Vivienne Kenrick - The Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Sep 10, 2005

LONDON -- In a Dickensian setting near the British Museum is a bookshop. Open the door, and the inviting musty smell of old books strikes you at once. On the ground floor, stacked shelves support books in English that "cover all aspects of the Far East and the Middle East." Rare books have their secure place in the basement. Nobuko Somers makes a claim for Fine Books Oriental. "We are the only bookshop in England specializing in the Far East and the Middle East," she said.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Sep 3, 2005

Will Carter

LONDON -- "Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Aug 27, 2005

Hiroji Koide

When he was barely turned 30, Hiroji Koide became vice chairman of the International Exchange Committee of the Japan Chamber of Commerce. That marked the beginning of his active participation in public affairs, which still continues more than 46 years later. He is a jovial, outward-looking Nagano man, an eager volunteer who encourages others to undertake voluntary work. He has lived most of his life in Nagano city. His public spirit and energy have brought benefits to Nagano, and the city and its son are proud of each other.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Aug 20, 2005

Sindhura Gadde

When jewelry designer Kazuo Ogawa conceptualized "Wings of Love," he said, "In all cultures and civilizations, birds have always been significant in mythology and philosophy, literature and poetry, dance and music, art and crafts, fashion and jewelry." The third annual "Wings of Love" charity event, held in Tokyo in May, was dedicated to spotlighting the beauty and importance of birds and nature, and to raising funds for their protection and preservation. Sindhura Gadde came from Bombay to be the occasion's special guest. She wears the crown of Miss India 2005.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Aug 13, 2005

Koka Fukushima

"One day I came across a solitary white dandelion growing on a high stone wall. That was my first encounter with plants, and amongst my earliest childhood recollections," said Koka Fukushima.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Aug 6, 2005

Puneet Nanda

"The sari," said Puneet Nanda in Tokyo, "is a most elegant and amazing garment."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jul 30, 2005

Michiyo Durt-Morimoto

Eleven years ago, Michiyo Durt-Morimoto did not go on her usual visit to Europe. She wrote to her longtime teacher in Belgium that she was preparing a book on her 25 years of artistic production. He replied that the book would mark the completion of only one period of her life, a "prelude of what is still to come." He complimented her, writing, "Of all my students you have proved to be the most successful." His letter became the preface to her book.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jul 23, 2005

Sathya Saran

"I think I am a good writer. That's the only skill I have," said Sathya Saran on a visit to Tokyo from Bombay.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jul 16, 2005

Kirk R. Patterson

This year, Temple University Japan received formal designation as the Japan campus of a foreign university. Before that, since 1982 in Tokyo, TUJ had the status of branch campus of Temple University in Philadelphia. U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer in giving the keynote address at this year's TUJ commencement ceremony said: "We hope other universities will receive similar declarations, but TUJ will always be the first. That will continue to be a source of pride."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jul 9, 2005

Thierry Voisin

Each day, Thierry Voisin cycles both ways between his Hanzomon apartment and the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo. "I have new eyes here," he said. "For me, this is like another planet."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jul 2, 2005

G.B. Umesh

Mysore, a former princely state in India and the seat of an ancient ruling family, was always known for its fabulous wealth.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jun 25, 2005

Tom Tsui

Three years ago Tom Tsui came to Tokyo to fill the position of deputy special representative of the World Bank.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jun 18, 2005

Setsuko Ishii

"Art exists at the border between the ordinary and the extraordinary," Setsuko Ishii said. "Light is something that essentially cannot be bent, nor shaped, nor even held. Yet in holography light can be molded like clay, or woven like thread. Through holography I want to create a certain set of circumstances in an environment of light and space. I hope that the experience of this environment can stimulate new ideas and feelings in the viewer."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jun 11, 2005

Kiyomi Okukubo

Masaki Nakano, honorary professor of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, described Kiyomi Okukubo as "unique, with shyness and flamboyancy existing together. Her rusticity is her quality." He guided her graduation thesis on Kiso lunch boxes. Her chosen theme becomes less surprising as Kiyomi explains that her father in his business life dealt with lunch boxes. There is no surprise in her spotlighting Kiso, as that is one of the old-world regions in Japan where the specialist art of lacquering has been practiced for hundreds of years. When she was advanced as an urushi lacquer artist, Kiyomi held some of her exhibitions in the Kiso Craft Center, Nagano.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Jun 4, 2005

Jon R. Greiner

"The Book of Lists" ranks public speaking as the foremost fear of people around the world, double that of fear of dying.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

May 14, 2005

Takashi Kikuchi

The College Women's Association of Japan is already preparing for its 50th anniversary print show in October. Proceeds from this show each year are allocated to CWAJ's scholarship and education fund. Most beneficiaries are female graduates of different nationalities planning advanced studies in Japan or overseas. Some beneficiaries are men and women with visual impairment.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

May 7, 2005

Adrienne Westmore

Audiences at the dramas presented by Tokyo International Players exclaim at the costumes the actors and actresses wear on stage. Period costumes invite special praise and wonder. How is it possible for a volunteer organization to put on shows with people so authentically and richly dressed? The answers lie with Adrienne Westmore.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Apr 30, 2005

Rosie Stancer

Only three women have ever on their own reached the South Pole. The first was a Norwegian skier. The second was a Briton, who covered the requisite 1,123 km in 42 days, a record that stands. The third was Rosie Stancer, also a Briton and the eldest of the three when at 43 she trekked solo in one of the world's remotest, harshest environments. Hauling her sledge and dependent entirely on herself, she completed the distance in 44 days, the second-fastest time. She described herself as "bewitched."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Apr 23, 2005

Nuzhat Niaz

"It is by God's grace that we are donors, not recipients. The sincerest form of gratitude is providing meaningful help to those weaker than ourselves."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE

Apr 16, 2005

Christopher Powell

A schoolboy evacuee from London to North Wales during World War II, Christopher Powell said he "fell in love with the land and language of some of my forefathers." Born in Brazil, where his father worked for a British bank, he has Anglo-Welsh antecedents from his father, and Anglo-Scottish from his mother. An interest in language may have been sparked in his boyhood in Wales, where he learned to pronounce the place name that begins Llanfairpwllgwayng and carries on to a total of 58 letters.

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