亞洲發現:紐約日本協會

FindingAsia:Japan Society, NYC

亞洲發現: 紐約日本協會

One of the places I was most looking forward to visiting in New York City was the Japan Society.

紐約日本協會是我最期待的拜訪地之一。

Holding over 100 different events each year, the Japan Society is one of the leading U.S. organizations fostering a mutual understanding and appreciation between Japan and the United States.

日本協會每年舉辦100多場不同的活動。它是一個致力於加強日美兩國之間互相理解與欣賞的主要美國組織之一。

Founded in May of 1907 by a group of New Yorkers with a deep adoration for Japan, this nonprofit society has long played a role in strengthening U.S. – Japanese relations. Its expansion into a full-blown arts and culture center in the 1970s was largely thanks to John D Rockefeller III, who was also an avid admirer of Japan.

日本協會是在1907年由一羣深深崇拜日本的紐約人創建。這個非營利的組織長久以來在加深美日關係中起着重要作用。主要是由於狂熱的日本迷約翰·D·洛克菲勒三世的大力幫助，日本協會在20世紀70年代發展成了一個全面的藝術文化中心。

The building itself was designed by famous Japanese architect Junzo Yoshimura and was the building of Japanese architecture in NYC when it opened in 1971.

該樓在1971年開放，在當時的紐約屬於典型的日本建築風格，由日本著名的建築師吉村順三設計。

Inside it features an impressive three-story indoor bamboo water garden, a large theatre, art gallery, library, the Toyota Language Center and additional conference facilities.

內部構造有最具特色的三層室內水竹園，還有大劇院，美術館，豐田語言中心以及其他的會議設施。

Each week they put on an array of programs that touch on?art and culture, language learning, public policy, business and more.

他們每週都舉辦一系列涉及藝術文化，語言學習，公共政策，日本商業等的活動。

The theater often hosts all sorts of Japanese films, as well as dance, music, and theatrical performances. And?I wish I had been able to spend more time there as they were actually playing a few movies that I had been wanting to see!

劇院經常放映各種類型的日本電影，也有舞蹈演出，音樂和戲劇表演。我多麼希望可以在那度過更長一段時間，因爲劇院播放了一些我很想看的電影。

For those wishing to learn or practice Japanese, the Toyota Language Center offers 12 different levels of instruction and for those just wanting to know more?about Japan and its unique culture, the library features over 14,000 English-language books.

針對那些想學習或練習日語的人，豐田語言中心提供12種不同程度的語言指導。對於那些只想更多瞭解日本和其獨特文化的人來說，圖書館提供了超過14000本英文編著的書。

The Japan Society seems to put on two large exhibitions a year, one in spring and one in fall. While I was there I managed to catch the popular?Life of Cats: Selections from the Hiraki Ukiyo-e Collection, which I had been wanting to see since learning about it months prior.

日本協會基本在每年的春天和秋天共舉辦2次大型的展覽。我成功的看到了非常有名的貓的生活—Hiraki Ukiyo-e文集中的節選。我幾個月前瞭解之後就一直想接觸一下。

This exhibition examined the importance of cats in Japan’s history and folklore– which is interesting considering cats are not native to Japan.

該展覽呈現了貓在日本歷史與民間傳說當中的重要作用。有趣的是，貓並不源於日本。

Cats first arrived in Japan from China in the mid-sixth century, supposedly on a ship that was carrying sacred Buddhist scriptures. They were quickly adopted as pets and have since infiltrated Japanese hearts, and arts and literature, too.

據說在6世紀一艘裝有神聖佛經的，從中國駛往日本的船上也載了貓。那是貓第一次到達日本。

And though they were loved,people soon started to discover the mischievous side of cats, and folk tales began to spread about these creatures transforming into demons.

即使貓受到了寵愛，人們很快的發現了貓不好的一面。民間故事散佈開來，貓也在流傳中成爲了人們口中的惡魔。

The paradox between a cat’s cute appearance and their innate need for destruction was just one of the five themes explored in the exhibition.

可愛的面容和內心的破壞慾，對該悖論的探討也成了該展覽5個被探索的主題之一。

Over 90 rare woodblock prints from the Edo period (1615-1868) were included, which was quite impressive.

展出了江戶年間90多種罕見的木板刻畫。令人印象深刻。

Even though that exhibition is now over, the one opening in September on experimental art and photography sounds just as awesome.

即使展覽現在已經結束了，9月的關於實驗藝術與攝影的展覽聽說也是非常棒的。

If I lived in NYC, I’d be taking advantage of the Japan Society and all its programs. I know I’ll be back.

如果我住在紐約，我一定會充分利用日本協會的，想參加他們所有的活動。我知道我一定還會回來的。

When to visit: Monday – Fridays; and weekends during exhibitions

參觀時間--每個週五和展覽期間的週末

Cost:$12, $10 students and seniors. Free for members, children under 16, and after 6pm on Fridays

費用：12美元。學生和老年人10美元。16歲以下兒童及週五六點以後免費。

Where to visit: 333 E. 47th St., New York, NY 10017

地址：紐約市東47街333號

Have you experienced Asian culture outside of Asia? Tell me about it in the comments below or share your own photo on social media using the hashtag #FindingAsia!

你在亞洲以外的地方體驗過亞洲文化嗎？可以在下面的評論中告訴我，或者在社交媒體上用標籤#FindingAsia分享你自己的照片。

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