Dear Friends of JCC,

Happy New Year! 新年あけましておめでとうございます。

I am delighted to usher in a new year for the first time in Singapore, especially because 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of JCC. Keeping this special year in mind, we are preparing a variety of exciting events to welcome everyone. So do keep a look out for them!

To kickstart the year, we will be holding our very first edition of JCC 15th Anniversary Talk Series...(Click here to read more)

Pre-departure briefing for JENESYS 2023 ASEAN-Japan Art Exchange Programme participants

On 2 December 2023, JCC held a pre-departure briefing for the participants of the JENESYS 2023 ASEAN-Japan Art Exchange Programme. Comprising of students from Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic, the participants will attend the 16th Asian International Children’s Film Festival at Minami Awaji City located in the Hyogo Prefecture...(Click here to read more)

JFF2023: Pokka Coffee Short Film Competition 2023 ~ Award Presentation and Festival Closing with Special Screening ~

On 20 December, the Japanese Film Festival 2023 (JFF2023) Closing Ceremony was held in conjunction with the Pokka Coffee Short Film Award Presentation. Awards were presented to the filmmakers who submitted their films for the competition. The filmmakers also participated in a Directors’ Forum and shared about their filmmaking process as well as their visions...(Click here to read more)

Visit to Aikido Shinju-Kai

JCC Director Ms Akiko Kawabe and First Secretary Mr Yuko Aihara would like to share a memorable visit last month to the main dojo of 心柔會 (Aikido Shinju-Kai), an organisation that teaches Aikido in Singapore. They met with Mr Philip Lee, the founder and chief instructor, who explained about the Aikido scene in Singapore. Within the dojo were framed photos of the founder of Aikido Mr Morihei Ueshiba, and his successor...(Click here to read more)

A Tale of Tabi Socks

Despite most people wearing Western-style socks today, tabi socks are still a necessary item when it comes to wearing traditional kimono. Its origins can be traced back to the Muromachi period, in which a bag-like material tied with a string was worn around the feet to resist the cold. This perfectly describes the kanji characters of tabi socks (足袋) which literally translates to ‘foot bag’. Eventually, this transformed into cotton split-toed socks, in which...(Click here to read more)

Japan’s Citrus Fruits: Bursting with Flavour

Ever wondered about the many kinds of citrus fruits from Japan? In fact, there are hundreds of citrus varieties in Japan! The very first mentions of citrus fruits can be found in the ancient texts of Kojiki (712 AD) and Nihon Shoki (720 AD). Based on these texts, we learn that a citrus fruit was brought back from China to Japan as a fruit which grants longevity. It is also thought that this oldest known Japanese citrus fruit is the “tachibana”, which is...(Click here to read more)

Lucky Dreams

In Japan, the first dream of the new year is believed to set the tone for the kind of year it'll turn out to be. Since New Year's Day is a day for celebration, the hatsu-yume (first dream of a new year) is usually the dream you have on the night of January 2.

The importance people attach to hatsu-yume seems to go back to ancient history. For instance, there's a historical document that refers to a hatsu-yume dreamt by Emperor Suinin, who is said to have reigned around the fourth century...(Click here to read more)