The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) participated in Global Festa Japan 2025, held at Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Sankaku Hiroba on 27–28 September. The event provided a valuable opportunity to introduce ASEAN to a wide audience interested in international cooperation. Through an exhibition booth and a creative workshop, the AJC offered visitors a fun and engaging way to learn about ASEAN’s diversity and its ties with Japan.
Objectives
- To provide opportunities for the Japanese public to experience ASEAN firsthand through interaction with ASEAN students volunteering at the workshop.
- To raise public awareness of ASEAN, ASEAN-Japan relations, and the AJC among people involved or interested in international cooperation.
Activities
Over the two days, around 600 sets of materials were distributed at the AJC booth, including the ASEANpedia booklet designed to help readers learn about ASEAN in an enjoyable way, and the Southeast Asia Travel Map, which features essential facts, tourism highlights, and UNESCO World Heritage sites from all ten ASEAN Member States. Visitors also enjoyed quiz games about the ASEAN Member States’ foods and national flowers, sparking lively conversations about Southeast Asian culture.
On the afternoon of 27 September, the AJC organized a hands-on workshop titled “What is ASEAN? Let’s Learn While Making Your Own Key Charm!” Fifty-eight participants ranging from preschool children to adults joined the session, along with eleven ASEAN student volunteers. Together, they created original key charms featuring motifs unique to ASEAN, such as the proboscis monkey and the tarsier. Some participants asked the students to write their names in Khmer or Lao on the charms, leading to warm and friendly exchanges. The workshop became a memorable opportunity for direct, face-to-face interaction between people of Japan and ASEAN.
Way Forward
The AJC’s participation in Global Festa Japan 2025 provided a meaningful opportunity to introduce ASEAN and the AJC’s activities directly to the Japanese public. The experience also demonstrated the value of participating in large-scale public events to reach new audiences. Building on this success, the AJC will continue to engage in similar outreach opportunities and collaborate with ASEAN students to promote mutual understanding and the spirit of ASEAN-Japan friendship.
