Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 3 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 4 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 5 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 6 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 7 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 8 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 9 of 10

Hong Kong 185th Anniversary Dinner and Cantopop Singing Competition — Tokyo — 10 of 10

01 / 10

Project: EVT-003
Location: Restaurant Alaska, Japan Press Center Building 10F, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Date: 24 January 2026

Hong Kong Possession Day — 26 January — marks the date in 1841 when British forces landed on Hong Kong Island, beginning the modern history of Hong Kong as a distinct city. On the 185th anniversary of that date, Lady Liberty Hong Kong hosted a commemorative dinner and new year gathering at Restaurant Alaska in the Japan Press Center Building, Chiyoda-ku — a venue overlooking Hibiya Park and the Tokyo night skyline.

The evening combined two elements: a standing dinner with a 12-course menu by Restaurant Alaska, and a Cantopop singing competition open to all attendees. Participants were invited to perform classic Hong Kong pop songs or Japanese songs that had circulated widely in Hong Kong — both languages welcomed, any experience level. The competition reflected one of the quieter threads of Hong Kong's cultural history: the deep mutual influence between Japanese and Cantonese pop music from the 1970s through the 1990s, when Japanese melodies were routinely adopted by Hong Kong songwriters and reissued with Cantonese lyrics for a generation of listeners who knew both versions without necessarily knowing the connection between them.

The event was open to anyone with a connection to Hong Kong, members of the Japanese public, and first-time participants. Lady Liberty Hong Kong's monthly members attended at a reduced rate.

The evening drew more than 75 participants. Thirteen entered the singing competition, performing in Cantonese and Japanese across the evening.

Winners of the singing competition received commemorative prizes produced by LLHK.

Event details

Date: 24 January 2026, 18:00–20:30 Venue: Restaurant Alaska, Japan Press Center Building 10F, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Access: Toei Mita Line "Uchisaiwaicho" Station (Exit A7, 1 min) / Tokyo Metro "Kasumigaseki" Station (Exit C4, 3 min) Dress code: Smart Casual