Director's greeting message

JCC Director Kawabe (second from left, front row) with Sendai Suzume Odori performers, Mr Yoshioka Takayuki of Japan Airlines Co., Ltd, and supporters of the ‘Hidden Colours of Tohoku’ event.

Dear Friends of JCC,

Konnichiwa!

Time flies and we’re already halfway through 2025. It feels like a lot has happened in the past 6 months alone, especially last month. We were first transported to the black and white world of ink, with calligrapher and artist Maaya Wakasugi’s exhibition and performance that fused Japanese traditional scripts with contemporary art. It was wonderful to see people personally experience calligraphy, from the process of grinding ink to writing their desired words.

We also had events that focused on vastly different but interesting topics such as periodontal disease and prevention of it, as well as hidden charms of the Tohoku region. Both events were met with great interest from the participants, and we hope that they walked away learning something new.

Together with the June school holidays, we also held our JCC Cinema screening at One Punggol’s Natsu Matsuri (Japan Summer Festival)! It was a great opportunity to reach out to people in the heartlands, especially with the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbour Totoro, that can be enjoyed by both young and old audiences.

While I was writing this message, exciting news arrived: Ito Takumi (伊藤匠) has won the final shogi Oza (王座) challenger tournament match, earning the right to challenge champion Fujii Sota (藤井聡太) in Singapore. The first round of the championship, scheduled for 4 September at Sentosa to commemorate SG60, will be a fantastic showdown between these two top young players. Both born in 2002, Ito and Fujii have a long history of rivalry since childhood. While Fujii’s promotions were faster, Ito’s victory in last year’s Eio (叡王) title match against Fujii has made him a worthy opponent. We eagerly anticipate this momentous occasion!

We will continue sharing information on shogi towards the big title match in September, In order to receive information about shogi and other upcoming events, please follow us on our Facebook and Instagram! You may also follow the Embassy of Japan in Singapore on their Facebook page as well as their X account for the latest news and updates from Japan.

Kawabe Akiko
Director, Japan Creative Centre (JCC)

7th July 2025