Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the U.N. General Assembly

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly as part of his September 23-28 trip to the U.S. On the sidelines of the visit, he held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders.

Foreign Minister Kono in Canada and the U.S.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Canada and the U.S. from Sept. 21 to Sept. 30, including a stop at the United Nations.

Kyoto University Researcher Named A Winner of Nobel Prize in Medicine

Dr. Tasuku Honjo, a cancer immunotherapy researcher at Kyoto University, has been named one of the winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony will take place in December. Find out more:

New Architecture Exhibition Opening on Oct. 27

Japan House Los Angeles will present "Sou Fujimoto: Futures of the Future," which showcases his past and current architecture projects. Fujimoto is a highly celebrated architect who has designed buildings around the world. Find out more:

Spring 2018 Decoration Conferred on Professor Ellis E. Krauss

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon was conferred to Professor Ellis E. Krauss on Sept. 27 in recognition of his contributions to promoting academic exchange between Japan and the U.S., and to improving understanding of Japan in the U.S.

Reception Held to Welcome Back JET Returnees!

A special reception was held at the Official Residence of the Consul General to welcome back recently-returned JET program participants. Read more:

Japan Day at Angel Stadium!

Japan Day Presented by Japan Airlines was held at the parking lot of Angel Stadium on Sept. 29. Consul General Akira Chiba thanked the Angels and the crowd for celebrating Japan and of course, baseball! Pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani was also interviewed onstage, drawing support from his fans.

26th Anniversary of Japan-Armenia Relations

On September 7, 2018, the Japan America Society of Southern California, supported by the Consulate General of Japan and in collaboration with the Consulate General of Armenia, hosted a 26th anniversary celebration of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Armenia.  The event was held at the City of Glendale’s Brand Park and featured special speaker presentations and a musical performance.

Kizuna Video Series: Nisei Week Gyoza Competition

The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles and Kizuna bring you news and views on the Japanese American community.  In our latest video, meet the amateur competitors battling it out at the Nisei Week Gyoza Competition, featuring Eric Komatsu of Kizuna.   

Shoplifters Film Release Date Set for Nov. 23!

The U.S. release date for Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival in May, has been set for Nov. 23. The film has also been submitted as Japan's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.

This Month's Sister Cities

Anniversaries of U.S.-Japan relations in Southern California for the month of September include six Sister Cities:

• San Diego, CA and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture began sister city relations on Oct. 1, 1957 (http://www.sandiegoyokohamasistercity.org/)
• Glendale, CA and Higashi Osaka in Osaka Prefecture began their relations as sister cities on Oct. 1, 1960.
• Long Beach, CA and Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture started their sister city relationship on Oct. 1, 1963 (http://www.longbeach-yokkaichi.org/)
• Lomita, CA and Takaishi in Osaka Prefecture launched their sister city relationship on Oct. 1, 1981.
• Glendora, CA and Moka in Tochigi Prefecture began their relations as sister cities on Oct. 1, 1988.
• Carlsbad, CA and Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture became sister cities on Oct. 1, 1988 (http://www.carlsbadambassadors.us/)

To learn more about sister city relationships in our jurisdiction, please click here:

Nabetaro III in Yamagata Breaks Guinness World Record!

Serving thousands of people;  recipe including 3 tons of taro, 1.2 tons of beef and 3,500 green onions;  so large that its contents had to be stirred with backhoes;  Nabetaro III was recognized by Guinness as the most soup dished out of a single pot in eight hours – enjoyed by a total of 12,695 visitors.  Mind boggling video footage here:

California's SpaceX Announces First Lunar Tourist!

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is slated to board a SpaceX craft and travel to orbit the moon in 2023 – the first commercial tourist to ever brave such a mission, and possibly bring 6 to 8 of his closest friends on the trip with him.  More details here:

Japan Disaster Recovery Updates for Travelers!

Recent weeks have seen various natural disasters unfold in Japan, with disruptions to airports, roads and rail-lines.  Recovery is well under way and as the situation recovers and normalizes, in addition to consulting with your travel agent, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is publishing updates for travelers right here:

Orange County Japan Fair!

Join fans of all things Japanese at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa October 19th – 21st.  Food, beverages, performances and vendors galore.  Check the schedule and further information right here:

October: Sports Day

The second Monday of October marks Taiiku no Hi, or Sports Day, a national holiday in Japan that celebrates physical activity. The holiday, which fell on Oct. 8 this year, was originally established to commemorate the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and became an official holiday in 1966. What sport will you be playing or watching on Sports Day??