Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

I hope I am not alone in being stunned to realise that one of the 12 months of 2025 is already gone!! But how nice to have the lunar calendar, as we can still enjoy the festivity and exchange best wishes for a year ahead! Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!

For the first month of 2025...(Click here to read more)

Taste of Japanese Rice from the North ~ Rediscovering rice with Japanese curry ~

JCC co-organised Taste of Japanese Rice from the North ~ Rediscovering rice with Japanese curry ~ alongside JETRO and the Tohoku Economic Federation on 18 January. The 3rd edition of its kind, the rice event has been popular among Singaporean friends and families as they discovered and tried different varieties of rice from Japan. Rice is at the heart of Japanese...(Click here to read more)

Revue Show "Les Ailes" by OSK NIPPON REVUE COMPANY

A spectacular performance of song and dance in glittering costumes! OSK Revue Official Site (OSK NIPPON REVUE COMPANY) was back in Singapore this weekend after 5 years! JCC Director Kawabe enjoyed their stage, "Les Ailes", which was an enchanting blend of jazz, classical and Latin music, as well as Japanese songs from the good old days of Showa. The troupe’s top star Tsubasa Kazuki (翼和希) and 10 other actresses sang...(Click here to read more)

Hatsugama Tea Ceremony 2025 by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association

H.E. Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa and Madam Yuko Ishikawa attended the Hatsugama, a tea ceremony to commemorate the New Year, on the 15th January at the Temasek Club, organised by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association. The kanji of Hatsugama (初釜) mean (初) “first/new” and (釜) “kettle” – and this term is used to refer to the first tea ceremony...(Click here to read more)

JENESYS post trip session at Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic participated in the JENESYS programme and shared their experiences about their trip to Tokyo and Tochigi! They have also designed an action plan related to food waste and cleanliness and recycling habits based on their experience. In an exciting quiz part at the end of the session, the audiences enjoyed learning about the programme. JENESYS is a people-to-people exchange programme launched in...(Click here to read more)

Visit to the opening of the Singapore Art Week

JCC Director Kawabe attended the opening of the Singapore Art Week (SAW) at the National Gallery Singapore on 15 January. Currently in its 13th year, SAW (running from 17 to 26 January 2025) is a cultural cornerstone in Singapore’s art calendar with participation from both local and international artists, galleries and art enthusiasts from all walks of life. Director Kawabe is impressed to understand that the event serves as a platform for...(Click here to read more)

Visit to ART SG Vernissage

JCC Director Akiko Kawabe was at the ART SG Vernissage at Marina Bay Sands last night, where the energy of the Singapore Art Week grew with further intensity. Oh so many galleries from all around the world gathered in Singapore for Southeast Asia’s leading international art fair! Director Kawabe visited many of the booths, including those from Japan and Singapore, and fully appreciated the diverse expressions of art...(Click here to read more)

Visit to the Japanese Cultural Festival and Night (JCFN) 2025

On 18 January, H. E. Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa attended the Japanese Cultural Festival and Night (JCFN) 2025, organised by the NUS Japanese Studies Society (JSS) at NUS University Town. On stage, the Ambassador gave a brief address, accompanied by remarks from Associate Professor Lim Beng Choo, Head of Department of Japanese Studies, NUS, Associate Professor Nicholas Hon, Vice Dean of Faculty of Arts...(Click here to read more)

The Canal to the Future ~ Koriyama/Inawashiro: In the footsteps of the pioneers ~

As early as the Edo period (1603-1867), people had dreamed of bringing water from Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima prefecture to the parched Asaka plains. The rivers carrying water from the lake flowed only to the west, leaving the lands to the east, on the other side of the Ou Mountains, short of water. However, the technical challenges involved in such a feat of...(Click here to read more)

Hokki meshi

Soma City has long been active in rice production. Even today, varieties such as Koshihikari and Hitomebore are produced, and the city is said to have the largest amount of shipments among the city's agricultural products (according to the Soma City website). In addition, Hokki-gai (shellfish) are often caught mainly in Matsukawaura, the only lagoon in Fukushima Prefecture. Fishing for hokki-gai has been conducted in the waters off Soma...(Click here to read more)

JCC speaks to Mr Oi Takeshi, a Japanese classical and contemporary crossover pianist, who will be here to perform in Singapore this March to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his solo debut. Alongside performing, he has remained active in media writing, and lecturing and has recently focused on piano education...(Click here to read more)

Risshun

Risshun, which falls in early February, is the first day of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar. According to the calendar used in the East since ancient times, Risshun marks the beginning of spring, Rikka (early May) the beginning of summer, Risshu (early August) the beginning of autumn, and Ritto (early November) the beginning of winter. The dates of Risshun, Rikka, Risshu, and Ritto are different from year to year.

Until Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, time was counted on the old lunar calendar...(Click here to read more)