Clubs and Societies
There are currently 4 clubs and societies under the wing of our department. Our students actively take part in these co-curricular activities.
Japanese Studies Society
Japanese Studies Society websiteThe Japanese Studies Society or JSS is a student organization of approximately 280 members. Founded in 1984, the society’s foremost objective is to offer to NUS students a first-hand experience of Japanese culture, society and people. Through its assortment of activities, JSS aims to raise the general interest in Japan and provide its members a better understanding of this rich and colourful culture.
Our mainstay activities such as the Japanese Cultural Festival and Interlink Homestay programmes have seen significant modifications and improvements to their organization and execution in the past academic year. For example, prior to this year’s homestay, our usual program only provided participants with a chance to conduct exchange with students from Fukuoka. However, from the year 2002 onwards, participants will be given the opportunity to meet students from Fukuoka and to also enjoy a 3-day extended stay in Kyoto with students from Kyoto Women’s University.
Our annual Japanese Cultural Festival which was themed Tanoshimi 2002, has been successfully held between Jan 14th to 16th this year. Possibly the most colourful event ever to be organized in NUS Arts Forum for a long time, our Festival has set the decoration trend for countless bazaars to follow. With 2002 paper cranes on display, a tori-ii-like gate, and lanterns set up, the Forum was bathed in hues of orange and red. This joyous occasion featured among many others: a Japanese high school rock band and a para-para dance performance.
On another level, our homepage JSS Online! has successfully evolved into the Japanese pop culture e-zine previously envisioned. Despite it being in its infancy stage, the total hits as of July 31st was 4660. We averaged about 14 hits per day. This was significantly higher on weekends. It includes topics from travel to festivals. It also has a forum where members can exchange their views and information about upcoming events can be found there. Signing up for JSS activities has never been easier as anyone with access to the Internet can do so at our website. So far, registration through the website to join our Freshmen Camps have been successful. We are currently in the experimental stage to allow undergraduates to sign up for membership online too. Payment issues are also being currently ironed out.
We are always on the lookout to add fun activities to our calendar of events for our members to participate. For this purpose, we sought to continue the previous radio programme arrangement that we had with DJ Chikako (who has since left FM96.3). After several negotiations with DJ Randolf, the current programme manager, the radio station acceded to our request and accepted up to 3 JSS members per visit to their radio studio. It allowed members to experience first-hand how a Japanese radio programme was hosted on air and they themselves were also given the opportunity to air their voices over national radio!
Currently a student conference is also in the pipeline. In response to the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi designation of year 2003 as “Japan-ASEAN Year”, students of the famous Waseda University and JSS have come together to organize Japan-Singapore Youth Conference to be held in mid-September this year in Singapore. The purpose of this inaugural 1-week conference is to promote cultural exchange, improve bilateral relations and have a free flow of ideas and views.
All the above reflects JSS commitment to its vision of becoming one of the most vibrant and dynamic societies in NUS. And to this end, we will tirelessly seek to improve by providing better services and activities for all our members and the NUS undergraduate population.
Sado Club
Sado, also known as Tea Ceremony, is a traditional Japanese art which has been around for centuries. Here in the Japanese Studies Department, we offer the chance to learn the art of tea ceremony from our own Sado Club.
Practiced in the comfort of the Japanese-styled room in the Japanese Department, Sado teaches one many virtues like discipline and humility. The ritualised form of serving tea, expressing "wakeiseijaku"-or mutual respect and thoughfulness-seeks to bring harmony among people and the surrounding. The essense of "Kirei Sabi" which is gracefulness and simplicity is also portrayed under the style of Enshu Sado which we learn.
The Sado Club is under the tutelage of two masters from the Enshu Sado School, namely Ms Hirota Naoko and Ms Miura Shizuka. The teachers visits three times a year from Japan. The Iemoto (Grandmaster), Mr Kobori Sojitsu, comes occasionally with them to help instruct the students.
Activities of the Sado Club includes performances in NUS, for example during the Japanese Cultural Festival, and outside of school which we get invited to do special performances.
For more information regarding the Sado Club, please feel free to drop a message at akane@singnet.com, or even drop by during one of our practices on Friday, anytime from 10am to 5am at the Japanese Studies Department Culture room AS4, 03-16.
