The Japan America Society of St. Louis (JAS) serves as the major source of Japan-related information and cultural experiences in the St. Louis Metropolitan Community. See what we have to offer, and consider joining today!

Upcoming Events - Trivia Tables Now Available!!

  • 17 Jun 2023 6:00 PM Community Christian Church, 632 Meramec Station Road, Ballwin MO 63021

Meet the Winners and Read the Recipes of Our First Sake Cocktail Competition!

Eight talented and creative artists-in-spirit competed on April 4 in our first-ever (hopefully first-annual) sake cocktail competition. Learn who won and see the cocktails they created here.

We are very grateful to our collaborators, sponsors, host, funder, audience, and of course the participants who made this event possible. We had a ton of fun and learned a lot. We look forward to brining this contest back as an annual event to celebrate sake in St. Louis!

Thank You to All Our Sponsors and Host

This event was made possible by a grant from Japan Foundation NY and was sponsored by Holladay Distillery, Tozai Sake, and Intoxicology.

   

 

Upcoming events

  • 17 Jun 2023 6:00 PM Community Christian Church, 632 Meramec Station Road, Ballwin MO 63021

Save These Dates

  • June 7 - Japanese Culture at Missouri History Museum 
  • June 17 - JAS Trivia Night

UCPL Big Book Summer Reading Challenge

This summer, JAS has partnered with the University City Public Library (UCPL) on their annual Big Book Challenge, a summer reading program that involves monthly book discussions and other related activities. The novels chosen this year are The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon and The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, a classic Japanese novel written over 1,000 years ago.

Meetings to discuss The Tale of Genji between your fellow readers will take place on the fourth Wednesday of every month. To supplement your reading, several in-person Japanese cultural events will be held to help give context of the world and time period that The Tale of Genji takes place in. This includes: 

  • Wednesday, June 14: A presentation by St. Louis Osuwa Taiko at 6:30 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, July 19: A demonstration by St. Louis Kendo at 7 p.m.

As well as a trio of events in partnership with JASSTL:

  • Tuesday, June 6: Chado (Way of Tea) at 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, July 12: "Kimono: Then & Now" at 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 9: Shodo (Way of Writing) at 6:30 p.m.

All events will be free and open to the public to attend. They will be held at either the former University United Methodist Church (across the parking lot from the library's temporary space at 6900 Delmar Blvd.) or the auditorium at their permanent location, 6701 Delmar Blvd. For more information about the Big Book Challenge and a more detailed list of events and their locations, visit the UCPL's Big Book Challenge web page.

Geostrategies Webinar: The Implications for Japan and the US of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

JAS collaborated with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation earlier this month to host a webinar that discussed the implications for Japan and the US of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Phillip Lipscy and Dr. Kayo Takuma led the discussion and former US Senator Jim Talent moderated. If you missed it, check out the whole discussion below.

Local and Virtual Events Across the Country

Beauty in Enormous Bleakness: The Design Legacy of the Interned Generation of Japanese Americans:  From January 17th - July 9th 2023, the John M. Olin library, located on Washington University's campus, will be hosting an exhibit that will explore architecture's relationship to issues of immigration, exclusion and cultural identity in 20th-century America. This exhibit will focus on Japanese American designers & architects that were forced to stay in internment camps during the second world war and their exceptional works in a post war culture. For more information, visit the Washington University exhibitions page.

In Case You Missed It...

If you missed one of our virtual events, be sure to check out the Japan America Society - St. Louis YouTube page! Larger virtual events hosted by us are recorded and uploaded there for those who could not make it to the live sessions. Recordings of events hosted by other organizations that JASSTL collaborated with will be posted below.

Overview of Matsuri with Dr. Chikako Usui

Dr. Chikako Usui, Chairman of the JAS, gave a virtual presentation on matsuri (festivals) in Japan for the Missouri Historical Society. Her talk explored sights, cuisine, music, and atmosphere of these celebrations.


Home: Japanese Americans in St. Louis

On June 8, our own Dr. Chikako Usui, chairman of the Japan America Society of St. Louis and associate professor of sociology at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, presented an overview of Japanese Americans’ settlement in the St. Louis area over Zoom. This presentation was in collaboration with the Missouri Historical Society. This presentation will explore how they built their lives and homes here and how they’ve enriched the city’s culture. This program is a part of the Missouri Historical Society's 2021 Missouri Bicentennial programming, commemorating 200 years of Missouri history.

If you missed it and would like to see it, you can view it here on YouTube.


Annual Events

JAS offers at least nine annual programs each calendar year. They are scheduled throughout the year, and include a range of events from business/economic forums, cultural events, and social programs:

  • January - New Year’s Celebration (Shinnenkai)
  • February - Japan Currents - Global Impact of Anime & Manga, JAS Night at the Ballet 'Could This Be Love'
  • April - Sake & Sakura at Missouri Botanical Gardens, JAS Night at the Ballet 'Swan Lake', and Japanese Cultural Events- STL Community College at Forest Park
  • May – Passport to Japan at the St. Louis Art Museum and Celebration of Japanese Culture at Missouri History Museum
  • June – Trivia Night Fundraiser
  • September - Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Gardens
  • October – Fund Raising Gold Outing at Pevely Farms and Fall Japan Update
  • November - Annual Dinner/General Meeting
  • December - JAS Night at the Ballet: The Nutcracker

Recent News from JAS

Information on COVID-19

During these uncertain times, we want to work closely with the Japanese Consulate in Chicago, and Honorary Consuls in St. Louis and the Midwest to coordinate efforts and disseminate information.

Below are links to resources containing up-to-date information about COVID-19, some in Japanese language.

St. Louis Japan Society's page on COVID-19

https://stljapanweb.wixsite.com/stljapansociety

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

https://www.mofa.go.jp/

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/

Coronavirus Data in Real Time

https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/en

Coronavirus Symptom Chart

Corona virus chart.jpg

Have a Question or Request? Just Ask!

Click here to send us a question or request.

JAS receives and answers about 150 inquiries about Japan in a given year, as well as requests for lectures, authentic cultural activities, and programs from local libraries, schools, and other organizations.

We are happy to respond to requests and answer your questions as soon as we can.

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"Japan America Society of St. Louis" is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
University of Missouri - St. Louis
362 SSB
1 University Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63121-4400

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