What a special week we had in Singapore! Starting from a world premier Listen to Haruki Murakami: Music Beyond Words concert at Victoria Theatre, to a striking and memorable theatrical drama Kafka on the Shore produced by world-renowned director Yukio Ninagawa based on Haruki Murakami at Esplanade, followed by a series of wonderful talk sessions during the Singapore Writers Festival with five speakers at the Arts House, we have been fully immersed in the world of Haruki Murakami...(Click here to read more)

Nihonbuyo Nishikawa-ryu: The Artistry of Odori

The Nishikawa-ryu: The Artistry of Odori was held on Friday, 2nd October and Saturday, 3rd October at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). Organised by the Nishikawa Company, Asian Civilisations Museum, Japan Creative Centre (JCC) and Kodama Brewing Company, the event brought a rare opportunity for all to experience...(Click here to read more)

SSEAYP Day 2015: Official Launch & Talk by Mr Viswa Sadasivan

Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme or otherwise known as SSEAYP, conducted a five-day exhibition and a series of talks from 5th to 10th October at Japan Creative Centre (JCC) from in light of the 50th Anniversary of Singapore-Japan Diplomatic Relations (SJ50). SSEAYP was created to develop ties, understanding, coexistence between Japan and ASEAN nations...(Click here to read more)

SSEAYP Day 2015: Creating a Caring Culture by Ms Thang Leng Leng

A second talk entitled, ‘Creating a Caring Culture’ by Associate Professor Ms Thang Leng Leng of the National University of Singapore, Department of Japanese Studies was conducted on Wednesday, 7th October at Japan Creative Centre (JCC), as part of the SSEAYP Day 2015...(Click here to read more)

SSEAYP Day 2015: Closing & EEEE/HHH Talks

The closing of SSEAYP Day 2015 on Saturday, 10th October invited audiences to tune into personal experiences of various former Participating Youths (ex-PYs) and members of the Host Families. With two sessions, one entitled ‘Explore, Experiment, Experience & Embrace’, allowed the ex-PYs to recall and share their positive and negative experiences on board the Nippon Maru last year...(Click here to read more)

Unorthodox Tradition: Heritage & Creativity in Kabuki by Ms Yow Wei Meng

Ms Yow Wei Meng, an expert who is in the field of Kabuki for more than two decades, conducted a talk at Japan Creative Centre (JCC) on Wednesday, 14th October. A form of Traditional Japanese Dance-Drama, Ms Yow spoke about the unique features of Kabuki such as its make-up, Actor’s Lineage and music. Most importantly, she explored the possible of having creativity and innovation in the traditional heritage of Kabuki...(Click here to read more)

Noh Theatre ~Behind the Mask~ by Ms Chikage Terai

Around 60 Singaporean residence from nearby Woodlands area came and were mesmerised by different kinds of instruments such as flute and drums as well as costume of our ancient and traditional culture of Noh, a classical Japanese musical drama theatre with slow movements, poetic language and performers donned in rich costumes...(Click here to read more)

Opening & Demonstration of Ikebana Singapore: Flowers of Singapore

The Ikebana International Singapore Chapter 135 conducted an exhibition, Flowers of Singapore in celebration of Singapore Botanic Gardens being declared a cultural site of UNESCO World Heritage 2015. The exhibition held from 21st to 24th October consisted an opening ceremony and a demonstration session...(Click here to read more)

JET Programme Information Session

An information session on the Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme (JET) was conducted on Friday, 16th October at the Japan Creative Centre (JCC) with a full house. Providing an opportunity for foreigners to teach in Japan, the programme was started in 1987 with the purpose of increasing mutual understanding between the people of Japan and other nations...(Click here to read more)

Introduction to Japanese Language at Pei Chun Public School

The staff of Japan Creative Centre (JCC) set out to Pei Chun Public School to introduce Japanese Language to the primary 3 and 4 students on Friday, 23rd October. As the first primary school in Singapore to have foreign languages as electives, the students who were well versed in both English and Chinese language were eager to learn about the culture of Japan...(Click here to read more)

Ichikawa Ebizo XI's Courtesy Call to His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi

A Japanese leading Kabuki actor, Ichikawa Ebizo XI, paid a courtesy call to His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi on Thursday, 15th October during his busy schedule in-between rehearsals for his performance, Ebizo Ichikawa XI's Japan Theater 2015 that was held at Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre on 17th and 18th October. (Click here to view more)

Visit by Hamamatsu Nittai High School of Shizuoka Prefecture

A group of students from Hamamatsu Nittai High School, Shizuoka Prefecture visited the Embassy and Japan Creative Centre (JCC) on Wednesday, 21st October. The students paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Chief of Mission Mr Naohiro Tsutsumi, after which Mr Kazunori Matsunaga introduced about Singapore and the roles of the Embassy and JCC. They were then welcomed by Director Ms Misako Ito, as well as viewed the on-going Ikebana Exhibition at JCC. (Click here to view more)

His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi's Visit to the Japanese Cultural Society Singapore (JCS)

His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi visited The Japanese Cultural Society Singapore (JCS) on Tuesday, 27 October. He was briefed and accompanied by President Mr Lai Ah Keow and Vice President Mr Tan Jong Lek. (Click here to view more)

His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi at Listen to Haruki Murakami: Music beyond Words

His Excellency Ambassador Haruhisa Takeuchi attended Listen to Haruki Murakami: Music beyond Words, a unique concert experience drawn from the pages of Haruki Murakami, on 28th October at Victoria Theatre. The Ambassador also shared about the upcoming SJ50 next year with the performers. (Click here to view more)

Autumn Foliage

Japan is located in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, and it's home to many deciduous plant species whose leaves turn color in the fall, including the maple, ivy, yamaurushi (a type of sumac), and mountain ash. When autumn deepens, these leaves change from green to red and gold. This is called momiji, or autumn foliage...(Click here to read more)

Congratulations to Japanese laureates (Prof Satoshi Ōmura) at The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine!

