Japanese cuisine, or washoku, offers invaluable opportunities to think about how we understand ourselves and our world. These include, among others, the intersection of the modern and traditional, local and global, rural and urban, nature and society, taste and waste, our futures and the future of our planet. This program is based in the city of Osaka “the food capital of Japan”. Students explore the food cultures and systems of contemporary Japan through interdisciplinary, multi-sensual learning experiences. Students learn the philosophical and historical foundation of washoku as well as basic culinary techniques through intensive cooking sessions, and they broaden and deepen their culinary experience by critically engaging in the culture and politics of sustainability in seminar sessions. We also visit wholesale markets where hundreds of food ingredients and products are brought in and re-distributed, engage in field studies at a soy sauce distillery, sake brewery, and a small-scale farming village as well as historical temples in Nara and Kyoto. The program is designed by Gustolab International and hosted in cooperation with Osaka Shoin Women’s University, one of the first liberal arts women’s colleges established in Osaka and now running the nation’s first food studies program.

Deadline: March 25, 2019

Program Dates: May 26 - June 23, 2019

Eligibility: Students interested in Japanese culture, language, or business. Prior language study is encouraged, but not required. Professionals and graduate students in food or environment related fields are encouraged to inquire.

Cost: $ 4,750.00 USD

"There is no doubt that the Asia Pacific region is one of the most critical to the world’s economy, just as there is no doubt that the U.S. needs to have a strong ally there.

That was the basis of the “Geostrategy in the Grassroots” presentation that the Japan-America Society of Alabama (JASA) hosted Tuesday at University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Collat School of Business.

Driving the point closer to home, Japan is the second largest source of foreign direct investment in Alabama – thanks in large part, but not limited to, the automotive industry." 

Read more about March 12th's event at Alabama 
News Center here!

https://www.alabamanewscenter.com/2019/03/13/experts-relationship-japan-u-s-needs-remain-strong/

Incremental Website Globalization and Cross-border eCommerce Strategies

 

Registration:

https://gettingtoglobal.org/website-globalization-webinar/

 

AITC Webinar -  Incremental Website Globalization and Cross-border eCommerce Strategies

March 20th, 2019 – 12:00 Noon Central Time

Cost: Free

Quick, affordable and non-techy ways to optimize your website for incremental global expansion and Cross-border eCommerce Strategies

While cross-border online sales will reach $1 trillion by 2020 74% of merchants are not prepared to service their top markets. Hear straight-talking insights on how to tap into global markets via ecommerce and learn actionable take-aways you can apply to your growth strategy immediately.

• Learn how to start your incremental journey to global sales through ecommerce channels with plug-ins and tools at the lowest cost possible with minimal in-house tech support.
• Learn how to use government grant money to convert your transactional site into a global-ready sales channel and marketing your products overseas.

This webinar is for online merchants of products and services looking to increase engagement and sales conversion with overseas clients. Whether you sell manufactured goods, packaged foods, apparel, cosmetics or software solutions, we will provide input as to why doing any of the following will make or break your conversation and how you can get started:

• Display a pop-up welcome message in 10 languages
• Display the prices in your visitor’s local currency
• Facilitate payments in 200 currencies
• Calculate the total landed cost for your customers
• Translate your checkout and emails automatically
• Find support resources and product category experts
• Reduce your shipping costs with preferred rates
• Protect against global fraudulent transactions

In partnership with:

 

 

Japan 2019 aims to broaden understanding of an interest in Japanese culture in the United States through two programs: the Japan 2019 Official Program featuring a series of events co-organized or supported by the Japan Foundation, mainly in New York and Washington, D.C., and the Japan 2019 Associated Program, featuring affiliated events organized by public and private entities to introduce Japanese culture and promote exchange between Japan and the U.S.

Check out the link below!

https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/about/area/japan2019/index.html

Anyone with at least beginner level Japanese language ability are invited to the upcoming U.S. Career Forum exclusively for domestic positions.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit resumes, interview, and even receive offers of employment during the one-day event. 

Career Forum registration and attendance are entirely free.

U.S. Career Forum 2019 (in New York)
====================================
March 30 (Sat.), 2019
https://careerforum.net/en/event/us/
* All positions in the U.S. using Japanese
* Anyone with legal U.S. work permission welcome
* Attendance Support available
====================================

If you have questions about any of the Career Forums, please contact us at cfn@careerforum.net

We look forward to seeing you there!

A new book about Japan has been published andavailable online at www.ryanpub.com.au!

Written by Fukuoka resident, Andrew Thomson, Bridge to the Gods: Tales From Kyushu, assists the reader in understanding where Japanese culture began, And where the country may go in the future. It discusses topics on Shinto, rice, tea, Christian samurai, food, politics, organized crime, and more.

CHOKO KIMURA AIKEN and NANAHO CHIBA will introduce traditional and contemporary Japanese music by focusing on differences between US and Japanese customs and cultures.

Choko was born and raised in Japan and began studying classical piano at the age of three and later piano, violin, voice, and music theory at colleges in Tokyo and Fukuoka as well as traveling to the United States to study jazz in Los Angeles and New York.Her "Imagination" album, made in Los Angeles in 2011, was featured in that year’s February issue of JAZZIZ magazine. Choko has also performed many genres in Japan, including jazz, salsa, latin, classical, gospel, and pop. She left her long-time group Tri-Voices and other bands to relocate to Birmingham in January 2013. Since that time, Choko has enjoyed playing in the Magic City at many of its local venues, including the 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, Moss Rock Festival, Creek Bank Festival, Mt. Brook Arts Festival, and Eric Essix Jazz Escape. She has been Guest Pianist at the 2015 Supper Jazz Concert, 2016 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, and 2017 Jazz in the Park. She looks forward to continuing with her main goal of simply making people happy with her music. For more information, please see: https://www.chokoaiken.com

Professor Niendorf will first offer various definitions and views of politeness in Japan, Sweden, and the US as well as other English-speaking countries and discuss the reasons why these came to be viewed as they are today. Swedish learners’ attitudes toward the use of Japanese polite forms will be examined using data from surveys and error analyses. And various methods for overcoming cross-cultural miscommunication caused by differences in politeness strategies will be proposed, which may be applied to learners of other languages.

*This event is free and open to the public.

When: March 07, 2019. 3:30 - 4:30

Where: UAB Heritage Hall Building, Rm 104. 1401 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL.

A free Asian cultures convention hosted by Annicon will be in Anniston on Saturday, March 02! Enjoy a one-day celebration of Asian Culture with displays and performances on the subjects of art, music, cosplay, manga, anime, gaming, food, history, and special guests. Check out the schedule below to see what’s featured.

More information about the event and volunteering at www.annicon.com

Location: Anniston City Meeting Center 1516 Noble Street, Anniston, AL.

Are you traveling to Japan soon? Would you like a chance to make authentic, in-home Japanese meal while you’re there? Look no further than AirKitchen!

AirKitchen is a unique opportunity that allows global  travelers to book an authentic cooking class by Japanese hosts in their homes. AirKitchen creates an experience to learn to cook homemade Japanese food and enjoy the warmth of eating around a dinner table with Japanese locals.

Is your mouth watering yet? Hop over to their website to learn more!

https://airkitchen.jp/

*They don’t have a host in Alabama because they’re currently offering the service in Japan.