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

08/29/2026

Today, JFLA hosted this month's Tea-time! x JFF Theater Japanese conversation event that featured a screening of the film 「TSUKIJI WONDERLAND」and then had group discussions afterwards in Japanese.

It was a great opportunity to learn more about Japanese food culture and then practice the language.

We hope to see you all here next month! Stay tuned for more information about September's event.

08/27/2026

𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙹𝙰𝙿𝙰𝙽 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜
𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙎ō𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙪 𝙆𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙢𝙞, 11𝙩𝙝-𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙙𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙠𝙚 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙖

📅7-8:15pm, Wed., 9/16 (PDT)
📍Zoom Webinar (Sign up to get a link to join)
✍️ QR code or https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5qmwxre

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.

08/26/2026

🍵✨It was a great honor to lead a lecture, demonstration, and matcha tasting experience at the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA as part of Third Weekend at LACMA.

We were thrilled to welcome more than 100 participants!

Drawing inspiration from David Geffen Galleries collection as well as 𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎: 𝙎𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨 and 𝙏𝙚𝙖 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨, currently on view at The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, with the culture of tea utensils curation [取り合わせ: toriawase], we explored the spirit of chanoyu —experiencing art not only by looking at it, but also by engaging with it through the shared ritual of preparing and enjoying tea.

For the tea ceremony demonstration, we used a Bizen ware tea bowl by Kazuya Ishida as the main tea bowl, followed by a tea bowl by Takashi Horisaki.
For the matcha tasting, oyster inspired tea bowls by Jonathan Yamakami were used for serving.

After the tasting, we continued the afternoon with a gallery walkthrough of the two exhibitions at JFLA, just a five-minute walk from LACMA.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special Sunday afternoon of tea, clay, art, and community✨

𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎: 𝙎𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨 and 𝙏𝙚𝙖 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 are currently on view through September 19th, 2026
📍The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
5700 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036
📅Mon-Fri: 12-6pm, Sat: 10am-3pm, Closed on Sundays and Holidays (September 7th)

08/25/2026

𝕁𝕒𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕝𝕞 𝕊𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘/ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℂ𝕒𝕗𝕖
Tea Time! x JFF Theater: Tsukiji Wonderland

📅 Saturday, August 29 | 12:00-3:00 pm
📍 JFLA, 5700 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 100
📝 https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/s85c62p

JFLA’s Tea Time! x JFF Theater officially begins on Saturday, August 29!

Join us at noon for a special screening of the documentary film 'Tsukiji Wonderland.' Directed by ENDO Naotaro and released in 2016, the film provides an intimate look at the history, evolution, and legacy of Japan’s most famous fish market.

After the film, participants will discuss it in Japanese. A worksheet will be provided with key vocabulary and phrases to help you level up your speaking.

We look forward to seeing you at the end of this month!

08/13/2026

Last month, JFLA kicked off a new Tea-time! x JFF Theater Japanese conversation event that featured group discussions in Japanese and showcased examples of films on the JFF Theater platform. We all had a great time practicing Japanese and learning more about Japanese films.

This new series will feature a monthly Japanese film screening combined with group conversations in Japanese. Stay tuned for more updates about August's event!

08/12/2026

𝙊𝙉𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀 𝙇𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 & 𝘿𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
Bizen ware artist KAZUYA ISHIDA

📅7-8:15pm, Wed., Aug 16th (PDT)
📍ZOOM Webinar
✉QR code or https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/e766vmw

Bizen ware artist Kazuya Ishida, who continues to preserve the rich tradition of Bizen ware while expanding its possibilities and sharing its unique appeal with audiences around the world, will present a lecture and demonstration live from his studio.

Ishida is one of the participating artists in the currently ongoing 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘌𝘛𝘐𝘊 𝘚𝘛𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘕𝘌𝘚𝘚: 𝘚𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴, on view through 9/19, 2026 at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.

This is an online lecture presented via Zoom Webinar. Please sign up to get the link to join.

Bizen ware artist Kazuya Ishida, who continues to preserve the rich tradition of Bizen ware while expanding its possibilities and sharing its unique appeal with audiences around the world, will present a lecture and demonstration live from his studio.

08/11/2026

What a fantastic evening of live music! 🎶✨

Informative, interactive, and so much fun, the performance brought together an extraordinary blend of Japanese melody, Indian rhythm, jazz, and world fusion.

Thank you to all the artists and everyone who joined us for this unforgettable evening! 🪈🎵

Featuring: John Kaizan Neptune (shakuhachi), Shubha Chandramouli (Carnatic music), David Neptune (percussion), Christophe Ambrosino (guitar), and Spencer Hinkle (bass).

And a special surprise! JFLA’s colleague Mike Penny joined the musicians on stage for an impromptu shamisen collaboration.

08/10/2026

𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 by Takashi Horisaki

"𝙱𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚒 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝙸 𝚁𝚎𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚒𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢: 𝙼𝚎𝚒𝚓𝚒 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚂𝙽𝚂, 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝙿𝚃 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍"

📅11am, Saturday, August 22nd
📍Murasaki Hall, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
✉ RSVP from the QR code or https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/xa84gez

Taking the form of a slide-talk, Horisaki’s performance will trace the history of bonsai from its new formal developments in the late Meiji era, through its transformation over the past fifteen years in the age of social media, and offer his perspective on how bonsai may continue to evolve amid the rapid advances of AI technology.

Takashi Horisaki is one of the participating artists in the currently ongoing exhibition, "KINETIC STILLNESS: Sculptural Ceramics," on view through September 19th at JFLA.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm, Saturday, August 22, 2026 MURASAKI HALL, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (5700 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036)

08/05/2026

𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 ☀️🍿

In Japan, there is a culture of enjoying horror stories and ghost tales during the hot summer to cool down👻🥶

Sign up with your email address to watch selection of Japanese movies for free with no ads!

➡️ en.jff.jpf.go.jp/

08/04/2026

Last month, Year 14 and Year 15 J-LEAP Assistant Teacher/Lead Teacher (AT/LT) pairs arrived in Seattle to participate in training before heading to their respective host sites across the country! Pairs worked on lesson demonstrations during the J-LEAP training which helped the new Year 15 pairs get to know each other and develop essential co-teaching strategies, and helped Year 14 pairs, now heading into their second year together, refresh and improve on their approaches ahead of the start of AY 2026-27.
We are so impressed with these J-LEAPers and excited for their lucky students back home!
Mina-san, Otsukaresama desh*ta!

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 15th year, started in 2011 and is jointly
administrated by Japan Foundation and Laurasian Institution.

MORE INFO: https://www.jflalc.org/jle-j-leap
2025
ONLINE J-LEAP INFO SESSION: https://youtu.be/813IxMC47gk?si=eq0BwEF6zBONhp7H
Japan Foundation 国際交流基金