Tag Archive for: Embassy of Japan in Ireland

IJA Annual Dinner 2019 brings together IJA members, friends and supporters

Each year, IJA Annual Dinner brings together our members, friends, and supporters to celebrate and enjoy one of the biggest and most enjoyable events of the year.

The evening began with a reception at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, followed by speeches by Ms Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mrs Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, Mr Mark Egan, Head of Competitions and Performance, and Ms Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair.

The guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner in the beautiful Grafton Suite which was followed by Prize Giving sponsored by IJA Corporate members – AIB, A&L Goodbody, ANA, Bank of Ireland, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, PM Group, SuMi TRUST, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2019 Travel Partner.

(Please click on the images to enlarge)

We would like to thank everyone who attended the Annual Dinner, our Corporate members for supporting this event and sponsoring amazing prizes. Big thanks to our Patron member – AIB – for continuous support and our Travel Partner – Finnair – for sponsoring the Grand Prize.

Our thanks go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who made all the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and to Mrs Tomoko Ozaki who created wonderful Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. We are thanking the Embassy of Japan who provided Japanese sake for the event reception, and The Westbury Hotel for hosting our event and providing excellent service before and during the event.

We would like to thank Mr Raymond Hegarty who agreed to undertake MC duties at the event, and our event team – Ms Paula Kelly, Mr Hiro Ino, Mr Donagh Morris and Mr Karl O’Reilly who helped before and after the event, and made sure that everybody can enjoy a wonderful relaxing evening.

Photos: Donagh Morris

 

The IJA celebrated our ‘National Treasure’, Mrs. Ushioda, at a Book Launch

The Ireland Japan Association (IJA) celebrated our ‘National Treasure’, Mrs. Ushioda, at a Book Launch on Tuesday, April 17th 2018.

The IJA hosted a very special event to celebrate the launch of memoirs by our founding member, Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda – Caring for Japanese Art at the Chester Beatty Library. My Half-Century in Dublin.

The story begins in 1960, when she traveled from Tokyo with her young son to join her husband, a research-fellow at University College Dublin. Beginning as a volunteer at the Chester Beatty Library in 1970, she would go on to become curator and accompany masterpieces loaned by The Chester Beatty Library to special exhibitions all around the world. Both inspiring and heartfelt, Mrs. Ushioda’s memoir will be of interest to both lovers of Japanese Art and those interested in Irish-Japanese relations.

Mrs. Yoshiko Ushioda | Photo: Embassy of Japan in Ireland

Ushioda-sensei was born in 1931 in Mito, Japan, and moved to Dublin in 1960. In 1970, she began volunteering at the Chester Beatty Library, and was promoted to curator of the Japanese Arts Collection in 1980. She retired in 1996, and currently lives in Dublin with her husband. Mrs. Ushioda is also a founder member of the IJA.

The lunch was attended by long standing IJA Members, who each gave a brief synopsis on their first introduction and relationship with Mrs. Ushioda. Her passion for Ireland and Japanese art in Ireland was clearly evident. She was even described as a ‘National Treasure’ by one member, which was later confirmed by Ms. Midori Yamamitsu of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland.

Book can be purchased at the Chester Beatty Library, online and at major booksellers across Ireland.

Welcome to the 16th Japanese Speech Contest in Ireland

In order to encourage and promote Japanese language education in Ireland, JLTI and the Embassy of Japan in Ireland jointly host an annual Japanese speech contest.

This year the 16th Japanese Speech Contest will be held on Saturday, 10th March in Trinity College, Dublin.

Date: Saturday, 10th March, 2018
Time: From 12pm
Venue: Long Room Hub, Trinity College, Dublin

Please see original invitation to IJA members here!

Everybody is welcome and if you are interested to attend, please see event timetable and map here!

Event is supported by: The Japan Foundation, The Japan Business Society in Ireland, Department of Education and Science and IJA

 

IJA celebrates its biggest event of the year – Annual Dinner 2018

16th February 2018 was a special day in the calendar of events for Ireland Japan Association as its members and friends came together to celebrate one of the biggest and most anticipated events of the year – IJA Annual Dinner.

Photo: Doylecollection.com

This year the Annual Dinner took place at The Westbury Hotel, one of the most iconic and beautiful locations in Dublin. IJA was delighted to welcome H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in  Ireland, and Mr. Nicky Comyn, IRFU Junior Vice President as honorary guests at the event.

On arrival, all dinner guests were treated to a sake reception with compliments from the Embassy of Japan in Ireland.

Event continued with speeches given by Ms. Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, and Mr. Nicky Comyn, IRFU Junior Vice President.

Dinner guests enjoyed a 3 course menu followed by prize giving raffle which was generously sponsored by IJA members. The grand prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair.

IJA would like to thank Council members for their time and hard work helping to make this event such a successful celebration for everybody.

IJA would like to thank Corporate members who supported this event: Finnair, Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland, KWE Ireland, PM Group, Matheson, SuMi Trust, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori Restaurants.

