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The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles Newsletter
December, 2018: Breeze Issue #134
https://www.jflalc.org/pub-breeze134

Greetings!
It was great to see so many Japanese language educators at the ACTFL annual conferencein New Orleans last month. Now, I would like to reiterate what I said in my speech at thegathering there; JFLA will always welcome with open arms any requests, inquiries and/or
questions from all the language teachers who are helping the world become more diverse andfun!
Coming back to LA, my heart goes out to those who have been affected by the recent wildfire.
Please let us know if you are a Japanese language teacher and your school has been hit by
the disaster, as we would like to help you.
For everybody else out there, thank you so much for your support and encouragement of ouractivities this year. We will continue to provide you with many more opportunities to appreciate
Japan and its culture in ways you have never imagined before. For those living outside
California, I hope our exploration into many different aspects of Japan has contributed in any
way to expanding your cultural horizon. Please be ready for more surprises in 2019.
With warmest season's greetings ,Hideki Hara, Director

Lecture Series @Japan House LA
Brewing Happiness:
Secrets Behind a Century-Old Sake-Making Family BusinessMonday, December 3 @7PM
Free Admission, RSVP Required
Japan is known as a nation of long-lived families and family businesses. There are more than
30,000 centuries-old companies that exist in Japan and many of them have been family-run formany generations.
Read More

Japanese Conversation Cafe: Tea TimeThursday, December 6 @7PM

Free Admission, Registration Required
It's that time of the year again! Tea Time is one of the most popular events at the JapanFoundation, Los Angeles. 70-100 people get together and you will enjoy Japanese snacks andtea while you chat with native Japanese speakers. All levels welcome! Japanese language
experience is not necessary-this event is open to everyone, ages 18 and up.
Read More

Special Screening @Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles
Japanese-Taiwanese Co-Production Movie
Mom Thinks I'm Crazy to Marry a Japanese Guy (94mins, 2017)
Directed by Akihisa Yachida
Saturday, December 8 @2PM
Free Admission, RSVP Required
Light refreshments will be served!
A film adaptation of the Facebook page as well as photo book of a Taiwanese woman and aJapanese man which explains their acquaintance through marriage. Popular Taiwanese actressand also director, Jian Man-shu, co-stars with model-turned-actor, Yuta Nakano. The film was shotin various locations like Jiufen, Kengting in Taiwan and Kamakura, Hiroshima in Japan.
Read MoreFree Japanese Cinema Screening
Her Sketchbook (106 mins, 2017)
Wednesday, December 12 @7PM
Free Admission, No RSVP Required
Mami rarely leaves home since she dropped out from middle school. She has been escaping
reality by immersing herself in copying her favorite manga and illustrations in her room full ofbooks and comics. Her father, Eisuke, worries a lot about her ever since he divorced with hermother, Mika.
Read MoreFree Japanese Cinema Screening
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (115 mins, 2018)
Directed by Mari Okada
Tuesday, December 18 @7PM
Free Admission, No RSVP Required
Animation that marks the directorial debut for Mari Okada, the scriptwriter of works including TheAnthem of the Heart . Depicts the "eternal moment" of a boy and girl who meet amidst thepassage of time.
Read More

Bilingual Yoga at Lunchtime
Wednesday, December 19
12:30PM & 1:00PM (20 Min Sessions)Free Admission
Wellness Wednesdays: We offer Wellness programs on Wednesday at lunchtime!
December 19 is Yoga day! In this program, no need to change clothes or use a yoga mat; you will
be seated in a chair receiving relaxing instruction from a bilingual (English and Japanese)
instructor. Learn simple Japanese phrases during the instruction and stretch your mind as well as
your body.
There will be two free sessions beginning at 12:30pm and 1:00pm. No reservation necessary, all
are welcome.
Read MoreJF Nihongo Winter 2019
January 19 - March 21
REGISTER NOW!
Study Japanese this winter! Our JF Nihongo 2019 Winter Term will start on January 19! There willbe three beginner-level Japanese-language courses to choose from. In each class, students willlearn concepts and communication skills that are essential to having a well-rounded
understanding of everyday Japanese!
Register before January 11 to qualify for the early bird discount!
Read More

2019-2021 J-LEAP: Now Accepting Applications for Lead Teachers
Deadline: Thursday, January 17, 2019Are you interested in inviting a Japanese Assistant Teacher (AT) to your K-12 classroom for up totwo consecutive school years? Do you want to give your students an opportunity to learn and hear
Japanese from a native speaker or an additional native speakers for some variation? If so, makesure you apply for J-LEAP, which was started in 2011 with the help of the Laurasian Institute(TLI).
We will also be posting articles written by current J-LEAP participants starting with this issue. Thismonth, we would like to welcome Reika Suzuki who is currently at Presidio Middle School in San
Francisco, CA.
Read More

2018-19 JAPANESE LANGUAGE GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
We still have one grant program remaining for the Fiscal Year 2018-19 to support JapaneseLanguage Education in the United States.
The Japanese-Language Education Project Grant (Deadline: 2 months prior to project start date).
Read More

Japanese Language Education Update 61:
ACTFL Report - New Orleans
From Friday, November 16 to November 18 we were in New Orleans for the annual ACTFL(American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) convention, America's largest
convention for foreign language! There, we held a booth for Japanese teachers and peopleinterested in Japanese language education. At least 200 people came to our booth, and we gaveaway all our goody bags that were prepared with materials and resources for Japanese learning!
Not only did we have many Japanese teachers visit us, but too did a whole spectrum ofeducators, students, and administrators from different language fields - Chinese, German,Korean, Spanish, Arabic, and more! It was truly a pleasure to meet you all!
We shared our booth with the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, who provided a wealth ofinformation about the JET Program, MEXT scholarship, study abroad opportunities, and more! If
you or anyone you know are interested in the JET Program, please be sure to check out thiswebsite:
JET Program
https://jetprogramusa.org/
And be sure to check out the website of the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville for further
information, news, and updates from them:Consulate-General of Japan in Nashvillehttps://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html
Thank you Nashville consulate for all your support and cooperation!
We also had several J-LEAPers (Japanese Language Education Assistant Program) at our boothsharing their experiences in team teaching in American schools and introducing the J-LEAP
Program! Many thanks to the Laurasian Institute, with whom we cooperate to bring this exciting
program to the Japanese classroom. If you are a Japanese teacher interested in having an
assistant teacher, check out these links:
J-LEAP on the Laurasian Institute:https://www.laurasian.org/jleap
On our website:
https://www.jflalc.org/jle-j-leap
And last but not least, we wish to thank Japan Crate for providing their iconic "crates" of Japanesesnacks for Japanese teachers as raffle prizes. Do you want to introduce a little bit of Japanesesnack culture to your students? Be sure to visit Japan Crate's website below and see the varietyof snacks they offer. Thank you Japan Crate!
Japan Crate:
https://japancrate.com
All in all, it was a rewarding business trip! We hope to see you all in Washington DC's ACTFL nextyear!