Latest news with #JapanFoundation
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE to host first JLPT Exam in December, marking growing Japan-UAE educational ties
In a significant step forward in Japan-UAE educational cooperation, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) will be held in the UAE for the first time this December. Reflecting the growing cultural and educational exchange between the two nations, this initiative highlights the increasing interest in Japanese language learning and academic collaboration across the UAE. On June 18, 2025, the Japan Foundation and the Continuing Education Center (CEC) at UAE University (UAEU) signed an agreement to officially host the JLPT at the CEC in Al Ain. This milestone offers Japanese language learners in the UAE the opportunity to take the globally recognised JLPT exam locally, supporting their academic pursuits and validating their language proficiency on an international scale. The inaugural JLPT session is scheduled for December 7, 2025, at the CEC. Applications will be open from July 15 to August 15, 2025. Further details are available via the official social media channels of the CEC and the Embassy of Japan in the UAE. This initiative underscores the deepening partnership between Japan and the UAE in the fields of education and culture. By bringing Japanese language certification closer to learners in the region, it opens new doors for engagement, understanding, and meaningful exchange between the two nations.
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GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Rare performance opens the 2025 international Silent Film Festival
There are only 20 modern-day benshi or narrator still active in Japan, and one of them flew to Manila from Japan to open the 2025 International Silent Film Festival on Friday, after a two-year hiatus. Nanako Yamauchi served as narrator of the opening film, the lesbian-themed Japanese film made in 1935 entitled "The Scent of the Pheasant's Eye' directed by Jiro Kawate. The live score meanwhile was composed of Mariah Reodico, Teresa Barrozo and Pat Sarabia, three acclaimed Filipina sound artists who banded just for this occasion. 'It was hard for me,' admitted Barrozo, 'because one of my practices is I'm a film composer, and I work alone. So to be very honest, it was difficult to collaborate for me. But now we're best friends.' The three sound artists only had a few rehearsals together — and only met Yamauchi at lunch hour on opening night. There were no jamming sessions via Zoom. Yamauchi recorded her narration performance and sent it to the one-time-only band. In Japan, the practice of having a narrator or benshi came about more than a century ago, during the silent film era and was very much in demand. Yamauchi proudly pointed out that back then, the film was not decided by who the director or the actor will, but which benshi will perform. And it is indeed a performance. The narration is not simple. It not only provides dialogue to a silent film, but an emotional journey that is a unique interpretation of the story by the benshi. In his introduction, Japan Foundation Director Tsutomu 'Ben' Suzuki said it would be his first time to hear a female benshi. 'She will be narrating in Japanese just as it was done a century ago,' Suzuki said. 'But the emotion she carries will beat you in a way anyone can understand.' It was not Yamauchi's first time to narrate "The Scent of the Pheasant's Eye." Each performance is different because she also adjusts to the musical score. 'After I heard the sound of music, from the musician, I actually omitted some of the narration part,' Yamauchi said. 'And even, on the spot, at the theater, I also listen carefully to the reaction from the audiences. And if there's a big reaction or, like, laugh, then I actually minimize my narration part.' The musicians also listened to the nuances of the narration. 'The way we thought about it is we're not afraid to have silence because Yamauchi's voice was also an instrument,' Reodica said. Since 2007, the International Silent Film Festival has given Filipino audiences remarkable visual and aural experiences. Founded by The Japan Foundation, Instituto Cervantes and Goethe Institute, the film festival has screened more than a hundred films from 12 countries, with live scoring from contemporary Filipino musicians from all kinds of genres. This year, the line up was composed of films made in the 1920s from Japan, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria with scoring by Filipino sound artists and groups Psychic Surgeons, Joee Mejias & Alyana, Pepe Manikan and ProgHarmonic Orchestra and Hearlife Partner Artists. Hearlife is a non-profit organization of a hearing cochlear implant company in Austria. According to Madeleine John of the Austrian Embassy Manila, there are Filipinos who have received the cochlear implants here and for this festival, the cultural office of the Embassy partnered with artists who are implantees of cochlear implants. 'And what's interesting is since we could not really find an appropriate film, the film archive in Austria gave us a movie that's very safe for everybody–familiar to the Filipino: it's Beethoven [The Life of Beethoven], the famous composer who experienced hearing loss.' The 17th International Silent Film Festival was held at the Red Carpet Cinema in Shangri-La Plaza Mall where beginning this year, in October, it will be the new home of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. — LA, GMA Integrated News
Korea Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Man tries to set Japanese culture center on fire, says angered by Japan's distortions of history
A man in his 60s was arrested for trying to set fire to the Seoul branch of the Japan Foundation on Wednesday, saying he was discontent with the Tokyo government's continued distortions of history. According to the Yongsan Police Station on Thursday, the suspect entered the Japan Foundation Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul at around 6:50 a.m. and attempted to set the building on fire. He had possessed a lighter and inflammable materials such as paint thinners and candles, but the building's security guards stopped him before he could set the flames. The Japan Foundation Seoul functions as a library that has materials about culture, arts, society, history, literature, language and other aspects of Japan. It is the local branch of the international organization Japan Foundation, dedicated for cultural exchanges throughouth the world. Police plan to apply for an arrest warrant Thursday, while further investigating the case. South Korea has butted heads with Japan on historical viewpoints, particularly concerning issues related to its colonization of the Korean Peninsula and wartime attrocities during the World War II. Last year, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep regret" over the Tokyo government's approval of textbooks that repeated its claim to the South Korean islets of Dokdo, and watered down the forcible nature of Japan's employment of Korean workers during the World War II. In depictions of the Japan's wartime sexual slavery of women from Korea, China and the Philippines, the textbook publishers were advised by the Japanese government to use "comfort women" rather than "military comfort women." South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has strongly criticized what he called Japan's distortions of history. In the first summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last month, however, the two leaders vowed to deepened their relationship without direct mention of the historical disputes.
