Its that time of year again and I attended my third Japanese Culture and Calendar Exhibition at Sovereign Shopping Center in Liguanea St Andrew. As one of the few Japan related events that is held in Jamaica I had to attend but unfortunately I was a bit late but still managed to enjoy myself and win a couple calendars.
Japan invades Sovereign Center
When I arrived there was a decent crowd of people taking part in the various activities going on and the Japanese calendars were going fast. A lot of familiar faces were present such as my former Japanese teacher and friend Tomoko-sensei. I also had the oportunity to meet new friends such as Chihiro Irisawa a cultural officer with the Japanese embassy in Jamaica and a few more people who have been reading my blog but met me in person for the first time.
Advice and Encouragement from new friends
I had the most fun talking to Maria and two past participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme who I had met casually last year but this year it was possible to talk more with them, ask questions and get some insight into what it was like to live in Japan for a number of years. I told them about my plans for visiting Japan in a few months and they had some excellent advice and offered great encouragement which I appreciated immensely.
Video and subscribe on Youtube
Check out a short video I shot at the exhibition above to get a feel of what it was like and enjoy a lot more photos below. If the video isn’t showing in your feed reader or email inbox click here to view it on the Jamaipanese.com. Check out my coverage of this event from 2009 and 2010 and remember to subscribe to Jamaipanese.com on Youtube – I will have a special surprise soon as I try to document my upcoming Blue Mountain hike so look out for that!
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Looks like a good day was had by all…. and a good way to start priming yourself for your trip (even if it’s still a little while away). What sort of Japanese community is there across Jamaica?
Thanks for this roundup. I know this couldn’t miss yuh!
I was there too, but I didn’t stay for long. Long enough to win a calender, though! XD
Seems like good stuff, wish I had known about it before.