhibition “Hayao Miyazaki” The Academy Museum including My Neigh- of Motion Pictures, ini- bor Totoro (1988) and tially scheduled to open the Academy Award® to the public on Decem- –winning Spirited ber 14, 2020, will now Away (2001). open on Friday, April 30, 2021, as a result of More than two hun- the global pandemic dred imageboards, caused by COVID-19. character designs, storyboards, layouts, The new opening date cels, and back- of the Academy Muse- grounds—some of um was announced which have never June 15 by the Acade- A rendering of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. been seen outside of my of Motion Picture Studio Ghibli’s Arts and Sciences and the ABC archives—will be on view along- Television Network.. side large-scale projected clips of the most memorable scenes Coinciding with the Academy from Miyazaki’s films. Museum opening, the 93rd Os- cars ceremony will be move to The exhibition is accompanied Sunday, April 25, 2021. by a fully illustrated catalogue, screening series, public pro- The special inaugural exhibition grams, and a selection of exclu- of the Academy Museum will be sive Studio Ghibli merchandise the first-ever US retrospective of offered in the museum’s retail famed Japanese filmmaker store. Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki is organized by Academy Museum curators Jes- This thematic journey presents sica Niebel and Raul Guzman in original production materials collaboration with Studio Ghibli. from each of the director’s ac- Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki will be fea- claimed animated feature films, tured at an inaugural exhibition. Continuing to the next page

Weekly Cultural News is edited by Shige Higashi. [email protected] (213) 819-4100 Weekly Cultural News / June 22-28, 2020 Page 2

Academy Museum to open in April 2021 with “Hayao Miyazaki” exhibition

Continued from the previous page The Academy Museum will be the world’s premier in- The Academy Museum of stitution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Motion Pictures,was de- The museum will be simul- signed by Pritzker Prize- taneously immersive, ex- winning architect Renzo perimental, educational, Piano, and the museum and entertaining. will be featuring six floors More than a museum, this of exhibition spaces, edu- dynamic film center will cation and special event offer unparalleled experi- spaces, a conservation ences and insights into studio, a restaurant, a movies and moviemaking. museum store, the 1,000- seat David Geffen Thea- ter and the 288-seat Ted Designed by Pritzker Prize Mann Theater -winning architect Renzo Piano, the Museum is re- storing and revitalizing the Bill Kramer, director of historic Saban Building, the Academy Museum of formerly known as the May Motion Pictures, said, “I Company building (1939), speak for all of us at the at the corner of Wilshire Museum when I say that Academy Museum aerial rending facing south. Boulevard and Fairfax Av- we have been eagerly enue in . awaiting the moment when we can share the

Academy Museum with movie lovers every- where. With the unprecedented and devastating The Saban Building will feature six floors, includ- pandemic happening around the world and our ing exhibition spaces, the 288-seat Ted Mann commitment first and foremost to the health and Theater, the Shirley Temple Education Studio, safety of our visitors and staff, we have made the special event spaces, conservation areas, a café, difficult decision to wait a few more months to and store. open our doors. Thankfully, with COVID-19 safe- ty protocols in place, exhibitions continue to be The new spherical addition will connect to the installed. We look forward to April 2021 when Saban Building via glass bridges and feature the Los Angeles and the world will be able to join to- state-of-the-art 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater gether as the Academy celebrates the Oscars and the rooftop Dolby Family Terrace, which will and the opening of its long-dreamed-of Muse- offer sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. um.”

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Weekly Cultural News is a substitute publication for Monthly Cultural News which has been suspended since April 2020. We need $30,000 fund right away. Your donation are appreciated via https://culturalnews.com/donation Shige Higashi: [email protected] (213) 819-4100 Weekly Cultural News / June 22-28, 2020 Page 3

In Fall 2018, Akira Komatsu conducted a group of professional musicians for performing his arrangement of “Pavane” (Maurice Ravel) at an orchestration workshop sponsored by the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, musicians union of Los Angeles County. “Quarantine musician" extends his activities to "quarantine Japanese lessons”

