Konnichiwa!

2021 is finally coming to a close! Though it has been a year with many uncertainties, JCC persevered and organised a plethora of events that gave many the opportunity to learn more about Japan and Japanese culture, whether in-person or from home.

This year at JCC, we have begun easing back into holding exhibitions - with a twist! Many of these exhibitions have had online components, allowing guests to participate in talks, demonstrations, and workshops from the comfort of their own homes. As the number of guests we can accommodate at JCC is limited, going online has given a larger number of people, not only from Singapore but also from all around the world, to participate in our events and learn more about the charms of Japan!

Many of our long-running classic events also returned this year, such as the Japanese Film Festival 2020 and 2021, and JCC Cinema. We are thankful that audiences are continuing to show such strong support and interest in our events.

We also launched two exciting new series on our social media platforms this year. The first one is the Zoom In! Todofuken series. With this series, we transport our followers to one of Japan’s 47 prefectures each month and introduce them to sights, delicacies, and personalities they may have not known of before! Through our other series, Kizuna Story, our followers get to know people who have helped strengthen the bonds of friendship between Japan and Singapore in various fields such as education, urban design, and performing arts. It has been a joy to see the positive reactions and interactions to these series, and to know that many have learnt more about Japan and Japanese people in Singapore!

I would like to thank all our Friends of JCC for their strong continued support this year. JCC will continue to organise many interesting events in the coming year - physical, online, as well as hybrid - so please do stay tuned to our social media pages to stay up to date! Follow JCC on Facebook and Instagram, and the Embassy of Japan in Singapore on Facebook to stay connected with us.

We wish everyone a happy holiday season ahead!

Toru Furugori
Director, Japan Creative Centre (JCC)
Embassy of Japan in Singapore
4th December 2021