On 5th October, The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was announced. This Nobel Prize was divided, one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura "for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites" and the other half to Youyou Tu "for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria". (Click to read more: Japanese only)

Congratulations to Japanese laureates (Dr Takaaki Kajita) at the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics!

On 6th October, The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics was announced. This Nobel Prize was awarded jointly to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald "for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass". (Click to read more: Japanese only)

“Ryugu” was selected as name of Hayabusa2 target asteroid

Asteroid 1999 JU3, a target of the Asteroid Explorer “Hayabusa2,” was named “Ryugu”. One major reason for the selection was that, in the Japanese ancient story “Urashima Taro”, the main character, Taro Urashima, brought back a casket from the Dragon’s palace, or the “Ryugu” Castle, at the bottom of the ocean, and the theme of “bringing back a treasure” is common as the Hayabusa2 will also bring back a capsule with samples. It was selected among 7,336 entries.

The Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) Team of the United States, which discovered 1999 JU3, proposed the suggested name of “Ryugu” to the International Asteroid Union (IAU), and it was finalised by being listed on the Minor Planet Names: Alphabetical List of the IAU Minor Planet Center. Thank you very much to those who took part in the naming campaign. (Click to read more)

Suzaku satellite reveals the average chemical composition of our Universe on the largest scales to be the same as that of our Sun

All of the chemical elements that are heavier than carbon, the oxygen we breathe, the silicon that makes up the sand on the beach, were produced inside stars through nuclear fusion and released by stellar explosions called supernovae. By measuring the chemical composition of the Universe, scientists are trying to reconstruct the history of how, when, and where each of the chemical elements so necessary for the evolution of life were produced...(Click here to read more)

JAXA Symposium for data applications of earth observation satellites 2015: Earth observation for decision-making in people's lives

JAXA Symposium for data applications of earth observation satellites 2015 was held in Tokyo on 2nd Novemver 2015, hosted by JAXA, supported by Office of National Space Policy, Cabinet Office,Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in cooperation with Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).

2015 is important year for JAXA. Toward solutions to social problems that hunankind faces, various international frameworks such as Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development Goals, have been established for this one year. Earth observation satellites are required to provide observation data to users including the world, regions, countries, local districts, individuals for decision-making to resolve the problems...(Click here to read more)

K computer takes first place in Graph 500 supercomputer ranking

A collaboration between RIKEN, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, University College Dublin, Kyushu University, and Fujitsu has again won top place for the K computer in the June 2015 Graph 500 supercomputer ranking, demonstrating the Japanese supercomputer’s prowess in the area of data-intensive processing. The results were announced on July 13 at the international conference on high-performance computing (ISC2015) in Frankfurt, Germany...(Click here to read more)

SAKURA Exchange Program in Science by JST

Asia is undergoing a period of dramatic progress. Promoting science and technology is a key engine to materialize a bright future of Asia and it is vitally important to enhance the exchange of Japanese and Asian youths who will play a crucial role in the field of science and technology.

Based on this concept, “Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science” (SAKURA Exchange Program in Science) is the program for enhancing exchanges between Asia and Japan of the youths who will play a crucial role in the future field of science and technology through the close collaboration of industry-academia-government by facilitating short-term visits of competent Asian youths to Japan...(Click here to read more)

RIKEN Research (FALL 2015)

“RIKEN Research” is a quarterly research magazine and website. The core component of RIKEN Research are short, easy-to-understand Research Highlight articles explaining for a broad scientific audience some of the latest research articles published by RIKEN researchers. (Click here to read more)

Brochure about the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation 2015 (Cabinet Office)

The promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation (hereinafter called as STI) is an "investment for the future." To open the way to the future, it is essential for Japan, which is scarce in resources, with its birthrates declining and its population aging, to continue to create innovative science and technology, products and services and to build a society where people can realize a vital economy and feel a sense of affluence...(Click here to read more)

Humanities and Social Sciences programs in National Universities

MEXT provides information on Humanities and Social Sciences programs in Japanese National Universities. (Click here to read more)

FY2014 School Basic Survey (Results)

With the aim of clarifying basic school matters necessary for the administration of school education, MEXT has been annually carrying out the Basic School Survey since 1948. This is to report promptly on the survey results for FY2014. (Click here to read more)

Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative

The Japanese Government launched in October 2013 Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative, a public-private effort for the future of Japan. This initiative—which hopes to make Japan a nation in which all ambitious youths can go global—offers various opportunities for students to embrace the chance to study abroad...(Click here to read more) / Introduction Movie for "TOBITATE!" Leap for tomorrow! Study abroad campaign