Japan Creative Centre (JCC) was delighted to host a little send-off orientation for the students participating in this year’s JENESYS Programme on 11th November 2017. 4 students from Nanyang Polytechnic and 5 students from Temasek Polytechnic, accompanied by Ms Rachel Lim from Nanyang...(Click here to read more)

Artists Adeline Kueh and Tetsuro Kano gave a guided tour of their exhibition ‘A bird in the garden, a cat in the room’ on 11th November 2017. Both artists spoke about the catalysts that inspired their pieces, and also about the art creation process. Despite having installations that are rather different, they spoke about the similarities in sensibilities they had – such as material and colour choices. Adeline Kueh also shared about how she has...(Click here to read more)

Japan Creative Centre (JCC) was pleased to participate in the One Community Fiesta of West Coast Community Centre(WCCC) on Saturday, 18 November. Our Ambassador H.E. Kenji Shinoda graced the event and had a guided tour around the event as well as newly upgraded WCCC together with the MPs from West Coast GRC and Pioneer Constituency led by host Mr S Iswaran (Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)), along with...(Click here to read more)

The opening ceremony of the Circle of Life – an exhibition by Japanese and Singaporean artists Mr Takanao Todo and Mr Justin Lee was held at JCC (Japan Creative Centre) on Friday, 24 November 2017. The ceremony was commenced by our Director Ms Akiko Sugita giving a welcoming remarks to the guests. Following which, both artists came forward to speak about the background, inspiration and concept behind the...(Click here to read more)

A series of workshops were held in JCC (Japan Creative Centre)’s E-library on 25 November 2017. In the morning, artist Mr Justin Lee held a silkscreen printing workshop in JCC (Japan Creative Centre)’s E-library on the morning of 25 November 2017. He taught the participants how to transfer their sketches onto the silkscreens he provided, and explained the importance...(Click here to read more)

Once again, children and parents were treated to a lively and hilarious Kamishibai (紙芝居), a performance on traditional Japanese Paper Drama by Nomarin on Sunday, 26 November. This annual event was co-organised by Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan in Singapore, The Japanese Association Singapore, in collaboration of the National Library Board...(Click here to read more)

A silkscreen printing workshop led by artist Mr Justin Lee was held for a group of museum docents on the morning of 30th November 2017. After introducing himself and his works to the docents, he began to teach them how to do silkscreen printing. The docents created many interesting designs that they then transferred onto their silkscreens, and printed onto sheets of paper. Mr Lee then helped them to print their beautiful designs onto tote bags...(Click here to read more)

H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda attended the Light-up ceremony of Christmas on a Great Street Light-up 2017, organized by ORBA (Orchard Road Business Association) at ION Orchard on 11th November, 2017. Hitachi has supported this wonderful event for 27 years. At this ceremony, Ambassador Shinoda celebrated the lighting up of Orchard Road for Christmas with President Halimah Yacob, Minister Desmond Lee and other...(Click here to read more)

H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda attended the inaugural Baseball Catches Hearts event at the Kallang Diamonds this Sunday, 12th November 2017. Despite the heavy rain, there was a large turnout of baseball and softball teams for the event. H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda, together with Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO of Sport Singapore, and Ms Foo Pei, President of the Singapore...(Click here to read more)

On Sunday, 12th November 2017, H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda attended the SJ50 Football Carnival Ambassador’s Cup 2017 at the Singapore Sports School. Twelve teams completed for the top prize, the Ambassador’s Cup. The Ambassador’s Cup went to the team “FC Jepun Hitam and Shoot”, and the first runner-up were the team “Temasek Reds”. H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda was there to speak to the participating teams and presented...(Click here to read more)

Tokyo Governor Ms Yuriko Koike visited Singapore and spoke about “Pursuing Sustainability: Environmental and Financial Leadership in Tokyo” at National University of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on Thursday, 17 November. With a full house and overwhelming response, the Governor mentioned some of their initiatives on sustaining Tokyo that...(Click here to read more)

