10% of the art sale proceeds, 100 % of the art goods sales, and a charity box on the site for collection of additional individual donations at the gallery entrance go to families who lost their loved ones in Operation Iraqi Freedom through Operation Family Fund. Also, we placed a charity box at the “section of oil painting’’ for the Green Belt Movement. Entitled ‘’ Through The Eyes of Your Culture’’, the exhibition's messages center around peaceful relations between Japan and the United States and the hope for world peace that transcended culture, language, and gender. It also highlighted the Japanese artistic sensibility, giving viewers a glimpse of interpretations of peace as seen through the prism of Japanese aesthetics and art forms,both traditional　and modern. Nearly 70% of the pieces exhibited were traditional calligraphy, Japanese-style painting, ink painting, haiku, tanka and ceramic artwork. These traditional forms have deep roots spanning centuries of history and reflect the foundational spirit of Japan's art heritage. The works that comprise the remainder of the exhibit highlight the progression of recent artistic identities catalyzed by Japan's changing social and cultural environment in modern times. One of the pivotal events in the history of Japanese modern art was the introduction of oil painting, which officially began when Tenshin Okakura invited American artist Ernest Francisco Fenollosa to the Art School of Tokyo in 1887. This blending of East and West began an era of heavy Western cultural influences in art, which eventually progressed full circle and ushered in the current era of reconnection with original forms of traditional Japanese art. But even in the most abstract modern works with strongly evident Western artistic sensibilities, the beloved Japanese theme of the four seasons of nature (inspired by the broad climate range of the nation's archipelago) appears again and again, giving them a uniquely Japanese tone. The modern art chosen for the exhibition are stand-out examples of this beautifully blended aesthetic. From the Meiji era, when Taikan Yokoyama and Tenshin Okakura came to the United States, to the present, where Takashi Murakami is gaining a great deal of attention for combining Japanese original culture with a wide variety of influences, there have been many approaches to introducing Japanese arts to the US and to New York City in particular. Through The Eyes of Your Culture was a rare opportunity for the New York City community to be a part of a versatile cultural exchange project that provided a wide window into the Japanese identity through the medium of art, and a chance for greater understanding of the Japanese people and culture.

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Main Category		Oil painting, Water painting, Calligraphy, Sculpture, Craft, Ceramic, Photography, Flower Design, Poem, Haiku,Tanka
Main Exhibitors		Hiroyoshi Oda ( Oil Paintings ) Member of the Japan Art Academy / Nika Association, President Aoko Mitani (Japanese style painting) Hiroshi Akaana (Oil painting) Reiji Hiramatsu (Japanese style painting) Kohun Yasuhara (Sho) Shuntarou Tanigawa (Poem)
Host		Biken International
US Agent		Algorithmic Creations LLC
Supported by		Business model e-bizmo Co., Ltd. Avex Entertainment Co., Ltd. Twinkle Co., Ltd. ITO EN Co., Ltd. EN Japanese Brasserie Haiku Society Of America COCOANEWYORK.COM

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The Start of the Second World Poetry Contest

Poetry makes the world Hot!
The Poetry Renaissance Executive Committee launched “World Poetry Contest”. This project’s mission is to introduce the fascination of distinctive Japanese Poetry such as Haiku, Tanka, and Senryu, and spread the wave of writing poetry around the world.

There has been a growing interest in Japanese Poetry year by year, and more and more people learning and composing Japanese Poetry, of course in United Stated, and also in European countries such as Italy and France.
Japanese Poetry is getting close attention to its style of beautiful expression, which includes scenes and emotions in limited words.
The Poetry Renaissance Executive Committee would like people from all over the world to compose poetry, and foster international exchange with poetry through “World Poetry Contest”.

On this occasion, the Second World Poetry Contest was held in conjunction with New York International Art Festival 2006— EN: THE ART OF JAPANESE IDENTITY CHARITY ART FESTIVAL IN CHELSEA.

The Grand Prize Winner will be Awarded a Return Air Ticket to Japan!

After the New York International Art Festival 2006— EN: THE ART OF JAPANESE IDENTITY CHARITY ART FESTIVAL IN CHELSEA, entries was examined first by the local judges. The final examination was conducted by the people of letters who have entered the festival to determine the grand prize winner. The winner will receive a return air ticket to Japan.

Organizer		Poetry Renaissance Implementation Committee
Local Judges		William J.Higginson, and Penny Harter, poets and Past Presidents, the Haiku Society of America.

The Results of the Second World Poetry Contest Announced

Thanks partly to the cooperation of the Haiku Society of America, we received a total of 73 entries ,and this contest saw many works of a high quality.

The Major Award-Winning Works

M.Kei / Tanka

my mother planted a plum tree to have blooms when her heart was winter weary

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BIKEN INTERNATIONAL C0.,Ltd.

Biken International was founded in 1997. The Biken philosophy centers on providing exhibition opportunities for talented artists and creators regardless of style or category, achieving notable success via a wide variety of exhibition-focused events and the publishing of individual and collaborative collections.

Biken is broadening its activities through the expanded production of creative initiatives and events through traditional and non-traditional mediums and venues. Biken International's ultimate mission is to enrich the hearts and minds of people across cultural and social lines, and to build an artistically fluent society fhrough their art-based cultural activities.

Founded		December 1, 1997
CEO		Yu Kaburagi
Number of Employees		80 (As of November,2006)
Head Office		9F Sumitomo fudosan aoyamadori Bldg, 1-7-7 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan 150-0002
Telephone		+81 3-5766-9291
Fax		+81 3-5766-9292
Main Clients		JTB Corp. Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Tokyo Big Sight Inc. Tosho Printing Co., Ltd. Nikkei Printing Co., Ltd. Nippon Express Co., Ltd. Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd. Hakuhodo Inc. Business model E-bizmo Co., Ltd. Fuji Ad. Systems Corp.
Affiliated Corporations		Research Institute for National Policy Design＆Business Forum The Japan Society of Publishing Studies The JapanChamber of Commerce and Industry Japan Jyoso Cultural Society Japan Library Association

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B A N Q U E T　　C E R E M O N Y

Pre-Opening Dinner * RSVP Only		December 11th ,2006 7:00PM-10:00PM
Venue		Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum 2 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128 Phone: 212-849-8321 http://ndm.si.edu/

E X H I B I T I O N　　O U T L I N E

Speciall Vewing Reception * RSVP Only		December 13th,2006 6:00PM - 9:00PM Open Bar ＆ Refreshment: Sushi 3 hours ''ZAN'' Japanese Instruments performance starts at 6:30PM
Exhibition On View		December 14th ,2006 11:00AM - 8:00PM December 15th ,2006 11:00AM - 3:00PM
Venue		The Gallery Room of Metropolitan Pavillion 123 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 Phone: 212-463-0200 www.metropolitanevents.com
Biken US Agent		Algorithmic Creations, L.L.C 55 Broad Street, 16th Floor New York, New York 10004 Phone : 212 925-3774 Facsimile: 212 658-9422 Contact Events RSVP /Keiko Ohashi cyberneticsoul@nyc.rr.com Contact Events Details and Information/ Mio Hayafuji at miohayafuji@gmail.com