BJFA hosts dinner to promote Asean-Japan Exchange Year
By CT Hj Mahmod

Umisora with Pg Setia Negara Pg Hj Mohd Yusof and Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah after their performance 

Yuki Murakami singing a popular number 

Friends of the Brunei Japan Friendship Association (BJFA) were simply enchanted with the beautiful jazzy tune emanating from Japan's highly acclaimed Japanese Jazz trio, Umisora, during a dinner hosted by BJFA last Friday. Umisora comprises three talented jazz musicians, Fumi Sekihara (violinist), Yuki Murakami (pianist) and Yuichiro Hiraoka (guitarist).

The dinner and jazz performance by Umisora that took place at Spaghettini of Empire hotel and Country Club was the first of many initiatives by BJFA in its efforts towards promoting the Asean-Japan Exchange Year 2003.

Attending the dinner as the guest of honour was the Honorary Patron cum Advisor, Pengiran Setia Negara Pengiran Haji Mohd Yusof bin Pengiran Haji Abd Rahim, the Japanese Ambassador, Hara Satoshi and Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah, Managing Director of Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd, who is also the President of BJFA.

This year will be a turning point for BJFA in its effort to support Asean-Japan Exchange Year 2003, which presents a number of ideas to stimulate exchanges in all areas including intellectual and cultural, as well as to strengthen the network that links research institutions in Japan and Asean countries.

Japan has officially designated the year 2003 for the Asean-Japan Exchange Year and each country will organise and host a variety of events to promote exchanges.

To support this, BJFA has engaged eight of its activities to be categorised under Asean-Japan Exchange Year Programme. The biggest event will be the Brunei Japan Friendship Art Exhibition in May, which will be in close collaboration with the National Coordinating Committee for the official launching of Asean-Japan Exchange Year Programme.

The dinner was kindly supported by friends of BJFA: City Bank, Hong Kong Bank, QAF, Asia Inc, Mitsubishi Cooperation, GHK Motors Sdn Bhd, NBT, and among those who sponsored were Japan Brunei Friendship Association, Nagoya International Services and Empire Hotel and Country Club.

Courtesy of Sunday Bulletin