JCC E-Magazine June 2021

Sankeien © photoAC

Overview

JCC successfully held the first gold-leafing online workshop session last month, in cooperation with Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office. We were glad to see that everyone enjoyed a touch of Japanese culture in the comfort of their homes, and look forward to sharing the experience with more people this month too.

For this month's E-Magazine cultural articles, we are exploring family names in Japan as well as Sankeien, a large Japanese-style garden located in the port city of Yokohama, Kanagawa. Feel free to let us know if you want to learn more about any Japan-related topics!

Director's Message

Konnichiwa!

We are now halfway through 2021! June, despite being a wet and rainy month, is still a beautiful month in Japan: blue, pink, and purple hydrangeas bloom in earnest after the rain, adding vibrant pops of colour to the landscape.

This past May, JCC, together with the Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office, organised an online gold-leafing workshop on Zoom. Even though it was through a screen, I was glad to see many happy smiles in response to the enthusiastic guidance given by our host from the Ishikawa...(Click here to read more)

JCC Events

Go for Gold ~ Gold-leafing online workshop by Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office ~

A gold-leafing online workshop was held in collaboration with Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office on 22 May 2021. It was led by Mr Sakthibalan, the current division Manager of Ishikawa Prefectural Office in Singapore. Over 60 participants were able to create their own unique tumbler, decorated with gold...(Click here to read more)

Cultural Articles

“Nice to Meet You, My Name is OO!”: Family Names in Japan

Miyazaki, Murakami, Hamasaki - these are some examples of Japanese family names that you might recognise. Japan is an anomaly in East Asia; where countries like China and South Korea have less than a few thousand family names in circulation, Japan has over 100,000 family names in use! But did you know that the widespread use of modern Japanese family names is something that only developed quite recently in history? Prior...(Click here to read more)

Sankeien: A Glimpse of Old Japan in a Modern City

The port city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture is the second most populated city in Japan. As part of the Greater Tokyo Area, it serves as a major commercial and economic hub, and houses the headquarters of major Japanese companies. However, did you know that there is a green oasis in the southern part of this sprawling metropolitan city? Sankeien (三溪園) is a large Japanese-style...(Click here to read more)

Japanese Cultural Fact for June

Sanno Festival

The Sanno Festival is organized by Hie Jinja in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The shrine has a long history, dating back to 1478, when it was built to ensure good fortune during the construction of the castle in Edo (now Tokyo).

The highlight of the festival is the procession of portable shrines, which meandered through Edo Castle during the Edo period (1603-1867) and was viewed by the shogun. For this reason, it was also called the Tenka, or "crowning," festival...(Click here to read more)

Upcoming Events at JCC

14.06.2021

Go for Gold ~ Gold-leafing online workshop by Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office ~

Related Events

11.07.2021	Japanese Speech Contest 2021 [Application Deadline 6 June!]
16.04.2021 - 19.09.2021	Life in Edo \| Russel Wong in Kyoto @ Asian Civilisations Museum

Notice

■ Calling for Application: The 15th Japan International MANGA Award (Application Deadline: 8 July 2021)

■ The Japan Foundation grant program for FY2021 (Japanese / English)

■ Enjoy Free Japanese Lessons here on NHK World!

Notices regarding the COVID-19 situation

■ Japanese Government Initiatives for COVID-19

■ Embassy of Japan in Singapore Facebook