Event Reports

On 7 June, the Consulate held a Pre-Departure Orientation for 2024 JET Programme Participants. This July, 19 participants from across Queensland will be travelling to Japan to work as ALTs and CIRs in towns and cities from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Representatives from Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR) Sydney and JETAA Queensland also attended to share important information on work responsibilities and living in Japan. Thank you to all who attended!

The Consul-General was delighted to host a reception promoting Japanese Language Education on May 31. Four representatives from across the public and private sector - Melissa Inooka, Nathaniel Rowe, Arabella Dove, and Chris Rees - shared stories on the impact that Japanese language education has had on their career paths and discussed the direct and indirect benefits of learning Japanese. Nathaniel’s well used kanji dictionary also made an appearance! DEi’s Susan Brook rounded out the evening with a presentation on the Department’s fantastic range of Japan programs on offer to students and teachers.

We were honoured to have attendees from the Government and education, including The Honourable Charis Mullen MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr. Christian Rowan, MP, Shadow Minister for Education, and Mr. John-Paul Langbroek MP, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs. Four generations of language teachers and students were also reunited, and symbolised the importance of continuing Japanese education and the amazing journeys that teaching can spark. Thank you to all who attended. We hope that the evening was inspirational, and ask for your continued support into the future.

A fusion of Japanese and Australian flavours was on show at a recently-held collaboration dinner between the Consulate-General of Japan and The Brisbane Club. Chef Suzuki of the Consulate-General of Japan in Brisbane worked closely with the Kitchen Brigade at The Brisbane Club to treat guests to a Japanese dinner with an Australian twist. Combining selective Japanese ingredients, including Hokkaido scallops, available right here in Brisbane with Aussie elements such as lemon myrtle and Vegemite, the chefs treated more than 100 guests to an amazing dinner showcasing their talents. Chef Suzuki’s Vegemite sauce was without doubt the hit of the evening!

Beautiful ikebana arrangements were displayed on each of the tables, skillfully crafted by the Ohara and Ikenobo Ikebana schools, both located here in Brisbane!

From 23-26 May, CG Gomakubo travelled to Thursday Island (TI) to participate in some events for the first anniversary celebrations of the Wakayama Kenjinkai (Prefectural Association) on the Island.

Firstly, on the morning of 24 May, CG met with the Mayor of the Torres Shire Council, Ms Elsie Seriat, who was newly elected in the March elections. CG then welcomed the Speaker of the Wakayama Prefectural Assembly and his delegation from Japan at the wharf on TI, and took them to the Council for a courtesy call on the Mayor. On the morning of 25 May, they offered flowers at the Japanese Cemetery, and participated in the ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of the establishment of the Wakayama Kenjinkai. Through the ceremony, they had a warm exchange and deepened their friendship with officials of the Torres Shire Council and members of the TI Kenjinkai, who are descendants of Japanese divers.

There are already four generations of Japanese Islanders on the TI. Both Wakayama Prefecture and the Kenjinkai expressed concerns about ties with Japan progressively fading away with each passing generation, and a strong awareness of the need to promote exchanges involving these younger generations in the future. The Japanese Cemetery on the TI is an important element in the history of the Nikkei (Japanese descendent) people, linking the island to Wakayama Prefecture.

It was a great pleasure to join the 36th Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs Ltd (AABC Ltd) National Bonsai Convention in Brisbane hosted by the Bonsai Society of Queensland inc. 2024 Convention Committee. CG Gomakubo enjoyed Queensland’s best Bonsai exhibition by local artists with Mr Tony Bebb, Convention Chairman, and CG served as a presenter of Chairman’s award on this occasion. Mr HIRAMATSU Koji visited Brisbane for the convention as an invited international demonstrator from Kagawa, Japan. His Bonsai works amazed all the Bonsai lovers at this event!

Consulate staff were delighted to attend the 2024 Department of Education International Conference this week. This year’s conference was a fantastic showcase of initiatives and idea sharing for educating for global futures. DEi provides a range of great opportunities for Queensland students studying Japanese, Japanese students, and Japanese teachers: https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-educators/international/global-opportunities/opportunities-in-asia/opportunities-in-japan

On 22 April, Consul-General Gomakubo visited the Mareeba Shire Council for the first time to pay a courtesy call on Mayor Ms Angela Toppin. The Mareeba Shire is less than an hour’s drive from Cairns International Airport, and is economically and socially diverse. And, the Kuranda Rainforest Park, which is a famous tourist destination in this region, comes under Mareeba Shire. It was a great pleasure to discuss future relationships with Japan through regional economy and tourism sectors with the Mayor, referring in particular to the similarities between the Kuranda rainforest and the Yambaru forest of Okinawa, Japan. We hope for a prosperous and long-lasting friendship with the beautiful Mareeba Shire.