Our JCC Director Ms Akiko Sugita, Deputy Director Mr Kazunori Matsunaga, and Mr Lin Tzu Chun visited and had a guided tour around the Anime X Stamps exhibition at Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) on Thursday, 16 November. The exhibition, which JCC (Japan Creative Centre) is pleased to support, showcases over 700 stamps from Japan featuring beloved classics...(Click here to read more)

On 29 November 2017, Ms Akiko Sugita, Director of JCC (Japan Creative Centre) was part of the panel that selected the Singaporean finalists that will be invited to take part in the IATTS Forum Leadership Training Programme in Japan. Established in 1985, the IATSS Forum provides opportunities for young...(Click here to read more)

On 2nd November 2017, H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda and Mrs Yuko Shinoda, and Deputy Chief of Mission Minister Naohiro Tsutsumi visited the exhibition ‘A bird in the garden, a cat in the room’ at JCC. They visited at different times and were given a tour of the indoor and outdoor installations by Ms Tomomi Nitta, the curator of the exhibition. Artist Mr Tetsuro Kano also explained the...(Click here to view more)

Seven members of the Akita Prefectural Assembly visited Japan Creative Centre (JCC) on 8th November 2017. The members of the Akita Prefectural Assembly had a meeting with the Director of JCC Ms Akiko Sugita and Deputy Director Mr Kazunori Matsunaga; they introduced the functions of JCC and the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, and the types of programmes that JCC organises. Curator Ms Tomomi Nitta also gave them a tour of...(Click here to read more)

We were delighted to have received Mrs Rebecca Chew, Academy Principal, Ms Seow Ai Wee, Deputy Director (Art), and two teachers from the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts at JCC (Japan Creative Centre) today, 9 November 2017. Ms Akiko Sugita, JCC Director, and Mdm Keiko Soeda, JCC Event Team Manager, welcomed them and discussed the possibility of future collaborations in the arts field between Singapore...(Click here to read more)

Mr Gaku Mizota, Second Secretary in-charge of sports affairs in JCC (Japan Creative Centre), Embassy of Japan in Singapore attended the Anniversary Showcase of Grapple MAX Dojo on Friday, 10 November and met members of Michinoku Pro Wrestling and Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling from Japan who were invited to perform there! (Click here to read more)

A group of students and staffs of Fukuoka High School visited Embassy of Japan in Singapore and JCC (Japan Creative Centre) on Monday, 13 November. They were first received by JCC Deputy Director Mr Kazunori Matsunaga at JCC, and had a guided tour around A bird in the garden, a cat in the room by the exhibition’s curator Ms Tomomi Nitta. The group was later welcomed by our Deputy Chief of Mission Mr Naohiro...(Click here to read more)

Four Japanese swim athletes, Daiya Seto, Junya Koga, Shinri Shioura, and Yasuhiro Koseki led a swimming clinic for children this morning (17th November 2017) at the OCBC Aquatic Centre. Team Japan are in town for the Singapore leg of the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2017, which will be held from 18th to the 19th of November. Ms Akiko Sugita, Director of JCC, visited them at the swimming clinic, and wished them all the...(Click here to read more)

H.E. Ambassador Kenji Shinoda visited MIRAI (Oceanographic Research Vessel by Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)) at Singapore Cruise Centre on Sunday, 19 November 2017 and discussed about the future Science and Technology cooperation between Japan and Singapore...(Click here to read more)

Ms Mio Matsui and Ms Kae Oki, who are studying way of tea with the guidance of Ms Sanae Otsuka, a master of the Omote Senke Way of Tea School in Japan, visited JCC (Japan Creative Centre) to exchange views with our Director Akiko Sugita on Monday, 20 November 2017...(Click here to read more)

