Messages of Condolence from Japan to the United States 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida offered messages of condolence to their U.S. counterparts in the wake of the shooting terrorism incident in Orlando, Florida on June 12.

The U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) Held in Tokyo

Participants representing government, business and academia discussed measures to enhance education exchanges, Japanese language education in the U.S., art exchange, and intellectual and people-to-people exchanges.

Photography Contest Highlights "Best Japan"

The Capture the Best Japan Photography contest sought photos showcasing the "Best Japan" in the run up to the Group of Seven Japan 2016 Ise-Shima Summit held May 26-27. 

View some of the selections online:

Conferment Ceremonies Held for 2016 Spring Decoration Recipients

The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles held conferment ceremonies for Dr. James P. Folsom and Mr. Alan Nishio in June. Mr. Yasuo Kumoda attended the conferment ceremony in Japan held on May 12, 2016.

Consul General's Commendation Conferred

Ms. Yasuko Sakamoto
On June 8, the Consulate General of Japan conferred the Commendation of the Consul General on Ms. Yasuko Sakamoto.

Reception Held for 2016 U.S. Educators Invitational Group Tour Program

On June 21, the Consulate General of Japan held a Send-Off Dinner Reception for 14 American educators bound for Japan on a 10-day program, aiming to build professional educators networks and for participants to observe cultural, societal, and educational conditions. The U.S. Educators Invitational Group Tour program is organized annually by the Japan Foundation for educators and administrators hailing from across the country who have either opened or plan to open Japanese programs at their respective schools.

Event Held to Honor Mr. Chiune Sugihara's "Visas of Life"

A celebration of the legacy of Mr. Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who issued "Visas of Life" to Jewish refugees in Lithuania during World War II, was held on June 23. The afternoon featured presentations, followed by a screening of the 2015 film Persona Non Grata, directed by Mr. Cellin Gluck. Speakers included Mr. Nathan Lewin, who was four years old when he received a visa from Mr. Sugihara.

Read more about the event:

Local Events to Watch

• Tokyo Nebuta 2016 in Los Angeles (July 17)  LINK
• Los Angeles Dodgers Japan Night (July 26)  LINK
• Yasuhiro Ishimoto: Bilingual Photography and the Architecture of Greene & Greene (June 18 - Oct. 3) LINK
• The Complete Studio Ghibli: A 22-film Retrospective in Arizona (May 11 - Aug. 2) LINK

For more information about other events in Southern California and Arizona:

Foreign Direct Investment in Southern California from Japan is No. 1

The World Trade Center-Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation co-hosted the 2016 SELECT LA Investment Summit June 16 and 17th. At the Summit, they released their newest reports on foreign direct investment in Southern California, which shows that as the largest FDI investors in the region, Japanese companies have been strongly contributing to the southern California economy!
Read the report right here:

Japanese Scientists Name Atomic Element 113 'Nihonium'

Japanese scientists who discovered the atomic element 113 named it "nihonium." The team of researchers at Riken institute coined the name from "Nihon," meaning Japan in Japanese, and gave the super heavy synthetic element the atomic symbol "Nh."

International Tokyo Toy Show!

Toys employing virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies, including those equipped with miniature cameras, were on display at the annual International Tokyo Toy Show. About 35,000 items were showcased at the four-day event at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. Do a web search for "International Tokyo Toy Show 2016" for dozens of videos on the event, like this one: