Celebrate Japanese Culture at Columbia

Columbia Japanese Students Association Matsuri 2025

Friday, March 28 from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Columbia University Low Plaza – W. 116th and Broadway

Admission: Free

The Japanese Students Association of Columbia University presents its Matsuri 2025 this Friday, March 28. JapanCulture-NYC is honored to be one of the sponsors Matsuri 2025 and to support the students of JSA who are bringing this dynamic cultural event to life!

Matsuri, the Japanese word for “festival,” embodies the spirit of community celebration through food, entertainment, and cultural exchange. Since 2006, JSA’s Matsuri has evolved into one of Columbia University’s most anticipated cultural events, transforming the heart of campus into a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture. Drawing nearly 1,000 attendees to the iconic Low Plaza each spring, Matsuri is more than just a festival; it’s a landmark event that brings together students, faculty, and New Yorkers.

Attendance is free, and guests can sign up through Columbia JSA’s Eventbrite link. However, due to current restrictions to access campus, people not affiliated with Columbia University and anyone without a valid Columbia University ID MUST fill out this form as well by today, Wednesday March 26. Columbia will send a QR code to your email. Please bring the QR code and a valid form of ID when you arrive, or you will not be able to enter campus.

What can you expect at this year’s Matsuri 2025?

Cultural Performances

• Traditional taiko drumming echoing across campus

• Martial arts demonstrations

• Powerful Sōran Bushi (traditional Japanese song) performances

Culinary Journey

• Authentic Japanese street food vendors

• Traditional and modern festival treats

• Interactive food demonstrations

Games and Activities

• Photo booth with props

• Traditional Japanese matsuri games

• Japanese drinks and snack prizes

Food Vendors

• Dokodemo

• Inari Zushi

• Karl’s Balls

• Mr. K Katsu Sando

• Mu Cha

• Musubin

• Rai Rai Ken

• Sam’s Fried Ice Cream

• Yakitori Tatsu

Cultural and Community Vendors

• Golden Gate Global

• Vision USA

• Taro’s Origami Studio

Performance sCHEDULE

• 6:30 p.m. - 6:40 p.m.  CU Goju Karate

• 6:40 p.m. - 6:50 p.m.  CU Taiko

• 6:50 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  CU Naginata

• 7:00 p.m. - 7:10 p.m.  Kendo

• 7:10 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.  Columbia Pops

• 7:20 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.  Columbia Pops

• 7:30 p.m. - 7:40 p.m.  Upper West Side Kenshikai Karate & BJJ

• 7:40 p.m. - 7:50 p.m.  Kogyoku Yosakoi

• 7:50 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Kogyoku Yosakoi

• 8:00 p.m. - 8:10 p.m.  CU Lion Dance

• 8:10 p.m. - 8:20 p.m.  CU Lion Dance

• 8:20 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  CU Wushu

• 8:30 p.m. - 8:40 p.m.  Columbia Taekwondo

• 8:40 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.  Columbia Taekwondo

• 8:50 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  JSA 48

To learn more about Columbia University’s Japanese Students Association, please visit their website and follow them on Instagram.

Location of JSA Matsuri 2025

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Award-winning Author Yoko Tawada to Appear at Two NYC Events

Acclaimed Berlin-based Japanese author Yoko Tawada is making her way to New York City for two special in-person events next week. Catch her on Tuesday, March 25 at Rizzoli Bookstore and/or on Thursday, March 27 at Columbia University School of the Arts. Best of all, both events are free — a perfect opportunity to experience Tawada's literary brilliance up close!

Yoko Tawada with Monique Truong

Tuesday, March 25 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Rizzoli Bookstore – 1133 Broadway (between W. 25th and W. 26th Streets)

Admission: Free

Co-presented by PEN America and Japan Society, internationally renowned writer Yoko Tawada will be in conversation with novelist, essayist, children’s book author, and librettist Monique Truong at Rizzoli Bookstore. Tawada’s rare New York appearance comes on the heels of the English publication of her novel Paul Celan and the Trans-Tibetan Angel, translated by Susan Bernofsky, and the second installment in her beloved Scattered trilogy, Suggested in the Stars, translated by Margaret Mitsutani.

