The Japan Foundation’s first online film festival, JFF Plus will showcase 28 Japanese films ranging from dramas, animation, and documentaries. All titles are available for free to stream. Please go to JFF Plus: Online Festival page to check out schedule and watch films.

If you want to laugh at Japanese comedy shows like a true native, you should know the cultural context behind each story. Professionals from Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA) in Tokyo will be introducing and analyzing some of Japan's most popular comedy shows, comedians, and entertainers on the air right now. You'll see just how much culture, planning, thought, and context goes into a single head bop and the slightest of side-eyes. When it comes to comedy, you need more than just language to laugh along with the natives!

Our virtual concert series Music Mondays continues in November with many more amazing musicians! Bringing some cheer to your lives through music, we will be preforming LIVE via Facebook every Monday. This month's performances will both be live from Japan at 6PM PT.

The theme this month is "Gratitude" and we will feature the following Artists:

December 7 - Yogetsu Akasaka: Beatboxer/Handpan player/Japanese Zen Buddhist monk. As a human beatboxer, he started his musical journey from New York and all around the world. After his musical journey, he became a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk. He gained attention through his live performances, where he records various sounds of his voice on the spot and chants Buddhist sutras and mantras. With the success of his YouTube video, he has appeared on various events such as outdoor festivals and even events related to mindfulness.

In 2020, he uploaded “Heart Sutra Live Looping Remix” on YouTube and received over 1.9 million views. He has continued to be active during the pandemic by conducting live streaming that lasted for 108 days, holding online meditation sessions, and has gained followers from all over the world. He shows his talents as someone who can provide ‘medicine’ through his music and chants. Music x Buddhism x Technology has interconnected to establish a new kind of musical experience.

December 14 - Shigeru Ishikawa: Solo Principal Doublebass (Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra), Visiting Professor (Senzoku Gakuen College of Music), Faculty (Toho Gakuen School of Music). Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Keio University with a degree in Economics. While attending Keio University, he was also enrolled in Toho Gakuen School of Music’s Diploma Course and studied the Contrabass under Composer, Shunsaku Tsutsumi. In 1988, he move to the States to enroll in Yale University Department of Music and studied under Gary Karr, and also studied under Eugene Levinson at The Julliard School. He became the part lead for New World Symphony, part lead for Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, became solo lead for Berner Symphonie-Orchesterin in Switzerland, and from 2013, he’s the Solo Principal Doublebass at Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. He continues to search for possibilities for Doublebass to become a solo instrument. He considers J.S. Bach: Solosuiten für Violoncello an integral part of who he is and received attention when he released J.S. Bach: Solosuiten für Violoncello Nr. 1, 2, &3 (2011), J.S. Bach: Solosuiten für Violoncello Nr. 4,5 (2013). In 2015, Composer, Joe Hisaishi conducted “Contrabass Concerto” and he was one of the members performing in Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. This world premiere performance was shown on Japanese TV program, “Yomikyo Symphonic Live”. He currently is also Visiting Professor of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

To participate, please visit JFLA's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JFLALC).

There will be one session starting at 12:30pm. Just go to JFLA's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JFLALC). Stretch and refresh yourself with us at home!

There will be one session starting at 12:30pm. Just go to JFLA's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JFLALC). Refresh and recharge yourself with us at home!

Advocacy Support Letter 

Please contact jflaeducation@jflalc.org for details.

Deadline:  Two months prior to the project start date

I hope everyone has been staying healthy during this time of changing restrictions and situations. As Los Angeles is buckling down to handle COVID-19, it has halted my life even further in many ways. But with the month of November, there has been positive things that has happened during this month. I was able to be a part of JFLA/AATJ Leadership meeting with Japanese teachers all over the United States. Usually, the training takes place in certain regions so we spend time with smaller groups of Japanese teachers. But through ZOOM, although for only a few hours, we have created connections with Japanese teachers who may have not met each other otherwise. So being a part of that was a great experience and I learned a lot from the Japanese teachers and how they themselves have been handling the Pandemic through teaching. Also, ACTFL convention (https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo) that took place virtually frpm November 20^th through 22^nd, instead of the original plan in San Antonio, TX. Next year will hopefully be held in San Diego, CA so it’ll be close to our LA office. The great things about ACTFL this year is that all the sessions were held virtually and can be viewed on the website until the end of December, 2020. We were able to also secure meetings virtually, which allowed us to connect with certain exhibitors. But still, the difficulties of not being able to quickly say “hi” and greet the exhibitors have added challenges in maintaining relationships. We do hope that next year, we will be able to say hi directly and meet many other wonderful exhibitors as well. Although there are challenges, I am amazed with the amount of effort, passion, and resilience that the teachers have and that they have continued to hone their skills through various means. Although it’s already December and time for the holidays, I hope everyone continues to be safe, healthy, and refreshed for the brand new year. If you ever need assistance, we are an email away at jflaeducation@jflalc.org!