IJA Annual Dinner 2023 | Photo Gallery

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On 12th May the IJA members, friends, and supporters celebrated and enjoyed one of our biggest events of the year – the IJA Annual Dinner 2023. This year’s event took place at one of the most beautiful and luxurious Dublin venues – Conrad Dublin Hotel.

 

 

The IJA Council was delighted to welcome H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron, as well as Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications, as special guests and speakers at the event.

 

From left: Ms. Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Vice Chairperson, H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron, Ms. Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, Mr. Jack Chambers, State Minister for the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate & Communications, and Mr. Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by the IJA Council in cooperation with Retro Vino Wine & Sake. Reception was followed by welcome words from Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies, and after that dinner guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course meal in the beautiful Ball Room.

 

Raymond Hegarty, IJA Ex-Officio and Master of Ceremonies. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, expressed her gratitude to the IJA corporate and individual members present at the event, inviting everyone to enjoy ‘the celebration of cultures and our successes, a celebration of friendships forged through the Ireland Japan Association and of our achievements together’.

 

No association can function effectively without a strong membership who are committed to the ongoing activities, and we believe the members of this association are one of the main reasons we are so successful.  We can see the evidence of this here this evening with such a large attendance.  I would like to reiterate how much we value your individual, family, student and corporate membership participation in the many events we host and support throughout the year. – Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson.

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte thanked the IJA Patron member – ElectroRoute – for their support to the association and a very successful cooperation. Special gratitude was expressed to the IJA Patron H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland. ‘Your patronage of the association is most gratefully appreciated and so is the support of the entire team at the Embassy,’ said Catherine Grennell-Whyte.

 

Ms. Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson and H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland and the IJA Patron. Photo: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

 

Prize Giving this year was sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – ElectroRoute, Dillon Eustace, Oomi Travel (former Unique Japan Tours), PwC Ireland, SuMi TRUST and Yamamori,  and we would like to thank everyone for their continued support and very generous prizes. The Grand Prize this year was sponsored by our Corporate member Finnair, and we would like to congratulate the lucky winner who received a return flight to Japan – Mr. Yiannis Gkoufas.

We would also like to thank everyone at the Dublin School for Japanese Children who created and gifted beautiful Japanese origami decorations to our dinner guests, and to Mrs. Tomoko Ozaki who created stunning Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. Huge thanks to the event team at Conrad Dublin for being great hosts and providing excellent service during our event.

We would like to thank Raymond Hegarty, Master of Ceremonies, and our event team and volunteers from the IJA Council – Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Tsugumi Yamamoto, Darina Slattery, Laura Goonan, Azumi Uchitani, Eva Reavley and Verity Swan – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success. Special thanks to Eddie Hughes, former IJA Council member, for his dedication and help with the event arrangements.

 

Photo Gallery | IJA Annual Dinner 2023

Photos: Stephen Cullen, K9 Studio

(If you were a guest at the IJA Annual Dinner 2023 and would like to receive an access to full photo gallery from the night, please email your request to: info@ija.ie)

 

 

Tazaki Foods joins the IJA as a Corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association is delighted to welcome Tazaki Foods, the leading importer, developer and distributor of speciality Japanese food and beverage products in Europe, on board the IJA as a Corporate member, and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

 

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Tazaki Foods was founded in 1978 for the purpose of importing Japanese food and beverage products into the UK. The company has since grown to become the leading importer and wholesaler of speciality Japanese food and beverage products in Europe – supplying not only the Japanese restaurant and food service sectors, but also major supermarket chains throughout Europe.
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Working in close partnership with a global network of suppliers, Tazaki Foods sources high quality, Japanese products that meet the evolving needs of the food service and retail industries. Harnessing its extensive knowledge and experience in the sector, the company also launched its own “Yutaka” range of Japanese food products in 1995. This ever-expanding range today includes ingredients for sushi, sauces, soups, rice, noodles, as well as easy-to-use meal kits. Yutaka continues to be the leading Japanese ingredient brand in many countries across Europe.
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Tazaki Foods has been supplying Japanese food products to the Irish market for close to two decades, fostering close relationships with both restaurant and wholesale customers over this time. Since 2021, the company has operated from a partner warehouse located close to Dublin, which has enabled it to provide a more convenient and efficient service to customers throughout the country.
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Tazaki Foods sees great potential in the Irish market, particularly in the aftermath of Brexit, and will be focusing greater resources here going forward to drive further expansion, both domestically and across the EU.
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We are delighted to support the Ireland Japan Association and the important work it does in cultivating ties between the two countries. We very much look forward to meeting other members over the coming weeks and months.
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If you wish to learn more about Tazaki Foods and services they provide, please visit their websites: https://www.tazakifoods.com/ and https://yutaka.london/ or visit their social media –  LinkedIn or Twitter!
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Applications are now open for 2024 MEXT Scholarships

