JAPOLAC Held the Latin America and Caribbean Tapas Party

After two years of social restrictions due to the pandemic, JAPOLAC held the first cultural event called Latin America and Caribbean Tapas Party on May 14, 2022 at Sumida Industry Hall.

The event showcased a variety of tapas (light dishes) from various Latin American and Caribbean countries such as choripan (Argentina), coixinha (Brazil), cold Cuban salad (Cuba), Tamalitos de Yuca con Pescado (Colombia), Pastelitos Redondos de Pollo (Dominican Republic), quesadillas (Mexico), carimañola (Panama), causa (Peru), arepas (Venezuela/Colombia) and empanadas, shared by the countries of the region with their respective national tastes.

The word tapas in Spanish refers to light dishes served and eaten in the company of friends, family, coworkers or any other acquaintances. Through this type of social gathering, JAPOLAC is seeking to create an intimate and relaxed atmosphere to deepen and strengthen human bonds between Japanese and Latin America and Caribbean people.

The event also included professional dance teachers, who carried out dance demonstration of tango, salsa, merengue and bachata and taught basic steps of each musical gender to participants.

During the event, JAPOLAC also hosted a drawings exhibition of the Florian Paucke Foundation depicting the life of native people as well as the fauna and flora of Argentina in the XVIII (18th) century, and which is considered a historical and cultural treasure of colonial times.

Over 150 people attended the tapas party, including Mr. Toru Yamamoto, mayor of Sumida district, Mrs. Noemi Inoue, assemblywoman of Sumida district, ambassadors of Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru, and representatives of the embassies of Argentina, Honduras, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.

Part of the funds raised at the event were donated to the Florian Paucke Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to support musical training for children experiencing economic difficulties in Argentina.

Greetings from JAPOLAC, local authorities and toast with diplomatic representatives.

Sponsor/Vendor

Participant

Tapas/Light Dishes

Dance

Exhibition

Online Meeting between Chiba University and the University of Technology, Jamaica

The Japanese Association for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC) organized an online meeting to exchange views on the online academic offer from the University of Technology, Jamaica, (Utech, Ja.), which was propose to Chiba University. The meeting also served to explore a potential academic exchange agreement between both universities in the future.

Participants from the University of Technology, Jamaica included Dr. Claire Sutherland, Senior Director, International and Institutional Linkages, Office of the President, Dr. Haldane Johnson, Deputy President (Acting), Miss Marion Brown, Vice President and University Registrar, Dr. Kamilah Hylton, Dean, Faculty of Science and Sport and Dr. Jeanette Bartley-Bryan, Associate Vice President, Office of Distance Learning (ODL) & UTech Academy.

Chiba University counted on the participation of Dr. Makoto Watanabe, Vice President for Education, Student and International Affairs, as well as personnel from the International Affairs Office.

Utech, Ja. carried out a general presentation of the university and academic programs, with a view to exploring the academic and research areas of potential interest for Chiba University.

Dr. Watanabe informed that the online offering from Utech, Ja. is under internal consultations and expressed a positive view on the possibility of establishing an academic agreement in the near future.

In addition, H.E. Shorna-Key Richards, Jamaica’s Ambassador to Japan, and her diplomatic team, participated in the meeting, playing an essential coordinating role to make it possible. Ambassador Richards is actively working in the promotion of academic cooperation between Japan and Jamaica.

JAPOLAC counted on the participation of Dr. Ritter Díaz, Representative Director of the Association and Ms. Martha Zelayandía, Honorary Member of JAPOLAC.

One of the objectives of JAPOLAC is the promotion of academic exchanges between Japanese and Latin American and Caribbean universities, as well as the creation of an academic and research network between Japan and LAC.

Meeting with YouTuber Ryuya-San from “Chanchitos,” who provides Japanese viewers with information about Latin America

The Japan Association for Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC) held a meeting with Ryuya-San from “Chanchitos” to explore ways of cooperation to increase the interest of Japanese people in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean through the use of YouTube and social media.

Ryuya-San and other members of “Chanchitos” have visited over 18 countries in LAC and share their tourist spots, food, festivals, language and people through the YouTube channel “Chanchitos.jp” with more than 45,000 subscribers as well as in the Instagram, Twitter and Facebook platforms.

Chanchitos’ main content includes LAC cultures, news, LAC people living in Japan, online Spanish language classes, live-streaming, among others.

Farewell Dinner for the Ambassador of Ecuador

On Friday, March 18, 2022, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC hosted a farewell dinner for H.E. Jaime Barberis, Ambassador of Ecuador, and wife on the occasion of the end of his mission in Japan.

Dr. Diaz expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Barberis for the strong support for the objectives and activities of JAPOLAC since its foundation. The Embassy of Ecuador was one of the first embassies of Latin America and the Caribbean to join JAPOLAC as honorary member.

The dinner also counted on the participation of H.E. Raul Florentin, Ambassador of Paraguay, and wife as well as other distinguished Japanese guests.

Painting Exhibition “Colors, Ink & Friends”

On March 5, 2022, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC participated at the painting exhibition “Colors, Ink & Friends”, which took place at Shinmei Iki Iki Plaza in Minato-Ku.

The exhibition included paintings from Mrs. Maria Liz Aquino, wife of the Ambassador of Paraguay, Mrs. Maria Amparo Aviles, wife of the Ambassador of Ecuador, Ms. Carolina Barberis, daughter of the Ambassador of Ecuador, Mrs. Maria Fernanda Lochschmidt, Art Historian from Brazil and Mrs. Clara Nakazato, a national from Venezuela and a long-term resident in Japan.

Under the tutoring of Maria Liz Aquino, these group of ladies met regularly during the pandemic and endeavored to showcase the creativity in art as a way to cope with the special times we are living in.

Their works mingled different techniques and materials freely such as acrylic, pastel, pencil, Japanese sumi, applied over surfaces as canvas, papers, cardboard, washi paper, or as combined materials in collage formats.

The results were very diverse, going from lively colorful works to peaceful monochrome ones. They reflected the different backgrounds, learnings and influences received from each other.

The exhibition was held to commemorate International Woman’s Day and was supported by the Embassy of Ecuador in collaboration with Minato-Ku’s Shinmei Iki Iki Plaza.