Come and explore your five senses the Japanese way! JACCU is happy to announce its upcoming event 五感 Gokan, which will take place in the centre of Utrecht on Saturday June 4th. More in detail JACCU, the Japanese Art and Culture Centre of Utrecht, whose main mission is to foster, spread and promote Japanese art, culture and traditions in the Netherlands, has planned a series of performances, demonstrations and initiatives that will enrich and stimulate the perception of your senses in many ways, making your discover Japan and its fascinating art forms and traditions. 五感 Gokan means “five senses” in Japanese, and the name could have not been more appropriate as this all day long event is aiming at triggering our audience’s five senses with authentic Japanese traditions, yet with a modern twist. From the inebriating smell of flowers to the touch of beautifully handmade ceramic vases, from the delicate flavour of Japanese tea and treats to the viewing and listening of a great storytelling performance. And even more, from the stimulation of creativity through our expressive theatre performance for children to the captivating sound of Japanese rock music for adults! 五感 Gokan will take place at De Schuur, right in the heart of Museumkwartier, the cultural district in the centre of Utrecht, near Ledig Erf. This multifunctional space is often used for special events with a cultural or social purpose, to enrich the cultural landscape of Utrecht. With a mission similar to JACCU, the Japanese Art Culture and Centre of Utrecht is therefore very happy to have found such the perfect place for their full day of artistic initiatives. Program of the event Here below is the program for the entire day. Times are still subject to change; we recommend you to please reconfirm with JACCU a few days in advance. The events can be attended altogether for a price of 30 euro. However, it is also possible to attend the events separately, each with its own fee. Some side initiatives with a commercial purpose are free of charge, so they are included in the price of the event people decide to attend. h 10.30 – 11.30 – Klein Wonderland – performance by Wonderland Collectief (lead by Makiko Ito) Music – Kristján Martinsson: accordion, flute, voice, Ada Rave: clarinet, saxophone, small instruments Dance – Makiko Ito Stimulate your children’s sight, hearing and emotions development with Klein Wonderland, a unique music and dance improvisation performance by Japanese artist and dancer Makiko Ito and her international crew of musicians and dancers! Children sit comfortably on some fluffy cushions on the floor and Makiko will transport them into a wonderful, magical world made of colours, sounds and movement that will trigger their interaction, fantasy and imagination. Recommended for children aged 1 to 6 y/o. http://wonderland-wonderland.com/ – IN @wonderland_collectief/ event participation: 10 euro per child, free for one accompanying parent/caretaker. h 12.00 – 13.30 – Meet OHARA Ikebana Now it’s time to awaken our smell and sight senses with the sweet scent and the harmonious colour combinations of flowers, beautifully arranged according to the ancient Ikebana tradition, a typical Japanese art that has been practised for over six centuries. In Ikebana, flowers and plants are brought into a harmonious composition with great attention to their characteristic lines, shapes and colours. Conny van Dongen, director of Ikebana Ohara (Nederland Chapter), one of the most popular Ikebana schools in the world, says “Ikebana is a way of life. It teaches you how to open your eyes to the things around you and incorporate them into your life.” Ms van Dongen herself will make an intriguing demonstration to show the arrangements typically taught at OHARA school, from traditional arrangements to modern forms. The demo will be suitable for beginners to advanced Ikebana lovers. The purpose is to show the beauty of nature in this art form, solicit people’s interest in Ikebana, inviting them to be creative and do the same at home. JACCU and Ohara’s common purpose is to stimulate Ikebana lovers in Utrecht to form a group to join Ohara school, in order to do so JACCU has planned another Ikebana event that will happen exacly one week after the demo at 五感 Gokan. For more info, please contact JACCU and/or Ohara. https://www.ikebana-ohara.nl/ – IG @ikebana_ohara_chapter_nl event participation: 5 euro h 15.30 – 17.00 Creative storytelling Lab “Standing on the miraculous field” by Terra Norihiro Terazawa At 3.30 PM the audience will be invited to listen and be enchanted by Terra’s storytelling try-out performance on his latest short film project “Standing on The Miraculous Field”, which