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An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of August 2025! |
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Don’t miss your chance to experience m/Other, the evocative exhibition by Ibuki Kuramachi, closing in less than a week. We will be wrapping it up with a special live harp performance by Sara Kawai so come on out and show your support for both artists! This month, we’re excited to present a series of four lectures, two in-person and two online, exploring a rich spectrum of Japanese culture. We begin with a captivating in-person demonstration by artist Yoshio Ikezaki, who will showcase the elegance of traditional Japanese ink painting (Suibokuga) through his contemporary monochrome works. Next, join us online for a fascinating exploration of Japan’s spiritual past as Marianna Zanetta traces the history of female shamans. We’ll then turn our focus to tofu in two distinct lectures: an in-person talk examining its influence on Japanese porcelain art, and an online session delving into tofu as a culinary and cultural staple. To bid farewell to summer, join us for a relaxed Tea Time Gathering, where you can wear a yukata, enjoy Japanese snacks, and share lively conversation. Make sure to come join us for one our month of art! One quick note: We've noticed that Google Maps has been incorrectly marking our location. Please make sure your search directs you to Mid-Wilshire, between Masselin and S Curson Ave. The entrance is located on Courtyard Place. You can find a map and street view of our building below for easy reference.
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EXHIBITION m/Other is a meditation on kinship, the maternal principle, and Otherness—not as fixed categories, but as shifting, unstable forces. Moving between the human and non-human, organic and synthetic, Ibuki Kuramochi reimagines the maternal as a site of both intimacy and alienation, power and dissolution. Inspired by Donna Haraway’s philosophy of companion species, this exhibition draws on Japanese custom to ask: What does it mean to mother—not a child, but an idea, a creature, a memory, a wound? Here, the uterus is not merely biological, but a conceptual matrix—a haunted space of inheritance, trauma, and transformation. The Japanese tradition of preserving the umbilical cord becomes a symbol of kinship that extends beyond bloodlines, into interspecies care and nonlinear histories. Kuramochi’s practice is grounded in Butoh—a form born from postwar collapse—whose physical language functions as a code for navigating grief, mutation, and metamorphosis. Through video, performance, and installation, she invokes the body as a porous vessel entangled with memory, ancestry, and technology. In m/Other, the figure of the mother flickers—ghost, cyborg, companion, absence. Among them is the artist’s aging dog, whose presence, tender and temporary, informs the exhibition’s meditation on care. The “/” signals rupture and multiplicity, opening space for fragmented lineages and speculative kinships. m/Other invites us to mourn, remember, and reimagine what care might mean now—across generations, species, and time. |
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JFLA LECTURE & DEMONSTRATION
Suibokuga (水墨画), also called sumi-e (墨絵), is a form of art that uses black sumi ink to paint on washi paper. This seemingly simple monochrome art form requires various brush stroke techniques which create and express the subtle nuances of light and shade onto a sheet of paper. Artist Yoshio Ikezaki has been creating contemporary monochrome art works using sumi-e techniques for years, and he also makes his own washi paper and sumi ink for his art works. In a rare opportunity, Ikezaki will take guests behind the scenes of his creative process by showing how he prepares washi paper and sumi ink for his art work, after which he will treat them to a live demonstration in which he will produce the concepts of "the five different shades of black" or "Ma and Yohaku" right before their eyes. This event is offered through a partnership with Kylin Gallery.
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LIVE MUSIC LA-based harpist and producer, Sara Kawai is appearing as a special guest performer to celebrate the closing of Ibuki Kuramochi's solo exhibition m/Other. m/Other is a meditation on kinship, the maternal principle, and Otherness—not as fixed categories, but as shifting, unstable forces. Moving between the human and non-human, organic and synthetic, Ibuki Kuramochi reimagines the maternal as a site of both intimacy and alienation, power and dissolution. |
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ONLINE LECTURE
Shamanic practices in Japan are ancient and deeply rooted in myth. More importantly, across the centuries they have been mainly a female domain. Why does this specific role seem to be so closely connected with the female experience? What is the role that women played within institutional and folk religions in Japan? With this lecture, we will trace a brief history of female shamanism in Japan, with its connections with myths and ancient times. We will also focus on the present-day situation, what this role (the shaman) has to say about the society, and what answers it can offer to social needs.
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IN-PERSON LECTURE
Kumamoto-based ceramist Kenta Takaki encountered Amakusa porcelain while training as a potter in Amakusa, and became drawn to its "whiteness", which inspired him to emphasize the purity of the clay and the grace of vessel forms. His works range from elegant pure white porcelain vessels to dishes that mimic paper and even sculptural works depicting various forms of tofu. This artist talk will be held in conjunction with his first solo exhibition in the United States at the Japanese America Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) in Little Tokyo on August 16th and 17th, 2025. Using this fine porcelain clay, Takaki creates utilitarian vessels for eating and drinking, including elegant bowls and slender dishes. Unlike many traditional porcelains, these vessels are coated with a transparent glaze and no decoration, to emphasize the purity of the clay and the grace of the forms. In addition, the energy of the clay motivates Takaki to create thought-provoking sculptural works – often mimicking other materials, such as paper and food. Ahead of the exhibition, he and exhibition curator Meher McArthur, will give a talk at Japan Foundation, opening with a slide presentation by McArthur introducing Amakusa porcelain and Takaki’s work, followed by a conversation with the artist that will be open to guests’ questions and comments.
