Foreign Minister Kono Visits U.S. 

Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited the U.S. on March 15-18, meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and others. Read more:

Calling All Manga Artists!

Are you a manga artist eager to share your creativity, storytelling and drawing skills with the world? The 12th Japan International MANGA Award, founded by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is your chance to shine! The award honors artists who are contributing to the development of manga culture. For details:

Paper-Based Art Exhibition at Japan House Los Angeles

Japan House Los Angeles will present Takeo Paper Show: SUBTLE, which features innovative paper-based designs and creations with multiple, sophisticated design experiences. The exhibition will be open from April 13 to May 23.

Art Talk at UCLA by Graphic Designer

Kenya Hara, a renowned graphic designer and general producer of Japan House Los Angeles, will speak about his work at University of California, Los Angeles on Thursday, April 12. For more information:

Japan Creative Content Reception Held

On March 8, the Japanese Consulate and JETRO USA co-hosted a reception to support Japan's creative content industry and its global growth.
Check out video highlights from the night: 

Reception for Academy Award Nominees Held

On Feb. 26, Consul General Chiba hosted a reception to acknowledge three Academy Award nominees of Japanese descent: Ms. Ru Kuwahata (Animated Film Short, “Negative Space”), Ms. Ramsey Ann Naito (Animated Feature Film, “The Boss Baby”), and eventual winner Mr. Kazuhiro Tsuji (Makeup and Hairstyling, “Darkest Hour”).

Film Screening: East Side Sushi

On March 28, a joint film screening and reception for “East Side Sushi” was held by the Consulate General of Japan, Consulate General of Mexico, and Japan Foundation in Los Angeles. It was attended by actors Ms. Diana Elizabeth Torres and Mr. Yutaka Takeuchi, who played the main characters in the film, and by Mr. Andy Matsuda, chef and owner of Sushi Chef Institute who trained the actors for their roles.

Narisawa Satoyama Exhibition at the L.A. Times Foodbowl

Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa's Satoyama exhibit will focus on his creative dishes based on the idea of "bringing nature to the plate." Check out the exhibit at Union Station from May 1-31. For more details: 

Japanese Language Speech Contests in So Cal and Arizona

Want to find out more about Japanese speech contests in our area? Click on the links below for more information about organizations that host annual contests:

•  San Diego (21st) Annual Japanese Speech Contest (March 18, 2018)
• Japanese Language School Unified System (Kyodo System) Contest (March 24, 2018)
• The 29th Annual Arizona Japanese Speech Contest (April 8, 2018)
• Japanese Language Scholarship (Aurora) Foundation 15th Annual Speech Contest (May 26, 2018)

Cherry Blossom Festivals 

The spring season marks the beginning of cherry blossom season. A number of annual cherry blossom festivals are held in the Los Angeles region and beyond at this time of year. For more information about these festivals and other events, please check out the Consulate's events calendar below: 

This Month's Sister Cities:

Japan and the United States have more than 400 sister-city relationships between them.  This month we introduce the two sister cities of Southern California which formally began their partnerships in the month of April.

-- Los Angeles, CA and the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture became sister cities April 1, 1959. (http://www.lansca.org/ ).

-- Culver City, California and Kaizuka City in Osaka began their sister city relationship on April 1, 1965 (http://www.culvercitysistercitycommittee.org/ ).

To see if your city might have a sister in Japan, see our full list at http://www.la.us.emb-japan.go.jp/e_web/bilateral_sistercities.htm.

Explore Japan's Hidden and Regional Food Culture!

Japan’s Agriculture Ministry is offering excellent guidance on Japan’s food culture for the intrepid traveler or curious foodie. Seasonality, regional ingredients, and local history shape Japanese cuisine in all its tremendous variety, and the “Savor Japan” information program offers a fascinating introduction to the many exquisite tastes of Japan.  Enjoy this month’s selection, the hidden mountain hamlet of Nishi Awa!  See here:

What's Cute, Pink and Goes 200Mph?

The Hello Kitty shinkansen, of course!  One more bucket-list experience for fans of the enigmatic white feline.  This summer, Japan Rail West will be operating this super kawaii train in select regions of Japan – final route details will be forthcoming!  More here:

One Day Photographic Celebration of Tokyo

In a new initiative to harness the power of social media, the Tokyo municipal government held their first “Photorogaining” event – something like a competitive time trial to explore the city with camera in hand, and document the course on the way.  About 300 participants joined the event, and their unique impressions of the scenery, sub-cultures & fascinating vibe of Tokyo are uploaded and ready for viewing here: