Upcoming Events
Learn Japanese Through Gaming!
What if the best way to learn Japanese was a game you actually want to play? Join the Japan America Society of San Diego for a free online conversation with Julian Rice, the indie developer behind Shujinkou® (主人公), a 3D dungeon role-playing game (RPG) that blends classic Japanese RPG gameplay with Japanese language learning.
Born in Taipei, but raised in San Diego, California for over 10 years, Julian first began studying Japanese while attending high school in Taiwan before going on to study linguistics, computer science, and Japanese at UCLA. Julian's own struggles with language shaped how he designed Shujinkou, the first major commercial title developed by Rice Games. In Shujinkou, players use orbs marked with hiragana, katakana, and kanji to fight enemies, and the game’s elemental system draws on the kanji for the days of the week. This is a real game first, with different modes for people to enjoy regardless of whether they want to learn Japanese or just play a fun game!
In this session, Julian will share how he approached designing a fun and entertaining game around language learning, what he has learned about motivation and engagement, and how computer games can make Japanese more approachable for new language learners. Which came first: the game or the lesson? Come find out.
Speaker: Julian Rice, Founder & CEO, Rice Games
Julian Rice is the founder and CEO of Rice Games Inc. and the director, producer, designer, and programmer of Shujinkou® (主人公). Based in Tokyo, he studied Linguistics & Computer Science and Japanese at UCLA, with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. While developing Shujinkou and growing Rice Games, he also worked as a full-stack engineer at BizReach Inc. in Japan. Shujinkou has earned a 90 Metacritic score, an RPGFan Editor’s Choice award, and a Best Hidden Gem nomination at the New York Game Awards. Julian has also spoken at Waseda University about game-based Japanese learning and continues to develop new ways for players to engage with Japanese language and culture through video games.
Schedule:
5:00-5:05 PM: Opening remarks, Andrew Silberman, President, Japan America Society of San Diego
5:05-5:35 PM: Presentation, Julian Rice, Founder & CEO, Rice Games
5:35-5:45 PM: Moderated discussion, D'Juan Mercado, Vice President, Japan America Society of San Diego
5:45-5:55 PM: Audience Q&A
5:55-6:00 PM: Closing remarks, Andrew Silberman
Co-sponsored by:
Location:
Zoom
Cost:
Free
Kampai Connections
New spot, same drill: walk up to anyone, introduce yourself, raise your glass, and say KAMPAI!
Kampai Connections is back, this time at Webb’s | Distillery & Brewery in Aliso Viejo. Webb’s is a kitchen, brewery, distillery, and bottle shop all under one roof, with spirits and beer made on site. We’ll also have a tour for anyone who wants to see what goes on behind the scenes at a distillery.
For Okinawan Awamori fans, you’re in for a treat. Webb’s carries Awamori, and the bar has special mixed drinks infused with it in a unique way.
Date: Sunday, November 15
Time: 3:00-5:00 PM
Place: Webb’s | Distillery & Brewery, 7 Journey, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
No RSVP needed. Come whenever, stay as long as you like. You’ll be able to order food and drinks on site (we will not be providing them).
Hope to see you there!
Gojira: The Sound of the King of the Monsters
Gojira: The Sound of the King of the Monsters
Godzilla’s roar and its thundering march are as famous as the monster itself. Behind them was Akira Ifukube, the composer widely considered one of the “founding fathers” of kaiju cinema.
The Japan America Society of San Diego invites you to a live online talk with Erik Homenick, PhD, author of Scoring Godzilla: An Analysis of Akira Ifukube’s Musical Narratives. It’s the first full-length book about Ifukube in English, written with direct reference to the composer’s original, rarely seen manuscripts.
What we’ll discuss:
The music behind the monster: how Ifukube’s scores for films like Godzilla (1954) and King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) shape the way we see, and hear, Godzilla. For Ifukube, Godzilla was less a symbol of nuclear weapons than an ancient, protective (if chaotic) spirit of Japan.
Why Godzilla endures: the monster’s cultural relevance now, as the new film Godzilla Minus Zero arrives.
A monster of many meanings: how Godzilla has stood for nuclear war, environmental destruction, Japanese nationalism and more.
