Publications

Hello and Goodbye

JLGC said goodbye to two staff in March this year, Mr Teruhiko Asano and Ms Itsumi Takakuwa returning to Maniwa City and Gifu Prefecture respectively, two years after their arrival in London and finishing their secondment here.  Arriving in April were Ms Mayumi Uno and Ms Sachiko Tajima from Hyogo and Gifu Prefectures. From April 2018 JLGC has seconded staff from the Japanese local authorities of Hyogo, Gifu, Tokushima, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Wakayama, Fukushima and Aichi Prefectures, Tsu City (in Mie Prefecture) and Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Place branding masterclass – Middlesex University

Having held a number of place branding masterclasses of our own at JLGC over the past year, in April the office was invited to present as part of an event held at Middlesex University’s Department of Marketing, Branding and Tourism.  Convened by Dr Keith Dinnie (author of Nation Branding and editor of City Branding) the session, ‘Why research night-time economy?’ saw JLGC Assistant Director Daiki Yoshijima give an overview of his recent research on night-time economy (NTE) promotion methods in the UK and lessons for Japan.  As well as detailing recent interest in NTE among Japanese policymakers ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and Tokyo 2020, Daiki was able to introduce to students several aspects of best practice from Tokyo, such as the Golden Gai district and Shibuya ‘Tokyo Halloween’ festival and campaign.  He also discussed his field research with JLGC senior researcher Andrew Stevens in Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle and our attendance at NTE summits held in Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.  The contents of the discussion and the findings of the research will later be published by JLGC in a dedicated report on NTE best practice for Japanese policymakers.

Kyoto Prefecture at Nobu Hotel, London

JLGC staff attended an exhibition organised by Kyoto Prefecture held at London, Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch during London Craft Week, 9-13 May.  ‘Experience Kyoto: A Celebration of Japanese Creativity and Making from Kyoto’ gave visitors the opportunity to experience the beauty and sophistication of the city and surrounding area.  Through a display of crafted products from the region, ranging from textiles to ceramics and cuisine culture, the ‘wabi-sabi’ culture of Japan was celebrated and shared.

In this exhibition, visitors experience traditional ceramics made for the art of tea ceremony, such as “Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki” , rare silk fabrics “Nishijin Textile”, “Kyo Yuzen Textile Dyeing”, Japanese candle “Warousoku”, and The traditional cuisine of Japan “Washoku”.

Kyoto was once the capital of Japan. The Imperial Palace was located in the city for over 1,200 years, and throughout this period, master craftspeople gathered in Kyoto to meet the demands of Emperors. The skills, knowledge and experiences of the region were passed down over time.

Night Time Economy Research in Liverpool 

JLGC Staff visited Liverpool to continue with research on the night-time economy.  The visit was hosted by Bill Addy, CEO of the Liverpool Bid Company who are working with the local authority and key partners to bring a wide range of activities to the city centre.  Liverpool’s nightlife is ranked above the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal, at number three in a list of 50 Things To Do Before You Die.

The bucket list has been compiled by the editors of the renowned Rough Guides, and features in the new edition of Make the Most of Your Time On Earth (Rough Guides Publishing).

Japanese local authorities are interested in such initiatives as BIDs and other local regeneration projects, looking at the night-time economy – the Night Tube in London has featured extensively in the Japanese media. ‘Night centres’ are also being created to cope with security problems and night-time issues. How to support tourists particularly at night is considered to be a priority in the run-up to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan and Tokyo 2020.

Many thanks to Bill Addy and colleagues for their time and a warm welcome to Liverpool.

JETAA UK AGM 2018

The JET Alumni Association UK Annual General Meeting was held in Edinburgh at the beginning of March, with representatives from the UK’s four current active chapters, all discussing events and activities over the last year and strategies to improve engagement and member attendance at events in 2018. JETAA UK is a grassroots voluntary not-for-profit organisation working with JLGC and the Embassy of Japan in the UK, supporting links between the two countries through activities and events. These are all organised by volunteers from some 10,000 former participants in the JET Programme, many of whom work in Japanese companies as well as UK businesses working with Japan.

Discussions over the weekend included better upscaling of projects introducing Japan to schools and communities through the JETAA network, use of social media and putting together content for members to engage with online, and discussions over GDPR.  The meeting was this year hosted and organised by the JETAA Scotland chapter, and was also attended by representatives from the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh.

With over 60,000 young graduates being recruited through embassies and placed in local authorities throughout all of Japan’s 47 prefectures and municipalities, as Assistant Language Teachers, and Coordinators for International Relations, in Boards of Education, state schools and city halls/prefecture head offices, JET is one of the largest and most international exchange programmes in the world.

Anyone interested in potential collaborations, including individual funding applications for events and activities, are welcome to discuss ideas for working together by contacting the UK committee via treasurer@jetaa.org.uk

Experience Japan Dublin

JLGC Staff attended and manned a stall again in April 2018 at the Experience Japan ‘Hanami’ festival day, which holds a series of events designed to celebrate Japanese culture and the Japanese community in Ireland.  The centrepiece of Experience Japan is the ‘Hanami’ festival day where families can enjoy free music and dance performances, along with demonstrations of Japanese culture. ‘Hanami’ is the traditional Japanese custom of viewing flowers, especially cherry blossom, to mark the arrival of spring.  The JLGC staff provided tourist information on Japan’s regions and carried out market research into Japan as a holiday destination.

The day is an entirely non-commercial, community organisation operated by volunteers. The annual Experience Japan festival in Farmleigh House and associated events are supported by the Office of Public Works, Dublin City Council and the Embassy of Japan. The Experience Japan organising committee are representatives of the Japanese and Irish-Japanese communities in Ireland.

Japan Tag, Düsseldorf, Germany

JLGC again put out a stall at the German city’s famous Japan festival 25 May providing tourist information and carrying out market research, and was also able to attend a reception held by the Mayor to meet with stakeholders in the twinning relationship between the City and Chiba Prefecture.  Düsseldorf and the surrounding state of North Rhine-Westphalia has the biggest Japanese expat population with 30,000 Japanese citizens living and working in the region which is particularly strong economic links with Japan.

At the reception, Düsseldorf City Mayor Thomas Geisel said “The Japan Day Düsseldorf / NRW has once again shown how people across cultural borders are real friends and have a positive effect together. The Japan Day succeeds in several ways: The celebration itself is a celebration of friendship, while the Economic Day Japan on May 28 will show how this friendship promotes successful economic cooperation. Japan, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia and Düsseldorf can only tackle the challenges of the future successfully together. The basis of all these positive developments is the great commitment of our Japanese fellow citizens. We express our gratitude for this wonderful celebration. ”

Other Japanese local authorities which attended the event, alongside Chiba, included Fukushima Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture.  Many thanks to staff at Düsseldorf City Hall for the invitation and opportunity to discuss the city’s Japan strategy.