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An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of February, 2024! |
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This is the year of the Dragon and to celebrate this occasion, we will be hosting a special art exhibition in our office titled "TATSU: Depictions of Dragons in Japanese Art." You can visit our office for this event starting on Friday, February 23rd through Saturday, April 27th with the preview night on Thursday, February 22nd at 7:00PM. Make sure to RSVP if you plan to attend. We are also continuing our online lecture series this month covering Japanese ceramics so make sure to join us online Tuesday, February 20th. To help promote reading and our digital library, we are supporting our Toronto office's Book Tree event. We will send out individual prizes for US participants so make sure you checkout a book and post a comment on Padlet. These are our events for the month of February so we hope you will join us in experience Japanese culture! |
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ART EXHIBITION The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the East Asian zodiac. Japan Foundation Los Angeles will celebrate this year with the exhibition TATSU: Depictions of Dragons in Japanese Art. Featuring art works from three local collections and curated by Meher McArthur, the exhibition celebrates the dragon as a beloved motif in a wide range of Japanese art, from paintings and prints to ceramics, metalwork, and textiles.
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ONLINE LECTURE The term “yakishime” refers to the firing of unglazed clay vessels at a high temperature so that the clay vitrifies, creating water-proof and durable stoneware ceramics. With no colorful glaze or painted designs, this ceramic type may seem simple or “primitive,” but Japan’s yakishime wares are some of the country’s most admired and valuable ceramics. The scorch marks of Bizen ware, the feldspar speckles of Shigaraki ware, and the warm, earthy tones of Tokoname ware have made these wares beloved in the tea ceremony and collected widely for centuries. In conjunction with Japan Foundation's video series, Doors to the Arts of Japan, Japanese art historian Meher McArthur will introduce yakishime ceramics from several traditional ceramic-producing regions and explore reasons for their enduring popularity in Japan and beyond. The short lecture will be followed with a brief Q&A session. |
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THE 15th JAPAN LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM We invite students studying Japanese from ten countries around the world to carry out an interactive program in Japan. We would like to continue to provide opportunities to realize coexistence with different cultures even in situations where it is difficult to travel overseas. In order to secure opportunities for exchange, we will introduce and implement a hybrid-type program that allows online exchange in addition to the conventional face-to-face content. For more information, please check out the link below. There are two components of the program so make sure you can fulfill that before applying. Please contact JFLA if you have any questions. |
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JAPANESE CLASS If you missed the winter term at this time, your next chance is the Spring term. Both online and in-person classes will be available. We are not just a class. WE ARE COMMUNITY!
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Staff Update At the end of December, we had a new team member, Henry Mitchell, join our Japanese language team to support Japanese teachers in the United States and he looks forward to meeting our friends at a future event. We also had a long-time staff member of over 20 years, Tomoko Sekiguchi, retire at the end of January and we wish her relaxing time in her new life.
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BOOK TREE 2024 The annual Book Tree organized by our Toronto office is back after 4-year hiatus and we are supporting them this year in coordination with our Digital Library! Let’s make the library’s book tree bloom together by sharing thoughts on Japan-related library items and win an exciting prize! Check out 5 digital library items from JF Canada/USA Digital Library AND submit your comments on items of your choice on the virtual Book Tree board on Padlet. *The last day to submit your comment(s) is Sunday, March 31.
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JFLA Unveils New Resources and Programs Designed to Support Japanese as a Heritage Language (JHL) Education in the U.S. We are pleased to announce the following programs designed to support individuals involved with Japanese as a Heritage Language (JHL) education across the United States: Book Donation: With this initiative, JFLA will donate up to $1,000 per applicant of educational materials and children's books in support of JHL education. Guidelines for donation, application forms, as well as a list of previously requested books/materials can be found on the Keisho Nihongo website. Event Support Project: Aimed at promoting JHL education, this project will provide up to $1,000 in financial support for Japanese language-related events such as benkyo-kai, workshops, presentations, seasonal events, speech contests, etc. Following a careful review of the program guidelines, please submit your school’s application(s) for the Book Donation Project/Event Support Project no later than February 29, 2024, to jflaeducation@jpf.go.jp. Project Grant: The Project Grant offers up to $5,000 in financial support for various educator-focused activities related to JHL education, including workshops and conferences, seminars, as well as original projects such as curriculum development, research, and more. Further details and application procedures may be found on our website: https://www.jflalc.org/grants-jle-project. For further details, including program guidelines and application instructions, please visit the Keisho Nihongo website. For inquiries related to any of the programs mentioned above, please contact jflaeducation@jpf.go.jp. We encourage potential applicants to visit JFLA’s website and review the program guidelines thoroughly before submitting their applications. |
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General Invitation to Join JF USA Digital Library Our digital library system in coordination with our New York and Toronto office is still going strong and we recently added more volume to popular books so there is less of a wait time. We have also been incrementally adding new books as well so make sure to signup for an account below and also let your friends know about this free service. Starting in 2023, we will be sending out updates once a week on Wednesdays by 6:30PM pacific time. If you register and do not receive a welcome email from us within a Wednesday of registering, please contact us so we can help you out. We hope you will enjoy this service from the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles! Click Here to Complete the Signup Survey (If the link doesn't work check back later!)
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2023-2024 Japanese Language Grants Now Available! Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Events for Learners Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Projects for Teachers Grants for Individual Japanese Language Programs Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant Advocacy Support Letter If your Japanese language program is in danger of being cut due to COVID-19, we will send a support letter to stakeholders (Superintendent, Principal, Dean, etc.). |
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Japanese Language Education Update 121Our Japanese-language education related grants go live this month so make sure to apply for the appropriate grant during the applicable time period. The Hakuhodo foundation also announced their application for the 15th Annual Japan Exchange Program so if you and your students are interested in visiting Japan in May of 2025, please read more about it on their website. Finally, our Kansai Institute in partnership with Osaka University is resuming their Summer J-ShIP short-term exchange program and is accepting applicants from university students across the United States. This is a fee based program and you can learn more about it on their website! For those who completed the Japanese language proficiency test back in December, of 2023, the online results are now available through the AATJ website. Hard copies will most likely be sent out by the end of February or early March. Speech contest season is coming up and we will have a special goody bag you can request if you are hosting a contest in your region. The advocacy goods form has a new section for this and we ask that you submit a separate application if you are hosting a regional speech contest. You can still order give away goods including posters so if you haven't ordered any from us in the past year, you can do so at the following link. |
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5700 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
jflainfo@jpf.go.jp
323.761.7510
