About the Australia Japan Association - South Australia Inc

41 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP WITH JAPAN The Australia Japan Association of SA Inc. was founded in 1967 by Toyohiro Tanaka to foster and promote friendship and understanding between the people of Australia and of Japan. Meetings If you have an interest in Japan, have been to Japan or want to go there, if you are Japanese with a similar interest in Australia, and you want to make new friends, an AJA conversation meeting is the place to go. AJA holds conversation meetings twice a month on the first Tuesday and the third Wednesday of each month from 6 pm at the Caffe Amore on the corner of Pirie and Pulteney Streets. Here Australians and Japanese of all ages meet to socialise, make some useful contacts and communicate in each other's language. Usually about 40-50 people attend our meetings and many friendships are formed in a pleasant cafe atmosphere where coffee or a meal is readily available. Formality is minimal and meetings end when the last people go home. Some meetings run to a theme, such as a Melbourne Cup Hat night, a Kimono night, a quiz or even a "Talk like a Pirate" night. If you want more details of meetings, contact Jim at jlstewart@optusnet.com.au or Kyoko at pohchankyoko@gmail.com or just turn up at the Caffe Amore on any meeting night. Social Functions As well as conversation meetings AJA holds a number of social functions during the year. These include a Christmas dinner and a dinner for the Annual General Meeting in August. Barbecues in the city parklands and picnics at the beach or in the hills to enjoy cherry blossom viewing or the autumn colours are also part of our calendar. AJA coordinates the Japanese Community group for the Multicultural SA section of the annual Australia Day Parade and participates in a couple of local fairs. Harmony The official newsletter of the AJA of SA is published about four times a year and provides a record of the Association’s activities. It is called Harmony after the Japanese kanji on our logo . Back issues of Harmony are archived here.