September 2021
In This Issue
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A Grateful Farewell To Mari Yamamoto
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With gratitude for the innumerable ways she has enriched Japan-Tennessee relations for the better part of two decades, Mari Yamamoto has in recent weeks announced plans to retire from her role as Japanese Community Outreach Manager at JAST.
Since her start working collaboratively with JAST shortly after a brief introduction at a community Bon Odori event in Murfreesboro in 2004, Mari has been instrumental as architect of JAST's outreach to the Japanese community and its online and social media presence as she also fulfilled responsibilities across all JAST activities as a consummate cultural and hospitality advisor. Her contributions to every aspect of JAST as we know it today simply cannot be overstated. In short, she defines the very best of JAST, and our gratitude to her will always be immense.
When asked to reflect upon her connections with JAST, she shares with us the following words:
I want to thank everyone who supported me. I was so fortunate to be a member of the JAST family. I will keep serving the Japanese community with precious memories of my experience at JAST in my heart.
We continue to wish Mari all the very best as she pursues personal projects in the days ahead. Unencumbered by JAST's demands on her time, we anticipate her continued visibility through her signature Konnichiwa, Murfreesboro! broadcasts and online newsletters and, as always, her active engagements with friends, former colleagues, and our shared local community by employing her many gifts and talents in her passion for volunteer and artistic endeavors. |
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The Memphis Japan Festival Returns
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The Memphis Japan Festival, celebrating Japan’s people and culture, is returning to Memphis Botanic Garden on Sunday, November 7th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST.
The Festival will be held outdoors, rain or shine, and will feature a full day of traditional and contemporary Japanese music and dance performances and tours of the Japanese Garden of Tranquility (Seijaku-En). The roving Japanese “Candyman”, St. Louis Osuwa Taiko, Japanese rock band KAZHA, the Kent Family Magic Circus, sumo-suit wrestling, martial arts on the lawn, Japanese food, cultural lectures, anime vendors and children’s activities are just some of the attractions.
Many thanks to our generous civic-minded sponsors who are providing primary funding for the Festival: Diamond Sponsors - Brother Industries (U.S.A.), Inc. and The City of Memphis; Grantmaking Sponsor - Tennessee Arts Commission; Gold Sponsors - FedEx, Japanese Traders and Manufacturers Association, Memphis Light, Gas and Water, NKC of America, Inc. and The Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation; Bronze Sponsors - First Horizon Bank and TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority.
Festival partners working closely with JAST include the Japan-America Society of Mississippi, Memphis Botanic Garden and The University of Memphis.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this fun, family-friendly and interactive experience with Japanese culture. By bringing a taste of Japan to Memphis, the Festival contributes to international exchange and education as well as local economic development, showcasing Japan’s positive business and cultural contributions in West Tennessee. Contact Ginger Byrn at gbyrn@jastn.org to learn about Memphis Japan Festival sponsorship opportunities. For more Festival information, please visit www.memphisjapanfestival.org. |
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“Riding A New Wave: How Japan Is Igniting Nashville’s Vibrant Tech Sector” Recording Now Available
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The recording of "Riding A New Wave: How Japan Is Igniting Nashville’s Vibrant Tech Sector" is now live on the JAST YouTube page! Learn how Japanese companies are investing in technology innovation that powers Nashville’s economic development. This is the first session of The Mitsui Lecture Series, thought-provoking programming highlighting Japan’s footprint around the world and its contributions to Tennessee’s prosperity over the last forty years. Subscribe to the JAST YouTube channel to receive updates on future videos and event recordings! Be sure to also view the rest of our video catalogue which includes entertaining, educational, inspiring and family-friendly content! We hope you enjoy viewing our videos and sharing them with your family and friends. |
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Test your knowledge of Tennessee!
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What city lies in the exact geographical center of the state? A) Nashville B) Smyrna C) Murfreesboro D) Knoxville |
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Looking for something that will spark joy in your life?
Check out September’s JAST Pick: Sparking Joy, the new Netflix series
featuring Marie Kondo. Millions of people have tidied up their homes and
changed their lives using Marie Kondo’s organizing methods. The basic concept is holding on to possessions that spark joy and letting go of the rest, but this idea can go much further. In this reality series, Mrs. Kondo shows how her methods can transform every part of your life - work, relationships, and community. It’s a chain reaction that starts with a spark. |
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Kyoto boasts an abundance of famous sightseeing spots and thousands of temples that are listed in guidebooks, but there are many places known only to locals. The Japan-America Society of D.C. and Mr. Andrew William, the founder of An Design, will take you to a hidden temple, Konchi-in, and share an intimate video tour of the temple’s Zen garden. To add to this special experience, Ms. Reiko Hirai of DC Sake cō has handpicked a unique selection of sake to go with the garden tour. |
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Join the Japan-America Society of Cincinnati and instructor Teruko Nesbitt, formally trained in Ikebana - the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, for this relaxing virtual workshop and demonstration designed to share practical tips and techniques.
You can enjoy watching the demonstration, or better yet, bring your own flowers and vase, and follow along with the instructor.
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What can be said about Midori that hasn't already been said? One of the leading concert violin soloists for more than 35 years, Midori remains in constant demand by orchestras around the world. Later this year, she will be honored at the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C., in recognition of lifetime artistic achievement. No matter what she's playing, Midori brings new life and vision to each performance. While it's challenging to rank Tchaikovsky's works by their beauty, his Violin Concerto is arguably one of his finest, and in the hands of Midori, is a not-to-be-missed experience. |
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Life in Japan over the past almost two hundred years can be measured in coffee cups and experienced in the spaces that coffee has created – the koohiihausu, the café, the kissaten. A trip through Japan’s coffee history and contemporary places demonstrates the ways in which an artifact - a material object often coming originally from somewhere else – becomes Japanese and then travels the world to be appreciated and emulated. A cup of coffee, Japanese style, has become a world standard. In these times, when travel to Japan has been limited, making yourself a cup of Japanese coffee might just take you back to that kissaten you miss so much. |
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Guide to Daily Living in Tennessee |
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JAST's Guide to Daily Living in Tennessee is now available! It's for newcomers and long-time residents originally from Japan to familiarize them with essential information on aspects of daily life that may differ from life in Japan and other parts of the world where they may have lived before relocating to Tennessee. Please let your Japanese friends know about this guide. We hope this will be helpful to our Japanese community! https://www.jptnguide.org/ |
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Partner Resources COVID-19 |
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JAST is generously supported by these outstanding partners
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Austin Peay State University
Baker Donelson
Jack and Barbara Bovender
DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc.
Clay and Cathy Jackson Humanities Tennessee
Komatsu America Corp.
The Mitsui U.S.A. Foundation T-Mobile |
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