On 23 April, Consul-General Gomakubo paid a courtesy call on the newly elected Mayor Ms Amy Eden in Cairns. CG Gomakubo congratulated on her inauguration and thanked the Council for its long-standing commitment to the safety of the Japanese residents and tourists in Cairns and for providing a community grant to the Cairns Japanese Association for its annual Bon Danse festival in August. They also discussed the deepening regional economic and tourism ties into the future. We hope to visit Cairns again soon!
 

The Consul-General visited the QUT Galleries and Museums on 11 April and enjoyed a great variety of Australian and international art, including a Hokusai and other Japanese woodblock prints, as well as a print from Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson featuring Japanese cartoons! A big thank you to the staff for a wonderful tour.
 

On 22 March, the Consulate hosted a special reception acknowledging early Japanese immigration to Australia. We celebrated the occasion with the families of several war brides and pre-war Japanese immigrants, dating back to Rikinosuke Sakuragawa, Australia’s the first recorded Japanese immigrant who arrived in 1873, along with academics and friends of the Queensland-Japan community. We were particularly honoured to have four war brides in attendance. These women arrived in Australia in the 1950s after marrying Australian servicemen in the Occupation Force, and paved the initial steps towards ending the White Australia policy and thawing post-war Australia-Japan relations.
It was an honour to provide this opportunity to connect and share histories, and to recognise the important and longstanding role that Japanese Australians have played in Queensland’s past and present. Thank you to all who attended. A special thanks goes to Dr Yuriko Nagata, Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Queensland, and Elysha Rei, Chair of Nikkei Australia, for providing a wealth of knowledge through their opening remarks and support of the event.
 

On 11 March, Windaroo Valley State High School formalised its Sister School agreement with Kariya High School in Aichi prefecture, Japan with an official signing ceremony.
20 students and 3 staff from Kariya High School arrived to witness the signing and take part in their annual school trip to Australia, including staying with a host family and attending Windaroo Valley SHS. As part of the ceremony, Vice-Principal of Kariya High School Mr Maruyama presented Windaroo Valley SHS Principal Mrs Hopper with a real kabuto (samurai helmet), before making an origami version for her. Students then performed Down Under in a wonderful cultural exchange! We would like to congratulate both schools on formalising their close ties, and look forward to seeing the relationship continue to flourish for many years to come.
 

The Consulate-General of Japan Recently hosted a special salon concert with distinguished Japanese pianist Ms KATO Naoko. Ms Kato serenaded the crowd with Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninoff, and after a surprise performance of Sakura featuring opera singers Ms Kumiko Lofley based in Gold Coast and Ms Kato’s mother from Japan, the concert was rounded out with a group rendition of Waltzing Matilda. We were honoured to have Ms KATO join us all the way from Japan for this special performance. Bravo!
 

Consul-General Gomakubo hosted this year’s Emperor's Birthday Reception at his Official Residence on 22 February. The event was attended by Her Excellency the Hon Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, the Hon Cameron Dick MP, Deputy Premier, Treasurer, and Minister for Trade and Investment, Mr Tim Nicholls MP, representing the Leader of the Opposition, and other guests from the business community, the education sector, Australia-Japan friendship organisations and members of the Queensland Consular Corp.

At the start of the reception, Consul-General GOMAKUBO Junji (link to speech) extended his condolences for the victims and to their families of the earthquake in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. He also expressed his sympathies for those affected by the recent floods in Queensland.

In his remarks, Mr Gomakubo stressed his desire to work with stakeholders to further strengthen the active Japan-Australia and Japan-Queensland relationships on various levels. Her Excellency and the Deputy Premier also made welcoming remarks.

Chef SUZUKI Akinori, the Official Residence chef, served Japanese-style dishes, providing an opportunity for guests to indulge in Japanese food culture. To promote Japanese seafood, Hokkaido scallops were served with a sauce created by Chef Suzuki using Vegemite, which was enjoyed by many guests. Ikebana flower arrangements by Sogetsu Ikebana Queensland were beautifully displayed throughout the venue.

Japanese companies sponsored the reception, allowing guests to enjoy a variety of Japanese beverages, as well as get up close and personal with the hydrogen-powered vehicle (MIRAI). We would like to sincerely thank the following companies and organisations for their cooperation with exhibiting their products.

Sapporo Breweries (Coopers Brewery)
Nippon Food Supplies Company Pty Ltd.
Takara International
Frucor Suntory
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited
Japan National Tourism Organization
Japan External Trade Organization

2024 New Year's Reception