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The Embassy of Japan in Ireland is pleased to inform that applications will be accepted from Irish nationals for the 2024 Japanese Government Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology/MEXT) Research Student & Undergraduate Student Scholarships offered to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities under the MEXT Scholarship Programme.

 

 

Research Student Scholarships are offered to Irish university graduates and graduate students who wish to study and research a specific field at a Japanese university. In principle, applicants must have been born on or after April 2, 1989.

Undergraduate Student Scholarships are offered to Irish students who wish to pursue their undergraduate education in the fields of Social Sciences & Humanities or Natural Sciences at Japanese universities. In principle, applicants must have been born on or after 2 April 1999.

Details of the application procedure and schedule will be available on the Embassy website at https://www.ie.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000055.html, and general information about the MEXT Scholarships can be found on the Study in Japan website at https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/.

Application documents can be downloaded from the Study in Japan website:

Applications for both scholarships should be submitted by e-mail by Friday, 16 June 2023 to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science at Scholarships@dfheris.gov.ie and not to the Embassy of Japan.

Applications for MEXT Scholarships through the Embassy Recommendation system must be submitted to the Embassy of Japan in the country of the applicant’s nationality. A list of websites of Japanese Embassies, Consulates and Permanent Missions is available at https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html.

Business Seminar ‘Ireland as a Strategic Investment Location’ | Photo Gallery

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Last week, on Thursday, 27th April, Dillon Eustace hosted a business seminar ‘Ireland as a Strategic Investment Location’, organised in cooperation between the IJA, Dillon Eustace, Cpl and IDA Ireland. Event offered a great opportunity to learn more about the benefits of investing in Ireland, the various supports and resources available, and some of the legal aspects to consider when contemplating investing or establishing a presence in Ireland.

 

From left: Adrian Benson (Dillon Eustace), Emma Mitchell (IDA Ireland), Stephen Mullin (Cpl), H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, Catherine Grennell-Whyte (IJA), and Philip Lee (Dillon Eustace)

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, IJA Chairperson, addressed the audience and welcomed everyone to the event, introducing also the participants of the panel:
  • Adrian Benson, Partner and Head of the Corporate and M&A team, Dillon Eustace, moderator of panel,
  • Lorna Conn, CEO, Cpl,
  • Emma Mitchell, Business Development Manager, Growth Markets at IDA Ireland,
  • Philip Lee, Partner, Corporate Department, Dillon Eustace.

H.E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, attended event and met with event participants.

The panel discussion was followed by networking and refreshments.

 

Adrian Benson, Partner and Head of the Corporate and M&A team, Dillon Eustace, moderator of panel

 

Lorna Conn, CEO, Cpl

 

Emma Mitchell, Business Development Manager, Growth Markets at IDA Ireland

 

Philip Lee, Partner, Corporate Department, Dillon Eustace

We would like to thank all our amazing panelists from Dillon Eustace, Cpl and IDA Ireland, everyone who attended this event, and last but not least – huge thanks to hosts – Dillon Eustace team – for the warm welcome and all the work to make sure this event ran smoothly.
Click on the image to open it!
Then click on the image to enlarge it!
 

Japanese Calligraphy Workshop 2023 | Photo Gallery

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On 22nd April, the IJA organised Japanese Calligraphy Workshop together with artist, educator and writer Azumi Uchitani. Participants were invited to learn the ancient wisdom and value of Japanese symbols, unplug from every day’s hustles and bustles, and experience a ritual with a brush and ink on paper.
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During the workshop everyone had a chance to learn basic principles and techniques of calligraphy, including different brush strokes, practice body movements and mindful meditation, as well as practice calligraphy and create their own calligraphy art.
Huge thanks to our inspiring teacher Azumi san for bringing everyone on a mindful journey to discover this very unique and wonderful part of Japanese culture, and sharing her knowledge, skills and passion! Calligraphy workshop was followed by a tea & coffee break, and wonderful musical performance on violin by Kevin O’Neill.
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Our event was hosted by ElectroRoute, IJA Patron member, and we would like to thank our hosts for welcoming us and looking after everyone on the day.
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(Click on the images to enlarge!)

Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship in 2023 is awarded to Ben Murphy (UL)

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The Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that in 2023 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Ben Murphy, studying Japanese at University of Limerick. Ben will be travelling to Japan for an exchange year at Waseda University, Tokyo.

 

 

‘My name is Ben, and I have always wanted to explore and discover another culture and language. Studying Japanese in UL has granted me the opportunity to do so. Since my first class in Japanese, I have been captivated by Japan and its history and culture. I have met some of my closest friends, both Japanese and non-Japanese through my studies, and I hope to see them all in Japan when I complete my study abroad in Japanese at Waseda University in Tokyo!’ – Ben Murphy

 

We would like to thank Ms Paula Kelly, IJA Council, for her support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.

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Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship was established in 2019 in honour of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda’s major contribution to the development of the Ireland Japan Association and Ireland-Japan relations, and to underpin the association’s strong commitment to supporting Japanese studies in Ireland.

Winners Announced! | JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023

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We are very happy to announce the winners of the annual JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023. This year, the theme for contest was “Diving into the world of Japanese”, and organisers invited entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which tie in with this theme.

 

 

The entries were evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance. The judging panel took into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which was documented through their application forms.

The winners of 2023 contest:

Open Category
Japanese Language Award: Marco Perez-McKay
Language Achievement Award: Nadia Lagrutta & Xiadani Ortega Ramirez
Special Mention Award: Maria Mardiki

6th Year
Japanese Language Award: Andy Yu
Language Achievement Award: Ben Whelan
Special Mention Award: Meenakshy Bino
Language Recognition Award: Weronika Strek

5th Year
Japanese Language Award: Stefanie Reji
Language Achievement Award: Aeryn Noble
Special Mention Award: Aimee Fanning
Language Recognition Award: Cáit Whitmore

We congratulate all the winners and would like to thank everyone for the participation this year! Each winner have received comments from the judges and a voucher that will allow them to purchase Japanese-related textbooks, books, manga, accessories, origami, etc. as prizes.

Japanese Language Contest in Ireland is organised by the Japanese Language Teachers in Ireland (JLTI) with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland, Post-Primary Languages Ireland, and the Ireland Japan Association in order to encourage and promote Japanese education in Ireland.

For more information:

 

Japanese Film Festival 2023

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The Japanese Film Festival 2023 returns for its 14th edition this April, with an exciting programme that will bring the best of Japanese cinema to audiences across Ireland.

Ireland’s only truly national film festival will showcase more than 20 films this year, from the latest anime hits to exciting indie discoveries. The festival will run from April 8 – 28, with screenings in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Waterford, Dundalk and – for the first time – Wexford town.

 

 

The festival includes screenings of powerful drama A Man, which recently won eight awards – including Best Film – at the Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony in Tokyo, the acclaimed superhero reboot Shin Ultraman, and exciting new anime titles such as Blue Thermal and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes.

Whether you’re a festival regular or have never been before, we can’t wait to welcome you at our screenings.

Dundalk – An Táin Arts Centre: April 8
Limerick – Belltable: April 12-13
Sligo – Sligo Film Society @ The Model Arts Centre: April 13
Cork – Triskel Christchurch: April 15 and Gate Cinema: April 24-27
Waterford – Garter Lane: April 18-19
Wexford – Wexford Arts Centre: April 20 & 25
Galway – Pálás: April 20-23 and Eye Cinema: April 24-28
Dublin – Light House Cinema: April 20-27

The full list of film screenings is available here: https://www.jff.ie/screenings.html

 

