Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

The first signs of spring have arrived in Japan, and it is also possible for more activities to be held with the warmer temperatures. Similarly, we enjoyed the beauty of spring and a plethora of events right here in Singapore!

In tandem with Expo 2025 Osaka that is due to open on 13 April, we held an exclusive event on EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and especially its Singapore Pavilion in March...(Click here to read more)

Shinobue: A Stirring Melody ~ The History and Music of the Japanese Bamboo Flute ~

On 5 March, JCC hosted shinobue player Mr Kano Yasukazu for a special lecture and demonstration supported by Hibikiya Singapore. Mr Kano introduced the history of shinobue, the Japanese bamboo flute, and demonstrated how different lengths of shinobue could produce sounds of different pitch and octaves. He also performed a few Japanese folk songs, highlighting...(Click here to read more)

Orientation and Send-off Reception for MEXT Scholars

On 15 March, JCC hosted the Orientation and Send-Off Reception for the successfully selected recipients of MEXT Scholarship, who will be embarking on an exciting academic journey in Japan next month. MEXT, which stands for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, has awarded scholarships to 13 students from Singapore at both undergraduate and research levels this year. The event was graced by...(Click here to read more)

Exclusive Media Showcase of Singapore Pavilion - Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

On 20 March 2025, Japan Creative Centre along with Singapore Tourism Board and Kingsmen Creatives co-organised an exclusive event spotlighting the Osaka Expo 2025 and the Singapore Pavilion. The special event also marked the Singapore introduction of the Dream Messenger Origami Campaign. The event was honored by the presence of Mr Alvin Tan...(Click here to read more)

Conversation with Kazuki Anzai, Managing Director of Ghibli Museum

Guests were spirited away to the enchanting world of Studio Ghibli on 20 March, during the exclusive event “Conversation with Kazuki Anzai”, organised by Japan Creative Centre and Mizuho Bank Singapore. As the Managing Director of Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, a suburb town of Tokyo, Ms Anzai shared her fascinating experience of how she came to take on...(Click here to read more)

JCC Cinema 94: Ghost Cat Anzu @ Gardens by the Bay

Our JCC Cinema 94: Ghost Cat Anzu was screened on 8 March at Gardens by the Bay as part of the Japanese Cultural Programmes at SAKURA 2025! Held at the Cannonball Room, more than 100 people watched the anime and learnt about the locations in Japan where the movie was based on – Shizuoka, Chiba, and Tokyo. Audience members who filled up our feedback form received a surprise Japanese themed notebook from us...(Click here to read more)

Launch of Sakura 2025

Charge d’affaires Mr Hotta Toru and Madam Ishikawa Yuko, wife of H.E. Ambassador Ishikawa, as well as JCC Director Kawabe Akiko attended the launch of SAKURA 2025 at Gardens by the Bay (GBTB) on 9 March.The official opening was graced with the presence of Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Digital Development and Information, and also attended by many distinguished guests from...(Click here to read more)

Singapore Premiere Screening of "THE SOLITARY GOURMET"

The premiere screening event was organised by KillerMud Films and Singapore Film Society and supported by JCC. Lucky fans of The Solitary Gourmet were among the first to watch the movie before its official release on 27 March. They were also treated to an exclusive post-show Q&A session with the director and lead actor of the film himself, Mr Matsushige Yutaka. Calling in from Tokyo, Mr Matsushige answered many of the fans’ questions...(Click here to read more)

Visit to Intercultural Theatre Institute

Director Kawabe Akiko and JCC staff members visited the ITI - Intercultural Theatre Institute on 3 March 2025 to observe the rehearsal session of “An Evening of Noh” taking place on 5 March 2025. Master teachers Kanze Yoshimasa and Kuwata Takashi, both recognised holders of Japan’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, have returned to Singapore to share their wisdom and techniques of Noh to ITI students. Director Kawabe and...(Click here to read more)

Visit to “An Evening of Noh”

Ambassador Ishikawa attended “An Evening of Noh” on 5th March, where students of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) presented excerpts of two well-known titles of Noh plays, traditional theatrical art-form of Japan. Noh Masters Kanze Yoshimasa and Kuwata Takashi from Japan provided training to the aspiring actors from Singapore and other countries in the past eight weeks. The performance at the Practice Space stage was remarkable...(Click here to read more)

