JCC E-Magazine June 2016

Dr. Chris McMorran giving an introduction on the field study trip topic

As part of a joint effort between Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Embassy of Japan in Singapore and Department of Japanese Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), a special presentation by the students who participated in the 2016 NUS Field Study Trip to Japan, led by Dr. Chris McMorran, was held on Friday, 27th May 2016 at JCC.

A total of 9 students shared their individual thoughts and experiences from a “heritage” perspective to over 40 guests, including representatives from the Kyushu region of Japan at CLAIR Singapore.

Dr. Chris McMorran first briefly presented the framework of the research project, namely elaborating on how one can perceive the three points of “power”, “promise”, and “problem” in heritage. Some thought-provoking questions to ponder on included:

What aspects of the past deserve to be, and at what scale? Who gets to decide?
Who gets to decide?
What role does heritage play in the contestation and construction of local, regional, and national identities?
How might heritage attract visitors and revitalise communities?

Guests listening to the presentation

One of the students giving her presentation

Following that, each student took turns to present his/her insights from their 10-day field trip in northern Kyūshū area, while focusing on the three given points. They had toured a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites and other heritage sites in Hakata, Tsushima, Nagasaki and Hashima (also known as the abandoned “Battleship Island”). These included well-known places like the Nagasaki Peace Park, to lesser-known locations like Tsushima island.

Their presentations were accompanied by numerous photographs, some of which were displayed on the exhibition walls of JCC.

With most of the members of the audience having visited Japan before, the sharing proved to be an eye-opener on the different perspectives of heritage. They also had a chance to clarify any doubts with the students at the end of each presentation.

Finally, Third Secretary Ms. Junko Minagawa shared some information regarding the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) scholarship, JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) programme, and SSEAYP (Ship For Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme). Please do not hesitate to visit the relevant websites and "Education Information in Japan" of this e-magazine for more information, if you are interested in any of these programmes.

A guest asking the presenters some questions

Dr. Chris McMorran elaborating about the field study trip		One of the students giving her presentation
One of the students giving her presentation		One of the students giving her presentation
One of the students giving his presentation		One of the students giving her presentation
One of the students giving his presentation		One of the students giving her presentation
One of the students giving his presentation		JCC Director. Ms Misako Ito with Dr. Chris McMorran and the student presenters in celebration of our SJ50 this year
Guests viewing the photograph exhibits		Guests viewing the photograph exhibits
Guests viewing the photograph exhibits		Guests viewing the photograph exhibits

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2016 will mark the 50th Anniversary of Singapore-Japan Diplomatic Relations