On Sunday 2010.6.20 the annual Short Shorts Film Festival Awards ceremony was held at the great hall in the grounds of Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Tokyo. There were screenings of some of the best films from this year’s festival & of course winners (& not!!) in various awards categories. An interesting & slightly traumatic moment for some of the young Japanese film makers when the best Japanese short film award was not presented to anyone as the panel of judges unanimously agreed that the quality of this year’s entrants were not up to festival quality. So budding film makers in Japan this is your chance to show the world your talent for next year’s festival!!
See more at www.shortshorts.org

Short Shorts Film Festival 2010 Awards ceremony invitation.

At the entrance.

Opening ceremony taiko drumming performance.

More big loud drumming!!

One of the judging panels.

Japanese film director explains why there is no winner for this year’s Japanese short film category.

A winner in one of the international divisions.

There I was in the luxury Sunroser Boutique in Akaksaka opposite the New Otani Hotel on Thursday 2010.6.17 surrounded by gorgeous fashion & people – all there to remember there’s more to this life than our superficial wants. We were there to witness the Japan launch of the Valentino T-shirts designed especially to be sold & raise funds for the Haiti earthquake (remember that one??!!) thankfully some people do.
Here’s the T-shirt designed by Valentino creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. All proceeds will be donated to the Francesca Rava Foundation to lend medical support to those in the devastated Caribbean country.

And here are some people who were out for the night..

Lovely ladies – Liane, Elizabeth & Yumi.

With Elizabeth Hildebrand, artist Pablo Posada Pernikoff & Liane White.

I experienced food, food & more glorious food, plus booze & loads of very happy foodie people at the renewal launch of the fabulous basement food hall at Isetan flagship department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo on Wednesday 2010.6.9.
From July 7 2010 you’ll be able to purchase from the food hall on line at www.isetan.co.jp/foods

Cheers to Isetan food hall!!

A gentleman from the Isetan food hall liquor department sharing with me the finest whisky from Japan – kanpai!!
Hang on – I’m in the food hall but why are the pics of me only with booze!!?? Blame Sayoko the photographer!!

I rediscovered this article published in The Japan Times in October 2005 asking foreigners in Japan to discuss their favourite Japanese books. One of the books I mentioned is Kin Shiotani’s – A Little Book For People With Rich Imaginations.
Click here to read the original article www.japantimes.co.jp

Kin Shiotani illustration. Kin Shiotani writes, illustrates & photographs his travels & thoughts. His work is whimsical, quirky, insightful, funny. See his website www.kinshio.com