Hanami: Cherry Blossom Matsuri at Garden of the Phoenix in Chicago

Join the Japanese Arts Foundation in partnership with the Japanese Culture Center, Chicago Park District, Shubukai, Tsukasa Taiko, and the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago for an afternoon full of dance, drums, and of course cherry blossoms!

We invite you to the annual Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, festival! Held in Jackson Park’s historic Garden of the Phoenix and surrounding the Columbian Basin, which is home to about 160 cherry blossom trees that typically bloom each spring. The trees are located just south of the Museum of Science and Industry and in the Garden of the Phoenix on the Wooded Island, a short walk south of the Columbian Basin.

The afternoon includes performances from Shubukai (traditional Japanese dance) and Tsukasa Taiko (taiko drum), origami folding, and cherry blossom sketching sessions with the IIT student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Come celebrate the fleeting beauty of sakura, or cherry blossoms, with us!

May Open Board Meeting and May the 4th Nomikai

Join us on Monday, May 1st at 6:30 pm CST for our May Open Board Meeting! At our open board meeting, we will discuss upcoming events and more in the new term. And in order to honor the special day (May the Fourth...but on the First!), the monthly meeting will be immediately followed by a virtual happy hour with a fun Star Wars twist! The meeting starts at 6:30 pm and the happy hour will begin around 7:30 pm (or earlier if the meeting is finished sooner). Relax with fellow JETs for a night of laid back conversation and fun group activities. Join us for one or both! Theme (optional): Wear your best Star Wars/Intergalactic space swag.

Sign up here!

Open Board Meetings are open to alumni in our jurisdiction (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana)

Questions? Contact us at info@jetaachicago.com

Journey to Kyushu: Oita with the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC)

Continue your journey through the prefectures of Japan with Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC) 's next "Journey" event: Journey to Kyushu: Oita on Thursday, April 20th from 7-8 pm CST!

About the Event

Japan’s best hot spring spot. Full of flavors

Oita is a charming prefecture on Kyushu, a gorgeous island to the west of Japan. It’s a bucolic destination that has it all: history, culture, adventure, and wilderness – not to mention the fact that it’s probably the best natural spa destination in the entire world! After a lot of presentations showcasing the beauty of Japan, you may start wondering what makes Oita different from other prefectures? During this presentation, the speaker will highlight the unique qualitites of Oita.

About the Speaker

Koichiro Mizobe is the Inbound Manager at the tourism strategy and promotion Office of the Oita Prefectural Government. After graduating from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Oita, he left his hometown for a job. Since Oita is such a nice place to live (of course a nice place to visit too), he returned home and started working for the prefectural government. Not only does he love his hometown, but Oita has so much to offer. Mr. Mizobe is delighted to introduce Oita Prefecture in this presentation.

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