Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

August was filled with opportunities to pause and reflect on how traditions have evolved, how they appear in our daily lives today, and what they inspire for the future. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend talks on diverse subjects, including children’s picture books, the iconic Kimono and Yukata, as well as Japanese film. We were also delighted to welcome back familiar faces...(Click here to read more)

Reflections on Children's Picture Books from Singapore, Malaysia and Japan: A research presentation from the Japan Foundation Fellowship for Arts and Culture in Asia

Ms Laura Peh, a Japan Foundation Fellow for Arts and Culture, presented her research on children’s picture books at JCC on 12 August. With her research question "Who Tells the Story? Authorship, Authencity, and Representation in Children's Picture Books", Ms Peh talked about findings from her fieldwork...(Click here to read more)

Across the Eras: Kimono and Yukata, A lecture on the history of Kimono and Yukata by Mr Nagasaki Iwao

A fascinating lecture on the history of Kimono and Yukata was held at JCC on Friday, 14 August, by Mr Nagasaki Iwao, Deputy Director of Marubeni Gallery in Japan and a specialist in Japanese textiles and costumes. To a full house, Mr Nagasaki traced the history and evolution of these iconic garments, including the meanings behind different terms, and changes...(Click here to read more)

Opening Ceremony of Soundscapes of Singapore & Japan ~ Painting With Music ~

The opening ceremony of "Soundscapes of Singapore & Japan ~ Painting with Music ~" took place at JCC on 18 August, featuring special live music and painting by Japanese singer-songwriter and visual artist Ms Rie fu. This makes her return to JCC after her first showcase in 2015. In her opening remarks, JCC Director Ms Kawabe Akiko introduced Ms Rie fu’s...(Click here to read more)

Enshu Tea Ceremony at Ambassador's Residence

Ambassador Ishikawa Hiroshi hosted a tea ceremony on 20 August at his residence, with the presence of Mr Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of Enshu Sado School. The guests included Mr Albert Chua, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his wife Ms Patricia Lam, Mr Loh Khum Yean, Chairman of Maritime Port Authority of Singapore, and his wife Mrs Jennifer Loh, and Mr Chew Hock Yong, Chairman of National Parks Board...(Click here to read more)

Japan and Singapore: Intersections and Inspirations in Cinema, JFF 2026 Prelude and Masterclass by Eric Khoo and Tan Fong Cheng

On 29 August, JCC welcomed renowned Singaporean filmmaker and Festival Ambassador for the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2026 Mr Eric Khoo as well as his producer Ms Tan Fong Cheng for a special prelude masterclass leading up to JFF2026. Moderated by Mr Deepagcharan Chandran, Mr Eric...(Click here to read more)

Study in Japan booth at the Victoria Junior College EdVantage! Fair 2026

First Secretary and newly appointed Education Attaché Ms Ishii Izumi passionately introduced Japan as an attractive study destination to the many students who visited the booth. The overall fair saw a great turnout with hundreds of students. The Embassy of Japan and JCC hope that many talented students with a keen interest in Japan will choose the country to pursue...(Click here to read more)

Study in Japan booth at Singapore Polytechnic

Education Attaché Ms Ishii Izumi was once again out and about on 6 August to spread the word about Study in Japan, this time at Singapore Polytechnic together with Nagoya University! Ms Ishii was very happy to have received immense interest from students who were keen to learn about the opportunities open to polytechnic graduates. Moreover, if you’re a polytechnic graduate and a Singapore citizen who is planning to study in...(Click here to read more)

Opening of Soegtsu Charity Exhibition

The 60 Years of Sogetsu: Blooms Beyond Time exhibition kickstarted on 14 August, with Ms Jane Ittogi, Spouse of the President of the Republic of Singapore, gracing the opening as the Guest-of-Honour. Mrs Pandora Ip, President of SSA, and Ms Kawabe Akiko, Director of JCC, both delivered remarks. This was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an energising taiko (traditional Japanese drum) performance by HIBIKIYA...(Click here to read more)

Japanese tea ceremony demonstration at Casuarina Primary School

A Japanese tea ceremony demonstration by Mr Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School, was conducted at Casuarina Primary School on 19 August. Over 80 Primary 4 and 5 students learnt about the Japanese Way of Tea, as well as the accompanying etiquette, manners, values and greetings, from the Grand Master. The students also...(Click here to read more)

