Members

1966 – On 29^th October, twelve engineers of TELK (Transformers & Electricals Kerala Ltd. ) who were ex-trainees of Asia Bunka Kaikan (ABK), Tokyo (later name changed to AOTS) meet to discuss about forming an Alumni Association. They invited the ABK ex-   trainees of Toshiba Anand Lamps to join the movement. Mr T V Joseph of TELK was elected as the first President, Mr. T.P. Sreedharan as Secretary and Mr. V. Somaraj as Treasurer. The Association was named as ABK Dosokai (ABKD) Kerala Centre. Bye-laws for ABKD Kerala Center got approved by ABKD Japan.

1968 – Bye-laws for ABKD approved by the General Body. ABK ex-trainees from TCC (Travancore Cochin Chemicals Ltd.) also joined the movement. Mr. Abraham Jacob of TCC was elected as President.

1978 – Decennial celebrations were conducted. Japanese counsel was the chief guest on the occasion.

1979 – Nippon Kerala Centre, Aluva building project conceived. 

1980 – Work for Nippon Kerala Centre at Aluva begins. A piece of lava picked up from the tip of Mount Fuji (Japan) by Mr. Goichi Hozumi, the founding father of ABKD, in his younger days and cherished as a precious possession until his death, was brought  all the way from Japan, and was symbolically laid as the foundation for Nippon Kerala Centre by Mr. Ogiso Yu, the Secretary General of ABKD, Tokyo. Free Technical Consultancy Service for SSIs launched.

1981 – The Association was registered as a Society under Travacore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955 with the name “Asia Bunka Kaikan Dosokai, Kerala Regional Centre” (ABKD in short)

1985 – A Study Mission of AOTS visited Kerala to evaluate the post-training experience of its alumni. The Mission members visited Thoshiba Anand Lamps, KAMCO and V-Guard. They commented that what they saw at V-Guard was comparable with similar units in Japan.

1993 – The Silver Jubilee of “Dosokai” activities in Kerala was celebrated. AOTS President Mr Nagaaki Yamamoto was the Chief Guest of the function.

ASA Kerala Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship presented to Mr. Kochouseph Chittilappilly. Excellence in Productivity Award was presented to Mr. E K Sreekumaran. Excellence in Innovation Award was presented to Mr K K M Kutty. Excellence in Quality Award was presented to Mr. M S Sebastian.

1995 – ASA Kerala registered as a Society.

1996 – Nippon Kerala Centre, Aluva became a reality.

 Nippon Kerala Institute for training in Office Automation (NiKITOA) was set up with huge financial assistance from the Government of Japan. During the next four years, over 300 girls, most of them with extremely poor financial background  got free training from this Institute and most of them could secure decent jobs after the training. This was one of the 4 success stories selected for presenting at the AOTS World Convention at Tokyo from the stories of social activities during the 50 years of service of its worldwide alumni community.

Mayor of Kochi in Japan visited ASA Kerala.

The first International Friendship Convention of AOTS Alumni held (IFCAA)

1997 – Miss Teenu Terrence, “Little Ambassador of Kochi, Kerala to Kochi, Japan” visit the Mayor of Kochi, Japan. The visit was sponsored by ASA Kerala and The Amalgam Group.

1999 – This year’s Hiroshima day commemoration (6^th August) at ASA Kerala was very special due to the presence of an important guest. Mr. Tanimura of Hiroshima, who at the age of 12 had survived the atomic holocaust, was the guest who visited ASA Kerala at our invitation.

2000 – Koto Concert by world renowned Matsumura Koto Group from Kochi, Japan performed in Kochi, Kerala

2002 – The second International Friendship Convention of AOTS alumni (IFCAA) held in Cochin. Delegates from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Macedonia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Poland, Singapore and Slovakia participated.

Second Koto Concert at Cochin.

2004 – Study Tour of Kerala for the alumni associates from Ghana etc.

2005 – First SME 2 SME meet organized. Study Tour of Kerala for the participants of the SME 2 SME meet. The delegates from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania etc. participated in this program.

2006 – A high profile team from ASA Kerala on a reciprocal visit to Iizuka City, Japan. The team included Mr. T Balakrishnan IAS, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Kerala and Mr. Suresh Babu, MD Kinfra.

WNF Program kicks off with a program on Automobile Management at Highway Garage.

Government of Kerala recognizes the importance of the services rendered by ASA Kerala and allots one-acre land at the Academic Zone of Kinfra Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery to construct a state-of-the-art training complex for ASA Kerala.

2007 – The new Nippon Kerala Centre project takes off with Ground-breaking done by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Yasukuni Enoki and symbolic foundation stone laying by the Industries Minister of Kerala, Mr. Elamaram Kareem.

2008 – ASA Kerala members went on a WNF sponsored study tour to Macedonia.

 ASA Kerala members hosted the homestay for the members of Japan’s Hippo Club during their visit to Kochi.

2012 – The first phase of the Nippon Kerala Centre at Kalamassery completed and ASA Kerala office shifted to this premises.

2013 – ASA Kerala promotes Indo Japan Chamber of Commerce Kerala (INJACK) to take care of the business-related matters with Japan.

2014 –INJACK was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Takeshi Yagi.

 A high-profile delegation from the Sanin Region of Japan visits ASA Kerala. The 40-member team included dignitaries like City Mayors of the region. Agreement for cooperation between Sanin Region and ASA Kerala signed. Matsue IT Internship Program was an outcome of this visit.

Mr. Jimmy Joseph, ASA Kerala President elected as SAFAAS President at the SAFAAS Convention held in Bangladesh.

WNF Programs emerged as a major activity of ASA Kerala

2015 – ASA Kerala hosts SAFAAS Convention. Delegates from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the 9 AOTS Alumni Associations in India participated.

2016 – Matsue IT Internship Program begins. The first batch of IT Interns completes their internship at various IT companies in the Matsue region of Japan.

The high-profile delegation from Sanin Region of Japan visits ASA Kerala for the second time.

2017 – ABKD wound up. Nippon Kerala Centre at Aluva was sold off.

 Mr Jacob Kovoor, President of ASA Kerala was honored with the title “Monodzukuri Ambassador”. The title was awarded at a function held at Ahemedabad.

 Golden Jubilee of ASA Kerala was celebrated. The yearlong celebrations were inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu.

2018 – Closing Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee year. The function was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu.

The first JEC program (Japanese Endowed Course) inaugurated by the Japanese Ambassador

2019 – ASA Kerala Patron, Mr Edgar Morris was honored by the Japanese Government with one of  the highest civilian award granted to a foreign national – “The Order of the Rising Sun Gold and Silver Rays with the Emperor’s Medal of Honour”. The  award was presented at a ceremony organized at Nippon Kerala Centre by the Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, Mr Kojiro Uchiyama.

A 30-member delegation from ASA Kerala visits Matsue in Japan. ASA Kerala Senior Officials hold meeting with the Mayor of Matsue City to explore possibilities of further collaboration in training and employment opportunities.

Japanese Finishing School launched.

First Japanese Endowed Course completed.

2020 – Nippon Kerala Centre graduates into a full-fledged residential training complex with the completion of its second phase.