May 2026

2026 Children's Day Festival

This year's Children's Day was a great success, with hundreds of attendees and an active performance schedule. We also had several food vendors offering a variety of fare to keep participants energized. Here are a few photos.

Consul-General Tours Olympic and Paralympic Museum

On April 21st JASSC arranged a private tour of the Olympic and Paralympic Museum for the Consul-General, Hiroyuki Okajima, Kanno Sanae, and Galen Mayhem. Naomi Wise and I accompanied them. I was truly impressed with the staff and for the excellent tour. We were able to hold the Tokyo Olympic torch, which made a lasting impression on all of us.

Comments from the Consul-General to the Museum, expressed his gratitude. In his own words, "Seeing the Olympic legacy was truly inspiring. As a consulate, one of our missions is to promote and support grassroots diplomacy and so we appreciate athletics, especially on the Olympic and Paralympic stages, are powerful tools for building mutual understanding and lasting friendships across international borders"

JASSC Co-Hosts Japan-U.S. Space Symposium Networking Event

The 41st Space Symposium, held April 13th - 16th, 2026, at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, offered extensive networking opportunities to connect military, civil and commercial sectors, featuring high-level discussions and dedicated networking receptions. One of which was, the Japan-U.S. Space Symposium Networking Event (also referred to as the Japan-U.S. Reception). This successful gathering was held on April 15, 2026 at The Viewhouse in Colorado Springs, hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in Denver in collaboration with the Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado (JASSC), and the Japan Society of Colorado (JASC). Participants included members from JAXA, various Japanese aerospace related companies, Colorado State government representatives, and economic organizations.

JASSC had the responsibility of identifying and reserving the venue and a special thanks goes to our VP, Naomi Wise for managing these details, and in helping to make this a successful event.

From the Consulate-General of Denver website noted: "On the evening of the 15th, the Consulate-General of Japan in Denver held a networking reception, co-hosted with the Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado and the Japan-America Society of Colorado. The reception brought together over 80 attendees including dignitaries such as JAXA President Yamakawa and Chief of Staff Morita of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, government officials, business leaders, and corporate representatives from both Japan and the United States, fostering lively exchanges"

For more on this event, the Consulate provided these social media links:

Website: https://www.denver.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/topics20260413.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18ybHhADyn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXP5ZuOjlFo/?img_index=3&igsh=MXM4NzJiZXI1N3FtOQ==

The Consulate took a survey of attendees regarding "Which topics are you interested in for future events?" Individual responses were as follows:

• Japanese security policy 7
• Japanese politics 5
• Japanese economic and financial issues 5
• Japanese economic cooperation 9
• Japanese science and technology 8
• Japanese social affairs 3
• Relations between Japan and your county/state 14
• Global issues 6

Conversation over Cookies

**日本語に興味のある方と一緒に会話を楽しむイベントです。日本人でお手伝いをしてくださる方募集中です！ご興味のある方はayumiohishi@gmail.comまでご連絡ください。**

Want to practice Japanese with real native speakers?

Come join us for Conversation Over Cookies (COC), hosted on one Saturday every month! Regularly entertaining between 10 and 20 guests, this monthly conversation event allows everyone to practice their language skills, no matter what their skill level. Each table will have at least one native Japanese speaker, and groups are split into beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Bring a dessert or snack to share, and a water bottle to keep your talking muscles hydrated~~ (aka your lips and throat).

Free for members! If you're a member, just log in to enable the free ticket option.

$5 for non-members

This event is led by dedicated JASSC member and Japanese native, Ayumi Peek. Ayumi was born and raised in Tokyo. She has been a frequent attendee of this event as a native speaker since she moved to Colorado Springs in 2023, and recently volunteered to host. Ayumi loves to share her culture and meet people who are interested in Japan. If your hobbies include hiking, reading thrillers, or baking, she will be extra excited to chat. Come join us!

Registration is limited to 20 guests. 

If you have questions or need to cancel your registration, please email Ayumi Peek at ayumiohishi@gmail.com.

This event usually takes place at the CreateSpace at Library 21c (1175 Chapel Hills Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80920)

Click here for the map.

June 6 (Saturday), 1:30 to 3:00pm, Create space at Library 21c

https://www.japanamerica.org/event-6605855

July 18 (Saturday), 1:30 to 3:00pm, Create space at Library 21c

https://www.japanamerica.org/event-6682205

August 1 (Saturday), 1:30 to 3:00pm, Create space at Library 21c

https://www.japanamerica.org/event-6682207

See the Events page on our website for details and to register. https://japanamerica.org/Events

New members in April: Welcome to Anna Crowley and to Liane George and family. Please say Hi at our next event. We're happy to have you!

Paul Maruyama Scholarship

The Paul Maruyama scholarship is being awarded this year. JASSC will be taking applications soon. For details, please keep an eye on our website.

• Golden Lotus Foundation - The GLF is working hard to build a botanical garden and tea house in Colorado Springs. They are always looking for volunteers, so sign up for their newsletter if you are interested!
• NAJAS - the National Association of Japan America Societies is the hub of all other JAS in the US. 
• Japan America Society of Colorado (Denver) - JASC is our closest sibling organization, with most of their happenings located in Denver. They have a community e-bulletin which they send out monthly as well. 
• El Pomar Foundation - Elevating Leadership Development Program. The ELD program is run by the El Pomar foundation and creates "greater access and support for people of color in Southern Colorado to tap into their leadership potential for the benefit of community." Their quarterly meetings are free to attend and convene advisory councils for the following groups: Asian / Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and Native American.
• Asian Pacific Islander Business Community of Colorado Springs - this new organization is building better connections to and awareness of Asian-led businesses in Colorado Springs. The link is to their linktree, which includes a newsletter signup.
• Consulate-General of Japan in Denver. This is your closest source for official Japanese Government information and assistance.
• Keidanren USA is the U.S. liaison entity for Keidanren, the Japan Business Federation. Keidanren is a comprehensive Japanese economic organization with a broad membership consisting of 1,494 Japanese companies, 108 industry associations, and 47 regional economic organizations. Keidanren USA’s core mission is to facilitate more engagement by the Japanese business sector with the U.S. policymaking community, and to promote the very real contributions (in terms of investment and jobs) being made by Japanese companies to the U.S. economy.

About JASSC

JASSC web site

Send us your news! Let us know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter. Please email the editor, Rayna Lindsey
rayna@japanamerica.org

Did you know that you can edit your own address, phone and email information right on the japanamerica.org website? Simply enter your email and password in the upper-right corner and click Login. Don't know your password? Click Forgot Password and the website will help you out. You will also find a secure password-protected online member directory. Use it to look up names, addresses, phone numbers and emails for other members.

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