Caught On Campus: JPop Buzz Hits Canteen B

Posted On 06 Feb 2013

By Nazri Eddy Razali and David Lam

Unexpected melodies of Japanese Pop (Jpop) cut through the lunchtime noise at Canteen B on Monday. Our reporters investigate where the music came from.

Donning blue pleated skirts and with dainty ribbons on their ponytail hair, 5 girls gathered at the sheltered walkway right outside Canteen B, looking as though they had just popped right out of a Japanese animated film.

And as soon as they flicked their fingers and swayed their hips to a medley of songs by the popular Jpop group AKB 48, many NTU students and staff members stopped and took a second look.

An amused crowd soon gathered, with some even taking a break from their meal to watch the performance.

“I was having my routine lunch two tables away when they started performing,” said Muhammad Iqbal, a second-year undergraduate from the School of Biological Sciences.

“I was surprised at first, but soon became mesmerized,” continued the 22-year-old.

Organized by NTU’s Japanese Appreciation Club (JAC), the performance was meant to attract the crowds in Canteen B to the Japanese Cultural Festival held at Canopy K in NTU’s North Spine.

Held between 4th and 5th February, the Festival seeks to celebrate all things Japanese.

“I wasn’t aware of the JAC’s event prior to the performance,” said Jonathan Chan, a year two student from the School of Art, Design and Media.

“I was surprised to see the performance held at a place like the canteen. It was interesting, not something that you see everyday.”

The performers seem to enjoy themselves as well, as they took a break from the ordinary.

One of the dancers, Siti Nurfadhilah, 22, is herself new to the JAC and found the experience enriching.

“With the whole hype about Kpop, people seem to forget that Jpop had been around much longer,” explained the final year HSS undergraduate.

“So we’re bringing Jpop back!”

You might also want to check out:
Kizuna Project Exhibition
Over 10 days in December last year, students from the NTU JAC took part in a programme that aims to raise awareness of Japan’s revitalisation efforts after the earthquake of March 2011 there. In this exhibition, the students share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the project.

When: 1-22 February 2013
Where: Business Library