Bi-Weekly Newsletter
November 6 - November 20, 2020
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Now open for registration!
Read more about all our events below!
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For JSB members in the Boston area, don't forget to use your member discount at this gift shop! |
365 Huron Ave
Cambridge, MA
GrayMist Studio & Shop, is a Nantucket Basket weaving studio & gift shop, located in the quiet neighborhood of Huron Village. They source unique, thought-provoking and functional items from all around the world to bring you an exquisite experience as you walk through their space.
Their Cambridge location is split into two distinct sections—the front, which is the gift store and the back, which is the studio where they offer daily classes on Nantucket Basket weaving. They also offer workshops on other crafts, such as felting wool, modern calligraphy, and small crafts.
Be sure to show your membership card at checkout to get 10% off your gift shop purchases (classes not included). View their website here!
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Join or Renew your Membership and support us continue this important work of bridge making!
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More Ways to Help
You can contribute to the Japan Society of Boston through your Amazon purchases! Every time you shop through Amazon Smile, a small percentage of your purchase is donated to the non-profit of your choice. Please consider choosing the Japan Society of Boston as your non-profit. |
Keep up with JSB on social media! |
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Japan Society of Boston Online Events |
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Japan's response and the importance of Japan/US collaboration in the fight against COVID-19
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Monday, November 16, 2020
7PM EST
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
9AM JST
Hosted online - free registration
Join us to hear from two eminent Japanese scientists, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka and Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, in conversation with Professor Hirotaka Takeuchi from the Harvard Business School as they discuss Japan's response to COVID-19 and the global fight against this pandemic.
Although we have achieved a greater understanding of COVD-19 in the past few months, its end is still uncertain. How can we use our recent discoveries and technological advancements to bring this pandemic to an end? What lessons can we draw upon to better prepare ourselves in the event of a similar pandemic in the future?
Dr. Kurokawa is the Chair of the Corona Committee for the Japanese Government established by Minister Nishimura, and Dr. Yamanaka is one of the three other scientists on this Committee.
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with online sake tasting reception
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Thursday, December 3, 2020
from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Join us to hear from the Japan Society of Boston's 2020 John E. Thayer, III Award recipients, Debra Samuels and the Japan Festival Boston Committee. We invite you to stay after the event and celebrate our honorees with an online sake tasting reception (sake bottles can be purchased in advance).
The John E. Thayer, III Award was established in 1991 to recognize the achievements of individuals, groups of individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the progress of the understanding and friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.
Click the button below to learn more about this award and how to participate in an optional sake tasting reception after the event!
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Saturday, November 14, 2020
5:00 PM EST
$10 JSB Members / $15 Non-members
Hosted online via Zoom
Sukiyaki (すき焼き) is a Japanese hot pot dish that consists of meat and vegetables slowly simmered in a soy sauce & mirin sauce. After cooking, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs and then eaten.
The term "sukiyaki" comes from "suki," or spade, and "yaki," meaning grilled. The dish became a part of Japanese cuisine at the end of the Edo period in the 1860s, during a time when beef was banned. Edo farmers would cook fish and tofu on their spades, though now the dish is most commonly made with thinly-sliced beef.
We invite you to make your own sukiyaki with the help of our intern, Emily Knick, who will be teaching her favorite sukiyaki recipe. Emily is currently a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in Linguistics and Japanese.
Be sure to bring your appetites for this next installment of our Easy Japanese Home Cooking series! We look forward to seeing you there!
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Friday, November 13, 2020
6:00 to 8:00 PM EST
Hosted online via Zoom
(you will be sent the meeting code after registering)
Our language gatherings have become so expansive that we now have participants all the way from Japan! We hope you will take part in our community as we strive to bridge Japanese and American cultures.
Please join us for two hours of conversation, where you will be grouped based on your proficiency level. Get ready to talk about "neko" phrases!
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Now Hiring Winter Interns! |
Interested in working at JSB? We're looking for amazing new interns to join us in January! You can apply as a general intern or as a graphic art intern. For our general internship, we accept interns from any background. Japanese language skills are a plus but not required!
If interested, send us an email with your letter of intent, resume, and the contact information of two references.
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Japanese word of the week:
柿 (かき)
kaki
Japanese persimmon
Some of the tastiest autumn treats are the seasonal fruits of fall, with apples and pomegranates being popular examples in the US. In Japan, one of these popular fruits is 柿 (かき) kaki, or the persimmon. Persimmons are round, bright orange crops that are typically in season from October through January.
While certain varieties, such as fuyu persimmons, can be eaten from your hands, others, like the hachiya variety, are too bitter to eat straight from the tree. In Japan, a technique known as 干し柿 (hoshigaki) is used as a way to prepare hachiya persimmons. They are peeled and hung from strings for a few weeks. Over time, to tenderize the persimmon and bring crystallized sugar to the fruit's surface, the gardener massages the fruits as they are hanging. Eventually, the bitter hachiya persimmons transform into a sweet delicacy!
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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:
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This is a story from the perspective of Sonoko Kakiuchi, an Osaka lady of good family married to a respectabe lawyer. After becoming infatuated with a beautiful art student, Sonoko's story becomes a maze of temptation and betrayal.
Written by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. Originally written in serial format between 1928 and 1930, then published in 1931.
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Online activities from other Japan Societies across the US |
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Friday, November 6 at 8:00 PM EST
(5:00 PM CST)
Come join us for an exclusive demo with the renowned Candice Kumai, an awarded author, top-tier chef, and all-around superstar on Selena Gomez’s new hit TV series on HBOMax, Selena + Chef. During her live presentation, Candice will demonstrate how to prepare mouthwatering and authentic Japanese soba that you will love to devour.
She will also be sharing some great tips on how to incorporate delicious Suntory whisky into your own cooking, for maximum flavor and style.
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Friday, November 6, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
(6:00 - 7:00 PM CST)
Join CIE-US and CIE in an unprecedented webinar focused on generations of friendships between the Whitfield and Nakahama families. Co-sponsored by EngageAsia and the American Friends of the International House of Japan (AFIHJ), this webinar will feature descendants of John Manjiro (Manjiro Nakahama) and Captain William Whitfield, as well as a descendant of Commodore Perry to explore the legacy and lasting impact of family ties and friendship.
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Tuesday, November 10, 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
(6:00 - 7:00 PM CST)
Tobias Harris is an expert on Japanese politics, and the author of The Iconoclast: Shinzo Abe and the New Japan, the first English-language biography of Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
Tobias has written about Japanese politics for publications including the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs and regularly provides on-air analysis for CNBC, Bloomberg, and other networks. He was the Fellow for Economy, Trade, and Business at Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA from 2014-2020.
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Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30 PM EST
At this talk, Seiko Nakano from Mizkan Group and Paul Bello from ZENB discuss their innovative, wholesome food production strategies, and join Brian Kateman for a panel discussion about the future of food sustainability. The panel will be followed by a cooking demonstration featuring ZENB products.
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
(6:00 - 7:00 PM CST)
Celebrate this holiday season with a cultural flair. Pastry Chef, Aya Fukai, will guide you through a playful baking class to teach you how to make your own Japanese sweet potato pie from scratch. Learn the professional tips and tricks from the Aya Pastry bakery owner, as she shares the stage with our host, Wesley Rizal, Young Professionals Committee, Japan America Society of Chicago. All attendees will receive a copy of the pie recipe to make at home in time for the holidays.
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
7:30 - 8:30 PM EST
(6:30 - 7:30 PM CST)
In the context of a changing balance of regional power and economic interdependence between Japan and China, this talk will examine how Japanese multinational companies try to minimize damages and manage their own fear and uncertainty to sustain their overseas business interests.
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Tuesday, November 17, 8:00 - 9:30 PM EST
5G, the next-generation mobile network that promises to move data at greater speeds and connect huge volumes of devices, is already being deployed in urban areas in Japan and some major U.S. cities. While giving consumers access to more information faster than ever before, 5G’s biggest impact will be on industries and businesses, transforming the way they operate and function. What are the key benefits and challenges of 5G technology, and how will it change the way we work and communicate throughout the world? In this program, speakers offer their views on the advantages and disadvantages of 5G, its potential impact on society, and the prospects of U.S.-Japan collaboration.
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Thursday, November 19, 2020
6:00 -6:45 PM EST
(5:00 - 5:45 PM CST)
The role of ambassador of Japan to the United States is a distinguished post that has existed since 1860, with the exception of a brief period in the mid-20th century. The person chosen to serve often has had a long and successful career, as well as being one of Japan’s most respected diplomats.
The Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth proudly presents a conversation with H.E. Shinsuke Sugiyama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States of America. He will comment on his country’s ongoing fight against COVID-19, the new Suga administration in Japan, and his goals for U.S.-Japan relations.
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Non-JSB Online Activities |
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Friday, November 6 at 4:00 PM EST
Ms. Shigeko Sasamori was only 13 years old and two miles from ground zero when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. This year commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Come join us for an intimate conversation of Ms. Sasamori about her story of courage and hope, and her dedication to peace building.
Sponsored by MIT-Japan Program in collaboration with Purdue University.
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November 14 - December 5, 2020
Lucy Lacoste Gallery is honored to present Contemporary Bizen: Isezaki Jun and Isezaki Koichiro featuring the Living National Treasure of Bizen, Isezaki Jun, and his trailblazing son Isezaki Koichiro exhibiting together for the first time November 14 – December 5, 2020.
The opening reception is November 14, 3:00 - 5:00 PM EST and a Zoom Roundtable discussion with Isezaki Jun and Isezaki Koichiro from their studios in Japan, and with Jeff Shapiro moderating and Chris Field translating, to be broadcast November 15 at 5:00 pm EST. Email info@lucylacoste.com to receive the link. |
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Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.9 meters, it is the second-tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. |
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Japanese Art Museum in the Cloud
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The virtual IJC Museum in the Cloud allows visitors like you to enjoy modern artworks by Japan’s representative artists.
You can view works from all directions with 360° freedom and get so close
that you can see the subtlest details and even feel the presence of the artists.
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