Japan Scotland Association overcomes venue hurdles and a painfully tight budget to deliver a successful inaugural Scotland Day
The Japan Scotland Association (JSA)’s plan to host its first Scotland Day celebration in 2016 hit a glitch right from the start when it encountered difficulties in securing a suitable venue.
The event was aimed at introducing the close relationship between Japan and Scotland, showing Scotland in a contemporary light, showcasing the benefits of studying in Scotland, and reaffirming the affinity between the two cultures.
Hironori Katagiri, president of the JSA, recalled: “We called 50 to 60 venues but couldn’t find one available less than a year ahead. As our event was (planned for November 26), a popular month for weddings, it was particularly difficult.”
Even after finding a location within budget, there were hurdles to overcome, specifically restrictions on F&B consumption, display tables, decorations on walls, dancing and sale of items. Scotland Day had to involve all of these and more, so JSA turned to Shuji Kamikado, board member of both the JSA and the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, for help with the venue.
Kamikado eventually found a room for the event at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. It was a large space normally used by theater staff for post-show parties and could accommodate all the activities JSA desired.
As the event was arranged at short notice and requests for corporate sponsorship went unanswered, JSA tapped into its own network for help.
It sought the help of Scottish Development International, which presented the concept to government officials and provided organisational support and endorsement. Through personal and professional relationships, the event also received the endorsement of the Scottish government, British Airways, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British Council, the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. British Airways sponsored tickets to bring ceilidh caller David Vivanco and BBC advisor Takeshi Shimizu, from London to Tokyo.
Seed funding of 3,000 pounds (US$3,740) was secured from the Scottish government only a few months before the event but budget remained too limited to fly guests from Scotland over. JSA therefore roped in contacts to source for Scottish and Japanese performers and speakers within Japan and support their attendance. Representatives from four of Scotland’s leading universities were invited and able to attend independently.
All JSA organisers volunteered their time and covered their own expenses. Sale of tickets and whisky glasses made specially for Scotland Day covered some costs and the rest was subsidised by JSA.
The marketing budget, too, was limited so volunteers and supporters utilised their networks to attract attendees.
Spanning seven and a half hours, another challenge was therefore to develop a programme that would keep guests engaged throughout the day.
“There are so many interesting things about Scotland that we could have included and some Japanese have strong expectations of what Scotland is about,” said Katagiri. “There had been contemporary art events and things like whisky tasting parties held in Tokyo before but we wanted to show that Scotland is cutting edge, too. It was a risk but we found a way to package the event to introduce science, technology and culture at the same time.”
Locals voted with their feet. More than 500 people attended the day, including 18 VIPs. It incorporated a study abroad fair, cultural and historical lectures, nine talks powered by PechaKucha and using a format of spending 20 seconds to describe each one of 20 images, a whisky master class, highland dance demonstrations, musical performances, and a ceilidh. Various Scottish products were displayed and Scotland-related books were on sale. A buffet dinner was served, which featured iconic Scottish dishes using specially imported ingredients.
The evening reception also provided a networking opportunity for people involved in a wide range of business fields in one or both countries.
Due to great feedback, JSA has decided to make Scotland Day a yearly event. This year, it will be held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre’s galleries and workshop rooms, a fitting contemporary location for an event that aims again to promote Scotland as a modern place to study, live and do business.
The success of the inaugural event has led to other possibilities for Scottish culture events in Japan. For instance, mayor of Toshima-ku Yukio Takano has pledged to provide venues for Scottish artists and performers on an on-going basis.
Event Scotland Day 2016
Organiser Japan Scotland Association
Date November 26, 2016
Venue Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
Number of Participants More than 500
Challenges Suitable venues and funds were lacking; and a programme was needed to keep guests entertained for seven and a half hours