Nihon Buyo
Founded in 1990, the club introduces NUS students to one aspect of Japanese performing art that combines choreography with music and costume. Instruction is given by Mrs Onogawa Jushohsuke, grandmaster of the Onogawa School of Japanese dance. Sensei Onogawa Jushohsuke visits Singapore at least twice a year to teach Nihon buyo Club NUS kabuki dances and festival dances.
Members of the club have performed widely in cultural activities within and outside the University. These performances include dancing for events such as the annual Japanese Cultural Festival organized by the Japanese Studies society NUS, International Student Night organized by NUSSU International Relations Committee, and performances for visiting Japanese high schools and universities in NUS. The club also performs from time to time for private company functions and large-scale Japanese events outside of the university, such as the “Sumo in Demo” performances at Liang Court and Plaza Singapura in March 2002.
Members of Nihon Buyo will not only learn about traditional Japanese Dance, but will also be taught basic Japanese ethics and how to wear Japanese traditional kimono and yukata (summer kimono). Nihon Buyo members also enjoy dance training in a serene and beautiful washitsu (tatami mat room), courtesy of the Japanese Studies Department.
Amidst the hype about Japanese popular culture, the club strives to preserve the traditional elegance and grace that emanates from Buyo dance. By mastering Nihon Buyo, one can not only learn the aesthetical value of traditional Japanese dance, but also gain discipline and self-achievement from the process.
For more information, please email adelinekang@hotmail.com, and feel free to join us for dance classes every Thursday anytime from 1pm to 6pm, at the Japanese Studies Department Culture room AS4, 03-16.
Karaoke Club
Set up in 1990, The Japanese Karaoke club attempts to satisfy the keen interest of our students in Japanese songs (best known as Jpop). and Japanese culture It has now over 20 members who meet up for 2 hours weekly to learn new songs. This provides them with an enjoyable way of learning Japanese and immersion into a popular Japanese pastime. Since 1997, the Karaoke club has hosted a Japanese karaoke contest annually for the staff and students in NUS. The prizes were sponsored by Pioneer Singapore.
The Japanese Karaoke Club aims to help members learn or pick up Japanese through a more interesting way: J-pop Songs. Our members would gather for two hours every week to learn new Japanese songs ranging from pop, drama to anime. As such, opportunities are given to our members to immerse themselves in Japanese popular culture. Lately subtle changes to the weekly programme have been made which includes simple vocal training which serves as a warm up for singing and to enhance the proficiency of singing within our members. As for members who are Japanese-illiterate, our club provides romaji as well as translation of the lyrics to enhance their understanding of the songs. At the end of session, some interesting Japanese words are taught to the members which enhances their learning in the Japanese Language. Seniors are always willing to stay behind to exchange ideas or knowledge regarding Japanese language, culture etc. Supplementary to this, we have also incorporated the showing of Jpop video clips, Japanese Drama/anime VCDs, Playstation games featuring Jpop songs and occasional karaoke singing outings to Hit Studio, at Delphi Orchard during the school vocations.
In the last academic year, we participated actively in the annual Japanese Cultural Festival Tanoshimi organized by the JSS. Through the Festival funds were raised for the Japanese Karaoke Competition and thus offering a chance for the J pop voices to express their singing talents in the competition. On 30 March 2002, the fifth annual Japanese Karaoke Competition was held at NUS Lecture Theatre 13 with the generous sponsorship of Pioneer Electronics (S) Pte Ltd. It turned out to be very successful indeed with people from all faculties joining in the contest, Lecturers and staff were also specially invited to display their singing talents to the students. The top prize was a magnificent hi-fi set from our dear sponsor Pioneer. We would like to thank Dr Takashi Terada (teacher-in-charge) as well as all the teaching and non-teaching stuff members of the Japanese Department for their great support, guidance and help.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Tetsuya Saito, Managing Director of Pioneer Singapore, for his kind sponsorship and for taking time off to be our distinguished judge during the competition. In addition, a big thank you to our compares, Mr. Michael Hiratsuka, Ms Kwan Nee and Mr. Lee Jen Chin for their excellent performance and all club members who have helped in the competition in one way or another.
This academic year, the Japanese Karaoke Club hopes to bring better performances to the students of NUS so as to bring about greater awareness about Japanese songs and culture. With that , the Club has plans to work with other student organizations to bring about improvement. On top of that, we have established links with 96.3FM the only official Japanese radio station and we hope to bring about more publicity about J-pop.
