FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings

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We are delighted to have partnered with Trinity Centre for Asian Studies and bring you FREE Japanese lunchtime conversation group meetings to give you a chance to improve your Japanese conversational skills in casual environment.

These weekly meetings will take place every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. at the TCAS Seminar Room 2011 (Arts Building Annex) in TCD. First meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 14th November.

This weekly group will allow Japanese learners of all levels to develop their conversation skills in a casual, lunchtime environment. Feel free to bring your lunch and find some new conversation partners at the same time!

No previous registration is needed and everybody is welcome.

We would like to thank Verity Swan, IJA Council, and everybody at Trinity Centre for Asian Studies for their support in organizing this group.

Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship in 2019 is awarded to Sophia Herar

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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.

In 2019, the scholarship was awarded to Ms. Sophia Herar, studying for BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies, DCU. Sophia is going to study in Japan for a year at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies.

Sophia Herar – the first recipient of Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship in 2019

The official presentation of the scholarship took place in August 2019 at DCU with Ms. Sophia Herar, Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda, IJA founder member and Scholarship Patron, Mr. Yasuyuki Ozeki, IJA Vice-Chaiperson, Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, Mr. Kenichiro Sasame, Counsellor and DHM of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland and representatives from DCU in attendance.

I feel honored to have received the scholarship and I am happy that all my hard work these last few years has paid off. I believe that everyone who manages to turn their passion for Japanese into motivation and action, is going to be rewarded for it – be that through a scholarship or the experience of living in Japan itself. I feel incredibly lucky that I get a chance to experience all this and that the IJA and Mrs. Ushioda decided to support me with the scholarship. – Sophia Herar

We would like to thank Mr. Donagh Morris, IJA Council, and everybody at DCU for their support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.

MUFG Investor Services joins IJA as a corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome asset servicing, banking and fund financing leaders MUFG Investor Services on board IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

 

 

 

MUFG Investor Services is an industry leader in asset servicing, banking and fund financing, working with some of the largest investment firms in the world.

We are a core business for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (“MUFG”), one of the largest global banks with more than US$2.7 trillion in assets.  Our global scale, breadth of services, and industry leading technology, allow us to build partnerships with our clients and create distinctive solutions that meet their specific priorities.

In recent years we have strategically acquired firms in the asset servicing industry and successfully grown our business in terms of client and employee retention.

The firm continues to be fully committed to this business; a consistent, top tier provider with a global presence – administering US$582 billion in assets globally.

If you would like to find out more about MUFG Investor Services please visit their website: https://www.mufg-investorservices.com

RetroVino joins IJA as a Corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome wine and sake wholesaler RetroVino (RetroSake) on board IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

Retrosake are a Dublin based sake (and wine) importer supplying restaurants, off-licenses and private clients.

Our passion for premium sake is reflected in our portfolio. We only supply traditionally-brewed additive-free sake, which we buy directly from renowned producers in Japan, and import temperature controlled into Ireland. We look forward to sharing some sake with IJA members and continue to increase the awareness of sake in Ireland.  

RetroVino/Retrosake is offering a list of services – building bespoke wine lists, supplying restaurants with wine and sake, wine sourcing, shipping and storing, expert wine cellar advice on the acquisition and storage of wines, tastings, staff training and wedding services.

If you wish to learn more about RetroVino/RetroSake and services they provide, please visit their website: http://www.retrovino.com

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Discover Japan together with Finnair | Special Offer

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Have you ever wanted to discover Japan – the land of the rising sun? Japan is easily one of the most stunning places in the world with its rich culture, amazing nature, modern cities and endless experiences for each and every visitor.

With so many amazing destinations to choose from, Finnair is currently offering special campaign rates for the flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.

Campaign fares from Dublin to Japan

Selling period: 29/08/2019 – 09/10/2019

Log on to www.finnair.ie or contact your Local Travel Agent for booking or more information about the fare rules. Campaign fare includes all taxes and surcharges.

Welcome aboard Finnair!

Mitsubishi Electric team wins IJA Golf Outing Cup 2019

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Annual IJA Golf Outing took place on 27th June at the the beautiful Castle Golf Club in Rathfarnham, Dublin.

We would like to thank all the teams who participated in the tournament and send special congratulations to the winners – Mitsubishi Electric team who won the IJA Golf Cup 2019 this year:

Ciaran Moody 
Fergus Daly 
Liam Hoctor 
Brendan Clarke 

Photo: Mitsubishi Electric

Many thanks to all the teams who participated in the tournament this year: Dillon Eustace, AIB, Bank of Ireland and SuMi Trust.

We would like to thank everybody who helped to organize this event: IJA Council members Shane Geraghty, Eoghan Howe and Darina Slattery.

Big thanks goes to IJA Council member Neil Maher and Mitsubishi Electric for providing goody bags to all participants, and many thanks to all the teams who sponsored prizes for prize-giving.

