The 28th Australia-Japan Relations Essay Award Ceremony
On the 15th of March, the Acting Consul-General of Japan, Mr Yasufumi Kotake hosted an Awards Ceremony and afternoon tea in honour of the Victorian award winners of the 28th Australia-Japan Relations Essay Contest. 32 guests attended including the winning students, family members, judges, teachers and education department representatives.
A minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect for the victims of the Tohoku – Pacific Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami that occurred on the 11th of March. In his speech, the Acting Consul-General Kotake praised the winners for their efforts and encouraged them to maintain their interest in Japan and to actively work towards building the bridge of understanding between our nations in the future.
Melbourne Grand Prix – Tribute for Earthquake and Tsunami Victims
On Sunday 27th March, the Acting Consul-General of Japan, Mr Yasufumi Kotake attended the Melbourne Grand Prix and participated in a one minute’s silence on the grid in recognition of the victims of the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake and Tsunami. The tribute was also observed by Governor De Kretser, the Premier of Victoria Mr Ted Ballieau, formula one driver Mr Kamui Kobayashi and the large number of people in attendance at the event.
Assistants to Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) Program Farewell(28th March, 2010)
On Monday 28th March, the Acting Consul-General of Japan, Mr. Yasufumi Kotake and the Director of Japan Information and Cultural Centre, Mr. Tsuyoshi Isaka attended the Assistants to Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) Farewell Ceremony at the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
In his speech, Mr. Kotake congratulated each of the returning Assistants for their efforts in promoting Japanese language education and said that they should be very proud of their invaluable contributions.
The ATJ Program commenced in 1996 through the initiative of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The Program was started in order to meet the considerable demand for Japanese teachers in Victorian schools. Each year 20 to 30 young Japanese are placed in Victorian Government schools, where they assist in Japanese language classes.
Launch of the Melbourne Museum Resources of Japanese language Education Website
The Acting Consul-General of Japan, Mr Yasufumi Kotake attended the launch of the Melbourne Museum Resources of Japanese Language Education Website on the 18th March and delivered a speech. Mr Kotake highlighted the current situation in Victoria in regards to Japanese studies and emphasized the importance of learning about foreign cultures and languages.
The launch was co-hosted by the State Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Melbourne Museum. The resources are tailored to students’ year level and explore the theme ‘Wild: Amazing Animals in a Challenging World’. They promote Japanese learning in a fun manner utilizing sentences, pictures, photographs and pod casts.
Please refer to the following link for further information:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/education/education-kits/resource-for-students-of-japanese
