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The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles Newsletter
August, 2018: Breeze Issue #130
https://www.jflalc.org/pub-breeze130

Greetings!
It looks like the northern hemisphere world-wide is experiencing extremely hot weather thissummer. I pray for a cool summer in Tokyo when they host the Olympic Games in 2020.
Speaking of Tokyo, JFLA will host a traveling photo exhibition this month that contrasts thepast and present of this diverse mega-city. Indeed, downtown Tokyo is currently home tomany non-Japanese residents (a little over 10% of the total population), and with the evergrowing number of foreign tourists wandering the streets, Tokyo seems to have become agenuine cosmopolitan city. "Really?" I am questioning myself as I write this passage. Having adiverse neighborhood may help brand the city as international, but it does not automaticallymake the residents cosmopolitan. It will take a lot more interactions between Japanesepeople and their non-Japanese neighbors than simply exchanging hellos in hallways to besavvy, or at least understanding each other's culture. That is exactly what we are trying toaccomplish here in LA - encourage as much interaction in this diverse city and beyond inorder to instill a deeper sense of cross-cultural understanding among its people.
No relationship, whether person-to-person or nation-to-nation, can be taken for granted. It has
to be maintained by constantly inspiring each other. When was the last time you were truly
inspired by someone?
Sincerely,

Hideki Hara, Director

Japanese Conversation Cafe: Tea Time
Saturday, August 4, 2018 @12 - 2PM
Admission Free, Reservation Required
Take a break from the summer heat and chat in Japanese! Come join us in your Japanesesummer attire (such as Yukata, if you have one) for refreshing Japanese tea and snacks while
getting a chance to chat with native Japanese speakers. All levels are welcome. Japaneselearning experience is not necessary. We are open to everyone, ages 18 and up.
Read More

Manga Lounge IKKANSaturday, August 4, 2018 @2 - 4PM
Admission Free, No RSVP RequiredManga is a great tool to learn Japanese as well as Japanese culture! Based on this concept we
named "Manga Edutainment (Education Entertainment)", we introduce a variety of manga books
to you (See the link). In order to give you a chance to browse these manga, we are exhibiting
more than 100 titles and their first volumes (first volume= ikkan in Japanese). We will open themanga lounge on Saturday August 4 from 2 to 4pm (after Tea Time event), so please come andflip through the first episodes and explore the world of manga!

Free Japanese Cinema Screening
Bittersweet - にがくてあまい (96mins, 2016)
Directed by Shogo Kusano
Wednesday, August 8 @7PM
In Japanese with English subtitles
The live-action adaptation of Yumio Kobayashi's romance about a straight woman who doesn'tlike vegetables falling in love with a gay vegetarian. The vegetable dishes meticulously presented
in every volume are incorporated into the visuals.
Watch Trailer

Exhibit: BambooThrough September 9, 2018
Craft and Folk Art Museum$7 | free for members
BAMBOO explores the evolution of Japanese bamboo basketry from a purely functional art form
into complicated, distinctly Japanese sculptural forms of variable scale. A major selection ofhistorical and contemporary works from the Los Angeles-based Cotsen Collection are central tothe exhibition, as well as a large-scale, interactive bamboo installation by Japan-based artist Akio
Hizume.
This exhibition is supported by The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles 国際交流基⾦ロサンゼルス
⽇本⽂化センター, with additional support from the Pasadena Art Alliance.

Photography Exhibition: Tokyo Before/After
Thursday, August 30 - Saturday, September 29, 2018
Pre-opening Reception: Wednesday, August 29 @7PM
Admission Free
"TOKYO Before/After" features a selection of approximately 80 works, in which works byphotographers who had captured images of Tokyo in the 1930-40s are presented in juxtaposition
with those taken after 2010.
Read MoreJF Nihongo Fall 2018
September 8 - November 15Register Now!
Study Japanese this fall! The registration period for our JF Nihongo Fall term has started!
People interested in learning Japanese at JFLA will have three beginner-level Japanese-language
courses. In each class, students will learn concepts and communication skills which are essential
to having a well-rounded understanding of everyday Japanese! Register by August 24 and get a
10% early bird discount!
Read More

Performing Arts Japan 2019 - 2020
Call For Applications
Deadline: October 31, 2018

The Japan Foundation is now accepting project proposals for Performing Arts Japan (PAJ) touring
and collaboratrion grants for the 2019 - 2020 fiscal year. Application deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST,October 31, 2018.
Read More2018 JLPT in the US
Test Date: Sunday, December 2Registration Period: Monday, August 27 - Monday, October 1
Test Fee: $60
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is an internationally accredited language
examination that is offered in five different levels, designed to measure a person's Japaneselanguage skills. In the United States, it is administered by the American Association of Teachers ofJapanese and will be held at 18 cities across the country.This year, we will be offering the test atSeton Hall University in Newark, New Jersey, for the first time. For more information, please visit
the site below!
Read More

2018-19 JAPANESE LANGUAGE GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
We still have grant programs available during our Fiscal Year 2018-19 to support JapaneseLanguage Education in the United States.
They include the following:
1. Learners Event Grant previously known as "Speech Contest Grant" (Deadline: 9/1/2018)
2. Teaching Material Purchase Grant (Deadline: 9/15/2018)
3. Japanese-Language Education Project Grant (Deadline: 2 months prior to project startdate)
Read MoreJapanese Language Education Update #57:
Resources for Teachers and Students, Part 2: Diversity
Learning Japanese as a foreign language allows students to appreciate cultural diversity in theirlives. Japanese teachers have long played a vital role in imparting this opportunity, and many
have also worked hard at specifically incorporating themes of social justice and diversity into theirlessons. In this way, teaching about diversity within Japan itself, too, has benefited students bygiving them something to relate to. Whether in the Japanese classroom or beyond, here are someresources that can help bring diversity into the classroom:

Words and Actions, by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)-Published by ACTFL, this book provides activities for incorporating themes of social justice anddiversity in the language classroom. This book is a great toolbox for teachers of all disciplines toteach about other perspectives.

The National Human Rights Essay Contest for Junior High School Student-Japan's Ministry of Justice has released a series of videos about discrimination and humanrights. The first of these is a wonderfully thoughtful essay from a Japanese junior high schoolstudent about encountering discrimination, great for introducing to students.
Statistics on Foreigners in Japan-Because it is always best to have official numbers.
Hafu-Supported by the Japan Foundation and the Center for Asian American Media, this documentary
follows the lives of several mixed-roots individuals in Japan, and shows of the diversification in
Japanese society. Subtitles in both Japanese and English.
Bonus: Check out these manga that have diversity as a major theme in their story:
Whether you are teaching Japanese or want to incorporate a Japanese theme into your diversity
curriculum, these are just a small sample of resources for enriching one's learning experience. Let
us know if you have any resources yourself at jflaeducation@jflalc.org; we'd love to hear from you!