Bi-Weekly Newsletter
June 10 - June 24, 2020
We share the pain and the grief that our community is going through and we stand in solidarity with the Black community in the fight against systemic racism and in the pursuit of racial and social justice.
JSB Staff Pick of the Week
With more time at home, we've asked our staff to pick some of their favorite Japanese movies and books. Here's the staff pick of the week:

A young boy attempts to make amends for his past wrongdoings as he is socially isolated and haunted by the past.

Based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Ōima.
Japanese title: 聲の形 (Koe No Katachi)
Japanese of the week:
一汁三菜
(いちじゅうさんさい): "ichijusansai"


The term,  一汁三菜  ( Ichiju Sansai,  One Soup and Three Dishes) came up in our Easy Home Cooking with Yuko event last week.  一汁三菜  is the foundation of a Japanese meal that promotes balanced, healthy meal. A good Japanese dinner should have the 一汁 Ichiju (one soup - very often miso soup) and 三菜  Sansai (3 dishes consisting of one main dish and two side dishes). Add a 香の物 kounomono (a pickle) and ご飯 gohan or rice and you'll have the perfect Japanese dinner!

Find Japanese cuisine fascinating? Join us in our next Easy Japanese Home Cooking class on Saturday, June 27th!!

Facts about Hokkaido
Honoring the 30th Anniversary of the
Massachusetts - Hokkaido sister state relationship


摩周湖（ Mashuko , Lake Mashu ） is a caldera lake located in Akan Mashu National Park in Hokkaido. It is one of the clearest lakes in the world, with a visibility of 65 to 98 feet, and also one of the deepest lakes in Japan at 695 feet deep. Lake Mashu is often called the mysterious lake because it is covered by dense fog 100 days a year. Its beautiful clear blue water is surrounded by 656 feet steep crater walls. 
Enjoy another flower arrangement demonstration by Joanne Caccavale, Director of the Boston Chapter of the Sogetsu School and past President twice of Ikebana International Boston Chapter. She has put together this arrangement using flowers from her own garden. Enjoy a moment of peace with Joanne's arrangement.

Joanne was born and raised in Singapore, she came to school in the US in 1985 and stayed. Educated and trained as an attorney, she however, prefers flowers to law. As a professionally trained floral designer she switched to Japanese flower arranging twenty years ago and she has been teaching for fifteen years.

Join us in the production of a virtual trip to Japan by sending us your pictures or videos of your travels in Japan.

We will string together all of our collected memories into one, which will be presented in a video format in our August newsletter!

Please make sure you include the name of the place where the picture or video was taken as it will help us in the editing process.

When you submit content to JSB, you simultaneously grant JSB an irrevocable, worldwide, royalty free license to publish, display, modify, distribute and syndicate your content worldwide. You confirm and warrant that you have the required authority to grant the above license to JSB.   
Japan Society of Boston Online Events


Thursday, June 25th
5:00 PM (US Eastern Time)
Friday, June 26th 6:00 AM (Kyoto Time)


Free, but donations accepted
All donations go to Grounds for Health

Hosted online via Zoom
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)

Is it possible that a cup of coffee can make the world a better place?
Ogawa Coffee and its coffee artisans from Kyoto, Japan, have been
dedicated to the pursuit of coffee perfection since 1952.

We will be connecting baristas from both Ogawa Boston and their head store in Kyoto to learn about the craft of creating the perfect cup of coffee at home. Hear about the history and pride established in the Ogawa brand, and Ogawa's own vision of what it means to connect communities.




Saturday, June 27th (Napolitan)
5:00 - 6:30 PM

Hosted online via Zoom
(you will be sent the ingredient list and meeting code a few days before the event)

Naporitan or Napolitan is a popular Japanese pasta dish. The dish consists of spaghetti, tomato ketchup or a tomato-based sauce, onion, and other ingredients depending on how you make it! Naporitan is claimed to be from Yokohama, a city which totes a history of cross cultural connections between Japan and the world.

Momoko Hasegawa, an exchange student from Tokyo, studying graphic design in Boston, is excited to join and bring to you the steps she takes in order to prepare her favorite Napolitan dish!
Previously with Easy Japanese Home Cooking for the Non-Chefs!

"My son really enjoyed the Omurice class and did a virtual demo for his grandparents and adult friends today!"
-- Great job Calvin! Your Omurice looks deliciously amazing!
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Cory's version of Omurice from the class.
-- Thank you for participating Cory. We hope to cook with you again!



