News

Japan Society to present Two-Day anime event

New York-based Japan Society will present a two-day festival of discussions, anime new-release screenings, and demonstrations later this month. The symposium, which will be held the weekend of January 23 and 24, 1999, will be titled "Anime: The World of Japanese Animation." The group started advertising the event during the fall of last year in such newspapers as the New York Times, but only recently was a more complete event and guest listing made available.

The first day of the symposium will be devoted to anime's history and influences on Japan and the world, as well as its increasingly mainstream market in the United States. The second day will take a look at the creative aspects, involving the video game markets, and toy spin-offs, as well as the anime itself. Each day will conclude with screenings: these include recent Evangelion movies. (The format that the films will be presented in was not noted.)

Among the guests are:

Taeko Baba, Pro-Tech Design Corporation;

Machiko Kusahara, media researcher, and Associate

Professor of Science & Technology, Kobe University;

Mixx Entertainment, Inc;

Scott Mauriello, Managing Director, Anime Crash;

Fusanosuke Natsume, critic;

Kodansha America;

John O'Donnell, Managing Director, Central Park Media;

Kōichi Ōhata, anime product designer;

Steve Pearl, Co-Founder and Chairman, Anime Alliance;

Frederik Schodt, translator and author;

Henry D. Smith II, Professor of History, Columbia University;

Captain Harlock, and many others.

Those wishing for more information should call (212) 715-1243.