An Online Newsletter Showcasing Our Programs for the Month of August, 2022!
This month is the start of our new exhibition Engines of Progress: Images of Railroad Culture in Modern Japan featuring prints and artifacts from the Paulette and Jack Lantz Collection. The preview night is tonight August 1st from 6:30PM at our office and the exhibition will run until Monday, October 31st so we hope to see you here.

New for this month is our Live Demonstration at the Portland Art Museum showcasing the artistry of Japanese pottery. We will be travelling to Portland, Oregon, for this event and look forward to meeting fans of Japanese art and culture in the Pacific Northwest.

We are also planning to bring back in-person Japanese language courses this fall so stay tuned for more information. If you prefer to learn Japanese online, we will still have that option as well!

And as always, we will be organization our trio of wellness events so make sure to join us on Facebook every Wednesday at 12:30PM PT.
©Steve Crise Photoproduction
EXHIBITION
Engines of Progress: Images of Railroad Culture in Modern Japan 
from the Paulette and Jack Lantz Collection
August 2 - October 31, 2022
Special Preview Night: Monday, August 1st
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.

ICHI-GO ICHI-E: AN EVENING OF JAPANESE ARTISTRY
Saturday, August 13th
Doors Open @6PM
Join us and immerse yourself in a beautifully fleeting evening of Japanese artistry. Ichi-go ichi-e describes the cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. Internationally recognized pottery artist Shozo Michikawa will come to the Portland Art Museum to demonstrate his unique and powerful process of forming clay.
FALL 2022
JAPANESE LANGUAGE COURSE
We are bringing back some IN-PERSON classes!

VIRTUAL MEDITATION WITH JAPANESE SINGING BOWL
Wednesday, August 3rd & 24th
12:30PM PT (15 Min Session)
Meditation with Japanese Singing Bowl will be offered this month via JFLA Facebook LIVE! The catchphrase for this month is "Genki (I'm Fine)!"

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, August 10th
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!
VIRTUAL BILINGUAL YOGA AT LUNCHTIME
Wednesday, August 17th
12:30PM PT (15 Minute Session)
Bilingual Yoga will be offered this month via JFLA Facebook LIVE! This month's theme is "Solve Summer Fatigue."

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!
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
[email protected] for details.
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. There have been an overwhelming amount of interest in Libby and we appreciate everyone who have signed up to use this free service. 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. Please make sure to check your spam box, especially for Gmail users and you do not need to register multiple times. If you do not receive a welcome email from us within a few days of registering, please make sure to contact us. 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 104
Summer is slowly coming to an end and many school districts will be restarting later this month. We wish all the teachers a students a good start to the school year and look forward to the many new Japanese language speakers that will be developed through these courses.

Two of our grants including the teaching material purchase grant and Japanese learners event grant will have deadlines coming up in September so make sure to apply if you are in need. Unfortunately, our budget for grants this year is reduced so we wont be able to support as many programs compare to before.

We also want to share the new Marugoto (A2B1-1) Japanese Online Self-Study Course that is now available via our Headquarters' website. The course is completely free and lasts six months from the start of the course!

Finally, we just completed the arrival training for our 11th year J-LEAP assistant teachers (AT) last month in Seattle so we hope they are easing into their new lives here in the US. They will be writing about their work in future issues of Your Japan so stay tuned!
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles