President’s Message
Greetings to all our members in this time of challenge for us all.
Many of the usual activities of your Society have been curtailed by restrictions related to COVID-19 but we are pleased to bring you this newsletter to maintain contact and update you on some items we hope will be of interest and enable you to remain engaged in the Australia-Japan relationship.
We look forward to the time when restrictions can be lifted and we meet again face to face in some of the activities the Board of AJS-NSW is already in process of planning. In the meantime, stay safe.
Philip Mitchell
Cowra Japanese Garden Appeal
Like many cultural institutions, the Cowra Japanese Garden is currently closed due to the COVID-19 situation and has lost its only source of income - from 40,000 visitors annually- resulting in some financial difficulties.
The Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre opened in 1979. Designed by renowned Japanese landscape architect Ken Nakajima, who worked with Don Kibbler AM ORS, and other prominent citizens of Cowra, the Garden is a lasting testimony to peace and a living expression of the Australian-Japan relationship. Together with the Cowra Japanese War Cemetery and the Cowra P.O.W. Breakout Site, it represents one of the most important cultural links between Australia and Japan.
AJS-NSW is pleased to support an appeal for the Garden via the link below.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jc3be-a-cause-i-care-about-needs-help
Further details are available in the letter to our President, here.
National Federation of Australia-Japan Societies Biennial Conference
This conference, with the theme "New Frontiers", which was to be held in Adelaide in September 2020, has been postponed to 17-19 September 2021, with the venue remaining as Adelaide. A number of speakers, including Dr Mamoru Mohri, Japan's first astronaut, who is an eminent scientist with a long association with Australia, have confirmed their availability for the new dates.
This conference is the peak gathering point for Australia-Japan Societies and includes guests from a number of counterpart societies in Japan. Members are encouraged to "save the date". More information will become available in due course on the National Federation website https://austjapanfed.org.au/
Latest News from Japan
Tokyo Government COVID website https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/
Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, Japan https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/newpage_00032.html
Japan COVID information site (private) https://covid19japan.com/
Australia-NZ Business news from Japan
The ANZCCJ (Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan) is offering free webinars, for example:
Japan Local Government Centre CLAIR Sydney Newsletter
For the latest news on sister city activities in both Australia and New Zealand, see the newsletter:
[link: http://www.jlgc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Newsletter-No.146.pdf]
Exploring Japan & Japanese culture while in lockdown
Suggestions from our Board members on how to get your Japan culture fix.
Watch Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections Film for Free
Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, a film co-created by three acclaimed directors from Asia, is streaming for free worldwide until June 30.
Co-produced by The Japan Foundation Asia Centre and Tokyo International Film Festival, Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections centres around the theme "Living Together in Asia.” Crew and cast joined forces across national borders to reflect on the lives of characters who journey between Japan and Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
[link: https://jfac.jp/en/culture/news/n-asian-three-fold-mirror-streaming/]
Stream Japanese Films for Free with JFF Online
The Japanese Film Festival has teamed up with MOOIC LAB for JFF Online, a free online streaming service available worldwide. Explore the lineup of 12 indie films available to watch now, including Japanese Film Festival Australia titles from 2019, Rent a Friend and Moonless Dawn.
[link: https://www.japanesefilmfest.org/streaming]
Japan Foundation Online Taster Course: Basic Conversational Japanese
Calling all NSW residents interested in getting a taste of Japanese language. Applications are now open for the May-July Taster course! You'll learn basic conversational Japanese skills in a fun, interactive online classroom.
[link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/jpf-sydney-online-japanese-taster-course-registration-94090977647 ]
JF Japanese E-Learning Minato
Learn Japanese anytime, anywhere with a number of free online courses by The Japan Foundation.
[link: [link: https://minato-jf.jp/]
Learn Japanese While Watching Netflix
Learn Japanese through your favourite shows with a free Google Chrome extension. You can add subtitles with furigana or romaji, click on any word to get the definition and pronunciation, and add an English translation.
[link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm]
Stay Home Feel Kyoto
Imagine you are in Kyoto. Try zazen meditation, meet Kyoto people, download your Kyoto Zoom backdrop.
[link: https://kyoto.travel/en/blog/2020/stay-home-feel-kyoto.html]
Literary Competitions
Tanka
The ANU College of Asia & the Pacific, School of Culture, History and Language is proud to present the TANKA Poetry Competition, an initiative by award-winning poet Noriko Tanaka. We would like to invite you and the community of Tanka lovers to contribute your poetry in either Japanese or English or both, in the following two categories:
- Individual Tanka on the theme of “Roots” – up to 5 poems
- Free themed 15 Poem English Tanka Sequence
Submissions are open until 30 June 2020.
[link: TANKA Poetry Competition: https://tanka.weblogs.anu.edu.au/]
Aspiring translators of contemporary Japanese literature are welcome to apply. Translation from Japanese to English or German of two texts. Submission by end July.
[link: https://www.jlpp.go.jp/en/competition5/competition5en.html]
If members have any information to share with us and fellow members, please get in touch: info@ajsnsw.org.au
Learn Japanese anytime, anywhere with a number of free online courses by The Japan Foundation.
]
[linkhttps://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/language-learning-with-ne/hoombieeljmmljlkjmnheibnpciblicm
[link:ebinar] Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Meat & Livestock Australia: Japan Market update]
Japan Local Government Centre CLAIR Sydney Newsletter
[link: http://www.jlgc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Newsletter-No.146.pdf]
Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, a film co-created by three acclaimed directors from Asia, is streaming for free worldwide until June 30.
Co-produced by The Japan Foundation Asia Centre and Tokyo International Film Festival, Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections centres around the theme "Living Together in Asia.” Crew and cast joined forces across national borders to reflect on the lives of characters who journey between Japan and Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
[link: https://jfac.jp/en/culture/news/n-asian-three-fold-mirror-streaming/]
The Japanese Film Festival has teamed up with MOOIC LAB for JFF Online, a free online streaming service available worldwide. Explore the lineup of 12 indie films available to watch now, including Japanese Film Festival Australia titles from 2019, Rent a Friend and Moonless Dawn.
[link: https://www.japanesefilmfest.org/streaming]
Calling all NSW residents interested in getting a taste of Japanese language. Applications are now open for the May-July Taster course! You'll learn basic conversational Japanese skills in a fun, interactive online classroom.
[link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/jpf-sydney-online-japanese-taster-course-registration-94090977647 ]
Learn Japanese through your favourite shows with a free Google Chrome extension. You can add subtitles with furigana or romaji, click on any word to get the definition and pronunciation, and add an English translation.
]
Aspiring translators of contemporary Japanese literature are welcome to apply. Translation from Japanese to English or German of two texts. Submission by end July.
[link: https://www.jlpp.go.jp/en/competition5/competition5en.html]
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May 2020 Newsletter
