Dear Members (Friends of FSFA),
Don’t forget you are most welcome to attend our monthly FSFA Executive meetings. They are held at 6.30 pm on the first Tuesday of the month. Location is the Acacia Room in the Frankston Council offices. Enter off Young Street. The next meeting is Tuesday 7 May 2019.
2019 Japanese Speech Contest
Our annual Japanese Speech Contest for local primary and secondary students is being held this year on Friday 6 September 2019. This is a popular event for those students in the Frankston region who are learning the Japanese language.
We have in the order of 26 schools teaching the Japanese language and culture. Thank you to those schools for their support of our speech contest. More details will be available in a couple of months.
Japanese Festival 2020
The next Frankston Japanese Festival will be held on Sunday 29 November 2020. We will have the pleasure of a delegation from Susono visiting for the occasion. It is also the weekend of the Christmas Lights Festival in Frankston. This will be a special time for our visitors.
The Festival is planned for Frankston High School and promises to be bigger than ever! We are looking for a whole range of Japanese related people and organisations to participate in the Festival.
Please spread the word.
Pies for Japan
Four 'N' Twenty pies have announced they will be selling pies in Japan. They will be sold at the Rugby World Cup later this year and the Olympics next year. April 20 this year was Pie Day in Japan. The pies will also start appearing on supermarket shelves in Japan.
We have adopted sushi as part of our food culture. It is nice to be able offer something in return.
A New Emperor
Today, the 30th of April is the official end of the Heisei era in Japan and tomorrow, 1st May, is the start of the Reiwa era. Heisei translates roughly as achieving peace; Reiwa means beautiful harmony. Eras follow Emperors in Japan.
Today, 85-year-old Akihito will step down from what is known as the Chrysanthemum Throne. The last time an Emperor abdicated was in 1817. Tomorrow, his 59-year-old son, Naruhito, becomes the 126th head of the world's oldest continuous ruling dynasty, which has a chrysanthemum as its imperial standard.
Rather than having to mourn an Emperor's death, the nation will instead be able to celebrate the change of head of state with a record 10-day holiday called Golden Week. This is from April 27 to May 6, which includes a couple of weekends and a new national day off in honour of Naruhito's ascension.
While some hard-working Japanese people are bemused by having 10 days leave foisted upon them, others have seized the chance to go on overseas holidays. Domestic tourist offerings include wedding packages at midnight to span the two eras, and sunrise charter flights around Mount Fuji so that passengers can witness the dawn of a new era over a national symbol.
Feedback
We welcome your thoughts on the bulletin and things we could include, etc. We all share a passion for Japan and its culture and traditions. This is one way we are using to share and spread the love.
Thank You and we look forward to keeping in touch.
Peter Patterson
On behalf of the Frankston Susono Friendship Association