was presented in Canada at Toronto Fringe Festival in 2021. Terra will inaugurate the first of a series of “Storytelling Creative Laboratory” sessions, where the artist will share his ongoing developing piece, discussing his work with the audience after the show. This try out is preparatory for a theatre performance which will premiere in Mezrab, a renowned storytelling centre in Amsterdam in autumn. Standing on The Miraculous Field is about Natural Farming, or “do nothing” farming and Terra’s unique journey into acquiring organic farming skills and his adoption of a “laissez-faire” approach. Terra is a storyteller, story coach and theatre-maker. Also, he is a natural farming practitioner who leads a learning group in Voorschoten and he unites this big passion into his work. The artist, originally from Japan, has studied and worked abroad extensively, from Israel to Germany, from South Africa to Switzerland. He currently lives in Den Haag, and he is also working as Managing Director & Master Storyteller at DISC (Dutch International Storytelling Centre), to root the culture of storytelling in the Netherlands to empower people and unleash their potential. The artist’s aims are to have his audience reflect on what it is to live with nature and the earth in harmony, and even to invite people to get muddy and grow their own fresh produce. https://www.norihiroterra.com – IG @Terrastoryteller, @standingonthemiraculousfiled event participation: 10 euro h 20.00 – 21.30 – Yutaro Ogida rock concert It is now time to stimulate our audience’s hearing senses with some rock music! For the closing event of the day JACCU has planned a unique Japanese rock performance and invited the amazing singer-songwriter Yutaro Ogida directly from Japan who will delight the audience with a solo acoustic performance. Guitarist, vocalist and composer, Yutaro Ogida was born in Tokyo in 1970. He had a very international upbringing, as he lived and studied both in New York and in London, where he started playing guitar. When he moved back to Japan in the 1990’s he joined different bands and played together with several artists. He is also a co-founder of Genshishinbo, the well-known Pink Floyd tribute project in Japan. Recently, after many events, live performances, concerts and EP launches, he released his first full album “I feel”, which he will be promoting here in the Netherlands during the time of his stay. The final evening concert at 五感 Gokan is one of the many performances and open mic sessions he has planned for his stay in the Netherlands, where he will entertain Utrechters in several venues and bars throughout that week, supported by JACCU. http://www.ogidayutaro.com/ – FB yutaro.ogida event participation: 10 euro Throughout the day – price: free, it’s included in any ticket purchased: Japanese tea tasting Throughout the day, JACCU team members will serve some delicious, traditional Japanese tea for our audience to be immersed even more in an authentic Japanese day and to stimulate their sense of taste and refine their palate with something refreshing. Anne Sey ceramic vases for Ikebana for sale Anne Sey’s unique ceramic work, very suitable for Ikebana practice, will be on display and for sale during the day at the location. Take your time to pick out your favourite vase or kenzan bowl. It is work that you like to take in your hands, to feel the shape and texture and admire the different nuances of colour, so that your sense of touch will be fully stimulated. Anne makes her ceramics on a traditional potter’s wheel and is inspired by Japanese design. She has a degree in Japanese studies, travels to Japan regularly and worked for a short period in a pottery in Mashiko. https://annesey.nl/ – IG @Annesey1 Maan Limburg’s “The Lost World” photographic book for sale Dutch photographer Maan Limburg is intrigued by Japanese abandoned locations and vacant places such as houses and office buildings especially located in the rural areas. Her latest work is the result of this research project, and it consists of a collection of evocative photographs of this Japanese phenomenon, gathered together in a beautiful book called “The Lost World”, which will be for sale during 五感 Gokan. https://www.maanlimburg.com/ – https://www.thelostworld.online/ – IG @maanlimburg Practical Info What: 五感 Gokan – Explore your five senses Where: De Schuur, Wijde Doelen 8, 3512 XN Utrecht When: Saturday June 4, 2022 – 10.30 – 21.30 Price: Different fees apply. 5/10 euro per single event, 30 euro for the full day For more information and specific timings of each single event and workshop, please visit: https://jaccu.nl/events/gokan/ FB: Jaccunederland | IG: @Jaccunederland