Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Who's Janis Cherry?
A1: Janis is a lesbian living in the States and just staying for awhile in Japan. Twenty-something and a science major student.
Q2: I want to go there just once. Is it OK?
A2: It's alright. But before coming to the room, please tell Janis who you're on which date you're coming. [e-mail]
Q3: I don't have anything to bring with me for the meeting. But I want to see what's going on...
A3: Please come and see us. I am collecting some books for the worst case that if nobody bring anything. If you have some articles and books in different languages, don't hesitate to bring in. In fact, it's very difficult to find work related lesbian and feminism written in Japanese. I'm truely interested in seeing the lesbian-related in other cultures.
Q4: I'm an artist, but I'm not writing poems or music. Can I bring part of my work for the meeting to share with you?
A4: Sure. But you may not find other people who is interested in your field. This time, the meeting is more like workshop for artists working on the field of sound - words in voice and music. Still you'll find people who like to see your work which is for empowerment for lesbians.
Q5: So, what are you going to do for the first meeting?
A5: I don't know yet. In Part 1, we'll introduce ourselves and decide the topic for the second meeting anyway. And then, in Part 2, we'll share our own work and/or show us what you bring for the meeting.
Q6: Don't you need to have a topic or two for each meeting beforehand, so that you can prepare in advance and the meeting could be more valuable?
A6: Of course, I want. For instance, before the next meeting, if each member could read a book, find an article, or see a film on the same topic, it'll be ideal. Also, even if we have someone would prepare nothing, she will get more information and new perspectives from other members. So, I'll do so for the second meeting and write on this website.
Q7: How many people do you expect to come?
A7: Well, the room can have 20 people the most and when you move out all the tables, you can get 30 or something packed. But if there's 10 for the first attempt, I'm happy.
Q8: I don't know the place.
A8: Hikone-San-Paresu is very close to the JR Minami-Hikone Station. There's a KOBAN next to the station, and you can ask them. I'm afraid but I'm really bad at telling a way to somewhere. Please look up a map.
Q9: Maybe I can come late or maybe I'll go out during a session, is that OK?
A9: You cannot come in late, but you can go out anytime. We keep the room from 5:00 pm, so that you can be excited by waiting for the start even though you come earlier.
Also, as I mentioned on another page, you may join only one of the 2 sessions of an evening.
Q10: Can I bring anything to drink?
A10: No alcohol and any illegal drug. Also, please do not bring something smells too strong to stay in the same room with you. Plus, it's no smoking.
Q11: Can a man come in?
A11: Why not? No restriction with genders, sexual orientations or whatever. Our keywords are lesbian, feminism, and art. If you hate any of these words, don't come.
Q12: What the relationship between feminism and lesbian?
A12: In an early American feminism organism, it was only for European-American Heterosexuals. It was called Feminism, but those female groups shut out lesbians and colored people. At this moment in Japan, there are other minorities such as the challenged and foreigners living in this country. But our group will give useful perspectives and empowerment for lesbian's art creation especially by feminism.
If you don't still see the relation, for example, almost only men could be famous admirable musicians, poets, or writers in a history. There should be woman artists, but I know very few. There must be lesbian artists but there're only rumors. And now, do you know any lesbian artists who could be on a public school textbook? Why were and are there nobody of us? Why is it so difficult to find all those women and especially lesbian artists now? When we find some answers for these questions, it'll be our help to live as lesbian artists.
Hotels in Hikone (each hotel may have a different English name)
When you call from outside of Japan, drop the first zero and put the country code of Japan, 81.
i.e. +81-749-26-5000
Hotel Lake Land Hikone
62-2 Nishi-ima-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0054
TEL: 0749-27-5000
FAX: 0749-27-4505
Minami-Hikone Station Hotel
289 Koizumi-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0043
TEL: 0749-26-0755
FAX: 0749-26-5981
Super-Hotel Minami-Hikone-Eki-Ma-e
133-1 Koizumi-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0043
TEL: 0749-24-9000
FAX: 0749-24-9092
Hotel Southern Villege
512 Hirata-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0041
TEL: 0749-22-5555
FAX: 0749-23-0500
Hikone Biwako Hotel
63 Hirata-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0041
TEL: 0749-24-8000
FAX: 0749-24-8050
Business-Hotel Hikone
170-1 To-machi, Hikone, Shiga 522-0009
TEL: 0749-24-4631
FAX: 0749-24-4634
Business-Hotel Seri-kawa
2-8-4 Kwara,Hikone, Shiga 522-0083
TEL: 0749-26-2750
FAX: 0749-26-2734
Janis Cherry [cherryj_l@yahoo.com]
Don't forget to put your name on your e-mail to me!
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