News

Last week, JASSTL provided a Chado (tea ceremony) presentation for one of our corporate sponsors, Safety National. We are happy to work with our sponsors to provide unique cultural programs for their employees and admins to enjoy. 

This spring, the Government of Japan announced that past president and current chairperson of the Japan America Society of St. Louis (JASSTL), Dr. Chikako Usui, has been selected as a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays for her contribution in strengthening relations between the United States and Japan.

The government announcement cited Dr. Usui's "significant contributions to Japan-U.S. cultural relations and... activities introducing Japanese culture on the grassroots level through her proactive involvement in the St. Louis-Ishinomaki City cultural exchange program, the 'Japan Update' Business Lecture Series, as well as the Japanese Festival hosted at the Missouri Botanical Garden."

Dr. Usui is also a high-ranking Ikenobo Ikebana instructor who has held workshops throughout the Missouri area, fostering a love for Ikebana and Japanese culture in many people. Furthermore, as an associate professor of sociology, Dr. Usui has taught classes on Japan-related topics including Japanese economics at the University of Missouri - St. Louis and Washington University, and she has written various publications on Japan.

We at JASSTL join with the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago in celebrating Dr. Usui's remarkable achievement, representing the diversity and depth of relations between Japan and the United States.

We joined the Buder Branch of the St. Louis Public Library for their debut festival, Buder in Bloom for cultural showcases. This event was free and welcomed anyone who came in order to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. 

On March 13th and 20th this year, Lindenwood University hosted Shodo, Kado and Chado sessions to help educate people on traditional Japanese culture. The event was a success and recorded in the video below. 

St. Louis Fude no Kai was founded on January 2017, in response to the energy and passion of Seiran Chiba, a Japanese calligrapher from Fukushima. Seiran has visited St. Louis every year since 2013 to participate in the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. 

Fude no Kai meets once a month. In addition to the Japanese language-based Thursday sessions, we are now offering English-friendly sessions on the second Saturday of each month. If you are new to the Japanese calligraphy and English instructions are preferred, please come to the Saturday sessions. Everyone is welcome to try this ancient art! (Saturday sessions are also open to those who are not able to come on Thursdays.) 

On May 2nd, 2024, Fude no Kai with support from the Japan America Society, hosted "Calligraphy with Seiran" in which 30 people attended, making the event a success.

The Japan America Society of St. Louis continues its study scholarship for the second year. To apply, applicants must complete this form by February 25, 2024.

This scholarship is offered to support study in Japan. and could be used for a high-school exchange trip, a university semester abroad, or even a course of independent study. As long as there is a clear educational objective, we will consider the application.

We are again partnering with Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) to bring you Sake and Sakura on April 5, 2024. Tickets and more information are available on the MOBOT website.

Join the Japanese tradition of o-hanami (flower viewing) under the lush beauty of blooming cherry trees (sakura) by sipping sake. Specialists will be on hand to guide your sake sampling adventure. Attendees will receive a keepsake masu tasting cup and will have the rare opportunity to explore the Japanese Garden's Teahouse Island.

Some samples are included in the admission, but additional sake and traditional Japanese cuisine will also be available for purchase. This event is for guests age 21 and older, obviously.

The Sake Cocktail Contest we inaugurated last year will return on April 15, 2024!

Bartenders in MO and IL are encouraged to submit your creations by March 14, 2024. See this submission guide for rules and links to the submission form.

The event will be held at Platypus in The Grove and will feature a panel of 4 judges, cash prizes, and tons of fun! Look for tickets to go on sale soon.

On Saturday, January 20, an Award Ceremony for the 2023 Foreign Minister’s Commendation was held at the Japan America Society of St. Louis (JASSTL) Shinnenkai in honor of our president, Greg Gorman. The Foreign Minister’s Commendation was presented to Mr. Gorman by Consul-General Jun Yanagi.

Mr. Gorman was recognized for his outstanding contributions in promoting Japanese culture in the U.S. and fostering friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S. During his tenure as a director and then as president since 2018, Mr. Gorman has led various JASSTL events. With his network and experience working for Japanese companies, he has spear-headed Japan-U.S. business exchanges and seminars, and contributed to the annual Japanese Festival, sake tasting events, and many others. He has strengthened JASSTL as an organization and furthered deeper cooperation with local Japan-related organizations.

Consul-General Yanagi delivered congratulatory remarks and presented the certificate and commemorative gift awarded by the Foreign Minister to Mr. Gorman, with family, friends, colleagues, and JAS members in attendance to witness this significant award.

We had a great kick-off to our "Sake Tasting Sandbox Series" on Thursday at Parker's Table. Originally limited to just 20 seats, we had such a positive response we expanded and eventually had 27 people registered!

Attendees tasted 5 different sakes from different regions of Japan. Professional sommelier Patricia Wamhoff led a deep-dive into the world of sake, including history, nomenclature, grades, production methods, flavors profiles, and much more.

Thanks to Lohr Distributing and Darryl Vennard of Vine Connections for their help in acquiring the delicious sakes and in supporting this event, and especially to the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership for funding our sake tasting series.