Happy Lunar New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I am so delighted to report that we kicked off our SJ50 celebrations with numerous exciting events, which you may have seen colourful photos through Facebook or this E-Magazine.

We had Minister Moriyama of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in Japan for our ‘WAZA – Enjoy Taste of Japan’ seminar and reception during the first weekend of January. At the reception, our distinguished guests were treated to servings of top grade Wagyu (Japanese beef), strawberries that were in season as well as a spirited performance by ‘Sansa Odori’ dance group from Iwate Prefecture.

A few weeks after our MAFF event, we had the Hokkaido and Kagoshima Prefectural Governor’s respective visits to Singapore. We witnessed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) duly signed by Mr Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Mr Ryoichi Matsuyama, President of Japan National Tourism Board (JNTO) at our centre itself.

Currently, JCC is housing sets of quarter-sized Sake Barrels from Milan Expo Japanese Pavilion in 2015. The barrels are elaborately designed with floral patterns and distinctive theme colours as well as labelled with 47 Japanese prefectures. Come by our centre anytime to view this exhibit and enjoy learning about our prefectures while they are still on display.

This month of February, we will have an official opening of our new photography exhibition on "OYAKO" (a Japanese word meaning, the bond between parent and child). I have always wanted to showcase this exhibit in Singapore for a few years now and I am grateful to announce that we are showcasing this event in commemoration of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami back in 2011.

We may face major tragedies in our daily lives, but what I think we should consistently remember is to convince ourselves to attain the power of resilience. On that note, I wish many of you will take this opportunity to drop by our OYAKO photography exhibition as well as our film screening of OYAKO – the movie (in March), and hope you rediscover your own "OYAKO".

Check out our new SJ50 brochure here as well!

See you soon,

Misako Ito
Director, Japan Creative Centre (JCC)
Embassy of Japan in Singapore
5th February 2016