Join us for the JASA 2023 Celebration Dinner & Business Forum as we come together to celebrate the accomplishments of the Alabama-Japan relationship!

JASA 2023 Annual Celebration Dinner

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023

Time: 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM (Registration begins at 5:00 PM)

Location: Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

Keynote Speaker:

Greg “Boomer” Wells (A former Major League player from Mclntosh, Alabama, who also played for the Hankyu Braves/Orix Braves/Orix BlueWave and Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan between 1983 and 1992.)

JASA 2023 Business Forum

Date: Friday, November 10, 2023

Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Registration begins at 7:30 AM)

Location: Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa

Keynote Speakers:

Kevin Taylor, Deputy Director of Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT)

Kristen Holder, Executive Director of Central Six Alabama Works!

Click here for photos and details from last year's events.

If you have any questions or are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at officemanager@jasaweb.org. 



We wanted to introduce our new intern for the Fall, Cole Truss. Cole is a native son of Birmingham, having been born and raised in neighboring Vestavia Hills, and having a lot of connections with the city. Cole is a student at UAB. He has also studied abroad in Japan at Nihon Daigaku (Nihon University), in Tokyo. You might have met him at one of our events over the last couple of years, as he has volunteered for both our Cherry Blossom Festival and the Tanabata Festival held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as well as at our Annual Celebration Dinner and Business Forum in Huntsville.

“I’d like to thank JASA and the larger communities of both Alabama and Japan for their accepting nature and this opportunity to contribute to a cause and organization I feel strongly about. I've been very happy meeting everyone at our events and hope to make them an even more enjoyable experience where we can all come together."

October Kayoubikai /10月の火曜日会

October 24, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

@ IKKO Japanese Ramen and Sushi 

Join us for our October Kayoubikai at IKKO Japanese Ramen and Sushi, a great opportunity to meet new friends with similar interests, practice Japanese, and stay connected with other people in our JASA community. All are welcome, whether you're a JASA member or not!

Please RSVP at least one day in advance! There is no cost to attend this event but everyone will be responsible for their own ticket at the end of the meal.

RSVP HERE!

Become a JASA Member!

We are grateful to have the support of our corporate members and individual members at all levels!

Our members enjoy basic benefits as well as special support from JASA for welcoming Japanese guests, coordinating events, and more. Whether you are Japanese or American, represent a group related to Japanese business and culture, or just have an interest in Japanese culture, we welcome all members. 

If you are interested in our membership program or would like more information, please contact us at officemanager@jasaweb.org or visit our website.

Japanese Autumn Celebration

October 15, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm

North Alabama Japanese Garden in Monte Sano State Park

Come and join the 2023 Japanese Autumn Celebration at North Alabama Japanese Garden!

Immerse yourself in Japanese culture through activities such as calligraphy and Origami, traditional music, and martial arts demonstrations in the serene beauty of the garden.

The entrance fee to the state park is $10 per car (carpooling recommended).

More Info

Onigiri Action: UNITE THE STATES WITH ONIGIRI!

Onigiri Action will be held from Oct 4th to Nov 17th, 2023. Onigiri Action is an annual social good campaign connecting the simple act of taking a photo with helping to feed school children in need.

We at JASA want to use this space to highlight a good cause in the form of the charity initiative Onigiri Action. Table for Two is a non-profit doing great work in trying to provide school children in need around the globe, and they could use your help. By posting yourself on social media, enjoying onigiri of your choice with the hashtag #onigiriaction, they hope to spread awareness.

More Info

Japanese Pop Culture: Paradoxical Nature of the Kawaii Concept

October 12, 5:00 am (October 12, 7pm JST)

Online (Zoom)

What is “Kawaii” and what is its relevance to Japanese Pop culture? Dr. Kaori Yoshida will join us to discuss this concept and how it has shaped Japanese media and entertainment.

Dr. Kaori Yoshida is a Professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, specializing media and cultural studies, gender and ethnic representation in popular culture. Her current research interests include gendering of war memory construction through popular media, and popular memories constructed by war museums. Her publications include: “War-Themed Shōjo Manga as a Site for Female Subjectivity: An Aesthetic Analysis of Mothers and Daughters Narrating War” (2022) “Ambivalent Female Bodies: A Place for Feminine War Memory in Japan” (2022), “Mediating Otome in the Discourse of War Memory: Complexity of Memory-Making Through Postwar Japanese War Films” (2019), and “(In)visible Women: Gendering of Popular War Memories through the Narrative of the Battleship Yamato for Six Decades in Postwar Japan” (2015).

Register Here

JET Hopefuls and Alumni!: Applications open now, and upcoming events for alums.

Reminder, as of September 25th, the current Japan Exchange and Teaching program application period has started and they will be accepting applications until midnight on the 17th of November. These applications can be completed through their secure web portal located here 

The JET Program is a competitive employment opportunity that allows young professionals to live and work in cities, towns, and villages throughout Japan. Being a JET is an opportunity to work and to represent the United States as cultural ambassadors to Japan. Most participants serve as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and work in public and private schools throughout Japan; some work as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) as interpreters/translators.

For more information on JET and how to apply, please click here

And, attention, alumni of the JET Program! Per the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta’s latest newsletter, they are planning a meeting for JET alumni. This meeting is planned for sometime in early November, and alumni of the program are encouraged to reach out via emailing jet@aa.mofa.go.jp with your name, email and year/location of JET participation.