“As the newly appointed ambassador, I am delighted to hear that Irish audiences have enjoyed previous Japanese Film Festivals in Ireland. I am looking forward to visiting Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Waterford, Dundalk and Wexford where the 2023 Japanese Film Festival is taking place and seeing many of the films on offer this year. I would like to thank access>CINEMA for all their commitment and hard work devoted to making the Japanese Film Festival such a successful annual event since we started our collaboration in 2008. I hope that everyone will enjoy this year’s films and get to know more about Japanese life and culture.” – Mr Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland

 

 

“After the disruption of the past 3 years, we’re excited to be finally able to return our Festival activity to pre-pandemic levels, and are grateful to everyone who loyally supported us during that difficult period. JFF has always been about bringing the diversity of contemporary Japanese cinema to Ireland, and this year we’ve pulled out all of the stops to ensure that the programme has something for everyone. As ever, we’re delighted to be able to bring the Festival to sites across Ireland – with Wexford a new addition to the schedule this year. Whether you’re a Festival regular or have never been before, we can’t wait to welcome you at our screenings nationally.” – Maeve Cooke, director of access>CINEMA

 

More information: https://www.jff.ie/

JFF 2023 is co-organised by The Embassy of Japan and access>CINEMA .

Celebration of Culture Day in Dundalk Grammar School

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The 4th Annual Celebration of Culture Day took place on 15th March in Dundalk Grammar School turning the school into a sea of colour and creating an atmospheric vibe and buzz making it not like any other day. Verity Swan, IJA Council member, was among invited guests attending this event on behalf of the IJA.
‘Many of the students ditched their uniforms to come in wearing their own cultural attire. Whether their own culture or their adopted culture for the day, the colour of the attire made for fascinating imagery and brought the spirit of the day to life. This was a day to celebrate culture, and with over 50 cultures in the school, students were determined that their culture was going to get highlighted. While having pride in their school uniform, this was their opportunity to show their diversity and to demonstrate their pride in their culture, in a sense to celebrate their difference. In highlighting difference, it was also to raise awareness of the richness of the different cultures, thus, to encourage greater understanding and mutual respect, and to show how much each person and culture, although different, actually had in common. Hence the theme of Culture Day, United in Diversity,’ explained Paul Brady, Dundalk Grammar School.
As part of the day long celebrations, the students put on a celebratory concert in the afternoon to celebrate culture through song, dance, poetry and music.  ‘What came through clearly throughout was the ownership that the student body had of the whole Event. The Day was organised meticulously by a diligent and hard-working team of 6th year students, ably assisted by other teams of students, each team performing their own particular function to bring the whole concept together. Stalls, foods, cafe, musicians, flags, posters, decorations. It was all there. It was a celebration. It was a festival of culture,’ said Paul Brady.
The concept of Culture Day started in 2018, and continued in 2019, taking a break during Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021. Festival returned again to school grounds in 2022, continuing tradition also in 2023.

From left: Verity Swan, Ireland Japan Association and Rotarian, Margaret Morley, Rotary Club District Governor and Rotarian with students of Dundalk Grammar School

The student organisers were delighted to welcome H.E. Mr. Akhilesh Mishra, Indian Ambassador to Ireland, and his wife, Mrs. Reeti Mishra. Other guests on the day included: Ana Alonso, Education Advisor, the Spanish Embassy, Valerie Swan, the Swiss Embassy, Verity Swan, Ireland Japan Association and Rotarian, Margaret Morley, Rotary Club District Governor and Rotarian, and Ulrike Schoeller, Vice President, Irish Austrian Association.
Photos from the event available on Dundalk Democrat here!

Evening with Japanese renowned writer and film director Kōji Fukada in Dublin

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On Thursday, 30th March, IJA members had a rare and unique opportunity to meet Japanese renowned writer and film director Kōji Fukada during his first visit to Ireland. He was one of the special guests at the East Asia Film Festival Ireland, attending his film screening and masterclass in Dublin.

Our members and invited guests met with director Fukada at a small and intimate meet & greet event in Dublin city centre, listening to stories and passion behind his films, and participating in conversations with director Fukada and Japanese Ambassador to Ireland – Norio Maruyama.

 

We would like to thank Keiko Nakata, Embassy of Japan, Azumi Uchitani, ElectroRoute and Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA, for their support to make this event so special and memorable for everyone.

Event was organised by the Embassy of Japan in Ireland in cooperation with the Ireland Japan Association and ElectroRoute.

Photos: Embassy of Japan in Ireland