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Online fast-track beginner's Japanese course to start soon
The Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry will start an online fast-track beginners' course in spoken and written Japanese on Saturdays and Sundays. The course will begin in the middle of July, a press release said. Students enrolling in this course will be able to sit for the N4-level Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) by the Japan Foundation in July 2026. The Chamber has also introduced a six-month, online distinct conversation course in Japanese for beginners on Saturdays and Sundays. This will include day-to-day conversation, customer handling, business conversation, and Japanese etiquette aimed at the service/manufacturing industry, corporate houses. and businessmen. For more details, contact 9884394717 and 9884200505, mail indo-japan@ or visit
The Star
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Weekend for the arts: Yoshisuke Funasaka's printmaking, Galeri Petronas reopens
EXHIBITION: ASIAN MASTER SERIES: 03 YOSHISUKE FUNASAKA'S 'INTIPATI' Venue: Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, KL Date: ends July 31 Step into the world of renowned Japanese artist-printmaker Yoshisuke Funasaka, 86, in this eye-catching exhibition - his first in Malaysia. Intipati showcases Funasaka's distinctive fusion of traditional woodblock printing with contemporary techniques like silkscreen and katagami stencilling, resulting in striking, modernist compositions. The show, organised by Japan Foundation, LL, features nearly 100 works dating back to the 1970s. It offers a glimpse into the craft that has made Funasaka a celebrated figure in Japanese printmaking. Curated by veteran printmaker Juhari Said - who studied under Funasaka in Japan in the early 1990s - the exhibition is also a tribute to their shared artistic journey. As part of his legacy, Funasaka has generously donated over 240 original works to Universiti Malaya, enriching its permanent collection and paving the way for future research and exhibitions. In conjunction with the Museum of Asian Art show, Funasaka will lead a special Traditional Japanese Baren Making Workshop, alongside a talk by Juhari Said on Saturday (June 14) at 2.30pm. Free admission exhibition. Gallery is closed on Sundays. More info here. 'TaTaTa', brought to life by Anne James (right) and Audrey Chua - explores the quiet, often unspoken spaces between generations. Photo: Low Pey Sien THEATRE: KONGSI PETAK'S 'TATATA' Venue: Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan, Selangor Date: June 14 and 15 Here's a show, presented by the Kongsi Petak collective, that takes you straight to the heart of a small town community. It's worth the road trip for a different kind of theatre experience — a repurposed community hall with its own charm. After a memorable opening night on Friday, don't expect weekend tickets to stick around — snap them up while you still can. Part performance, part memory capsule, TaTaTa transfoms the rough-and-ready Dewan Serbaguna Seri Kembangan hall into a stage where memories and generations meet. Marking Lai Wen Xin's directorial debut, this interdisciplinary work - brought to life by veteran performer Anne James and rising talent Audrey Chua - explores the quiet, often unspoken spaces between generations. Blending theatre, dance, and multimedia, it reflects on the emotional distances that can form between the elderly and the young, offering a layered meditation on memory, aging, and the shifting dynamics of care and connection. The result is a tender, thought-provoking work that invites audiences to reflect on what it truly means to grow older. More info here. Visitors pass Azim Rodi's 'Langkah Terasing', an installation spotlighting roadside fruit sellers and the city's everyday scenes shaped by social class divides. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril Rosli EXHIBITION: 'OLD SCHOOL X NEW RULES' Venue: Galeri PETRONAS, Level 3, Suria KLCC Date: ends Sept 28 Curious about the rising wave of Malaysian artists reshaping the scene? Old School X New Rules, the group exhibition at the newly reopened Level 3 gallery in Suria KLCC, offers a compelling entry point. Spanning a range of mediums - from installations and video works to paintings and found objects - the show brings together a diverse, thought-provoking line-up of emerging voices. It's more than just a survey of fresh talent; it's a snapshot of shifting perspectives, new languages of expression, and the evolving relationship between tradition and experimentation in local art. Featured artists include Zulkefli Jais, Aimman Hafizal, Azim Rodi, Yong Hui Lin, Chong Yan Chuah, Yuki Mun, Burhanuddin Bakri, Foong Yeng Yeng (with Lim Soon Hock), Afiq Romi, Haziq Syawal, Husni Osman, Syazwan Jehan, Syuhada Yaacob, and Akif Azmi - each bringing their own distinct perspective and artistic voice to the table. Galeri PETRONAS, which paused its programmes during a pandemic-era realignment in May 2021, is marking its return with a series of public programmes around this new exhibition - making it clear