Konnichiwa!

The weather in Singapore has grown warmer as of late, with the end of the monsoon season. Similarly, the same can be said of Japan, as we enter the final month of spring. While the heat builds up, JCC also hopes to keep up the energy and continue sharing the most of Japanese culture with everyone.

With the gentle easing of regulations, we are excited to welcome everyone back to JCC to join us in person during this month’s events. This includes furoshiki workshops...(Click here to read more)

Commendation Ceremony for Mr Kenneth Tan

On 25 April 2022, Ambassador Jun Yamazaki hosted a dinner to celebrate the conferment of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation on Mr Kenneth Tan, Chairman, Singapore Film Society (SFS). This award is in honour of his dedication to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Singapore through the arts and film. With over thirty years’ experience...(Click here to read more)

Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135 Exhibition "Mother’s Love"

On 29 April, Ambassador Jun Yamazaki and Mrs. Junko Yamazaki attended the opening ceremony as the Guest of Honour for Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135’s public exhibition themed "Mother’s Love." Ms. Linda Soo-Tan, President of Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135, kicked off the event with a welcoming speech, followed by a Taiko Drum performance...(Click here to read more)

Okinawa’s Treasured Superfood

It is no secret that Okinawans have a longer life expectancy compared to the average global standard, and even among Japanese. One reason for this is their healthy diet, which contains a good number of superfood such as bitter melon, turmeric, and acerola. On top of this, one staple ingredient of Okinawa cuisine and confectionery is kokuto (黒糖), or brown sugar, which is processed from sugarcane. Sugarcane has grown to one of the largest...(Click here to read more)

A Resilient Symbol of Spring

The sight of flowers such as plum blossoms, cherry blossoms and azalea budding and adorning the landscape with their beautiful colours is a definite sign of spring. However, there is in fact another tell-tale sign, and that is the sight of bamboo shoots sprouting above the ground. You may associate bamboo with the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, or the Tanabata festival in July, when people write their wishes and hang them on...(Click here to read more)

A famous poet, William Butler Yeats, once said "There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet." This meaningful quote made me reflect on friendships and connections – how do they start, why do some continue while others do not, and how and why do they strengthen or fade over time. In pre-pandemic times, there were many opportunities to connect and make friends with people from abroad, including Japan. In the institution where I...(Click here to read more)

Aoi Festival

One of the biggest events on the festival calendar in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, is the Aoi Festival of Kamigamo Shrine, held on May 15. This festival is one of the most solemn and graceful festivals in the country, and it has been well preserved since the eighth century, when it first started.

The festival came to be known by its present name in the Edo period because the paraders and carriages were decorated with distinctive aoi (hollyhock) leaves.

It's a very popular festival that includes a procession of about 500 people clad in the elegant and ornate...(Click here to read more)