The discussion will be followed by a book signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. To register, please visit Rizzoli Bookstore’s Eventbrite page. This event is mixed seated/standing. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Every Work Has Several Faces: A Conversation with Yoko Tawada about Writing and Translation

Thursday, March 27 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

Columbia University: Lenfest Center for the Arts – 615 W. 129th Street at Broadway

Admission: Free

International literary luminary Yoko Tawada will discuss writing and translation with co-moderators Writing Professor Rivka Galchen ‘06 and Susan Bernofsky, Director of Literary Translation at Columbia (LTAC). To register, please visit Lenfest’s website.

Tawada, who was born in Tokyo and lives in Berlin, publishes novels, stories, essays, poems, and plays in both Japanese and German. She has received dozens of literary awards including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Goethe Medal, the Kleist Prize, and the National Book Award. Some of her major works available in English include The Emissary and Scattered All Over the Earth, translated from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani, and Memoirs of a Polar Bear and Paul Celan and the Trans-Tibetan Angel, translated from German by Susan Bernofsky.

This talk is co-sponsored by The Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities, Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture, and Weatherhead East Asian Institute.

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Gagaku Concert at Columbia University

Glories of the Japanese Music Heritage XVI: An Evening of Japanese Sacred Court Music

Tuesday, December 3 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Miller Theatre at Columbia University – 2960 Broadway (at 116th Street)

Admission: Free

IMJS: Institute for Japanese Cultural Heritage Initiatives Columbia University, in collaboration with Nippon Traditional Beauty Association, presents its 16th season concert featuring former directors of Imperial Household Orchestra and Columbia Gagaku Instrumental Ensemble of New York.

Gagaku, Japanese sacred court music, has its roots in the 5th century and was developed for the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

This concert is a rare opportunity to experience the tradition of and contemporary take on gagaku with former head musicians of the Imperial Household Orchestra. To register, please visit IMJS’s Eventbrite page.

Program

Part I: Enriching the Present
Classical Repertoire with Columbia Gagaku Musicians
Hyōjō nō netori (Prelude Mode Centering on the note of E)
Rōei: Kashin (Glorious Day)
Etenraku (Music of the Divine Heavens)
Bugaku: Ryō-Ō (Chinese King of Ryō) – with bugaku dance

Part II: Transforming the Future
Contemporary Works for Shō Solo
Toshi Ichiyanagi, Galaxy (Hoshi no wa) (1983)
Naoyuki Manabe, Kokyū III for Shō (2002)

Part III: Treasuring the Past
Heritage Handed Down in the Imperial Household
Kagurauta: Senzai
Konju no jo / ha (Ah, Cheers – Overture / Unfolding)

ABOUT IMJS

Founded in 1968, the Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies is an international liaison and research center designed primarily to serve European and American scholars in all disciplines whose main area of study focuses on pre-Meiji era Japan. The institute encourages research on often overlooked aspects of premodern Japanese civilization, especially during the medieval period (primarily, but not exclusively, the Kamakura and Muromachi periods 1185-1600). For more information, please visit their website.

Conference to Examine Leadership transitions in U.S. and Japan

Elections Aftermath: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges in U.S.-Japan Relations

Monday, November 18 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall, Pulitzer Hall, Columbia Journalism School – 2950 Broadway

Admission: Free

In a world marked by growing political volatility and escalating U.S.-China rivalry, the United States and Japan face a crucial opportunity to collaborate under new leadership to maintain and strengthen peace and stability in East Asia and beyond. Co-sponsored by Columbia University and Keio University, this full-day conference will convene top experts on East Asian and global politics to explore the challenges and opportunities arising from leadership transitions in both Tokyo and Washington and discuss how the two allies can shape the security and political dynamics of the Korean Peninsula, in Southeast Asia, across the Taiwan Strait, and the International Order.

The speakers will examine how the U.S.-Japan partnership can navigate these complexities and shape a cooperative future in an increasingly intricate global landscape.

This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and co-sponsored by China and the World Program, Columbia Journalism School, Keio Center for Strategy, and Keio Institute of East Asian Studies.

For non-Columbia affiliates, registration is required to access the Morningside campus. Registering here will generate an email with a QR code which must be presented along with a government-issued ID (your name must match exactly the name registered for the event) at either 116 Street & Broadway or 116 Street & Amsterdam gates for entry. Please register by Friday, November 15 at 4:00 p.m. for campus access.