Visit by students from Yokohama National University

On 13 March, students from 横浜国立大学/ Yokohama National University (YNU) visited JCC as part of their Global Language and Culture Programme. Accompanying them on their visit was Director Nitani Hiroyuki from the Kanagawa Prefectural office, where the University is situated at. The students, accompanied by their Adjunct Professor Ms Niinuma Masayo, listened to a presentation about Singapore and JCC’s activities...(Click here to read more)

Visit to "Goldfish"

JCC Director Kawabe Akiko attended the opening of unique drama performance "Goldfish" at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay on Friday evening. It is produced in a collaboration between Terrapin (Australia) and Aichi Prefectural Art Theatre (Japan) 愛知県芸術劇場. Featuring actors Mayu Iwasaki, Marcus McKenzie and Rino Daidoji, "Goldfish" presents an imaginative theatre experience through multiple stories that run simultaneously...(Click here to read more)

Visit by students from Toyama prefecture

On 18 March, high school students from Toyama Prefecture visited JCC. These students were selected to represent their respective high schools for this trip and also visited Vietnam and Malaysia prior to coming to Singapore. Second Secretary, Ms Yamaguchi Mana, shared about Singapore and Third Attache, Ms Tobaru Ayumi, explained about the role of the Embassy and the activities of JCC. The students had a lot of questions to ask...(Click here to read more)

Visit by students from Seitoku Primary School

On 21 March, students and teachers from Seitoku Primary School in Tokyo visited JCC. They were welcomed by Third Attache Ms Tobaru Ayumi, who also conducted a sharing on Singapore and the activities of the Embassy and JCC. The students were curious about many things regarding Singapore. Second Secretary, Ms Yamaguchi Mana, and Event Team Manager, Ms Soeda Keiko, answered the many questions that were...(Click here to read more)

Visit to Sakura 2025

Over the weekend, JCC Director Kawabe took a leisurely stroll through the breathtaking Sakura floral display at Gardens by the Bay. She was delighted to see that the "Cha Kabuki" event by Omotesenke Hoseikai captivated and entertained many visitors with a presentation of the traditional tea ceremony, accompanied by an engaging quiz featuring green tea. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, beautifully set against the backdrop of a miniature...(Click here to read more)

The Grand 1,400-Year History of Japan’s Oldest Road – Takeuchi Kaido road, Yoko-Oji (Oji) –

The Oji, or Takeuchi Kaido Yoko-Oji Boulevard,was built in 613, connecting Mt. Miwa in present-day Nara Prefecture with Mt. Nijo in Osaka. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sun rises above the peak of Mt. Miwa and sets beyond Mt. Nijo into Osaka Bay. The straight road that tracks the sun’s movement between these two mountains was dubbed...(Click here to read more)

Osaka zushi (Osaka Sushi)

A collective term for sushi made in Osaka, which includes pressed sushi, rolled sushi, and steamed sushi. While in Tokyo, "sushi" typically refers to hand-pressed nigiri sushi, the representative form of sushi in Osaka is oshizushi, where rice and ingredients are layered and firmly pressed. Among oshizushi, a particularly notable variety is the "nisun rokubu no kaiseki," also known as boxed sushi. Originally, pressed sushi featuring common fish like...(Click here to read more)

JCC speaks to ANTHEM, a Japanese heavy metal band celebrating their 40th anniversary, and who will be here to perform in Singapore for the first time this May. They are among the many heavy metal bands founded in Japan during the early 1980s and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential...(Click here to read more)

Hanami (Cherry-Blossom Viewing)

The arrival of cherry blossoms season signals the end of chilly winter weather in Japan. The blossoms start to bloom first in Kyushu around the end of March and spread northward as the weather warms, reaching Tokyo in early April and Hokkaido in mid-May. The three main weather bureaus issue forecasts of where the "cherry-blossom front" is moving, and newspapers report the process from first flowering to full bloom.

People celebrate the flowering of cherry blossoms by going out to see them - holding hanami picnics under the trees. These gatherings can be outings with family members...(Click here to read more)