Music and movies mark Phil-Japan ties at MOA

MANILA, Philippines - The Embassy of Japan celebrates the annual Philippines-Japan Friendship Month with music and movies at the SM Mall of Asia this month.

A joint project of the Embassy of Japan, the Japan Foundation Manila, the SM Mall of Asia, and SM Cinema, the two-day event commemorates 56 years of longstanding cooperation between Japan and the Philippines. The Philippines-Japan Friendship Month is celebrated every July with July 23 as Japan Day.

Mallgoers will rock with the J-pop experience at the Grand Finals of the J-pop Anime Singing Contest tomorrow, July 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Music Hall. Now on its fourth year and with freestyle as its theme, the contest is a venue for Filipino amateur performers of all ages who can sing their favorite J-pop or animé songs in Japanese.

There’s more fun ahead with the awarding of the Mini-Cosplay Contest wherein 15 finalists will have the chance to dress up as their beloved animé characters. There will also be an animé-making demonstration by Toei Animation Philippines and meet-and-greet sessions with Doraemon and Nobita.

The Japanese Embassy’s No Plan Band will also perform during the event, which includes Japanese food tasting by Yoshinoya.

FullMetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos will be shown tomorrow, July 21 at 7 p.m.

The magic of Japanese animated films also comes to the mall with the screenings of Full Metal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos tomorrow, July 21 at 7 p.m. and Detective Conan: The Last Ship on the Sky on July 22 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. both at Cinema 6.

FullMetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos is about a fictional world where alchemy is fully accepted. It tells the story of a young alchemist named Fullmetal and his adventures with his brother, who wants to restore their bodies after a failed attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy.

Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky is about Jimmy Kudo, a young detective who was transformed into a child after being poisoned. The movie chronicles Kudo’s battles with mysterious bacteria that he must prevent from spreading.

These events were co-organized by the Embassy of Japan, Japan Foundation Manila, the SM Mall of Asia, and SM Cinema. It has support from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, the Nihongo Center Foundation, the Animation International Licensing Philippines, Center for Pop Music, Toei Animation Philippines, Yoshinoya, Ajinomoto, Canon, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba and Yakult. HERO TV is its media partner. For details, call the Embassy of Japan at 551-5710 loc. 2318 or e-mail at [email protected].

Detective Conan: The Last Ship on the Sky will be shown on July 22 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.