Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

Time flies and we’re already halfway through 2025. It feels like a lot has happened in the past 6 months alone, especially last month. We were first transported to the black and white world of ink, with calligrapher and artist Maaya Wakasugi’s exhibition and performance that fused Japanese traditional scripts with contemporary art. It was wonderful to see people personally experience calligraphy, from the process of grinding ink....(Click here to read more)

Opening Ceremony of Shaping Stories in Ink by Maaya Wakasugi - Bridging Cultures, One Stroke at a Time -

The Opening Ceremony of “Shaping Stories in Ink by Maaya Wakasugi – Bridging Cultures, One Stroke at a Time”, an exhibition that blends Japanese traditional scripts with contemporary art, was held at JCC on 6 June 2025. JCC Director Ms Kawabe Akiko and Ms Miyawaki Nao from LUMINE SINGAPORE welcomed all the guests with their speeches. This was followed...(Click here to read more)

Gum Disease Uncovered: Learn it! Stop it! ~ Lecture on periodontal disease by Prof. Shinya Murakami, DDS~

Gum Disease Uncovered: Learn it! Stop it! A lecture on periodontal disease by Prof. Shinya Murakami, DDS was held at JCC on Saturday, 14 June 2025. Prof. Murakami, who is the Professor Emeritus of the Department of Periodontology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, not only explained about the condition of periodontal disease, or gum disease...(Click here to read more)

Hidden Colours of Tohoku ~ Vibrant Summer Festivals and more! ~

On 19 June 2025, JCC held the event “Hidden Colours of Tohoku ~Vibrant Summer Festivals and more! ~” to showcase the relatively unknown sightseeing spots in Tohoku and its charms throughout the 4 seasons. JCC Director Ms Kawabe Akiko was dressed up for the occasion in a yukata to kickstart the event. After which, two JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching...(Click here to read more)

JCC Cinema 95: My Neighbour Totoro

JCC Cinema 95: My Neighbour Totoro was held on 21 June 2025 at One Punggol’s Natsu Matsuri, the Japan Summer Festival! The Studio Ghibli film is a popular classic, and there were both young and old audiences. This is the first time JCC held a movie screening at One Punggol, and it was a great opportunity for us to connect with the residents of Punggol! Besides JCC Cinema, the Japan Summer festival saw multiple Japanese cultural...(Click here to read more)

One Punggol Japan Summer Festival 2025

On Saturday, 21 June 2025, Ambassador Ishikawa Hiroshi attended the ONE PUNGGOL JAPAN SUMMER FESTIVAL 2025, a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture held at One Punggol. The event was graced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong, and Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Communications and Information; Ministry of Health), who delivered the opening...(Click here to read more)

Summer Breeze Charity Tea Gathering

On Saturday, 21 June 2025, Ambassador Ishikawa Hiroshi attended the Charity Tea Gathering 2025, held at the multi-purpose room at One Punggol. The event was organised by the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association, in conjunction with the ONE PUNGGOL JAPAN SUMMER FESTIVAL 2025. The theme of this year’s gathering was “coolness”, inspired by the timeless teaching of Sen no Rikyu, the founder of the Japanese tea ceremony...(Click here to read more)

Summer Breeze Charity Tea Gathering

JCC Director Kawabe joined the Singaporean friends at the Summer Breeze Charity Tea Gathering. Organised by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association on 21 June One Punggol’s Japan Summer Festival, the event featured two types of tea ceremony: a formal indoor ceremony followed by a more informal outdoor-style ceremony using portable tea utensils. Following the tea tasting, guests received insightful explanations on...(Click here to read more)

Study in Japan Presentation at SUTD

Education attaché and First Secretary Mr Aihara visit SUTD Singapore University of Technology & Design to present information on post-graduate studies in Japan to interested students. Besides covering the process of enrolment, Mr Aihara also highlighted the generous support offered by the MEXT Scholarship, a comprehensive scholarship programme awarded by the Japanese government (Ministry of Education, Culture...(Click here to read more)

Visit by teachers and staff from Methodist Girls’ School

A group of teachers and staff from Methodist Girls’ School visited JCC on Monday, 2 June 2025, as part of their Learning Journey to learn Japanese culture. Ms Yamaguchi Mana, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, welcomed the group and explained about the purpose, functions, and activities of JCC, as well as our efforts in promoting the people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Singapore...(Click here to read more)

Visit to “Kyoko Hashimoto in Recital”

Ambassador Ishikawa Hiroshi and JCC Director Kawabe Akiko had the pleasure to attend a performance by award-winning pianist Ms Kyoko Hashimoto at the Victoria Concert Hall on 27 June. The concert, part of the 31st Singapore International Piano Festival, featured works by Debussy and other French composers as well as Toru Takemitsu’s “Rain Tree Sketch II”. Following her performance, Ambassador Ishikawa and Director Kawabe...(Click here to read more)

Visit to “Stories from an Island City – Celebrating 60 Years of Singapore”

Last Sunday, Director Kawabe attended the “Stories from an Island City – Celebrating 60 Years of Singapore” concert at the Vivo City Amphitheatre. The concert presented by Mapletree, featured The TENG Ensemble as well as guest performers Bhaskar's Arts Academy, percussionist Lalit Kumar, Nadi Singapura, accordionist Syafiqah 'Adha, and Voices of...(Click here to read more)

Visit to Japanese School Changi Campus

Second Secretary Ms Yamaguchi and newly-selected JET Programme participants visited the Japanese School Changi Campus to know how English classes are being conducted for Japanese elementary school children there. Ms Yamaguchi accompanied the Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) under the JET Programme, who visited the classes to help prepare themselves to teach in Japan. They will begin teaching at their assigned schools in August...(Click here to read more)

A Mountain Temple’s Safflower Culture

For Japanese people who love fruits, Yamagata Prefecture is synonymous with cherries. Its climate provides the perfect conditions for growing delicious, ruby-red Yamagata cherries that account for roughly 70% of Japan’s cherry production. However, there is another crop that played an important role in the history of this prefecture. The safflower has long flourished in the...(Click here to read more)

Imoni (taro soup)

“Imoni” (taro soup) is said to have originated in the mid-1600s. At that time, the Nakayama-machi Nagasaki area, the last stop for the Mogami River boat service, was a place to pick up cargo brought from the Kamigata (Kyoto-Osaka area) via Sakata. However, at that time there was no way to communicate to announce the arrival of a boat, so the boatmen had to wait for days before the consignee showed up, and they would hold a party...(Click here to read more)

If you are a fan of anime, you have probably rocked out to the amazing theme songs at the opening and ending of each episode. Many Japanese bands have gained a significant fanbase from their involvement in the OSTs (original soundtrack) of popular anime series. You may have also heard of our special feature band from the recent TV anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Hashira Training Arc" in 2024...(Click here to read more)

Tanabata

Tanabata, or the Star Festival, is held on the evening of July 7. The festival traces its origins to a legend that the Cowherd Star (Altair) and Weaver Star (Vega), lovers separated by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet just once a year - on the seventh day of the seventh month.

Children and adults write their wishes on narrow strips of colored paper and hang them, along with other paper ornaments, on bamboo branches placed in the backyards or entrances of their homes. They then pray hard that...(Click here to read more)