An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of July, 2022!
We are well into summer now with hot weather all across the Southern California. Many teachers are also on break to regroup for the upcoming school year. Some may also be taking classes to fulfill their credential requirements and through our Teacher Training Program, we are sending one teacher to our institute in Urawa for five weeks of intense Japanese language training. We are also sending a researcher as part of our Training Program for Specialists to our institute in Kansai for a five month training program. They will be leaving this month and we hope to hear about their experiences after they return.

New this month, is an in-person exhibit in our office featuring images of rail culture in modern Japan from the Paulette and Jack Lantz Collection. Preview night will be on Wednesday, July 27th and a 150th Anniversary Day event will be on October 14th. Further details will be available soon on our website.

Speaking of website, we recently updated ours with a new design a more streamlined feature. If you haven't taken a look yet, make sure to check it out here!

Finally, there will be something returning from the past for our Japanese language classes this fall so stay tuned for announcements. We hope you have a safe Independence Day Weekend!
©Steve Crise Photoproduction
EXHIBITION - COMING SOON!
Engines of Progress: Images of Railroad Culture in Modern Japan 
from the Paulette and Jack Lantz Collection
July 28th - October 31, 2022
Special Preview Night: Wedneday, July 27th
The speeding steam locomotive is an enduring symbol of technological progress and an emblem of modern ideas of enlightenment, exploration, and empire. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first rail line in Japan, this exhibition focuses on railroad culture as captured in mass-produced woodblock prints and related objects. 
FALL 2022
JAPANESE LANGUAGE COURSE
Please stand by: great things are in store for your Japanese language lesson.

VIRTUAL BILINGUAL YOGA AT LUNCHTIME
Wednesday, July 6th & 27th
12:30PM PT (15 Minute Session)
Bilingual Yoga will be offered this month via JFLA Facebook LIVE! This month's theme is aiding your digestion.

No need to change clothes or use a yoga mat; you will be seated in a chair at home and receive an instruction from our instructor in bilingual (English and Japanese). Easy and relaxed!

There will be one session starting at 12:30pm. Just go to JFLA's Facebook page. Refresh and recharge yourself with us at home!
VIRTUAL MEDITATION WITH JAPANESE SINGING BOWL
Wednesday, July 13th
12:30PM PT (15 Min Session)
Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl will be offered this month via JFLA Facebook LIVE! The catchphrase for htis month is Ganbaro! (Go for it!)

The singing bowl used for this program harmoniously combines the healing qualities of the Tibetan singing bowl and its Japanese traditional singing bowl. Relax and feel your stress dissipate into thin air as the sounds of the singing bowl lead you into a meditative state.

There will be one session starting at 12:30pm. Just go to JFLA's Facebook page. Stretch and refresh yourself with us at home!
VIRTUAL KARATE EXERCISE AT LUNCHTIME
Wednesday, July 20th
12:30PM PT (15 Minute Session)
Whether at work or at home, let's refresh yourself for 15 minutes on your lunchtime together with us! Karate Exercise will be offered via JFLA Facebook LIVE!

World class instructors from Kyokushin Karate of Los Angeles will give you a set of beginner’s level exercises from their basic movement with their English instruction.

There will be one 15-minute session starting at 12:30pm. Just go to JFLA's Facebook page. Achieve the unity of body and spirit!
2022-2023 Japanese Language Grants Now Available!
Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Events for LEARNERS
(Examples: Speech Contest, Quiz Contest, Japan-themed Festival for Learners, etc.)

Deadlines: 9/1/2022
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Grant for Nationwide/Statewide/Region-wide Projects for TEACHERS
(Examples: Conferences/Seminars/Workshops for Teachers, Teaching Material Development, Research Projects, etc.)

Deadline: 2 months before the project start date
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Deadlines: 9/15/2022
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Advocacy Support Letter
If your Japanese language program is in danger of being cut due to COVID-19, we will send a support letter to stakeholders (Superintendent, Principal, Dean, etc.).

Please contact
General Invitation to Join JF USA Digital Library
We started our digital library back in April in coordination with our New York and Toronto offices. During the last month, we received many applications to join and now we are ready to open our digital library to the general public. If you know anyone who is interested in a digital library that specializes in Japanese language and culture related books, please forward them this newsletter and they can find more information at the link below. Applicants need to be 14 years or older and confirmation emails will be sent out at the end of the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays with directions on how you can login to the system and start checking out digital books on your phone or computer. If you have any questions, please reply to this email. We hope you will enjoy this new service from the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles!
Japanese Language Education Update 103
We want to congratulate all the students who participated in the 2022 All-USA High School Speech Contest organized by the Aurora Foundation last month. Each presenter had a unique story to tell and we were very impressed by all the speeches.

This month, we will be welcoming six new teaching assistants through our J-LEAP program. Working with the Laurasian Institution, we will be organizing a training session in Seattle before they depart for their host schools. You will be hearing about their experiences working in American schools all around the counter later this fall.

Finally, Yo Azama-sensei and the Japanese teachers of the Salinas Union High School District in California have published an interactive workbook "Compass Japanese" for upper-level students! If you are interested, you can order a free desk copy here. It is a Japanese publisher but it will be shipped from the US to your site. Details about the topics covered in the workbook can be found here.
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles