JETAA NSW Activities

~ Photos and Article by JETAA NSW ~

Spring has arrived in a splendiferous display of clear blue skies and warm weather! We at JETAA NSW reflect on our winter activities of the past few months, which includes our recent trip to Cowra and our trivia night. Let’s go!

August – Trivia Night:

無題Our ever popular trivia night was held at the AB Hotel. As always, our MC kept things moving along really well, and competition was FIERCE for the bottles of wine, and a special Japanese snack pack. Special thanks go to the Japan Foundation for donating a double pass to the upcoming Japanese Film Festival, as we’re always highly appreciative of gifts from friends and associates. Our mental agility was put to task to answering many questions from Japanese history culture, and performing silly games as we laughed our way to the finishing line.

September – Tabaimo – Mekurumeku:

JETAA has always strived hard to promote Japanese culture, and we were invited to view the Tabaimo: Mekurumeku exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. With a tour of the exhibition conducted in Japanese, it was fascinating to see the rich and sensual complexities of Tabaimo’s art, as we delved deep into the artist’s inside mind, in a mesmerising display of the dark side of Japanese society during the GFC, and its desire to break free from it.

September – Cowra Cherry Blossom Festival:

Due to overwhelming demand we decided to organise what has been our most popular event in the JETAA calendar – the Japanese Spring tradition of Hanami (flower viewing). And what better location than Cowra, the site of the Cowra breakout during WWII and now a significant cultural site with a beautiful Japanese garden. Travelling on a mini bus hired by JETAA NSW, a group of our members enjoyed this peaceful regional town’s annual Sakura Festival, filled with colour, sounds, food and of lots and lots of cherry blossoms! Everyone had a really great time and it was a great bonding experience as members come closer together in the spirit of friendship and adventure, and reflected on the Australia-Japan relationship. We intend to run our trip as regularly as we can as long as our funds and demand allows us.

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Upcoming:

The JETAA Oceania Conference will take place in Melbourne this year, and the topic will be about “Staying Relevant”, and examine the future and survival of JETAA in Australia and New Zealand. Representatives from each of our chapters will get together and talk about problems and issues facing JETAA’s ongoing viability, and share stories and strategies on how to best remain dynamic and active, with the very little resources available to us. It promises to be a very thought-provoking and exciting conference!

Thanks for reading about our JETAA NSW activities. We hope to see you all at one or all of our events, and please, come say hi to us!

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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  • The latest of our correspondence is released.

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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  • 2023/2024 CLAIR Forum 

    Theme: Disaster Management and Resilience

    Disaster Management is essential for local governments as it helps save lives, protect properties, build resilience, and ensure the overall well-being and stability of communities in the face of disasters such as natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks. And it has become more important than ever in recent years. In the 2024 CLAIR Forum, presented by CLAIR Sydney and UTS, we  explored the practices of prevention, response, and recovery to disasters in local governments in Australia and Japan. We also reflected on new ways of thinking about and building resilient communities, built and natural environments, economies and governments. 

    Date:  11 March,2024 (Monday)
    Time: 1:00pm to 5:00pm 
    Venue: The Japan Foundation, Sydney – Seminar Room (Hybrid)

    Speakers

    – Tomoyuki Takemura (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

    Provided an overview of recent disaster occurrences in Japan such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the role of administrative organisations (national, prefectural, and municipal) during disasters, and the updated information on the status of the support system established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

    – Reiko Kunisaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Fukuoka Prefectural Government)

    Described the recent heavy rain disasters in Fukuoka, efforts in supporting evacuees requiring assistance (including training on municipal guidance, operation of evacuation centres, and creation of individual evacuation plans) in collaboration with local governments and partners.

    – Kana Tsujiwaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Wakayama Prefectural Government)

    Touched upon the anecdote of Goryo Hamaguchi, a native of Wakayama, which led to the establishment of “World Tsunami Day.” Also explained distinctive disaster countermeasures in Wakayama, such as setting safety levels for evacuation destinations, the “Dokodemo Stand” mobile gas station, and mobile disaster prevention education.

    – Nicole Parsons (Manager Regional Resilience Programs, Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation)

    The presentation highlighted collaborative efforts with local governments and partners in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region to reduce disaster risks, including enhancing infrastructure resilience, improving access to geographic data, and developing environmental monitoring and early warning systems.

    – Shinnosuke Matsumoto (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ichihara city council)

    Discussed disaster response in his city, the response system during disasters, types and conditions for opening evacuation centres, and examples of efforts in adapting to changes in operating the centres during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    – Hideaki Ota(Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Odawara city council)

    Provided an overview of medical services during disasters in Japan, focusing on the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), including the outline, process, and roles of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and disaster base hospitals. Presented examples, including Odawara City Hospital’s dispatch of DMAT to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

    – Tommaso Briscese (General Manager, Burwood Council) & Miriam Wassef(Executive Manager, Place Management and Communications Burwood Council)

    Presented Burwood Council’s response to and recovery efforts for COVID-19, including care for the community, financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises for economic recovery, and events to promote human interaction that were reduced following the outbreak.

     

    The Q&A session allowed for exchanges of many questions and opinions among participants. Carol Mills concluded the forum, reflecting on the discussions.

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  • From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.

    During the joint training, the athletes deepened their connections, and in the competition, the Fukuoka swimmers achieved remarkable success, earning numerous medals.
     
    The visit is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2023 between the Fukuoka Prefecture, the Fukuoka Swimming Association, and Swimming NSW. CLAIR Sydney received a request from Fukuoka Prefecture to assist them with their activities and accompanied them during some parts of their visit.
     
    We will continue to support and deepen exchanges in the field of sports between Fukuoka Prefecture and NSW.
    To all the athletes, coaches, and accompanying staffs, Otsukaresamadeshita!
     
     
     
     
     
     
  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.
    View this Correspondence in PDF.

     

     

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this correspondence in PDF.

     

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.