Knowing Japan through films

From left: Kurihara, Tan, Yap, Cao Min Pictures Sdn Bhd Producer Lim Pei See and Nakagawa in a group picture after the opening ceremony

UTAR Kampar Campus hosted the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2018 in Northwest Malaysia on 9 November 2018.

A joint initiative by UTAR Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) Kampar Campus, UTAR Japanese Culture Club (JCC), the Consulate-General of Japan in Penang (CGJP) and the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), the one-day festival provided a platform for staff, students as well as movie enthusiasts to explore the Land of the Rising Sun’s contemporary culture through movies.

Present at the opening ceremony were Vice Consul-General of Japan in Penang Nakagawa Kosuke and CGJP’s Assistant for Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Nurizzati binti Shamsu Anuar; as well as JFKL Deputy Director and Head of Cultural Affairs Department Kurihara Tsuyoshi and JFKL’s Programme and Administrative Officer Nurul Amira binti Sabri. They were cordially received by CFS Kampar Campus Director Tan Lee Siew, JFF 2018 Project Coordinator-cum-CFS Kampar Japanese Language lecturer Yap Yuet Ngor and the JCC members.

Thanking both CGJP and JFKL for choosing UTAR as one of the few local universities to host the festival, Tan said, “We hope that we are able to give the students and the Kampar community some insights into Japanese language and culture as well as their richness through the films. It is also our hope that the audience will be able to learn some of the embedded values shown by the movies and be inspired.”

Nakagawa also reciprocated his appreciation to UTAR for the concerted effort in making JFF 2018 a reality. “These movies are starred by popular and skilled actors to reflect the Japan we know and grew up in. I hope that through the movies you are able to deepen your understanding about Japan as well as our culture,” he mentioned.

Tan (left) and Nakagawa extending their appreciation and welcome

A total of three movies subtitled in English, namely Seto and Utsumi (セトウツミ), When the Curtain Rises (幕が上がる) and The 100^th Love with You (君と 100 回目の恋) were subsequently shown throughout the festival which attracted over 100 people including UTAR’s exchange students from Japan as well as other international students. Produced between years 2015 and 2017, the movies vividly showcased Japanese pop culture, social quirks and romantic inclinations amongst Japanese youths today.

JFF 2018 also saw booths by CGJP, JFKL, JCC and Kampar's Japanese community promoting Japanese language learning programmes and upcoming activities around Malaysia; displaying Japanese paper crafts (pepakura) and other arts and crafts; and selling Japanese homemade snacks as well as handmade items ranging from soaps to pouches.

Visitors visiting the booth which sells homemade Japanese snacks by Kampar’s Japanese community

Yap (third from left) with Kampar’s Japanese community and exchange students from Japan

Kurihara (fourth from right) and Yap (third from right) with Kampar’s Japanese community

UTAR students exhibiting the Japanese paper crafts and selling anime pin and badges 

In her closing remark, Tan extended her appreciation to the co-organisers and the organising committee once again. Tan also highlighted the popularity of the Japanese language as elective course amongst UTAR students as reflected in the high number of enrolment in the courses as well as participation in study tours to universities in Japan. “This is an encouraging sign because it is also aligned with UTAR’s focus on global and cultural exchange as a mean to promote mutual understanding and harmony among the diverse communities around the globe,” concluded the CFS Kampar Director.

The first pit stop for JFF 2018 in Northwest Malaysia, UTAR is also the only private institution of higher learning to host the festival. JFF 2018 will later on take place at Universiti Utara Malaysia on 24 November, Universiti Sains Malaysia on 1 December and Universiti Malaysia Perlis on 2 December.   

Tan presenting souvenirs to Nakagawa (left picture) and Kurihara (right picture) as a gesture of appreciation

(Photo courtesy of JFF 2018 Project Coordinator-cum-CFS Kampar Japanese Language lecturer Ms. Yap Yuet Ngor and CFS Kampar Japanese Language assistant lecturer Lee Chee Kuen)