Big thank you goes also to our friends from Japanese Saturday School in Dublin who made the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and Miss Laura Hegarty for the wonderful ‘Koto’ performance.

IJA Annual Dinner 2018 was one of the 60th Anniversary events commemorating diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Japan.

 

Japanese Studies in a global context: “The art of friendship” (Symposium)

International Japanese Studies Symposium: Japanese Studies in a global context ‘The art of friendship’ that is taking place from 30th November – 2nd December 2017 in Dublin, seeks to open up the field of Japanese arts, humanities and social sciences research within a comparative, international perspective.

Co-organised by Osaka University and Trinity College Dublin, it explores key aspects of contemporary Japanese Studies from the late Meiji period to the present day, and seeks to foster closer relationships between Japanese and Irish researchers of Japan.

Featuring guest speakers from the Graduate School of Letters at Osaka University along with scholars from University College Cork, University College Dublin, the University of Limerick, Dublin City University and Trinity College, this symposium will be launched with a keynote presentation by artist, translator and scholar Peter MacMillan.

This event is free of charge and open to the public. All talks will take place in the Neill Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub. This symposium is part of a series of activities taking place in Trinity College in 2017, marking the 60th anniversary of Japan-Ireland diplomatic relations.

The full symposium programme is available here.

Writer Lafcadio Hearn’s Great-Grandson Honoured by Japanese Foreign Minister

Mr. Bon Koizumi. Photo: Embassy of Japan in Ireland

On 30 July 2017, Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, presented the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation to Mr. Bon Koizumi and Mrs. Shoko Koizumi for their outstanding contribution to the mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and Ireland.

Mr. Bon Koizumi is the great-grandson of the writer and translator Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), perhaps “Japan’s best-known Irishman” (John Moran) who was born on Lefkada Island, Greece, to an Irish military surgeon and a Greek mother. He is also known as Yakumo Koizumi in Japan where he found a home, married Setsu Koizumi, the daughter of a Matsue samurai, became a citizen and wrote 14 books on cultural subjects.

Bon and his wife Mrs. Shoko Koizumi have been introducing the life and works of Lafcadio Hearn to countries around the world including Japan, Ireland, and Greece since 1990. Hearn’s understanding of Japanese culture and his ‘open-minded’ spirit helped many to nurture mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and Ireland.  As board members of the Sanin Japan-Ireland Association, Mr. and Mrs. Koizumi have been involved with various activities for the purpose of not only publicising Bon’s great-grandfather but also introducing Irish culture to Japan.  Matsue City, where Lafcadio Hearn used to live, has a strong relationship with Dublin, often exchanging reciprocal visits.

At the presentation ceremony, Ambassador Miyoshi said, “I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Koizumi for their outstanding contributions to deepening the mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and Ireland over the last decades”, and continued, “On this occasion of the 60th anniversary of Japan-Ireland diplomatic relations, it gives me great pleasure to award the Foreign Minister’s Commendation to Mr. and Mrs. Koizumi’’. Mr. Masuo Nishibayashi, Ambassador of Japan to Greece, also sent Mr. and Mrs. Koizumi a congratulatory message.

Mr. and Mrs. Koizumi commented, “It is an honour for us to accept this award for our activities. We are grateful for the support of the Japanese Embassy in building bridges of understanding and friendship between Ireland and Japan”.

Invest Japan Seminar – Rising Opportunities 60 Years On

2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the Ireland-Japan diplomatic relationship and this is an important year to enhance further economic ties between the two countries. On 1st June 2017, JETRO organized Invest Japan Seminar in Dublin as one of the events to commemorate this momentous occasion.

Mr. Toshihiko Sakaguchi, Director General JETRO London, gave the opening speech and welcomed Japanese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, the guest speakers and all the attendees to the seminar.

Invest Japan Seminar

Mr. Toshihiko Sakaguchi, Director General JETRO London

Japanese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi welcomed all participants to the seminar and encouraged to explore the possibilities offered to Irish businesses in Japan.

Invest Japan Seminar

Japanese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi

The keynote speech on economic outlook and business opportunities in Japan was given by Mr. Koji Yonetani, Executive Vice President, JETRO.

Invest Japan Seminar

Mr. Koji Yonetani, Executive Vice President, JETRO

The audience was introduced to a number of presentations given by:

Invest Japan Seminar

Mr. R​aymond Hegarty, IP Strategist and IJA Council Member led a panel discussion with all the speakers giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions and exchange opinions and experience about business environment in Japan.

Invest Japan Seminar

The event concluded with non formal networking while enjoying delicious Japanese canapes and sake.

Ireland Japan Association would like to thank Japanese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. Mrs. Mari Miyoshi, the guest speakers and everyone who attended the seminar, and we look forward seeing you at future events!

Invest Japan seminar was organized by JETRO and supported by Ireland Japan Association, Embassy of Japan in Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

More photos from the event are here!

 

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