connect 2017 • 103 March, 2017 The Ireland Funds Japan was honored to support The Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce (IJCC) and the Irish community in Japan to bring the I Love Ireland Festival to Yoyogi Park, Tokyo on 18-19th March. The Festival introduced Irish music, dance, Gaelic sports, culture as well as food, drinks and other entertainment. Over 110,000 people came to enjoy the festival over two days. 2017 commemorated the 60th year of diplomatic relations between Japan and Ireland. Both Miss World Japan Priyanka Yoshikawa and Miss World Ireland Niamh Kennedy participated in the Paul Costelloe fashion show. A rugby talk show featured Akihito Yamada, the Japanese star rugby player and highlighted the upcoming Ireland rugby tour of Japan in June. The Japan Women’s Rugby Team slated to participate in the 2017 Women’s World Cup in Ireland were also on-hand for the festivities. On Sunday, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Tokyo saw 1,500 people dressed in green walk the entire length of Omotesando, Tokyo’s famous tree-lined avenue. June, 2017 The Emerald Ball supported by The Ireland Funds Japan was pleased to provide grants to three nonprofit organizations: Save Our Kids, Irish Network Japan and IJCC in support of the I Love Ireland Festival. A ceremony was held at the Irish Embassy in Tokyo where Matthew Connolly, President of The Ireland Funds Japan, presented the grants to these outstanding organizations. I Love Ireland Festival The Emerald Ball Grants 1 1 3 2 2 4 3 1 Singing the Irish national anthem with Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Amb. Anne Barrington and Min. Paschal Donohoe 2 Dublin City University Japanese students 3 The I Love Ireland Festival 4 Step dancers Photos: Paul Gallagher 1 Matthew Connolly of The Ireland Funds Japan presents a grant to Sumie Takazawa of Save Our Kids 2 Matthew Connolly presents a grant to Declan Somers of Irish Network Japan 3 Matthew Connolly presents a grant to Eamonn Murphy of IJCC for the I Love Ireland Festival JAPAN AROUND THE WORLD