Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

April saw its share of excitement with the fifth installation of JCC’s 15th Anniversary Talk Series, which featured Iwasaki Onikenbai. The troupe first performed at JCC in 2012, and it was wonderful to welcome them back after more than 10 years. From the talk, I learnt plenty of new and insightful information about this traditional performing art, which has been handed down through 1,300 years and is now a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. I was...(Click here to read more)

JCC 15th Anniversary Talk Series: Iwasaki Onikenbai

On the evening of 11 April 2024, JCC had the pleasure of presenting Iwasaki Onikenbai during the fifth installation of the JCC’s 15th Anniversary Talk Series in collaboration with Hibikiya Singapore. Onikenbai is a traditional performance art that began as a ceremony to gratify the spirits of late ancestors and it gradually evolved to become a stylised and dramatic ritual to energise and cleanse the aura of the land. Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa...(Click here to read more)

Urasenke -Finding Historic Charm of Japanese Tea-

JCC Director Ms Akiko Kawabe attended a Japanese tea cultural workshop on 17 April 2024 at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), organised by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association. The workshop enjoyed the presence of SUTD President , Professor Chong Tow Chong, and was carried out at the Tang Zheng Tang traditional Chinese structures at the university campus. Amid the wooden arcs and magnificent pillars...(Click here to read more)

Visit by professional shogi player Mr Shohei Takada

Professional shogi player Mr Shohei Takada paid a visit to JCC during his brief stay in Singapore on 22 April. Shogi is a traditional Japanese board game similar to chess. Mr Takada presented a board of calligraphy handwritten by Mr Yoshiharu Habu, a shogi meijin （名人） title holder and President of the Japan Shogi Association, as a gift to H.E. Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa. JCC Director Akiko Kawabe received it on his behalf...(Click here to read more)

Visit by Mr Kisaburo Tokai, Mr Masahiko Shibayama, and Mr Kenji Yamada

On 30 April 2024, JCC welcomed Mr Kisaburo Tokai, Chairperson of LDP's Policy Research Council, Mr Masahiko Shibayama, Acting Chairperson of the Policy Research Council, and Mr Kenji Yamada, Director of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Division of the Policy Research Council. H.E. Ambassador Hiroshi Ishikawa escorted them during...(Click here to read more)

Shirakami Sanchi: A Natural Wonderland

Did you know that Japan is home to one of the world’s largest virgin beech forests? Straddling both Akita and Aomori Prefectures, Shirakami Sanchi is a vast mountain range of approximately 130,000 hectares. Within this area, 16,971 hectares is a natural native virgin beech forest, and it was one of the first sites in Japan to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1993. Due to harsh climate conditions, in which snow...(Click here to read more)

Unwind at an Izakaya

One of the dining establishments that is ubiquitous in and unique to Japan is izakaya, be it small, local establishments or large izakaya chains. The word ‘izakaya’ (居酒屋) literally means “stay-drink-place”, which suggests that it is a place to get a drink. While izakaya may be referred to as a Japanese pub or bar, its atmosphere tends to be cosier and the menu is more diverse. In the past, there were sake stores which used to...(Click here to read more)

In this edition of Kizuna Story, JCC speaks to Ms Ayana Yamashita from Hyogo prefecture. She is a student at Okayama University majoring in education, who participated in the JENESYS 2023 programme. Learn more about her experience on the JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) programme, and her advice to people who are interested...(Click here to read more)

Rice Planting

Rice planting is the act of transplanting rice seedlings from the seedbed to a rice paddy. In Japan, it usually takes place from around the end of April to late June, depending on the region.

For centuries, each seedling was transplanted into neat rows by hand, making the process extremely time consuming. It also had to be done in a hurry, and so during the rice-planting season, people worked from dawn to dusk, regardless of the weather. The task was very labor intensive, and so...(Click here to read more)