Study in Japan booth at A*STAR scholarship event

Japan Creative Centre set up a booth at an Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) scholarship event on 19 August! Education Attaché Ms Ishii Izumi, accompanied by a local staff member, introduced opportunities to around 100 students looking for PhD programmes in Science. Did you know that Japan has a highly developed STEM infrastructure and boasts 27 Nobel Prize laureates in Physics, Chemistry...(Click here to read more)

Tea Across Generations: Celebrating Singapore–Japan Friendship through Sado

In conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations as well as the 70th Birthday (Koki古稀 Celebration) of the 13th Grand Master of Enshu Sado School, Mr Kobori Sojitsu, NUS Sado Club students performed a tea ceremony at National University of Singapore (NUS) on 21 August. Ambassador Ishikawa Hiroshi and Madam Ishikawa Yuko attended the...(Click here to read more)

SJ60 dialogue with JCCI scholars

Director Kawabe attended SJ60 Dialogue with JCCI Scholars on 24 August 2026. Established in 1995, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Singapore (JCCI) has been supporting Singaporean students in their pursuit of education in Japan through its scholarship programme...(Click here to read more)

Opening Ceremony of Poetics of Form: Six Voices in Contemporary Clay

JCC Director Kawabe Akiko attended the opening of the exhibition, Poetics of Form: Six Voices in Contemporary Clay, as a Guest-of-Honour on 31 July. Organised by Mulan Gallery, the exhibition features works by six outstanding artists in contemporary Japanese ceramics. Poetics of Form presents ceramics as not a tradition to be preserved behind glass, but an art form that is ever-dynamic, ever-demanding and ever-evolving in the right hands...(Click here to read more)

Visit by students from Kwansei Gakuin University, Seikei University, Waseda University and National University of Singapore (NUS)

JCC welcomed students from Kwansei Gakuin University, Seikei University, Waseda University and the National University of Singapore (NUS) on 5 August as part of their exchange programme. The Japanese university students were on a study tour in Singapore to know more about Singapore’s culture and society. Together with NUS students, they visited JCC...(Click here to read more)

Visit to "Ancient Japan Through Modern Eyes" exhibition

JCC Director Ms Kawabe Akiko visited the exhibition "Ancient Japan Through Modern Eyes" at Art Forum Singapore on 15 August. Presented by The Tolman Collection Tokyo, the exhibition showcases spectacular masterworks by the renowned Japanese lithographer Mr Wako Shuji. Director Kawabe was captivated by the meticulous precision luminous gold leaf, and rich, vibrant colours of the traditional Japanese motifs set against...(Click here to read more)

Bridges Across the Sea, SJ60 Gala Concert

Young string players from Japan and Singapore took to the stage on 24 August for the SJ60 Gala Concert, part of Bridges Across the Sea: Japan-Singapore Youth Music Exchange Programme 2026, at the Lee Foundation Theatre, NAFA. JCC Director Kawabe Akiko was among the full house and joined the enthusiastic applause. It was deeply moving to see 43 young musicians, many of whom met for the first time only four days earlier, rehearse...(Click here to read more)

The Kunisaki Peninsula – Where Ogres Bring Happiness

The Kunisaki Peninsula in the northeastern part of Oita Prefecture is a land of steep mountains and ancient traditions. Its name, recorded in the earliest histories of Japan, literally means the “far end of the country.” For centuries, locals have thought these mountains to be inhabited by ogres. While people in other parts of Japan tend to consider ogres bearers of ill-fortune, in Kunisaki they believe ogres bring happiness. This is...(Click here to read more)

Jiriyaki

Oita Prefecture is known for its high consumption of chicken, but flour-based food culture is also deeply rooted in the lives of its people. Since Oita Prefecture had a well-developed plateau, much of the land in the prefecture was unsuitable for rice cultivation, but over a long period of time, waterways were built throughout the prefecture. Eventually, cereal cultivation in fields became popular. Most of the harvested wheat is ground into local flour...(Click here to read more)

Nihyaku-Toka

A day that rice farmers await nervously in late summer each year is nihyaku-toka, which signals the start of the typhoon season. Literally meaning 210 days, it falls on the 210th day after Risshun, the beginning of spring on the traditional Japanese calendar. Heavy rainfall and strong winds can wipe out the year's crop if they come before the autumn harvest. Risshun usually falls around February 4, and so nihyaku-toka is around September 1...(Click here to read more)