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• Film screening - The Making of a Japanese

  • When
    29 Oct 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    The Japan Foundation, Sydney. 4F Central Park, Broadway, Sydney

  Register

  The Making of a Japanese - free film screening

  AJS-NSW, in collaboration with The Japan Foundation, Sydney, is presenting a screening of the documentary "The Making of a Japanese".

  

  The Making of a Japanese is a documentary film that chronicles life at a large Japanese elementary school in suburban Tokyo. Filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki, who herself attended a similar elementary school, distilled over 700 hours of footage taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, into a compelling examination of how Japanese schools cultivate culturally distinct characteristics in young students. 

  The film follows first- and sixth-grade students across a full academic year. By observing daily rituals—morning greetings, lunch service, cleaning duties, assemblies—the filmmaker says she sought to document the subtle mechanisms of socialization that operate beneath the surface of formal education and are formative for the Japanese national character.

  The film has received numerous awards, and a shorter adaptation entitled Instruments of a Beating Heart, received a nomination for Best Documentary Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. For more information about the film see here: LINK.

  Prior to the screening, we will have a brief introduction to the Japanese education system, from two perspectives.

  Yoshiko Miyata is the principal at the Sydney Japanese International School; she has more than 30 years experience in Japanese public schools at elementary and junior high level, including as an English teacher.

  

  Kurtis Carter has recently returned from two years on the JET program teaching in Iwaki, Fukushima, where he developed and has presented on evidence-based English instruction for elementary students. He is currently Vice President of the Japanese Teachers Association of NSW. 

  The film runs for 90 minutes. The event is free but seats are limited and registration is essential. 

  This is another event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan.

  
  

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• Spring in Sydney 2026: Australia-Japan Harbourside Reception

  • When
    05 Nov 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Location
    Hickson Room, Watersedge@Campbells Stores, 25 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney 2000

  Register

  Spring in Sydney 2026:

  Australia-Japan Harbourside Reception

  Thursday NOVEMBER 5 2026

  
  

  Building on the success of our past two Spring in Sydney events, and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (the NARA Treaty), AJS-NSW and co-host the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sydney  (JCCI Sydney) invite you to join us for a cocktail reception dedicated to strengthening the vital business ties between Australia and Japan. 

  Join senior members of the Australian and Japanese business communities for an evening of networking and conversation on Sydney Harbour.

  Set at Campbell’s Stores in The Rocks, with views across the harbour towards the Sydney Opera House, the reception will bring together business executives, government representatives, and industry leaders from Sydney's Australia-Japan community.

  Enjoy 
  

  •     Three-hour premium food and beverage package

  •     Premium Australian wines

  •     Japanese and Australian beers

  •     Substantial canapés and roaming cocktail-style service

  Who Will Attend

  •  Australia-Japan business leaders

  • Senior corporate and industry representatives

  • Government representatives

  •  AJS-NSW and JCCI Sydney members

  •  Sponsors, partners and community leaders

  Hosted by AJS-NSW and JCCI Sydney, with support from the Japanese Society of Sydney Inc.

  Tickets are still available, sign up here to ensure your place. Register and pay online (secure entry of credit card details via Paypal, Paypal membership not required), or register online and then pay to our bank account. 

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• Space and Time: 50 Years of Australia-Japan Relations (AJS-NSW x Japan Foundation Collaboration Event)

  • When
    16 Nov 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Location
    The Japan Foundation Sydney, 4F Central Park, Broadway Sydney NSW 2000
  • Spaces left
    68

  Register

  Celebrating 50 Years of Connection and Innovation in the Space Industry

  To mark the significant 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan, the Australia-Japan Society of NSW (AJS-NSW) and The Japan Foundation, Sydney are proud to co-host this special event, bringing together leading voices from academia, industry and the broader space sector to explore the intersection of space exploration, technology and innovation through an Australia-Japan lens.

  The evening will commence with a special presentation by Kate Kitagawa, internationally recognised space educator, author and strategic advisor, who will share her insights on the history, future and societal significance of space exploration.

  Following her presentation, Kate will moderate a panel discussion featuring Melissa de Zwart, Akihiko Nishino and Tim Parsons.

  Reflecting the spirit of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, the event will celebrate the achievements of the past 50 years while considering how the next generation can strengthen Australia-Japan cooperation through science, innovation and shared vision.

  Together, they will explore the evolution of space research and technology, emerging opportunities and challenges in the rapidly expanding space sector, and the role Australia and Japan can play in shaping the future of international collaboration.

  Speaker bios

  Melissa de Zwart is Professor at the University of Adelaide and a prominent legal researcher working across the commercial and military uses of outer space, including domestic and international space law. She is a member of the International Institute of Space Law, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve, and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space. Her expertise helps the Centre address the complex legal and regulatory environment arising from novel space technologies. Her extensive academic and professional leadership experience also supports her roles as a program lead and Deputy Director.

  Akihiko Nishino is a researcher and educator exploring how space technology and geospatial data can help address societal challenges. He is a Project Senior Assistant Professor at Keio University, Japan, and a Senior Researcher at the Space Service Innovation Laboratory (SSIL), a cooperative of space ventures. He holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering and is currently a Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

  His research focuses on using satellite technology and geospatial data for disaster response and urban heat risk. Beyond technology and data, he values learning directly from people and places through fieldwork and dialogue, with a focus on applying his research in the real world.

  Akihiko also facilitates workshops on systems thinking and design thinking—frameworks for understanding societal challenges and developing solutions—for students, industry, and government professionals. Based in Sydney, he is active across the Asia-Pacific region through research, education, and international collaboration.

  Tim Parsons leads partnerships for HEO’s Apophis flyby and GEO science missions.

  A technologist and entrepreneurship educator with advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and computer science, Tim has been focused on helping to build the Australian space ecosystem and startup space companies since 2014.

  Of particular note for this event, four members of Tim’s family all named Parsons have represented Japan as Consul to Adelaide between 1896 and 1982.

  Moderator

  Kate Kitagawa is a space educator and international strategist, currently Professor of Practice in Space Research and Education at La Trobe University. Before moving to Australia, she worked at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), where she served as Advisor to the Senior Vice President and Director of the Space Education Office.

  Kate’s work is driven by a curiosity about space and what exploring it can teach us about ourselves and life on Earth. Her interests range from space missions and human life in space to the new ideas and connections that space exploration can inspire.

  Above all, she is passionate about sharing the possibilities of space with people well beyond the space community.

  Based in Melbourne, Kate is an internationally active speaker and author, and an occasional broadcaster, sharing her enthusiasm for time and space with audiences around the world.

  Thanks to our corporate member The Japan Foundation, Sydney, for hosting us in their space.

  Registrations are now open HERE so please register (and pay online or to our bank account).
  

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• Baseball - Sydney Blue Sox Community Day

  • When
    04 Dec 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  • Location
    Blacktown International Sportspark, Blacktown

  BASEBALL: Sydney Blue Sox Japan Community day

  SAVE THE DATE!

  This is an advance notice about an exciting Japanese-themed evening of baseball.

  This year the Sydney Blue Sox are joined by a number of players from Tokyo Yakult Swallows. 

  On December 4, the Japanese and baseball-loving (and baseball-curious) community will come together to welcome the Japanese players with a Japan Community Day. 

  The game starts at 7PM, with Consul-General Yamanaka throwing the first pitch. There will be Japanese food trucks and a real Japanese atmosphere at the game. 

  At this stage we are calling for companies who would like to contribute sponsorship or raffle prizes. Contact us for details (email HERE). 

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• AJS-NSW AGM 2026

  • When
    08 Dec 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    The Japan Foundation, 4F, Central Park, 28 Broadway, Sydney

  Annual General Meeting 2026

  SAVE the DATE - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
  

  The Annual General Meeting of Members of the Australia Japan Society of NSW Incorporated will be held on Tuesday 8 December 2026 at 6.00pm, at The Japan Foundation, Sydney.
  

  More details will follow in due course, including the AGM papers. 

  We expect to have a guest speaker and networking refreshments to follow the meeting.

  
  

  
  

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