Upcoming Events

Sake & Wine Networking Mixer

March 2, 2023
6:00 – 8:00 PM EST
Indigo Hotel Vinings                 2857 Paces Ferry Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

The Japan-America Society of Georgia and the French-American Chamber of Commerce- Atlanta will mix our beautiful cultures during a “Sake & Wine Networking Mixer”. Join us for an enjoyable international evening of networking over Japanese sake, French wine, and tasty hors d’oeuvres. Re-connect with fellow members/friends, and make new connections from the FACC and JASG at this unique evening of bi-national networking and mingling.

Japan Academic Challenge & Japanese Speech Contest

March 4, 2023
11:30 AM EST
Kennesaw State University          1000 Chastain Road            Kennesaw, GA 30144

Come watch students use their Japanese skills as they compete in a speech contest and academic challenge! This event is free to the public.

US-Japan Now Luncheon: Economic Impacts of Sustainability Initiatives

March 9, 2023
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM EST                      Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta      1000 Peachtree Street NE        Atlanta 30309

The Japan-America Society of Georgia invites you to a business luncheon featuring a discussion on sustainability initiatives in Japan and the United States including unique insights about SDGs, economic impacts of ESG guidelines, and the politics of environmental policy. Join us to learn more about the history, current trends, and future outlook of sustainability activities from the Japanese and American perspective, and how public and private sectors in both countries can work together to create a better world for generations to come.

Virtual Shodo Class

March 12, 2023
Online
1:00 – 2:30 PM EST

The Japanese Culture Center is excited to hold a 書道 – Shodo / Japanese Calligraphy program with Chicago’s own Shodo master, Hekiun Oda!

In the Shodo program you learn the art of Japanese calligraphy from Hekiun Oda-sensei, a calligraphy master from the Japanese Calligraphy Association in Japan, aka “Genshin-kai”. Thanks to Oda-sensei’s rank as “Shihan” in the association, students in this program will be able to send their work to the headquarters in Japan and potentially be an awarded a rank. A very rare opportunity!
The classes are focused on learning various writing techniques while working on assignments that are tailored to each student’s level and ability. Whether beginner or advanced, all levels and ages are welcomed! Shodo kits will be needed for the course.

Japan-America Association of South Carolina hosts Networking Night with Dr. Christina Ahmadjian

March 15, 2023                                                                                               5:30 – 7:30 PM EST
Hyatt Regency Hotel Orb Lounge (by Orb Bar in lobby)
220 N. Main Street, Greenville, SC, 29601

As part of Upstate International Month – JAASC and USC’s Folks Center for International Business are partnering to host a casual networking night with Christina Ahmadjian, a distinguished member of the Japanese business and academic communities in Tokyo.

Macon, GA’s International Cherry Blossom Festival

‘The Pinkest Party on Earth!”

March 17-26, 2023                              2:00 – 3:30 PM EST
                                                                  Macon, GA

Each March, Macon becomes a pink, cotton-spun paradise as over 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in all their glory. Originally a sleepy southern town, Macon has now become a bustling center of beauty and international friendship.

2023 JASNC Annual Conference

March 23, 2023
4:00 – 8:00 PM EST
NC Biotech Center                             15 TW Alexander Dr                        Durham, NC  27709

For this year’s Annual Conference, the Japan America Society of North Carolina (JASNC) has put together a panel of distinguished experts to discuss “the future of the automotive industry and opportunities for North Carolina.” The panel discussion will focus on issues directly relevant to North Carolina. It will highlight areas where partnership between American and Japanese companies may make sense as the future of the industry takes shape.

Yamato Drummers Performances

March 24, 25 & April 6, 2023          3/24-Athens, GA (Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall at UGA)                         3/25-Newberry, SC (Newberry Opera House)                                                                                                        4/6-Durham, NC (Page Auditorium)

Yamato was founded in Japan’s Nara Prefecture in 1993. Our troupe has given over 4,000 performances in 54 countries and regions. Every year, Yamato tours the world for 6 to 10 months, creating and presenting original Yamato compositions and stages. As a result of this relentless tour schedule, pursued over more than 10 years, audiences around the world await our arrival every year in growing numbers, sustaining and encouraging our efforts more than words can express.

The 37th Annual Sakura Festival & Haiku Contest

March 25, 2023
9:00AM – 12:00PM CST       Tuscaloosa River Market
1900 Jack Warner Pkwy    Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

The theme of this year’s Sakura Festival is “Mirai wo hiraku/未来をひらく” or “Renew.”

The spring celebration of Sakura, or cherry blossoms, reminds us of the value of each moment, while the return of spring awakens us to fresh possibilities in life. The theme this year calls upon the very definition of spring!

2023 Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival

March 25, 2023
10:00AM – 5:00 PM EST
Irmo Town Park
7330 Carlisle St                                                                                                      Irmo, SC 29063

Blooms of colorful cherry blossoms are a sure sign of the arrival of spring in the Southern region. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival of Irmo honors these beautiful flowering trees.

The celebration takes place in the oh-so-photogenic Irmo Town Park. Planted in 2001, the six Yoshino trees put forth an amazing bloom at their peak. The jewel-box Irmo Town Park comes alive with the exuberant pale pink blooms in late March. The family-friendly festival features quiet picnicking, blossom-viewing, plein air art, handcrafted artwork, and more.

Festival of Flowers

March 23-26, 2023
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
Ascension Providence Hospital Campus                                                           6801 Airport Blvd                      Mobile, AL  36608

The 30th annual Festival of Flowers, sponsored by James B. Donaghey Mechanical Contractors Inc. , will proudly showcase gardens of Japanese influence by Lead Designer, Dale Speetjens, of Shipshape Urban Farms. You will feel led into a new space as you enter the Torii gates and glimpse Mount Fuji in a mural created by The Nest of Mobile. Continue to stroll through a tranquil bamboo forest to six locally landscaped gardens that demonstrate the historical evolution of Japanese gardening, beginning with the Heian period, through its continuous impact on modern landscape design with each space complementing the other.  A constructed tea house will float on a peaceful pond enhanced by raised flowers and plants.  Find balance, as you gaze at a center zen garden that represents unspoiled nature viewed differently from many focal points throughout the show amid floral geisha and warrior masks sculpted by our area’s most talented designers.

Parking will be available at the Birmingham Zoo as well as the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, but as was the case in previous years it will be limited. We encourage you to carpool!

The 21st Annual NC Japanese Language Speech Contest For High School Students

March 25, 2023
1:00 – 5:00 PM EST                                                                                                                               FedEx Global Education CenterThe Nelson Mandela Auditorium, UNC
301 Pittsboro Street                                                                                    Chapel Hill, NC 27516

This contest promotes the study and understanding of Japanese as a foreign language at the high school level and encourages students to use their language skills to communicate ideas and information in a natural and culturally appropriate context. Parent and student observers accompanied by their teachers are encouraged to attend.

Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival

March 25-26, 2023
10:00AM – 5:00 PM EST         Georgia International Horse Park
1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway     Conyers, GA 30013

Have a Bloomin’ Good Time at the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival! The 2023 event marks 42 years of the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival in Conyers. Shop among unique art and craft exhibitors, eat your way through the multiple food courts, enjoy cultural performances, listen to live music, and play in the children’s area.

The Cherry Blossom Festival originated as a way to encourage cultural understanding and friendship through international music, dance, games, food and crafts. The cherry blossom is a symbol of short-lived beauty in Japan, and the City of Conyers embraces this tradition as well. The blooming of the cherry trees offers a time to reflect upon our lives. Like the blooming of the trees, life is short, so you have to appreciate and embrace it.

Japan Arts Festival

April 1, 2023                           11:00AM – 3:00 PM EST
GSU Perimeter College Dunwoody Campus
2101 Womack Rd                Dunwoody, GA 30338