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An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of September 2026! |
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September brings a variety of opportunities to explore Japanese language, culture, and the arts. At JFLA, the exhibitions Kinetic Stillness: Sculptural Ceramics and Tea Ceremony with Pacific Plastics continue through September 19, offering perspectives on contemporary Japanese ceramics, tea culture, sustainability, and traditional aesthetics. In coordination with the current exhibition, we will also be organizing an online programs on September 1 with a curator talk on contemporary Japanese ceramics and a September 16 lecture and demonstration on summer-style matcha with Sōsetsu Kawakami, 11th-generation head of the Edosenke School of Tea. The next exhibition, Ai: Rain Drawings in Natural Indigo by Miya Ando, will open on September 30. For those interested in Japanese film, JFF Theater will begin streaming three films by acclaimed director KUROSAWA Kiyoshi for free starting September 2: Bright Future, Pulse, and License to Live. Also, don't forget to join our monthly Tea Time event where we watch a movie from JFF and then discuss it in Japanese afterwards. As we head into the new school year, we also want to remind Japanese-language teachers about the grant opportunities available to support their programs. The Japanese Language Learners Event Grant has a September 1 deadline, while the Japanese Teaching Material Purchase Grant deadline is October 10. The Japanese-Language Education Project Grant is also available throughout the year for teacher-focused projects such as conferences, workshops, teaching material development, and research. With the new school year getting underway, we hope these opportunities and programs provide inspiration and support for teachers and students across the country. |
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KINETIC STILLNESS CLOSING RECEPTION Last chance to catch the two exhibitions concurrently on view at Murasaki Hall and Courtyard Gallery, JFLA. A tea ceremony demonstration will be presented to celebrate the wrap-up. Two exhibitions remain on view through September 19. Ceramic artists spotlight 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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CURATOR TALK Join curators Hollis Goodall and Kaoru Kuribayashi for a special online conversation exploring two exhibitions of contemporary Japanese ceramics at the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) and The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA). Goodall will introduce Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, featuring 106 works organized around tea, sake, dining, incense, vases, boxes, and sculpture. Kuribayashi will discuss Kinetic Stillness: Sculptural Ceramics, which brings together seven Japanese and Japanese American artists whose works explore movement, material, memory, and the expressive possibilities of clay beyond traditional utility. Through conversation and audience Q&A, the curators will share their perspectives on ceramics, art, aesthetics, and function, offering insight into the ideas and approaches behind these two remarkable exhibitions. This event is co-presented by the American Museum of Ceramic Art. |
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ONLINE LECTURE & DEMONSTRATION Join Sōsetsu Kawakami, 11th-generation head of the Edosenke School of Tea, for an engaging online introduction to Japanese tea culture and the traditional ways of enjoying matcha in summer. Through this Zoom Webinar, he will explore what tea ceremony is, what a tea school’s head does, and what students learn through tea practice. He will also introduce the differences and shared principles among various tea schools, the history and traditions of Edosenke, and how to enjoy matcha even during the hot summer months while following the traditional principles and etiquette of Japanese tea ceremony. |
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OPENING RECEPTION Join Miya Ando at JFLA for the opening of her solo exhibition 'Ai: Rain Drawings in Natural Indigo.' Ando will give a short talk that introduces her academic and artistic explorations of the myriad descriptions for rain in Japanese literature. Light refreshments will be provided. |
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ADVOCACY STORIES: HALL-DALE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL Hall-Dale is a combined middle and high school in Farmingdale, Maine. When the Japanese program struggled with low enrollment, the school used our salary assistance grant to build another class and increase those numbers. When the program was facing closure because the school couldn’t find a replacement teacher, we worked together to promote the job posting through our various networks until a candidate was able to secure the position. Reaching out for assistance with enrollment and teacher recruitment was central to maintaining the program. The program is continuing today because of the efforts of many people. You can find similar advocacy stories and good practices here on our website! |
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CONVERSATION CAFE Join us at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA), for an afternoon of film and lively discussion! We will watch the drama/comedy film The Hotel of my Dream (Dir. TSUTSUMI Yukihiko, 2024, 98 min) on JFF Theater, then discuss it in Japanese. In this fun new Tea Time! series, practice your language skills while enjoying unique films from Japan. Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as possible! |
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ON DEMAND JFF Theater will begin streaming three new films by acclaimed director KUROSAWA Kiyoshi starting September 2. The new lineup includes:
Watch these Japanese films for free on JFF Theater. |
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TEACHER TRAINING In July, Year 14 and Year 15 J-LEAP Assistant Teacher/Lead Teacher (AT/LT) pairs gathered in Seattle for training before heading to their host schools across the country. Through lesson demonstrations and collaborative activities, the new Year 15 pairs developed essential co-teaching strategies, while Year 14 pairs refreshed and strengthened their approaches as they prepare to begin their second year together. Now in its 15th year, J-LEAP dispatches young native Japanese-language Assistant Teachers to K-12 schools across the U.S. to co-teach with experienced Lead Teachers for up to two years, helping strengthen Japanese-language programs at their host schools. We are excited to see the impact these J-LEAPers will make in classrooms across the country! Interested in J-LEAP? Applications for the 2027–2028 J-LEAP program are expected to open in October 2026, so stay tuned for application details and deadlines. |
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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 152
With Labor Day Weekend just around the corner, the new school year is about to begin for students and teachers across much of the country. We wish you a wonderful and successful start to the new school year, and hope your students will be excited and engaged as they continue their journey learning Japanese. As reported in the previous two issues of Your Japan, the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, sent two groups of Japanese-language teachers to our institute in Urawa, Saitama, Japan, for a special professional development program. Beginning with this issue, we will be sharing reports and reflections from the program participants, with two from each group featured in each issue:
We hope you enjoy reading their reflections as they began the program, as well as learning about their experiences throughout the 25-day training program that began here in Los Angeles. Finally, two more deadlines for our Japanese-language education grants are coming up! If you are interested in applying for our Event Grant or Teaching Material Purchase Grant, be sure to submit your application before the deadline. And don’t miss the Advocacy Story featured above, which highlights how one school used our Salary Assistance Grant to help save its Japanese-language program. We wish everyone a great start to the new school year, and thank you for your continued dedication to Japanese-language education! |
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5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
jflainfo'at'jpf.go.jp
323.761.7510