Japan born – music composer Akira Komatsu band for playing his compositions. And his com- recently joined a music video project called positions gradually got attentions from filmmak- "Quarantine Music Chain with Kenny G" with 104 ers in . musicians from 16 countries. This music video project was produced by a Hungarian composer Eventually Komatsu established his status as and producer, Imre Czomba. music composer for top class filmmakers and https://www.youtube.com/watch? video artists in Japan. Komatsu also extended time_continue=3&v=iRd5LMJhcK4&feature=emb_logo his activities to commercial music on TV and ra-

dio including "Precure,” a very popular children's Komatsu played his at his residence of To- TV anime program produced by BANDAI Co. luca Lake in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Komatsu wrote a music for a short film for pro- Komatsu studied contemporary jazz at the Musi- moting tourism in Gifu Prefecture at the Japan cians Institute in Hollywood in 1996-7 after grad- Pavilion for Expo 2010 Shanghai, China. In this uating from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. project featuring Mino washi paper, Komatsu worked with Naoto Yamakawa, an eminent film At his graduation of MI, he received the GIT Hu- director in Asia. man Relation Award which was decided by popu- lar vote of all students of the graduating class. On December 2017, Komatsu moved to Los An- geles from Tokyo for looking forward to his new Upon returning to Tokyo, Komatsu began teach- venues of music. In Hollywood, he has been ing ear training, music theory, and score reading composing for several media works and appear- at the Tokyo. ing on stages as accompanying guitarist at He also started composing music and forming his Continuing to the next page

Weekly Cultural News is edited by Shige Higashi. [email protected] (213) 819-4100 Weekly Cultural News / June 22-28, 2020 Page 4

“Quarantine musician" extends his activities to "quarantine Japanese lessons”

Continued from the previous page Komatsu is always looking forward to meeting future students of his Japanese comedy shows until this language lessons and guitar lessons, and quarantine has been in ef- of course his commissions of composing fect. music.

In Los Angeles, he has Samples of Komatsu’s music are following: composed for commercial, indie film works and sound White Deer in The Woods libraries. He released 2 https://app.box.com/ horror sound li- s/5drz3x5nxa1z47q2iof2d54k23ef1b8i brary albums, " Musicbox ghost" from Flippermusic, Jumping Frogs in The Rain "Somber Piano" from https://app.box.com/s/ Counter Communications, l9lqnsrungxcgrmwws4r7veemuhbav0y and currently working for DA music. Composer Akira Komatastu finds fun Dolphin Waltz at Japanese language lessons. https://app.box.com/s/ In Los Angeles he also has been meeting with pvnty3p0gx63o6f4zppnbk3yklrpw7uh various kind of talented people from all over the world. Among these meetings, one of his friends Desert Road to The Star asked him to teach Japanese language, and Ko- https://www.dropbox.com/s/ai0m0r91zbaxbo0/ matsu and his friend fund incredibly fun at the Desert%20road%20to%20the%20star.mp3?dl=0 Japanese lessons. Guitar lesson is also his ex- pertise for long time since he was in Tokyo. Requiem for Conflict Zone https://www.dropbox.com/s/nlf62mm1i56ibye/ Currently Komatsu is meeting his artist friends Requiem%20for%20conflict%20zone.mp3?dl=0 and Japanese lesson students through video meeting apps every day. He found video meeting http://www.akirakomatsu.com/ apps as a new hub to communicate with people from around the world. For contact, email: [email protected] or call (818) 452-6502.

By Mariko Watabe using sound. There are dance The OHAYSHI-JUKU video 3 https://youtu.be/fpil5uOoUDs videos and sham- isen videos. But is about the “OVERTURE MUSIC,” the musical cues that KABUKI are used to introduce upcoming stories. These are sophis- HAYASHI ticated sound cues to set the scene, from sounds of waves (Japanese per- or water to set the scene at the seaside, or setting a sol- cussion) videos emn mood, or even emphasizing someone seized with are rarely found or delusion. Others set a scene of more simple town life, or a discussed especially in English or with English subtitles. I more spiritual setting such as at a castle, temple or shrine, have decided to make OHAYASHI-JUKU video series as I and others still can introduce elegant numbers or a festival believe this art is too precious to be hidden or lost. setting. HAYASHI is the Japanese percussion and flute used for Mariko Watabe has been introducing Kabuki dance and KABUKI. It has multiple uses and tasks and are used to music to American audiences nationwide for over 40 years. convey messages to the performers and to the audience She is currently living in Los Angeles area. Her activities and performances are found at http://fujijapanesemusic.org