Each class has two levels: Beginners and Intermediate/Advanced.

Spaces still available in the following classes!

  • Like Japanese Food? Learn Japanese through Cuisine!
  • Not just Tokyo and Kyoto. Discover Japan that even the Japanese may not know!
  • Japanese in Manga 
  • The Japanese Writing System: Not as Scary as It Seems!

Reach out to us here for further inquiries.
 
“NEW!! Japanese Pop Culture”
If you’re interested in Japan because you’re fascinated by its pop culture whether it is anime, manga, cosplays, YouTubers, and fan culture, this class is for you! 
Please let us know what your interests are when you register. 
Monday, June 29h at 7PM - Beginners 
(Open to high school students and up.)


Friday, June 12th
6:00 to 8:00 PM
Hosted online via Zoom Meetings
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)

Our language gatherings have been growing so expansive that we now have participants all the way from Japan! This really ties into our mission of being the bridge between Japan and the US. Come join for 2 hours of conversation based on your level of proficiency and be a part of our community!



Hosted online via Zoom Meetings
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)



Do you need support with your Japanese homework or want to brush up your Japanese over the summer? The Japan Society of Boston has the solution for you!

We’re offering Online Japanese Semi-group Lessons to support you. Come join with your friends and take advantage of our service!

For more information email us at

Online activities from other Japan Societies across the US
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Friday, June 12 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM PST
( 2:00 to 3:00 PM EST )

As countries around the world manage the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, Japan has taken a unique approach that has so far kept fatalities to levels far below those of Europe and the US without mandating a lockdown of the society and the economy. Please join us on June 12 (Tokyo June 13) to hear former Japanese Consul General to San Francisco Tomochika Uyama, Director General at the Prime Minister’s Office for the Coronavirus Countermeasures, and Professor Hitoshi Oshitani from the Department of Virology at Tohoku University and member of the Government’s Advisory Panel on COVID-19, explain how Japan achieved this success. Their presentation will be based on the findings of a new experts’ committee report co-authored by Professor Oshitani that definitively examines Japan’s response to the virus to discover how the country was able to minimize fatalities and what could be done better.
The lessons Americans can learn from examples in other countries that so far have successfully managed the COVID-19 threat, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, will be critically important as we enter the next phase of gradual opening up of society and the economy. Please join us for this very important program featuring former Consul General Uyama, who is such a good friend of the Bay Area.
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Tuesday, June 16 from 10 AM to 11 AM CDT ( 11 AM to 12 PM EST )

Mr. Glen S. Fukushima will give a presentation on Japan’s response to COVID-19, from early signs, to a current update. What lessons were learned? This presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
Non JSB Online Activities


Friday, June 12 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm


As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are felt around the world, public health is facing new challenges. Innovation has an important role to play in providing solutions for these challenges. In this event, we will focus on efforts by Japanese companies and local companies in Greater Boston to develop innovative solutions to the challenges presented COVID-19. We will explore how innovation can contribute to improving public health around the world.



Take a virtual tour of the exhibition, which is on view through 5 July 2020.
Potter's Talk with Ken Matsuzaki and Andrew Maske

  • Saturday, June 13, 2020
  • 7:00 PM  8:00 PM
  • Attendance limited to 100 persons
This is a virtual event via Zoom


Join Pucker Gallery artist Ken Matsuzaki and Professor Andrew Maske for a Potter’s Talk in conjunction with the exhibition Energy Released.

Register for the Event by clicking here .
Friday, June 12 from 10 AM to 12 PM

Japanese Paper Dyeing is a folk art in Japan which is simple and easy for all ages to enjoy. It is not related to SAORI weaving but Mihoko thinks it requires a similar kind of mindset. Let go of your fixed ideas, experiment, and see what happens.

You will need, Japanese paper( rice paper). You also need acrylic craft paint. Other necessary items are plastic tablecloth, a bowl for paints, rag (old t-shirts or old towels), place to dry them which could be a cloth line or newspaper on a floor.
Watch film in advance and then join Zoom live for discussion.

June 24, 7-8pm ET

July 14, 7-8pm ET
Located in Ueno Park, the National Museum of Nature and Science is one of Japan's biggest science museums, with over 25,000 exhibits that explore everything from outer space and dinosaurs to the unique ecosystems of Japan and the world’s latest advances in technology.
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Japanese study resources