Agenda

9:00-9:10 a.m. Welcome Remarks

• Duy Linh Nguyen Tu, Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University

• Lien-Hang Nguyen, Director, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University

• Yuichi Hosoya, Director, Keio Center for Strategy, Keio University 

9:10-9:20 a.m. Opening Videos

9:20-10:40 a.m. Session 1 U.S.-Japan-South Korea Relations after the Elections

• Junya Nishino, Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Politics, Keio University

• Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Global Senior Advisor, McLarty Associates

• Scott Snyder, President & CEO, Korea Economic Institute of America

• Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor Emerita of History, Columbia University

• Gerald Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Columbia University (moderator)

10:50-12:10 p.m. Session 2 Japan and the U.S. in Southeast Asia after the Elections

• Ambassador Derek Mitchell, Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies

• Ambassador Masafumi Ishii, Special Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, Gakushuin University

• Ken Jimbo, Managing Director, International House of Japan; Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University​

• Lien-Hang Nguyen, Dorothy Borg Associate Professor of the History of American-East Asian Relations, Columbia University

• Ann Marie Murphy, Professor, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University (moderator)

12:10-1:00 p.m. Lunch Break

1:00-2:20 p.m. Session 3 China, Taiwan, and the U.S.-Japan Alliance after the Elections

• Andrew J. Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Columbia University

• Thomas Christensen, James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations, Columbia University

• Satoru Mori, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University

• Ayumi Teraoka, Postdoctoral Research Scholar and Lecturer, Columbia University

• George Miller, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Adjunct Professor, Columbia’s Journalism School (moderator)

2:30-3:50 p.m. Session 4 Global Politics and International Order after the Elections

• Yuichi Hosoya, Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University

• Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University

• Stephen Biddle, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

• Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

• Merit Janow, Professor of Practice in International Economic Law and International Affairs, Columbia University (moderator)

3:50-4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks

Conference Adjourn

Click here for a full list of speaker bios.

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BOOK TALK AT DONALD KEENE CENTER

Navigating Narratives: Tsurayuki's Tosa Diary as History and Fiction

Friday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m.

Columbia University – Kent Hall, Room 403

Admission: Free

The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University kicks off the 2024–2025 academic year with a book talk by Gustav Heldt, professor of Japanese literature at the University of Virginia.

This talk will outline several unique insights into Heian Japan provided by Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa nikki (Tosa Diary), which is ostensibly the record of an ex-governor's voyage back to the capital kept by an anonymous woman in his entourage. The resulting split between fictional female narrator and historical male author has usually led Tosa nikki to be viewed as either the first Heian woman's memoir or the last aesthetic manifesto of one of the Japanese poetic tradition's foremost figures. In lieu of these narratives, it will be argued that the diary merits attention for the discursive practices, representational conventions, and non-elite social contexts it illuminates.

Preregistration is required by noon on Thursday, September 26. Click here for the Google Form.

About Gustav Heldt

Gustav Heldt specializes in the language, literature, and cultural history of Japan prior to contact with the West, with related interests in gender, poetics, narratology, ritual practices, comparative historiography, and myth. At the University of Virginia, he regularly teaches courses such as Survey of Japanese Literature and Introduction to Literary Japanese, as well as seminars on more specialized topics such as Japanese myth, the Tale of Genji, Japanese court women's literature, and medieval warrior tales.

Copyright © 2024 Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture. All rights reserved.

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OKINAWA GOVERNOR DENNY TAMAKI TO SPEAK AT COLUMBIA

Interactive Talk with Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa

Thursday, September 12 from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Faculty House, Columbia University – 64 Morningside Drive, Garden Room 2

Admission: Free

Engaging with contemporary Okinawa requires an understanding of fundamental themes such as human rights, democracy, diplomacy, and peace—issues that hold significance worldwide.

Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa will speak on regional security in East Asia amid a shifting international landscape. He will address critical issues such as rising tensions over the Taiwan Strait, Japan's pursuit of enhanced defense capabilities through its alliance with the United States, and ongoing debates over Japan's pacifist constitution. Governor Tamaki will share his perspective on what security means for the people of Okinawa, a region hosting the majority of the U.S. military presence in Japan, and he will discuss his efforts in sub-national diplomacy. He will also outline the role Okinawa is prepared to play in promoting peace and stability regionally and globally.  Kenneth McElwain, Visiting Professor of Political Science, will moderate the discussion.

Registration is required, so to attend, please visit the Weatherhead East Asian Institute’s website.

This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and by the Okinawa Prefectural Government Washington D.C. Office and co-sponsored by the Columbia-Harvard China and the World program.

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