Tag Archive for: Ireland Japan Association

IJA Annual Golf Outing 2023

/in /by
Ireland Japan Association would like to invite you to our Annual Golf Outing 2023 tournament. It will take place on Monday, 4th September, and we will be returning to the stunning Foxrock Golf Club, Dublin – one of the longest established golf clubs in Ireland designed by world renowned course architect Harry Colt.
.
**SAVE THE DATE!**
.
Get your teams ready, register early, and join us for an amazing day of golf!
IJA members and non-members are very welcome to join!
* Teams of 4
* Individual players
* Dinner Only Guests
.
Date: Monday, 4th September 2023
Time: 12.30 p.m.
Venue: Foxrock Golf Club, Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18
.
Competition format: Four-person team scramble. Rules of play will be sent to all teams/participants closer to the event date.
.
.
Tickets and bookings:
Official invitation with ticket prices and booking details will be announced in June 2023.
To express your interest and reserve a place for yourself or your team, please contact us by email: info@ija.ie or call: 01-6787008.
.
Plan of the day:
* Arrival from 12 p.m. Light lunch & refreshments available before the game.
* First tee time at 12.30 p.m. (slots after that will be allocated on a first come basis).
* Dinner and Prize Giving from 6.30 p.m.
.
Prize Sponsorship Opportunity:
If you or your company would like to sponsor a prize at the IJA Annual Golf Outing 2023, please contact us by email: info@ija.ie or call: 01-6787008.
.

Tazaki Foods joins the IJA as a Corporate member

/in /by

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.

 

.
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.
.
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.
.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
.
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!
.
.

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

/in /by

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.

***
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

/in /by

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:

 

Follow-Up Japanese Language and Culture Course | Beginners

/in /by
Continue to improve your Japanese language skills and learn useful and interesting culture, travel and business tips at the IJA 4-week Follow-Up Japanese Language and Culture Course for beginners!
Starting date: Monday, 8th May 2023
Time: 6.30 PM – 8 PM (each class – 90min)
* 1st class – Monday, 8th May
* 2nd class – Monday, 15th May
* 3rd class – Monday, 22nd May
* 4th class – Monday, 29th May
Venue:  Dillon Eustace, 33 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
Cost:
€80 – IJA Members
€120 – Non-members
Spaces are limited and early booking is advised.
Advised age group: 18+
Bookings:
To book your place, please RSVP by Tuesday, 2nd May 2023 by email: info@ija.ie, or call: 01-6787008.
Please note that cancellations should be made by Tuesday, 2nd May. After this date refunds will not be available.

Who this course is designed for?
* Anyone with no or very little Japanese language experience.
* Participants of our previous language courses for beginners.
* Anyone who is thinking of visiting Japan as a tourist or on business.
* Anyone who has been to Japan in the past and would like to know more about the country.
* Anyone who would like a little ‘taste’ of Japanese before studying in college or doing Japanese language studies.
This course will focus on:
* Essential Japanese language skills
* Cultural insights
* Travel tips
* Business tips
All materials and handouts will be provided and are included in the price.
Class size is kept relatively small and participants will have the opportunity to interact with the teacher and fellow students.
This course is organized in cooperation with:

Celebration of Culture Day in Dundalk Grammar School

/in /by
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!

IJA Annual General Meeting 2023 | Review

/in /by

The 33rd Annual General Meeting for the Ireland Japan Association took place on Thursday, 23rd March 2023. Meeting was held as a hybrid event with members attending in person and remotely via Zoom platform.

 

 

Raymond Hegarty, IJA Chairperson, thanked the outgoing Council members for their work, participation and team effort throughout the past year, Embassy of Japan for their continued support to the IJA, and all IJA Corporate and Individual members who have supported association and its activities in 2022.

Raymond Hegarty warmly welcomed H. E. Mr. Norio Maruyama, the new Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, wishing him and his team a very successful time in Ireland during his service.

In his report, Raymond Hegarty noted that 10 business and culture events were organized online and in person throughout the past year, including IJA Japanese Conversation Group, Ikebana Demonstration Online, Japanese Language and Culture Course, AGM 2022, IJA Annual Dinner, Summer Ikebana Workshop, IJA Golf Outing 2022, Autumn Ikebana Workshop, Ichigo Ichie Dinner Event, and Bounenkai celebrations. Raymond Hegarty thanked all Council members who have dedicated their time and effort to organise these events.

In 2022 IJA supported and promoted a long list of various events organized by the IJA partner organisations, members and friends – UCD Japan, Experience Japan, Unique Japan Tours, the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Film Festival, East Asia Film Festival, Chester Beatty, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, Raku Theatre Group, Japan Hockey team games in Dublin, and many more.

The IJA supported Experience Japan festival and Japanese School of Ireland with donations in 2022.

Raymond Hegarty informed that IJA member’s network had 33 corporate members and 58 individual members in 2022. The IJA is delighted to welcome our new corporate members who joined the IJA in 2022 and early 2023: IJA Patron member – ElectroRoute, and corporate members – Openskies Aerial Technology Ltd. and K&L Gates Ireland.

An update on the Dr. and Mrs. Ushioda Scholarship was given during the meeting. Raymond Hegarty informed that in 2022 Ushioda Scholarship was presented to 2 students:

  • Francis Donnelly (2021 winner), studying for BA in Applied Languages, University of Limerick. Francis is currently studying Japanese studies at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. Due to the pandemic, her departure was postponed in 2021;
  • Joseph Peter Talento (2022 winner), studying Business Studies International at DCU. Joseph has travelled to Japan for an exchange year at Toyo University. 

Raymond Hegarty thanked Paula Kelly for her support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process over the last year.

Summary of the IJA Financial Statements for 2022 was shared with the AGM participants, membership subscription fees were discussed and approved for 2023/2024 and the new IJA Council members were announced.

Raymond Hegarty thanked Eddie Hughes for his valuable advice, work and participation during his time on the Council. E. Hughes stepped down after 3 year servie on the Council. Raymond Hegarty, who is stepping down after serving 3 years as the IJA Chairperson, will continue his work on the Council as Ex-Officio. 

This year the IJA received enough nominations to satisfy the constitutional requirements for Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Ordinary Council members, and all places were filled without requiring a vote.  Raymond Hegarty congratulated Catherine Grennell-Whyte and wished her success in the new role.

Three new Council members were welcomed to the IJA Council this year – Azumi Uchitani, ElectroRoute, Eva Reavley, IJA Individual member and Verity Swan, IJA Individual member who all will join the Council as Ordinary members. All new Council members made short introductions.

The newly elected IJA Council for 2022:

Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson

  1. Catherine Grennell-Whyte, ATTS/Finnair (Chairperson)
  2. Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Individual Member (Vice Chairperson)

Ex-Officio

  1. Raymond Hegarty, IJA Individual Member

Corporate Members:

  1. Azumi Uchitani, ElectroRoute
  2. Brian Marconi, JTI
  3. Darina Slattery, Unique Japan Tours
  4. Laura Goonan, Dillon Eustace
  5. Pamela Connell, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking
  6. Stephen Mullin, CPL Ireland
  7. Yasuyuki Ozeki, JETRO

Individual Members:

  1. Eva Reavley, IJA Individual Member
  2. Hiro Ino, IJA Individual Member
  3. Jonathan Kelly, IJA Individual Member
  4. Paula Kelly, IJA Individual Member
  5. Verity Swan, IJA Individual Member

Not on Council but invited to attend meetings:

  1. Keiko Nakata, Embassy of Japan (Honorary Member)

 

EU-Japan News | March 2023 Issue Available Now

/in /by

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 March 2023 Newsletter is available in an online and PDF version packed with the EU and Japan related news, partnering opportunities, network news and lots of other useful information and links.

In this issue, you will find:
* Centre’s news: pages 1-8
* EU news: page 9-10
* Japan news: page 11
* EU-Japan news: pages 12-19
* Enterprise Europe Network opportunities: pages 20
* Calendar: page 21

 

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 March 2023 Newsletter online here!

You can read full March 2023 Newsletter in PDF format here!

JLTI Japanese Language Contest 2023 | Apply Now!

/in /by

In order to encourage and promote Japanese language education in Ireland, the Japanese Language Teachers in Ireland (JLTI) are delighted to host their annual Japanese language Contest with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Ireland, Post-Primary Languages Ireland, and the Ireland Japan Association.

 

 

This year, the theme is “Diving into the world of Japanese”, and organisers are inviting entries in the form of speech or Japanese language soundtrack videos which tie in with this theme. The Japanese Language Contest takes place online.

The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.

The entries will be evaluated on a variety of criteria such as language level and expression, creativity and performance, and the prizes will reward a range of different styles, abilities and effort. The judging panel will take into account the language background and learning experience of the entrants which will be documented through their application forms.
Applications are accepted for:
* Secondary School Category: TY/LC1 Category & LC2 Category
* Open Category
Application Deadline: Monday, 6th March 2023
Results will be announced in early April.
For application forms, competition guidelines and additional information, please visit:

IJA AGM 2023

/in /by

The 33rd Annual General Meeting for the Ireland Japan Association will take place on Thursday, 23rd March 2023 at 2.30 p.m.

