Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh

We've hopped into June! Both frogs and snails will enjoy the random showers that will likely occur this month. June is also a large part of tsuyu (rainy season) in Japan.

📰 On Wednesday, 27th May, Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda attended the opening ceremony of Hitachi Energy's "UK Engineering Centre of Excellence" held in Glasgow.

The Centre, launched under the leadership of Laura Fleming, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy UK and Ireland, was established with a total project cost exceeding £3 million, supported by a £1.7 million grant from Scottish Enterprise (SE), a Scottish Government economic development agency. By supporting the upgrade of power networks and the integration of renewable energy across the UK, the Centre will serve as a vital hub to back the nation's grid modernisation and net-zero (greenhouse gas emissions net-zero) goals, while creating approximately 100 highly skilled jobs, including high-tech engineers.

The opening ceremony was attended by First Minister John Swinney, along with leaders from government, industry, and the energy sector, including Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, and Michelle Ferguson, Director of CBI (Confederation of British Industry) Scotland.

First Minister John Swinney, who delivered a speech as a guest of honor, highly praised the launch of the global energy transition hub, stating that the opening of the Centre represents a significant step forward that symbolizes Scotland's rich engineering heritage and its contribution to a "clean industrial future."

【19th Japan International MANGA Award Winners – Feature 6 of 15】
【第19回日本国際漫画賞受賞作品の紹介⑥】

The Bronze-winning🥉 work of MANGA featured today is “The Lord of Master-Li Bai (8),” the eighth volume in a continuing series. What will happen to Li Bai next? And have you considered submitting your latest volume to the 20th Japan International MANGA Award? Applications are open until June 30! https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/en/application/20/index.html

【Title】 The Lord of Master-Li Bai (8)
【Artist】 葉明軒 (Taiwan)
【Story】 After losing his closest friend, Li Bai is unable to open his heart to anyone💔. Suddenly a young man, Du Fu, appears in his life, determined to follow Li Bai wherever he goes. Unmoored, Li Bai instinctively rejects that devotion. At the same time, Li Bai must face his fated destiny amid a maelstrom of confusion and danger as the “New Celestials” intensify their purges of heretics. His final battle is about to begin.

👉A 15-page sample is available here! (In Japanese)
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/The_Lord_of_MasterLi_Bai.pdf

本日ご紹介するのは、第19回日本国際漫画賞入賞作品🥉の「大仙術士 李白（8）」です。李白の次なる運命はいかに？
漫画家の皆さん、あなたの最新作を第20回日本国際漫画賞に応募してみませんか？応募締め切りは6月30日です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/application/20/index.html

【題名】 大仙術士 李白（8）
【作者】 葉明軒（台湾）
【あらすじ】 親友を喪った李白は、誰にも心を開くことができなくなっていた💔。そんな彼に、どこまでもついていくと決意した若者、杜甫が突如として現れる。心の安定を失った李白は、本能的に杜甫の想いを拒絶してしまう。一方、「新仙人」による異端者の粛清はますます激化し、混乱と渦の中で、自らの宿命と向き合わなければならない。そして、いよいよ李白の最後の戦いが始まろうとしていた。

👉冒頭15ページ公開中です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/The_Lord_of_MasterLi_Bai.pdf

©葉明軒 2025 / KADOKAWA TAIWAN CORPORATION

【19th Japan International MANGA Award Winners - Feature 5 of 15】
【第19回日本国際漫画賞受賞作品の紹介⑤】

Today, we present “DELIRIUM,” Bronze🥉 winner of the 19th Japan International MANGA Award. Are you a MANGA artist? Submit your work now for consideration by the 20th Japan International MANGA Award judges! The application deadline is June 30. https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/en/application/20/index.html

【Title】 DELIRIUM
【Artist】 goroweko (Russia)
【Story】 In the fragile world Hotako Takahashi has built, every role is flawlessly performed. But life wouldn't be so fascinating if it followed a script, would it? Backed into a corner by her past, Hotako finally decides to face the darkness she's been running from. Healing, however, comes at a heavy price.

👉A 15-page sample is available here! (In Japanese)
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/DELIRIUM.pdf

本日ご紹介する作品は第19回日本国際漫画賞入賞作品🥉の「錯乱」です。海外漫画家の皆さん、ぜひ作品を提出してください！第20回日本国際漫画賞応募期間は6月30日(火)までです。
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/application/20/index.html

【題名】 錯乱
【作者】 goroweko (ロシア)
【 あらすじ 】　タカハシホタコが繊細に築き上げてきた世界では、あらゆる役柄が完璧に演じられています。しかし、シナリオ通りに進む人生など、面白くはないでしょう？過去の自分に追い詰められたホタコはついに、ずっと逃げ続けてきた闇と向き合う決意をします。しかし、癒しには大きな代償が伴うのです。　

👉冒頭15ページ公開中です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/DELIRIUM.pdf
©goroweko

Want to learn some simple Japanese? Manabi means "learning" and Mokuyoubi means "Thursday", so this is a little Japanese lesson on a Thursday! Today we have some short conversation sentences that are quite relevant to the sunny weather we've been having recently!

You may notice some small characters above the kanji. These are called furigana, and they specify how the kanji is pronounced in the sentence. アイスクリーム/aisukurīmu is written in katakana, which is the alphabet used for loan words that come from other languages. Other examples of loan words include ゲーム/gēmu (game) and テレビ/terebi (television)!

【Story】 This is the story of Kwan, a girl who rides a water buffalo to school, and her rivalry with Riam, a pampered rich girl. This volume includes Part 1 - National Junior High School Girls’ Buffalo Racing Championship (Never heard of it?) and Part 2 – My Rubber-Band Jumping Spirit Won’t Go Down Without a Fight!

【19th Japan International MANGA Award Winners - Feature 4 of 15】
【第19回日本国際漫画賞受賞作品の紹介④】

Today, we present “RKGK Buffalo Love, Buffalo Hugs,” Bronze🥉 winner of the 19th Japan International MANGA Award. Welcome to the high-stakes water buffalo-riding world 🐃 of junior high schoolers Kwan and Riam! Have you submitted your application for the 20th award cycle yet? Applications close June 30! https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/en/application/20/index.html

【Title】 RKGK Buffalo love, buffalo hugs
【Artist】 Pichet Wattanawessakorn (Garun) （Thailand）

👉A 15-page sample is available here! (In Japanese)
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/RKGK_Buffalo_love_buffalo_hugs.pdf

【 あらすじ 】　水牛に乗って学校に通う中学生の少女クワンと、わがままなお嬢様リアムとのライバル関係を描いた物語。第1部「全国中学生女子水牛レース選手権」（そんな競技、聞いたことありますか？）と、第2部「私の輪ゴム跳び魂は負けない！」の2つのエピソードが収録されています。ぜひお楽しみください！

本日ご紹介する作品は第19回日本国際漫画賞入賞作品🥉の「水牛を愛し、水牛を抱く」です。中学生のクワンとリアムの激しいライバル争いのストーリーをぜひお楽しみください🐃！第20回日本国際漫画賞への応募は済みましたか？締め切りは６月３０日です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/application/20/index.html

【題名】 水牛を愛し、水牛を抱く
【作者】 Pichet Wattanawessakorn （Garun）（タイ）

👉冒頭15ページ公開中です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/RKGK_Buffalo_love_buffalo_hugs.pdf
© Garun

【19th Japan International MANGA Award Winners - Feature 3 of 15】
【第19回日本国際漫画賞受賞作品の紹介③】

Today, we present “Dali Libreria,” Bronze🥉 winner of the 19th Japan International MANGA Award. Applications for the 20th award cycle are currently open, so submit your work today! https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/en/application/20/index.html

【Title】 Dali Libreria
【Artist】 Pen So （China （Hong Kong））
【Story】 In an age marked by the decline of physical book reading, a bookstore manager acquires the artist Salvador Dali's mysterious powers📖. He uses his supernatural abilities to operate the bookstore, breaking through reality and creating surrealistic stories.

👉A 15-page sample is available here! (In Japanese)
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/Dali_Libreria.pdf

本日ご紹介する作品は第19回日本国際漫画賞入賞作品🥉の「ダリ書店」です。第２０回日本国際漫画賞応募受付期間は6月30日(火)までです。多くの作品の応募をお待ちしております！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/application/20/index.html

【題名】 ダリ書店
【作者】 Pen So　（中国（香港））
【 あらすじ 】　紙の本が読まれなくなった時代、ある書店の店長が画家サルバトーレ・ダリの不思議な力を手に入れました📖。彼はその超自然的能力を使って書店を経営し、現実を超越したシュールレアリズムな物語を生み出していきます。

👉冒頭15ページ公開中です！
https://www.manga-award.mofa.go.jp/pdf/award19th/Dali_Libreria.pdf
© PEN SO ARTLAB