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An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of July 2026! |
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As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this month, we are reminded of the importance of international friendship, cultural understanding, and educational exchange. The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, is honored to support these values by connecting people through Japanese language, arts, and culture. This summer, we invite you to experience Japan through a vibrant lineup of programs, including our ongoing exhibition Kinetic Stillness, a contemporary sculptural ceramics exhibition, alongside Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics, an innovative installation that reimagines the traditional tea ceremony through the lens of environmental sustainability. We also have two special events lined up including an artist talk and demonstration by Chie Fujii and Shoshi Watanabe, as well as a unique cross-cultural musical performance, Roots and Rhythm, featuring Japanese shakuhachi and South Indian ghatam masters. Our commitment to education continues through the 2026 Special Training Program for Non-Native Teachers of Japanese in the United States. This summer, educators from across the country traveled to Japan for intensive professional development, combining language pedagogy with cultural immersion and school visits. By investing in teachers, we strengthen Japanese language education nationwide while fostering the mutual understanding and lasting connections that continue to bring Japan and the United States closer together. 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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NEW EXHIBITION Two exhibitions remain on view through September 19. Ceramic artists sportlight programs will be organized throughout the exhibition, and the tea house will be activated through Japanese traditional tea ceremony demonstrations on Saturdays (more details coming soon). Please check on our website for more information. Kinetic Stillness: Sculptural Ceramics Exhibition This exhibition brings together seven Japanese and Japanese American artists who approach ceramics not as vessels for utility or tradition, but as sculptural sites of flux. Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics (TCwPP) This exhibition showcases ocean-inspired tea utensils created by the collective in collaboration with various artists, an upcycled tea room, and a small zen garden made entirely from shopping bags and salvaged ocean plastics. |
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TALK & DEMONSTRATION Chie Fujii and Shoshi Watanabe are participating artists in KINETIC STILLNESS: Sculptural Ceramics Exhibition, currently on view at Murasaki Hall, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, through September 19. With multidisciplinary backgrounds, the two artists currently create functional works that incorporate art into everyday life, while presenting non-functional sculptural works in this exhibition. During this special collaborative talk and demonstration, they will share their techniques, artistic practices, and sources of inspiration, offering insight into how their diverse experiences shape their creative processes. This event will provide a rare opportunity to engage directly with the artists, learn about their approaches to ceramics, and explore the relationship between functional objects and sculptural expression in their work. |
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MUSIC PERFORMANCE For the first time on North American soil, two world-renowned masters of traditional music unite. John Kaizan Neptune — celebrated shakuhachi virtuoso — and Giridhar Udupa — master of the South Indian ghatam — share a musical bond that spans two decades and a celebrated collaborative album. Now, joined by percussionist David Neptune and guitarist Christophe Ambrosino, they bring that rare chemistry to the stage in a live performance that weaves Japanese melody, South Indian rhythm, jazz, and world fusion into something wholly new. Original compositions. Ancient instruments. One unforgettable experience. |
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JAPANESE MOVIE AND CONVERSATION Let's get together and talk with native Japanese speakers while enjoying snacks and tea. Jared McClellan will introduce a new monthly conversation meeting series that focuses on Japanese films available on Japanese Film Festival (JFF) Theater. Let's watch a film together and discuss it in Japanese afterwards! Michael VanHartingsveldt will talk about some of the film events that JFLA has supported, as well as the rare prints available for loan from the Japan Foundation archive. |
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ON DEMAND JFF Theater will begin streaming “The Blue Skies at Your Feet” and “Tora-San, Our Lovable Tramp” on July 2. From a heartfelt coming-of-age story to a timeless classic beloved across generations, enjoy a diverse selection of Japanese films. Register for JFF Theater today and don't miss these exciting new releases!. |
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ANNOUNCEMENT The long-awaited results of the 2024 Survey on Japanese-Language Education Abroad in English have now been published on the Japan Foundation website. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the current global landscape of Japanese-language education, including recent enrollment trends, key developments, and related insights. |
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NEW TEACHING MATERIALS New materials for Japanese Heritage Language (JHL) education were made public on our Kyozai site. Please find the introduction and URL below: "In this section, we present six practical examples designed to support the learning of children who are connected to Japan around the world. The ages of the learners vary, as do the ways in which goals are set, the duration of the activities, and the topics addressed. The learning activities and materials introduced here may be used as they are or adapted to suit your specific context. They may also serve as a source of inspiration for developing new activities." |
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Keisho Nihongo Support Programs Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Japanese Heritage Language (JHL) Support Program. Two types of support are available:
In previous years, the application period ran from September through January of the following year. Beginning in 2026, however, the application window will open in April. 2026–27 Application Period: April 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027 This revised timeline is intended to accommodate a broader range of JHL events and to provide schools with greater flexibility in integrating donated materials into their curricula. JHL schools and programs interested in applying for event support or book donations are encouraged to visit the following pages for more information: (Japanese): https://www.jflalc.org/jle-keishonihongo-programsj If you have any questions, please send inquiries to (jared_mcclellan@jpf.go.jp). |
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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 6:30PM 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. Visit Website to Visit Website to Register!
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2026-2027 Japanese Language Grants Now Available! Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Events for Learners Japanese Language Learners Event Grant Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Projects for Teachers Japanese-Language Education Project Grant 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.). Click Here to contact us and select Anything Related to Japanese Education. |
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Japanese Language Education Update 150
During the past month, the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, in coordination with our Japanese Language Institute, Urawa, conducted two cohorts of its 2026 Special Training Program for Non-Native Teachers of Japanese in the United States. The first group arrived in Los Angeles on June 6 and included 17 postsecondary instructors and six K–12 teachers from across the United States (View Participant List Here). The participants attended an orientation hosted by the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, where they were introduced to the Foundation’s programs and activities. The orientation also featured presentations by William Matsuzaki, President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ), who spoke about the organization's activities, and Ann Jordan, Japanese Language Education Specialist at the Laurasian Institution, who provided hands on activities to help participants get to know each other and prepare for their training in Japan. Following the orientation, the group traveled to the Japanese Language Institute, Urawa, for a three-week professional development program. The curriculum combined teacher training with cultural experiences, school visits, and a study tour of Kanazawa, providing participants with valuable insights into both Japanese language education and contemporary Japanese society. Over the course of the 25-day program, participants not only strengthened their teaching knowledge and skills but also gained new perspectives on their own professional practice. Equally important, they established a network of colleagues from across the country. These connections will continue to foster collaboration long after the program concludes. The participants returned home at the end of June, and we hope their experiences in Japan will continue to inspire and reinvigorate their passion for teaching Japanese! |
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5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
jflainfo@jpf.go.jp
323.761.7510