Mr Takuya Hotta, CEO of Culture Generation Japan, and Mr Toru Horiguchi, the third generation Shuseki of Edo Kiriko and CEO of Horiguchi Kiriko Inc., visited JCC (Japan Creative Centre) to exchange views with Ms Akiko Sugita, Director of JCC, on 28 November 2017. Edo Kiriko is the art of cutting colours and delicate patterns into glass. Mr Toru Horiguchi had brought some of his exquisite glassware from Japan, which he introduced to Ms Akiko...(Click here to read more)

On 29th November 2017, Deputy Chief of Mission Minister Naohiro Tsutsumi visited JCC (Japan Creative Centre) to view The Circle of Life 輪廻, a collaborative exhibition of silkscreen prints and pottery by Singaporean artist Mr Justin Lee and Japanese artist Mr Takanao Todo. Minister Tsutsumi was given a tour by the artists, as well as manager Ms Junko Osamura. Minister...(Click here to read more)

My First Railway Exchange in Japan! By Ms Peh Yan Ting

I was fortunate to be selected as one of the 14 delegates to join Singapore 2nd Batch of JENESYS 2017 Inbound Programme that focused on the theme of Railway Industry. Although this was not my first time visiting Japan, this was my first exchange in Japan. Needless to say, the experience and insights I gained from JENESYS 2017 was absolutely new and amazing. What made the programme even more meaningful and valuable to all of us...(Click here to read more)

Japan’s People, Process & Technology By Mr Yosua Ng

The Japanese may not send very many Christmas or birthday cards, but they do send a lot of special postcards called nengajo that are delivered on New Year's Day. New Year's is a very special holiday in Japan - it's probably the biggest item on the calendar of annual events. There used to be a custom of calling on relatives, neighbors, and those who bestowed kindness over the preceding year during the first few days of the new year. But after the post office began issuing postcards in the Meiji period (1868-1912), people began sending these cards instead as a form of greeting...(Click here to read more)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), a national research and development agency, is delighted to announce today that JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi was selected as a crew member of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 62/63. The ISS Expedition 62/63 will be the third spaceflight for Astronaut Noguchi. He was launched as a mission specialist (MS) aboard the Space Shuttle for its Return to Flight mission in July 2005 after selected as a JAXA astronaut in 1996, and also worked on board the ISS for 161 days as a flight engineer of the ISS Expedition...(Click to read more)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will conduct a demonstration experiment of a microsatellite launch by SS-520 No. 5 as follows.

The observations made by the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) flown on the X-ray astronomical satellite ASTRO-H (“Hitomi”) show that the proportions of iron-peak elements in the Perseus cluster are nearly identical to those measured in the Sun, unlike previously believed. The new research results suggest that the solar abundance of the chemical elements represents the average values of the neighboring universe. In addition, this study provides new insights into the mechanism of Type Ia supernova explosions... (Click to read more)

An international collaboration of scientists from RIKEN’s Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory (FSL), Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg and GSI Darmstadt, have used high-precision techniques to make the most precise measurement to date of the magnetic moment of the proton, finding it to be 2.79284734462 plus or minus 0.00000000082 nuclear magnetons, the unit typically used to measure this property. The magnetic moment, a property of...(Click to read more)

On November 15, the K computer took first place for the third consecutive time in the HPCG benchmark, a new index developed to create a more realistic view of supercomputer performance compared to the commonly used LINPACK benchmark. The HPCG (High Performance Conjugate Gradient) benchmark measures how fast a computer can solve symmetric sparse linear system equations using the conjugate gradient method...(Click to read more)

Microcolumns: elementary neural processing units that tile the mouse brain

A hexagonal lattice organizes major cell types in the cerebral cortex, researchers in Japan have discovered. The pattern repeats across the brain, with similar cells synchronizing their activity in 'microcolumns', which could represent an essential computational unit in the brain. (Click to read more)

