Hellenic/Japanese Relations: From Lafcadio Hearn/ to the Tokei Maru

Presents

If you are in Athens on September 26 join us for the East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance’s ( EMBCA ) sponsored “Hellenic/Japanese Relations: Lafcadio Hearn to the Tokei Maru” Panel Discussion and Humanitarian Award, hosted by The Demos Center of The American College of Greece, on Thursday, September 26, 2024. The event will be introduced by Mary Cardaras , the Director of The Demos Center , and the topic and the presentations will be introduced and moderated by Lou/Ilias Katsos EMBCA’s President. Our distinguished panelists will include critically acclaimed New York based multimedia artist Agni Zotis who will present her “Fireflies Series” of paintings created for the event and inspired by Lafcadio Hearn’s writings, Japanese Haiku masters on fireflies/ hotaru, and the “points of light” symbolized by the Tokei Maru; and Producer/ Director/ Animator/ Editor/ Member of Greek Directors Guild and ASIFA HELLAS Zaharias (Zachos) Samoladas will present on his book TOKEI MARU co-written with his wife Eleni Andriadou on the Japanese merchant ship that saved hundreds of lives during the burning of Smyrna and which has a chapter devoted to a fictional meeting of Lefkadio Hearn and the captain of Tokei Maru in a fusion of cultures and ways of life. After the presentations Lou Katsos will be presenting the EMBCA Humanitarian Award to the Japanese Ambassador to Greece His Excellency Koichi Ito to honor the humanity and bravery demonstrated by the captain and crew of the Tokei Maru, and to be followed by remarks by Ambassador Koichi Ito.

The event aims to foster a cultural exchange and the significant historical ties with the Japanese people particularly on the occasion of the commemoration/remembrance of the 120th Anniversary of the passing of Hellenic born (famous in America and Japan) writer Lafcadio Hearn / Yakumo Koizumi /小泉 八雲 / Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν on September 26, 1904 (the day of this event), as well as the humanity and courage of the Captain and Crew of the Japanese merchant ship the Tokei Maru which coming into Smyrna and seeing the devastation during the burning of Smyrna in September 1922 dumped its very valuable cargo into the sea and rescuing hundreds of Greeks and Armenians from the burning city and bringing them to safety in Greece.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: If interested in attending this significant INVITATION ONLY EVENT please RSVP due to the limited venue capacity.

Location: The Demos Center (17 Ipitou St.) in Plaka, Athens

Cocktail Hour: at 6 P.M. with music by Miss Saxo Vaya (Vaya Kalantzi)

Presentations and EMBCA Humanitarian Award: at 7 P.M.

The book, TOKEI MARU, will be available for purchase.

On Latcadio Hearn - https://lnkd.in/ewucUgvj

EMBCA- https://embca.com

The Demos Center- https://www.acg.edu/admissions/study-abroad/the-demos-center-project/

Agni Zotis - https://www.agnizotis.com

Zaharias (Zachos) Samoladas- https://genesispix.wixsite.com/zachossamoladas

Host or Publisher EMBCA - The East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance