Prime Minister Kan at the UN General Assembly

Cabinet Public Relations Office

Speaking to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Naoto Kan unveiled his "Kan Commitment" pledging $8.5 billion in aid as part of the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate poverty.

 PM Speech  
 Japan's MDG Policy

Leaders Gather at U.S. - Japan Council Inaugural Conference
Japanese and Japanese American leaders from across the country gathered for the U.S.-Japan Council Inaugural Conference. Vice President Joe Biden gave the keynote speech: "Shaping the Future of U.S.-Japan Relations." Find out more!
  

Riddle: What do California and Japan have in common? 
Answer: Water shortages!

Doesn't seem likely, but green and rainy Japan has struggled with fresh water supplies for centuries. Consul General Ihara recently spoke to the Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to share thoughts on how Japan views and copes with water issues domestically and through ODA programs. 

Symposium of Japanese Gardens


This hands-on 3-day workshop in San Diego will teach you the connections between Japanese garden aesthetics and Japanese culture. Oct 2-6.

 

Consulate Visits Schools


Are your students reading manga in their free time? Your class may be clamoring to learn more about Japan. Motivate them by having a Japan School Visits program with Consulate staff offering various topics!

Lasting Impressions Exhibition

Toyohara Kunichika, Gift of W & L W Rogers

Japanese woodblock prints are so in vogue this year. Don't miss out! Arizona State University Museum of Art's collection will give you a lasting impression.

Today's Kotowaza:
Ten takaku uma koyuru aki 
Sky high, horse fat, it's autumn. Autumn is a time when the sky appears high. Autumn is a time of delicious harvest foods. Even a horse can get fat in autumn. In a good season like autumn, when the sky appears beautifully high, things taste particularly delicious.

JET Applications Available! 

It's a chance that comes once a year. Applications for the JET Program will be available in October.


 

Introducing New Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara
MOFA has a new leader. Read about the latest lineup in the Prime Minister's Cabinet and the analyses by major Japanese newspapers.

  FM Maehara at UN 
  Cabinet Profiles
 News Analyses

California's Governor tries life in Japan's fast lane!

Courtesy Peter Grigsby, Office of the Governor

Governor Schwarzenegger checks out how Japan rolls - at rapid speeds, with high efficiency, and in quiet comfort.
Could Japan's shinkansen system one day help form a new transportation backbone for California, north to south?  See the Governor's experience here:
 

World of Takase

A retrospective of Hayahiko Takase, the respected chief architect of Little Tokyo landmarks, such as, the Kajima Building, Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple, the Little Tokyo Plaza and the highly anticipated Budokan of Los Angeles. Sept. 30.

Origami Festival at
Suiho-En Japanese Garden 
Origami projects for the whole family to enjoy at the Suiho-En Japanese Garden of the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. Oct. 10.

Japan At Your Classroom Door! 

Ding dong!  Japan-In-a-Suitcase calling! Experience the riches of Japanese culture brought straight to your class! Carlsbad Sister City Ambassadors and the Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana offer Japan-in-a-Suitcase programs in the San Diego area.  
Carlsbad Ambassadors
  JSSDT

Japan America Kite Festival!  

Let's go fly a kite. Up to the highest height. Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring. At Seal Beach on Oct. 3.

Children's Art From Nagoya! 
These are really cute! Come and see the exhibition of children's art from Nagoya City, the sister city of Los Angeles. It's in the library of the Japan Information and Culture Center of the Consulate General of Japan. October -December.

Japan-related events for
Los Angeles & Arizona

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