PolyJapan Association

In Europe, the image conveyed by Japanese culture is often limited to a handful of elements: manga, sushi, martial arts… Most of the time, these ideas are incomplete, or even distorted by our “Western” perspective and the slightly mysterious aura associated with this country.

It is to help people discover other aspects of this fascinating world, as well as to provide a space conducive to exchanges around this passion, that the association PolyJapan was created. This non-profit association at EPFL is made up of students who want to use their free time to promote their passion for Japan. To achieve this goal, we set up various activities to share our knowledge with both enthusiasts and newcomers, particularly reaching members of the Lausanne campus (EPFL and UNIL, around 20,000 people).

Since its beginnings, the association has regularly organized screenings of Japanese animated series and films in the original version with subtitles, with a frequency that has increased over time, eventually reaching a weekly schedule. These sessions, intended for students, have allowed them to discover many elements of Japanese culture. Wanting to offer an additional approach to Japan, Japanese courses at different levels, accessible to students, were introduced and have enjoyed growing success among the campus population. To give enthusiasts the opportunity to satisfy their cravings, PolyJapan also offers small Japanese food items during its various activities and the different events taking place on campus.

Growing in scale over the years, the PolyJapan association created a two-day event reaching Switzerland and the surrounding countries: Japan Impact. It is a convention bringing together different facets of Japanese culture to interest a wide audience and enable the discovery of Japan from all angles.