Japanese Coloring Book

PHILADELPHIA, June 8, 2020 - Hosted by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASP) and its partners, JapanPhilly2020 is a yearlong celebration that will unite Philadelphia and Japan in a compelling array of Japanese art, business, and cultural activities.

From the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden to the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival,

Philadelphia’s Japanese community is already deeply integral, now more than ever,  to the social and educational makeup of the city’s world heritage.

JapanPhilly2020 is hosted by the JASGP and its partners. To celebrate this occasion, Global Philadelphia Association has partnered with the Philadelphia International Airport to translate the Philadelphia World Heritage Coloring Book into Japanese just in time for the start of JapanPhilly2020.

JapanPhilly2020

The unveiling of the Shofuso House and Garden’s Shofuso and Modernism: Mid-Century Collaboration Between Japan and Philadelphia online-focused exhibit, is scheduled to be the main attraction for JapanPhilly2020 this coming August.

The exhibit will showcase the friendships and transcultural exchanges between Junzo Yoshimura, George Nakashima, Noémi Pernessin Raymond, and Antonin Raymond through their collaborative architectural projects.

Other scheduled events for JapanPhilly 2020 will include the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival and Obon Festival. The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival was scheduled for April 4th and 5th but was canceled due to the COV-19 pandemic. This year’s event would have expanded on previous years through its Shofuso Sakura Matsuri celebration, which was set to feature two days of live performances, arts and crafts, tea, fashion, flower arranging, and much more.

In addition to this, the Cherry Blossom 10K/5K will be rescheduled for a later date.

Despite the cancellation of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, JASGP still currently plans to host the Obon Festival, a summer event based on the Buddhist belief that ancestors’ spirits visit the world of the living.  Centered on local dances, the Philadelphia edition includes taiko performances, tea demonstrations, yukata, and crafts.
 

About the World Heritage Coloring Book

Philadelphia joined the Organization of World Heritage Cities in November 2015, becoming the first "World Heritage City" in the United States. The city was chosen for such a historic designation because it is regarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has a rich array of historical buildings and cultural sites, including 67 national historical landmarks.

Since releasing the English version of the Coloring Book, GPA has been able to donate 5,000 copies of the book to students in the Philadelphia area. During the Wawa Welcome America Festivals in 2007 and through 2019, 3,000 copies of the book were given out during GPA’s 2018 World Heritage Day Celebration at the Philadelphia Zoo.

GPA  commissioned Michelle Dowd, a local writer, and illustrator, in 2017 to create the Coloring Book. The Coloring Book introduces children, ages 5 and up, to connect their pride in their community to their pride in themselves.

After the designation, GPA challenged itself with the ambitious goal to teach students across the city about the legacy and universal value of Philadelphia. GPA’s World Heritage City Project builds on the designation with a variety of different initiatives focused on four core missions: preserving and celebrating Philadelphia’s historical and cultural assets; building World Heritage City awareness and ownership; educating global kids with roots; and extending Philadelphia’s global reach.

The Philadelphia World Heritage Education Program was instituted in 2016 to fulfill the third  goal of the World Heritage City Project, to educate global kids with roots. This involves expanding students’ horizons to encompass the larger world, while at the same time providing them with an awareness of their own personal heritage and a good grounding in the history and culture of the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection.

The program consists of the development and promotion of Philadelphia heritage-related educational material that includes the Philadelphia World Heritage Coloring Book, a documentary film (now in twelve languages), lesson plans, and the LearnPhillyHeritage.org website.

Also included is direct programming for students and educators with a strong emphasis on teacher professional development. GPA focuses on serving low-income students as well as recent immigrants and English Language Learners, with several of the Project’s resources available in multiple languages.

An educational toolkit and teacher guide was also developed by GPA in order to assist educators across the city to incorporate the Coloring Book in their classrooms. GPA World Heritage Program Manager Melissa Stevens and Educational Consultant Sarah Sharp led Henry H. Houston Elementary School in Mt. Airy and St. Mary Interparochial School in piloting this program, donating 440 copies of the books to these schools.

The teacher guide includes suggestions for classroom activities; information on the best practices and core standards; and complementary resources related to the people, places, events, and themes covered in the Coloring Book. Like the Coloring Book, the teacher guide is available in Spanish.

The Coloring Book is available for purchase in any language for $7.95 on the Global Philadelphia Association website. A link to the web page can be found here: https://globalphiladelphia.org/coloring-book
 

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About Global Philadelphia Association

Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) consists of more than 200 internationally involved organizations, businesses, and individuals in Greater Philadelphia. It was created to assist – and to encourage greater interaction among – the many organizations and people who are engaged in international activity in the Greater Philadelphia Region, to promote the development of an international consciousness within the area, and to enhance Philadelphia’s global profile. Most recently, GPA released the Philadelphia Heritage Map in July, which created an online database and illustrated print map of Philadelphia’s 67 National Historic Landmarks. Additionally, GPA has also released English and Spanish versions of the Philadelphia World Heritage Coloring Book. For more information, visit our website: globalphiladelphia.org

Global Philadelphia Association
Two Logan Square
100-120 N 18th St., Suite 530
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-563-2482
[email protected]