that it's back and reengaging with audiences. Free admission exhibition. Galeri PETRONAS is closed in Mondays. More info here. A closer look at Kugan's work titled 'Cascade', which uses graphite on cigarette gold foil. Photo: Jerome Kugan EXHIBITION: JEROME KUGAN'S 'ALL LIFE IS RECYCLED' and 'TIME IS A DONUT' Venue: Temu House, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Date: June 14-29 Sabahan artist-writer Jerome Kugan brings together his work in poetry, music and visual art in this deeply personal exhibition, which opens this weekend at Temu House. All Life Is Recycled and Time Is A Donut gather Kugan's works from 2017 to 2025, highlighting his ongoing exploration of recycled and found materials as tools for reflection and memory. These objects, each carrying their own histories, are transformed into thoughtful, tactile works that speak to both personal experience and the wider human condition. The show also features pieces from Time Is A Donut, created during the Kota Kinabalu-based artist's three-month residency in Frankfurt, Germany under the AIR_Frankfurt programme. Developed after the death of his mother, whom he cared for over five years, this series is a meditative journey into how humans process time and grief. There is a quiet emotional depth that threads through the collection, inviting viewers to pause and contemplate the stories we attach to the things we leave behind. The opening reception is at 3pm this Saturday. Admission is free. More info here. A view of Bayu's latest solo exhibition 'Resonance Of Soul', which is showing at the Harta Space gallery in Selangor. Photo: The Star/Glenn Guan EXHIBITION: BAYU UTOMO RADJIKIN'S 'RESONANCE OF SOULS' Venue: Harta Space, Ampang, Selangor Date: ends June 29 Bayu Utomo Radjikin's latest solo exhibition, Resonance Of Souls, signals a striking new chapter in the veteran artist's career. Known for his expressive intensity, Bayu returns with a series of large-scale paintings that explore the human condition through anonymous male figures - contorted, raw, and emotionally charged. Far from conventional portraiture, these figures are stripped of identity, becoming vessels for universal struggle, vulnerability, and resilience. Executed in deep, brooding tones and visceral textures, the works inhabit the Harta gallery space with a quiet force. This exhibition marks a significant evolution in the Sabah-born artist's practice, blending abstraction with figuration in ways that are both physical and affective. As a founding member of the Matahati Collective and Hom Art Trans, Bayu brings over 30 years of experience to this show - proving that his artistic journey is far from static, and still very much in motion. More info here. Khabir's solo debut exhibition at KL's Wei-Ling Gallery, explores time through themes of decomposition, repair, and transformation. Photo: The Star/Raja Faisal Hishan EXHIBITION: KHABIR ROSLAN'S 'SUKMA: MEGAH, TUNDOK' Venue: Wei-Ling Gallery, KL Date: ends June 21 After his time in the WLG Incubator Young Artists programme in 2023 under the mentorship of Yau Bee Ling, emerging artist Khabir Roslan presents a solo debut exhibition at Wei-Ling Gallery, exploring time through themes of decomposition, repair, and transformation. Using compost soil mixed with pigments and oil, along with stitched bandages and cloth, Khabir creates large-scale, tactile works layered with care and memory. Hexagonal motifs - echoing Singgora clay roof tiles from Nusantara architecture - repeat across the surfaces, evoking both fragmentation and continuity. Titled from the Bahasa Malaysia words sukma (soul), megah (greatness), and tundok (humility), the show reflects on cyclical rhythms of making. Neither quite painting nor sculpture, the works unfold as soil-stained scrolls that stretch floor to ceiling, anchored by a fragment of a boat's hull - merging gesture, object, and grounded reflection. For those new to his work, Khabir is a transdisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together science, cosmology, and philosophy. A Fine Arts graduate from UiTM Shah Alam, he was awarded "Most Promising Artist" after winning the UOB Painting of the Year 2020 in the Emerging Artist category. More info here. Tong's painting titled 'Wood Drill And Tool Box', which is part of his 'Occurs' debut exhibition in KL. Photo: Tong Fung Chuar EXHIBITION: TONG FUNG CHUAR'S 'OCCURS' Venue: The Changing Room, Zhongshan building, KL Date: ends June 22 It's always encouraging to see emerging artists take the spotlight, Occurs marks Tong Fung Chuar's solo debut - a raw, introspective series put together by independent curator Umar Sharif. With titles like Blister, Screaming Car, and Bloodletting, Tong's paintings explore everyday anxiety and quiet chaos. Trained in France, Tong channels pain and tension through naive, unstructured forms. Figures are absent, allowing space for personal reflection, while the curation leans into mood over narrative. More than a promising debut, Occurs also highlights the power of independent art spaces - where experimentation and expression thrive beyond the institutional frame. More info here.
