Feature: The 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation
The year 2023 marked the 50th commemorative year of ASEAN-Japan relations. To celebrate this milestone, the Japan Foundation encouraged intercultural exchange and held a wide range of commemorative events and exchange programs.
MIKAGE PROJECT ASEAN TOUR 2023
The Japan Foundation organized concerts and Japanese musical instrument workshops by the folk song unit MIKAGE PROJECT in Thailand (Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and PJPAC) and Malaysia (Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam Campus and PJPAC). MIKAGE PROJECT is a three-member unit dedicated to sharing the appeal of Japanese folk songs at home and abroad through modern renditions of folk songs from across Japan. The concerts included collaborations with prominent local artists in each country, facilitating cultural exchange through music.
Performance by MIKAGE PROJECT
Music students were particularly impressed by the unit’s unique arrangement, such as their transformation of the Fukuoka folk song Tanko Bushi into a love song inspired by the original lyrics.
ITO Kashitaro ASEAN Tour 2023 in the Philippines and Vietnam
The Japan Foundation held concerts by ITO Kashitaro, a singer-songwriter and anime song vocalist, in Manila, the Philippines, and Hanoi, Vietnam. Known as a vocalist of unparalleled talent and commanding tremendous support from young social media users, Ito Kashitaro used his songs to inspire young people who will carry forward the next 50 years of exchange between Japan and ASEAN. In the Philippines, he performed with popular singer-songwriter Armi MILLARE, promoting cultural exchange through music.
Performances in Hanoi, Vietnam
Both shows at the National Youth Theater were sold out. During the encore, the audience joined in, singing in Japanese, creating a moment of unity between performer and audience.
Cultural Exchange at Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
In addition to performances, exchange sessions were held in each location. In the Philippines, ITO Kashitaro visited a university where he studied Filipino and discussed music with students, creating opportunities for mutual understanding between Japan and the Philippines.
CHAI “NEO KAWAII NIGHT in Laos and Cambodia”
The Japan Foundation organized performances by the all-female band CHAI in Vientiane, Laos, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. With their concept of “NEO KAWAII,” CHAI brought their unique energy to the performances and local exchanges, supporting future cultural exchange between both countries and Japan.
Exchange Session at Phaeng Mai Gallery (Vientiane, Laos)
In addition to performing, the band visited a traditional dyeing and weaving workshop in Laos. After learning dyeing and weaving techniques from women working at the gallery, they participated in an exchange session. The members were delighted to learn that chai means heart in Lao, bringing them closer to Laotian culture.
Performance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
CHAI performed twice at Factory Phnom Penh, a cultural facility gaining popularity among young people. The performances were highly successful, with some audience members attending both shows. The performances included an activity where audience members could color illustrations drawn by band member YUUKI.
“Dionysus” by SCOT (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation and the 65th year of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia, Dionysus, directed by SUZUKI Tadashi and performed by his theater company SCOT with Indonesian actors, was staged in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2023. All performances over the two-day run were sold out, attracting a diverse audience ranging from theater professionals who have long known Suzuki Tadashi to young students. They all came together to appreciate this Japan–Indonesia co-production.
Dionysus performance
© Djajusman
This version of Dionysus was developed over three years, starting in 2015, through an international co-production between Japan and Indonesia as part of the Japan Foundation Asia Center project. Since its debut in Toga, Japan, during SCOT Summer Season, Dionysus has been performed at venues including the Prambanan Temple Compounds in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2018), the Singapore International Festival of Arts (2019), and the 9th Theatre Olympics in Toga (2019). Since 2015, Indonesian actors have continued to hone their skills at SUZUKI’s annual summer training camps in Toga. Three Indonesian actors selected from this pool performed alongside SCOT’s cast in this production.
International Symposium on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation “Mobilities among ASEAN and Japan: Its Future and How We Shape It”
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, the Japan Foundation co-hosted an international symposium, “Mobilities among ASEAN and Japan: Its Future and How We Shape It,” with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July 2023. As societies moved toward recovery after the pandemic, the symposium featured five panels focusing on “Mobilities” as the central theme. They examined perspectives such as human movement, academia, culture, diversity, and social inclusion. Scholars and experts from various countries engaged in multifaceted discussions about the importance of socio-cultural networks and mobilities between Japan and ASEAN, as well as the challenges and possibilities that mobilities bring.
Video Message from Then-Minister for Foreign Affairs HAYASHI Yoshimasa
In a video message at the symposium’s opening, then-Minister for Foreign Affairs HAYASHI Yoshimasa highlighted the achievements of the Japan Foundation’s “WA Project” and underscored the importance of facilitating the mobilities not only of people and goods but also of wisdom and ideas. His message reaffirmed the significance of international cultural exchange programs between Japan and ASEAN.
Group photo of speakers and organizers
The symposium welcomed 21 speakers from Japan and Southeast Asian countries. It facilitated exchange not only among the speakers but also between them and attending Indonesian researchers and experts, contributing to the formation of new intellectual and academic networks.
View of symposium venue
Over the two days, the event attracted approximately 450 in-person attendees, while more than 1,700 views were received through online streaming and archival access. The Q&A sessions for each panel generated lively discussions, with numerous questions from both the audience and speakers from other panels.
ASEAN-Japan Youth Forum “Take Actions for Social Change 2023”
In collaboration with the Kamenori Foundation and the ASEAN University Network, the Japan Foundation conducted a youth exchange program, the ASEAN-Japan Youth Forum “Take Actions for Social Change 2023,” over approximately four months from July 2023 to promote mutual understanding between young people from ASEAN countries and Japan. With the shared vision of “co-creating a better world in 2050,” 30 undergraduate university students from across the region worked in groups on three themes: the Aging Society, Diversity, and Environment and Disaster Prevention Education. Through online seminars, field trips to ASEAN countries, and a study visit to Japan, the students learned together and collaborated, ultimately presenting team action plans for addressing the challenges.
Field Trip in Indonesia
From late August to early September, the teams embarked on week-long ASEAN field trips: the Aging Society group visited Thailand, the Diversity group traveled to the Philippines, and Environment and Disaster Prevention Education group went to Indonesia. They observed the activities of organizations and facilities related to their respective themes. In Indonesia, the students visited Jakarta and Yogyakarta, where they exchanged views with experts and practitioners and deepened their practical understanding through interactions with a community affected by volcanic eruptions.
Visit to Hiroshima during the Japan Study Program
From Sunday, November 19 to Sunday, November 26, 2023, all participating students gathered in Japan to visit relevant facilities and organizations related to the three themes. In addition to Tokyo, the group visited Hiroshima, where participants collectively reflected on peace as a crucial foundation for realizing a better world, transcending their group themes.
Final Action Plan Presentations
On Friday, November 24, 2023, toward the end of the Japan study program, students presented their team action plans. Representatives from organizations visited during the program and officials from ASEAN embassies attended the presentations, which featured creative approaches from each team and generated lively Q&A sessions between the commentators, audience, and students.
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