THE JAPAN SOCIETY

JAPANESE CONVERSATION GROUP

Meetings - 2009 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001

２００５年１２月１日　（木）６時３０分
恒例のクリスマスクイズは延期となり、代わりにもっと劇的なゲームといえるシャレードを行います。ここではクリスマス関連のことをチームの 代表にメッセージとして渡します、そのキーワードは口述されません。そのメッセージを推測するのにとても重要と思われるキーワードですので、 さあ、ゲームはどうなるでしょうか！！

Photos from the November Peter Parker Awards competition. Click for more photos.

２００５年１１月３日（木）

１１月は英国、日本の童謡についてでした。歌詞を当てるだけでなく、その裏の意味を考えてもらうもので、ハンプティーダンプティーなどは単なる卵の歌でなく、 戦争で使われた大砲についてといったこと。王の馬と王の僕といった歌詞がそれを暗示しているといえるでしょうか。ご存知のリングリングローズィズは花の歌でなく、 １７世紀に疫病のこと。日本のとーりゃんせでは神社より長い道のりを示していたり、シャボン玉はかわいい歌でなく、深い重い意味もあるなど、童謡の暗い一面にも触れた月でした。

2005年１０月６日（木）
１０月は、極めて文学的な趣向で、「著者当て」ゲームを行いました。いつも通り工夫して、まずチームごとに短い伝記を日本語に訳してもらい、それを皆の前で読み上げて、皆にその 著者が誰なのかを当ててもらうというものでした。　しかし、コンバセーション グループのメンバーは、とても よく本を読んでいるようで、すべての問題が正解となってしました。このゲームでは、 夏目漱石、村上 春樹、コナン　ドイル、J.K.ローリング、石黒一雄を取り上げました。　問題を読み上げてくれた方々へは、その勇気への報賞として、バーからドリンクをプレゼントされました。

２００５年９月１日（木）
９月のコンバセーショングループでは、新しいタイプの折り紙のゲームを行いました。「説明ー翻訳ー折るー押して 、カエルをジャン プさせる」ゲームです。　はじめに、英語、日本語のネイティブの混ざったグループをつくり、それぞれのチームは紙と折り方の説明を受け取りまし た。そして英語のネイティブが日本語で折り方を説明して、日本語のネイティブがそれに従ってカエルを折っていきます。三つの難関「翻訳、折り方の説明、そして実際にカエルを作るこ と」を１０分間で仕上げるというのは、どのグループにも、やる気をなくさせることにはならなかったようでした。　実際、しばらくしてパブ中を見渡すと、パイントグラスの数 よりも多くのカエル達がいたので、次回は、もう少し難しいものに挑戦した方がいいかもしれないと思いました。

Thursday, 4th August 2005
August saw the finger tapping frenzy of our Kami Sumo (lit: paper sumo) competition return for another bout. On four miniature Dohyo's, contestants placed the paper Sumo Rikishi (penguin, lizard and bear also available) of their choice against that of their opponents, and in the moments that followed beat the mat of the Dohyo until only one figure was left standing. For some it was a chance to settle old scores - for others a chance to grab a drink at the bar while everyone else was occupied. For the winners, a Geisha-sumo competition (same rules - only paper Geisha figures) decided who was Yokozuna, and a certificate was awarded.

Thursday, 2nd June 2005- In June 2005, we were lucky to be able to present something completely different. The short film "People, London, Japan", is a competition entry from Westminster University, and puts the lives of three different Japanese people in London under the spot light. The director visited us, and was available for questions, while our audience watched transfixed. I'm sure everyone was thinking 'I know people just like that!' as they watched.

Thursday, 5th May 2005- In May 2005, the country was caught up in election fever, and we were no exception. Our election based facts and figures game proved both challenging and informative, with true and false questions making things a little easier.

Thursday, 7 April 2005 In April we tested our members geographical abilities: having picked several temples in Japan, and several castles in the UK, our teams had to match the name to the location. The ability of people to distinguish one crumbling monument from another was certainly an impressive feat. Saturday, 23 April also saw our annual Hanami Picnic come and go with a once again impressive turn out. Rain initially threatened to put a dampener on proceedings, but fortunately for us, the Yae-sakura blossom on the trees were so dense that they provided a roof under which we all could sit. If only it had been a bit warmer! After several hours of chatting, drinking and eating on our makeshift Goza mats (no karaoke), we decamped to the local Southside bar to spend what remained of the evening.

Thursday, 3rd February and 3rd March 2005 - February and March saw games based around romance and the Girl's Day Festival of Hina-matsuri respectively. Setting up the Hina-dan, with its arrangement of Hina-ningyoh dolls is a fairly formidable task (there are 15 or so figures, plus accessories). So, to avoid future embarrassment for any would-be parents found lacking in the requisite know-how, we gave our members the chance to practice in the safe environment of the Mason's Arms. Teams put paper replicas of the figures on a paper Hina-Dan and were marked at the end of the exercise for accuracy and speed.

Thursday, 13th Jan 2005 - In January 2005, we were very grateful to have with us Kakushow Sensei, a Rakugo performer of world repute who is now on a year long placement the UK, courtesy of the Cultural Affairs Department of Japan. Rakugo, is the art of Comedic Story Telling, but forewarned of the Conversation Group's propensity to chatter, Kakushow Sensei gave a series of short sketches in Japanese, illustrating the various aspects of the art: - the importance of getting the head and chopstick actions in tandem when miming the eating of noodles (try and imagine them in syncopation for example!); the peculiarities of the Osaka Dialect, and how to deliver punch lines about family relations, for example. Kakushow Sensei's Deshi, or prot馮・Ayako, also gave a turn, demonstrating a blend of traditional ventriloquism with a more contemporary flavour - the rendition of a Franz Ferdinand song for example was a nice touch! If you would like to know more about Rakugo, you can also log onto his website http://www.kakushow.com/

Meetings - 2009 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001

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