SAKURA Exchange Program in Science (SSP) by JST

Asia is undergoing a period of dramatic progress. Promoting science and technology is a key engine to materialize a bright future of Asia and it is vitally important to enhance the exchange of Japanese and Asian youths who will play a crucial role in the field of science and technology. Based on this concept, “Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science” (SAKURA Exchange Program in Science) is the program for enhancing exchanges between Asia and Japan of the youths who will play a crucial role in the future field of science and technology through the close collaboration of industry-academia-government by facilitating short-term visits of competent Asian youths to Japan. (Click here to read more: Website | High School Student Special Course Videos | Pamphlet)

Miraikan is a place where we can understand the things happening in our world today from a scientific point of view, and have discussions while considering the future that awaits us. In addition to exhibitions that provide people with a chance to enjoy hands-on contact with science and technology, Miraikan's colorful line-up of offerings includes experienced based classes, and talks. Visitors can experience the technological progress of today, from simple day-to-day questions, to the latest technologies, the global environment, space exploration and...(Click here to read more: Website | Video)

Since FY2015, Kyoto University has launched “Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform (JASTIP): Promotion of Sustainable Development Research” within the framework of the Collaboration Hubs for International Research Program (CHIRP) 2015 funded by the Strategic International Collaborative Research Program (SICORP) of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This project promotes research that can be...(Click to read more)

In collaboration with the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) implemented a joint international research call on mental health and, following an international joint peer review, selected two highly meritorious applications for funding. This was the first time for AMED to participate in a GACD joint research call. 11 GACD members participated in the joint call for implementation research proposals on mental health, of which 10 participated in a joint application process and peer review...(Click to read more)

Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) in collaboration with other e-ASIA member organizations have selected and announced three R&D projects in the field of health research under the e-ASIA Joint Research Program starting from FY 2018.

This program aims to develop a vibrant and collaborative research community in Science and Technology, to promote innovation in the East Asian region, and to contribute to the region’s economic development. (Click to read more: Japanese | English)

Singapore A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) with whom AMED signed the Memorandum of Cooperation is offering various scholarships such as:

"Student Guide to Japan" is an essential book for international students planning to study in Japan.

(Click to read more: English | Mandarin)

"Scholarships for International Students in Japan 2017-2018" contains details about scholarships provided by various organisations that have responded to a questionnaire survey carried out by JASSO. (Click here to read more)

Our new Student Advisor Ms Regina provides free student counselling for people interested in studying in Japan. The counselling will be held at the Embassy of Japan, 16 Nassim Road, Singapore 258390. No appointment is necessary. Please call 62358855 if you have any queries. There will be no counselling sessions on Embassy holidays. (Click here to read more)

Job Hunting Guide for International Students 2018 was released by Japan Student Service Organisation (JASSO). (Click here to read more)

Japan Student Service Organisation (JASSO) publishes Japan Alumni eNews every month. The contents are as follows:

1. Life in Japan by Photo
2. Alumni News
3. Academic News
4. Business News (Job Hunting)
5. Visit Japan
6. NIPPON Information
7. JASSO News
8. From the Editor

The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used to evaluate whether international students who wish to study at the undergraduate level at universities or other such higher educational institutions in Japan possess the Japanese language skills and the basic academic abilities needed to study at those institutions. (Guidelines for the 2017 EJU | (Click here to read more))

JASSO holds Study in Japan Fairs outside Japan with participation of Japanese universities to provide information on study in Japan to high school students, university students and educators.

Target: High school students, university students and graduate students.
Exhibitors: Japanese universities
(Click here to read more)

Information related to application qualifications, major field of studies, medium of instruction and on-campus scholarships of Japanese graduate schools, universities and junior colleges is available for searching through Excel files posted online. (Click here to read more)

EDU-Port Japan is a public-private, nationwide initiative to proactively disseminate Japanese-style education overseas by providing a platform from which the public and private sectors collaborate in achieving this objective. The platform is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and many other organizations including NGOs and private businesses.
(Click here to read more)