Date: Thursday, 23rd March 2023
Time: 2.30 p.m.
In person: Dillon Eustace, 33 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
Online: An option to join remotely via Zoom will be available. Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants closer to the event date.

 

 

This event is open to ALL IJA MEMBERS, and we encourage you to attend.
Please note that you need to be a fully paid-up member to vote and attend the AGM.

Please find the IJA AGM 2023 Agenda here!

Please RSVP by Thursday, 16th March 2023 by email: info@ija.ie if you would like to attend the AGM. Please add a note if you will be attending in person or wish to join the meeting remotely via Zoom.

IJA GENERAL MEETING 2023

The IJA has received a proposal to amend the Paragraph 9 (Accounts) of the IJA Constitution regarding the wording and terms used in it. Proposed amendment:

‘The accounting year end shall be 31 December. The audit exempt accounts (Financial Statements) of the Association shall be prepared annually in accordance with relevant financial reporting framework in Ireland by an external accountancy firm, who is not a member of the Association and shall be submitted to the Members for approval at the General Meeting.  In any given year, audited accounts can be prepared instead of the audit exempt accounts (Financial Statements), provided the decision to do this is made by a majority approval of the Council.  The Association shall not be responsible for expenditure incurred in its name by unauthorised persons.’

As per Paragraph 13 of the IJA Constitution, A General Meeting of the Association, other than an Annual General Meeting, may be convened by giving to the members fourteen days notice of such meeting and specifying the purpose, time and venue during which a resolution will be put to the vote.

The IJA proposes that the IJA General Meeting takes place on Thursday, 23rd March 2023 at 2.30 p.m. – before the start of the IJA AGM 2023. The AGM will start immediately after the General Meeting concludes.

COUNCIL NOMINATIONS

UPDATE |  23.02.2023 – Thank you for sending your nominations for the IJA Council elections. Submissions of nominations for the IJA Council elections are closed now.

Under the Constitution, we are required to have 3 Individual Council Members and 6 Corporate Member representatives. We encourage new nominations so please get in touch if you have anyone you would like to nominate or indeed, if you wish to be nominated to sit on Council.
Please see 2023 Council Nomination form here!
Nomination forms should be received by email: info@ija.ie by the COB on Thursday, 23rd February 2023.

IJA COUNCIL ELECTIONS

UPDATE | 27.02.2023 – We are pleased to announce that this year we have received enough nominations to satisfy the constitutional requirements for Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Ordinary Council members, and all places can be filled without requiring a vote. Results and the names of the incoming Council will be announced at the AGM 2023 on 23rd March.

 

Tag Archive for: Ireland Japan Association

IJA Japanese Conversation Group

/in /by

Join our weekly FREE Japanese conversation group meetings and improve your Japanese conversational skills in an informal, friendly atmosphere!

Meetings take place every Wednesday from 9-10 p.m. via Zoom.

To join the group, please sign up by sending email to: info@ija.ie.

Basic Japanese language skills are required. Each week participants will discuss a topic named in advance, and, from time to time, native Japanese speakers will be joining the group to help with the advice.

Please note that this conversation group is a fun activity for people who enjoy speaking Japanese, and not a language course/class.

This group is open to the IJA members only.

Please contact us for more information: info@ija.ie

 

IJA Annual Golf Outing 2023

/in /by
Ireland Japan Association would like to invite you to our Annual Golf Outing 2023 tournament. It will take place on Monday, 4th September, and we will be returning to the stunning Foxrock Golf Club, Dublin – one of the longest established golf clubs in Ireland designed by world renowned course architect Harry Colt.
.
**SAVE THE DATE!**
.
Get your teams ready, register early, and join us for an amazing day of golf!
IJA members and non-members are very welcome to join!
* Teams of 4
* Individual players
* Dinner Only Guests
.
Date: Monday, 4th September 2023
Time: 12.30 p.m.
Venue: Foxrock Golf Club, Torquay Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18
.
Competition format: Four-person team scramble. Rules of play will be sent to all teams/participants closer to the event date.
.
.
Tickets and bookings:
Official invitation with ticket prices and booking details will be announced in June 2023.
To express your interest and reserve a place for yourself or your team, please contact us by email: info@ija.ie or call: 01-6787008.
.
Plan of the day:
* Arrival from 12 p.m. Light lunch & refreshments available before the game.
* First tee time at 12.30 p.m. (slots after that will be allocated on a first come basis).
* Dinner and Prize Giving from 6.30 p.m.
.
Prize Sponsorship Opportunity:
If you or your company would like to sponsor a prize at the IJA Annual Golf Outing 2023, please contact us by email: info@ija.ie or call: 01-6787008.
.