We are thankful to our hosts at the Castle golf club for all the help and support before and during our event, and last but not least – our thanks goes to all the participants who joined us on this day and made it such a great success.

We are looking forward to our Golf Outing 2020 next year!

EU-Japan News | June 2019 Issue Available Now

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EU-Japan NEWS is the quarterly newsletter of the EU-Japan Centre launched in 2003 and containing EU-Japan-related news and features on topics of interest to EU and Japan businesses and public bodies.

The newest issue of the June 2019 Newsletter is available now with the EU and Japan related news, partnering opportunities, Enterprise Europe network news and lots of other useful information and links.

 

EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation is a unique venture between the European Commission and the Japanese government. It is a non-profit organisation established as an affiliate of the Institute of International Studies and Training (IIST). It aims at promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan and at improving EU and Japanese companies’ competitiveness and cooperation by facilitating exchanges of experience and know-how between EU and Japanese businesses.

You can read full June 2019 Newsletter here!

Fexco joins IJA as a Corporate member

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Ireland Japan Association (IJA) is delighted to welcome  financial and business solutions provider Fexco on board IJA as a Corporate member and is looking forward to a long lasting and successful cooperation.

Fexco is Ireland’s most successful multinational financial and business solutions provider, with operations in 29 countries worldwide.

Founded and headquartered in Ireland in 1981, Fexco employs more than 2,300 people across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, Latin America and Australasia.

For thirty six years, Fexco has been driven by an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. This ethos has brought the company to new regions and industries of growth, connecting customers with exciting new opportunities. Through its strategic commitment to innovation, project delivery and customer service, Fexco has built a global network of partners and customers and is an internationally admired and respected organisation.

Fexco enables customers, companies and economies to unlock their potential in financial transaction services and business solutions and is pursuing an ambitious domestic and international growth strategy.

Fexco serves some of the world’s biggest brands across multiple industries through a wide range of innovative products and services, including Dynamic Currency Conversion, Bank to Bank Transfers, Retail FX, Managed Business Solutions and Tax Free Retail Services.

If you wish to learn more about Fexco and services they provide, please visit their website: https://fexco.com

Business and Economic Briefing | 29 May 2019

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Hosted by SMBC Bank EU AG at their Dublin office, and in partnership with  JETRO London and Ireland Japan Association, the Business and Economic Briefing took place on Wednesday, 29th May 2019.

The briefing was designed to provide attendees with latest insights into Japan-EU relationship, current economic situation and business opportunities.

Presentation ‘Japan-EU Relationship, Economic Outlook & Business Opportunities’  was given by Takumi Fujino, Director General, JETRO London. In his presentation he reviewed Japan-EU EPA and its advantages, improvements to the market between EU and Japan as well as investment and development opportunities.

With a better environment for investment in EU as a result of the Japan-EU EPA, more and more Japanese companies are planning to expand business cooperation in the EU.

Satoshi Okagawa, SMBC Senior Global Markets Analyst, and Sujin Lim, Vice President, SMBC Bank EU AG, Treasury Department introduced attendees to presentation ‘European Crisis Again?’ providing great insight into current situation of the global economy, financial market trends and development.

Briefing was followed by informal networking and refreshments.

We would like to thank all guest speakers, attendees of the briefing and SMBC Bank EU AG for their support and hosting this event in Dublin.

Photos: SMBC Bank EU AG

ILFDublin Writer In Residence Tomoka Shibasaki with Polly Barton

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Ireland’s premier literary event – International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFDublin) – is taking place from 17th – 26th May, gathering the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral.

This year’s festival has an amazing line-up with the very best of Irish and international talent for you to meet at the readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performances and screenings across various venues.

Among other amazing events, we would like to highlight event and discussion with Tomoka Shibasaki  – Japanese writer in residence at ILFDublin 2019. From Osaka, Tomoka Shibasaki has won the Noma Literary New Face Prize and the Akutagawa Prize for ‘Spring Garden’, her first novel translated into English, which tells the story of Taro, a reclusive divorcee who is drawn into a strange relationship with the woman upstairs. The New York Times Book Review described ‘Spring Garden’ as, ‘Like a good meditation: quiet, surprising and deeply satisfying.’ Two of her works have been adapted for film.

Date: Thursday, 23 May 2019
Time: 6.15 p.m.
Venue: Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin
Tickets: €8 – €10, available online here: https://ilfdublin.ticketsolve.com/shows/873602946

Tomoka Shibasaki will be in conversation with her translator, Polly Barton, recently shortlisted for the Fitzcarraldo Editions essay  prize for ‘Fifty Sounds’, a record of linguistic and cultural assimilation in Japan, where she lived for seven years and became a literary translator. She was the recipient of the 2016 Kyoko Selden International Translation Prize.

Together they discuss their work and map out the territory of contemporary Japanese literature. Chaired by Martin Colthorpe, Programme Director, ILFDublin.

Presented with the support of the EU Japan Fest Japan Committee.

Full list of ILFDublin 2019 events are available here!