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• Exploring Japanese Textiles

  • When
    16 Jun 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    Textiles Sydney: Primrose Park Art & Craft Centre, Matora Lane, Cremorne
  • Spaces left
    0

  The traditional Japanese kimono is experiencing a vibrant revival by being reimagined for modern life, shifting from a formal garment to a sustainable fashion staple. As younger generations and designers seek to reduce waste, they are finding creative ways to give old kimono fabrics a "new lease on life". With this in mind,  AJS-NSW will be teaming up with Textiles Sydney at their premises in Cremorne. Suitable for teens onwards, this event will be especially interesting for sewists, stitchers, and those curious to know more about repurposing kimono and yukata.

  Our guest speaker will be Tae Gessner, who has a long history with kimono. Her mother owned a kimono business in Japan. Together with her mother, Tae did fittings for kimono shows, Nihon Buyou and backstage. She graduated from a kimono college and worked for a kimono wholesaler before coming to Sydney.

  Tae is the founder of International Kimono Club Sydney and a kimono specialist in Sydney. Her recent Wabori show featured wonderful combinations of Australian indigenous art and Japanese traditional kimono. Her International Kimono Club Sydney is free to join and focuses on the passion and freedom to explore the joy of wearing Kimono and experiencing Japanese culture.

  This will be an ideal opportunity to share ideas on repurposing Japanese kimono. Feel free to bring along a garment you have repurposed or want to recycle. Refreshments will be served following talk.

  Textiles Sydney: https://primrosepark.com.au/textiles-sydney

  Venue map: https://primrosepark.com.au/contact

  

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• Gala Dinner - A Celebration of 50 Years of Friendship and Cooperation

  • When
    30 Jun 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
  • Location
    The Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra
  • Spaces left
    7

  Join a table of AJS-NSW members to celebrate this historic milestone event at a Gala Dinner. Please email us as seating at the table is almost fully allocated. Alternatively purchase a ticket from the  website. 

  Event Details

  Date & Time: Tuesday, 30 June 2026 | 6:00PM-9:00PM (followed by a Nijikai from 9:00PM to 10:00PM)

  Venue: The Great Hall, Parliament House

  Event co-hosts:

  National Federation of Australia Japan Societies

  Australia Japan Business Cooperation Committee

  Dress Code: Formal (black tie or business attire)

  
  

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• The Lady Samurai: A Truer History of Japan’s Unification

  • When
    13 Jul 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Location
    The Japan Foundation Sydney, 4F Central Park, Broadway Sydney NSW 2000

  Register

  The Lady Samurai: A Truer History of Japan’s Unification

  Join acclaimed historian and author Dr Kate Kitagawa for a compelling talk, in an exploration of how women of the samurai class contributed as skilled diplomats, negotiators, and peacemakers during a pivotal period in Japanese history.

  The discussion will highlight how these historical contributions resonate in contemporary society. Dr Kitagawa will reflect on the importance of recognising women’s leadership in diplomacy, economic life, and community-building - touching on themes such as economic empowerment, the value of traditionally unpaid work, and the importance of lifelong education in enabling women to realise their full potential.

  Following the presentation, filmmaker and media professional Tak Nakano will lead a conversation with Dr Kitagawa, discussing how Japanese women - past and present - have shaped and continue to strengthen the Australia-Japan relationship. Together, they will reflect on how historical insights and contemporary storytelling can deepen mutual understanding between Australia and Japan.

  Speaker bios

  Kate Kitagawa is a space professional by day and a writer by night. While her professional work focuses primarily on space and STEM education, she is also a trained historian, public speaker, author, and educator. She specialises in Japanese history, cultural exchange, and the global history of ideas, with a particular interest in how knowledge travels across cultures and generations.

  Kate received her B Sc. in Mathematics and Life Sciences from the University of British Columbia and her PhD in History from Princeton University. While working for Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, she developed a deep appreciation for the role of cultural diplomacy in international relations. She later taught at Harvard University, where she created innovative history courses that combined digital tools, active student participation, and discussions of diplomacy, culture, and international relations. Her teaching was recognised with awards and grants, and she was voted both one of Harvard’s favourite professors and one of its most stylish professors by students.

  Her academic research has taken her to institutions including Cambridge, Oxford, UC Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute. In her native Japan, her first book became a national bestseller, and she has since published seven books in Japanese.

  As a historian, Kate is best known for her work on the global history of mathematics. She is co-author of The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & Its Unsung Trailblazers (2023), which was shortlisted for the 2024 British Academy Book Prize and translated into 14 languages. Her work has been featured by the BBC and CBC, and she has appeared on numerous podcasts, YouTube channels, and documentary programs, including the History Channel and Netflix.
  

  Tak Nakano is an Australian-Japanese bilingual director and producer whose work spans documentary, scripted short film, branded content and large-scale event film. He is the founder of Sydney-based boutique production company It Started with Hay. 

   Tak's career spans some of the world's most prominent stages. In 2021, he was selected as one of ten international directors to work alongside Cannes laureate Naomi Kawase on the International Olympic Committee's official Tokyo 2020 feature documentary
   - a film that received a Cannes Classics Selection and general theatrical release across Japan. His documentary series The Rookies earned him a 2022
  Australian Directors Guild nomination for Best Direction in Commercial Content, alongside multiple Telly Awards wins. His Tourism Australia documentary series World Heritage Aussie Road Trip with Abareru-kun accumulated over 31 million views on YouTube.
  

  In 2025, Tak directed Chasing the Sun for Bus Stop Films — a cross-cultural scripted short film, starring Kimie Tsukakoshi produced in collaboration with novelist Alli Parker and the Japan Down Syndrome Society, supported by the Australia-Japan Foundation. The film
  was selected by the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, premiering at the Australia Pavilion at Osaka World Expo 2025. It will broadcast on SBS late this year.

  Breathing Blossom is Tak's most personal film. The film is about an accomplished Ikebana artist Kuniko who prepares for her performance at Cowra Cherry Blossom Festival for what might be her very last time. Kuniko is Tak’s mother.

  Tak is also committed to the Australia-Japan relations through his role as Vice-Chair of the Australia-Japan Youth Dialogue.

  Thanks go to our corporate member The Japan Foundation, Sydney, for hosting us in their space.

  Registrations are now open HERE so please register (and pay online or to our bank account).
  

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