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CONVERSATION
Come in yukata! Our popular Japanese conversation event "Tea Time" will be held at the Japan Foundation this summer! Let's get together and talk with native Japanese speakers while enjoying Japanese snacks and tea. You are more than welcome to come in a yukata (summer kimono)*. All levels and all ages are welcome! Japanese language experience is not necessary - this event is open to everyone. We are excited to meet all of you! As a special treat for this event, Sueko Oshimoto and Kentaro Terra from Hollywood-based kimono experts Kimono SK will help those interested in trying on a yukata. They will also give a talk on how to wear and enjoy a yukata in the program. *We have a few yukata that we could potentially let you wear if you come to the center early. Since numbers are limited, please let us know if you would like to wear ours ahead of time on the registration form.
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ONLINE LECTURE
One cannot talk about Japanese food without mentioning soy. From miso and soy sauce to natto and tofu, soy has shaped the foundation of everyday meals in Japan. In this session, tofu specialist Shiori Kudo will speak about the deep-rooted culture of tofu—its history, regional diversity, and the unique world of handmade “craft tofu” made by skilled artisans. This program is co-presented with TABLE FOR TWO USA and will include a short presentation about their food education program and annual spring campaign #EdamameChamp to promote healthy eating through Japanese cuisine focusing on SOY and to raise funds for teaching healthy eating to more children.
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ON DEMAND 6 new films are now streaming on JFF Theater starting today! Find the one that speaks to your heart. Feature 1: School Days – Voices from School Days
Feature 2: Japanese Food, A Careful Life
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2025 J-LEAP Year 13 and Year 14 J-LEAP Assistant Teacher/Lead Teacher (AT/LT) pairs arrived in Seattle last month and participated in training before heading to their respective host sites across the country! Pairs worked on lesson demonstrations during the J-LEAP training which helped them get comfortable working with each other, and refreshed their co-teaching methods for the next school year. We are so excited for these J-LEAPers and their students back home! Mina-san, Otsukaresama deshita! WHAT IS J-LEAP? This program dispatches young native Japanese-language “Assistant Teachers (ATs)” to various K-12 educational institutions across the U.S. where they will co-teach with a veteran “Lead Teacher (LT)” for up to two years in order to strengthen their host school’s Japanese language program. The program, now in its 14th year, started in 2011 and is jointly administrated by The Japan Foundation (JF) and The Laurasian Institution (TLI).
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New Video Interview Series: My Keisho Nihongo, Your Keisho Nihongo Being a Keisho Nihongo/Japanese-as-a-Heritage-Language (JHL) learner, as opposed to a Japanese-as-a-Foreign Language (JFL) learner, can carry with it a set of unique challenges when there is a lack of local access to specialized education and community. Bicultural identity, especially in countries rich in diversity like the U.S., can factor into these learners' language acquisition and can be difficult for them to navigate. In this interview series, we talk with Keisho Nihongo learners about the personal challenges they faced and what helped them overcome those challenges. We hope that the advice, perspectives, and unique stories offered in these interviews will help and motivate other Keisho Nihongo learners throughout the U.S. William Kimmel: https://youtu.be/cQ-hhFGQUrk Luke Palermo: https://youtu.be/Y3EopxyplYs |
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General Invitation to Join JF USA Digital Library We recently renewed and added many new books in coordination with our New York and Toronto offices for our patrons in the US and Canada. There have also been an uptick in the number of applicants as well, which shows that this is a very popular service. We have also updated the application survey and the confirmation emails are still going out once a week on Wednesdays by 6:00PM 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. |
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2025-2026 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 Advocacy Support Letter Click Here to contact us and select Anything Related to Japanese Education. |
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Japanese Language Education Update 139
The Japan Foundation headquarters is looking for Japanese Language Education Experts and Advanced/Senior Japanese Language Education Experts to dispatch to Los Angeles to assist in its mission to promote and strengthen Japanese language education efforts. If you know anybody who would be a good fit for either position, please refer them to the URLs below. Applications for both positions are due by 3 PM on 8/8/2025 (Japan time). Please refer to the following URLs for more information regarding the positions and how to apply for them. Public announcement and application instructions for both positions Japanese Language Education Expert USA dispatch information Advanced/Senior Japanese Language Education Expert USA dispatch information Also now available is the latest issue of the Japan Foundation Journal on Japanese-language Education. This edition features articles and reports authored by Japanese-language education specialist, professionals assigned abroad, and staff members working on the Japan Foundation's language education projects. If you are interested in contributing to the next issue, submission guidelines are now available. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, August 27, 2025 By 10:00 a.m. 14 (JST). In the meantime, you can read the latest journal or download the necessary forms to submit an article here! |
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5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
jflainfo@jpf.go.jp
323.761.7510