About the speaker:
Erik Homenick received his PhD in literature (cultural studies) from UC San Diego, where he has taught and lectured on Godzilla and kaiju cinema. He is the founder of AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG, the official English-language website about the composer, approved by Ifukube’s estate. He co-founded the Kaiju Masterclass online Godzilla convention and has contributed film-music essays to Blu-ray releases from Arrow Video. He has spoken about Ifukube on radio programs and podcasts and at venues including the Music Institute of Chicago. He currently teaches science fiction literature and film at the California Institute of Applied Technology.
Date & Time:
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 5:00-6:00 PM PT
Friday, November 20, 2026, 10:00-11:00 AM JST
Schedule:
5:00-5:05 PM: Opening remarks, Andrew Silberman, President, Japan America Society of San Diego
5:05-5:35 PM: Presentation, Erik Homenick, Author
5:35-5:45 PM: Moderated discussion, D'Juan Mercado, Vice President, Japan America Society of San Diego
5:45-5:55 PM: Audience Q&A
5:55-6:00 PM: Closing remarks, Andrew Silberman
Wa-sho: Cook, Learn, Eat Japanese!
Discover the flavors and traditions of Japan with Wa-sho, a unique series of hands-on classes on Japanese food, culture, and nutrition presented by Table for Two. All ages are welcome! Participants under 12 must have a parent or guardian remain at the venue throughout the workshop. A completed waiver form (below) is required from all participants before the class.
Date: Saturday, October 10
Time: 12:00 – 1:30PM
Location: New Venture Escrow: 3638 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 300,San Diego, CA 92108
Fee: $25 per person
Capacity: Limited to 15 participants
Link to the waiver: HERE
JapanCraft21 September Presentation: Annual Craft Blockbuster
Join Steve for an introduction to the annual Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition, which tours venues across Japan each autumn. Step into a world of remarkable beauty and discovery through this richly illustrated presentation, where striking images and concise insights bring the subject vividly to life. This prestigious juried exhibition brings together exceptional contemporary works in ceramics, textiles, lacquer, metal, wood and bamboo, and figurative art. Steve will introduce the exhibition’s different genres and highlight approximately 25 percent of its most representative works.
From established masters—including Living National Treasures—to emerging makers, the exhibition offers a compelling view of the skill, creativity, diversity, and beauty that sustain Japan’s craft traditions today. Ideal for those planning to attend the Kyoto exhibition (October 7–12) and for those who can join only online.
Register here: https://forms.gle/T1gGLAHWDYbKRs116
・Date & Time:
ーNorth America West Coast: Tuesday September 29, 5 pm
ーNorth America East Coast: Tuesday September 29, 8 pm
ーJapan: Wednesday, September 30, 9 am
Kampai Connections: New English Brewing
New spot, same drill!
Walk up to anyone, introduce yourself, raise your glass, and say KAMPAI!
Kampai Connections is here again and we're doing the next one this Sunday at New English Brewing off Sorrento Valley Rd.
Date: Sunday, September 13Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
Place: New English Brewing, 11545 Sorrento Valley Rd #305, San Diego, CA 92121
No RSVP — come whenever, stay as long as you like.
We're not providing food, but food is nearby at MOM’s Pizza & Pasta and Craft Taco at SOVA, so come hungry and order what you want.Hope to see you Sunday.
How Japanese Site Design Inspires Mindfulness (Partner Program)
Discover how Japanese aesthetics invites us not merely to observe, but to participate. Through gardens, architecture, ink painting, Noh theatre, and the quiet thresholds of traditional homes, this presentation explores concepts such as yugen (the power of the unseen), ma (meaningful space), and michiyuki (the experience of moving through space). From anime genius Hayao Miyazaki’s imaginative worlds to centuries-old ink paintings, stepping-stone paths, shōji screens, and the changing light on mud walls, we will consider how Japanese design slows the mind, softens boundaries between self and surroundings, and turns the viewer into an active co-creator. This visual journey offers both inspiration and practical insight into creating richer, more mindful experiences of place.
From Akiya to Home: Protecting Japan's Traditional Homes: The Akiya 2.0 Story
The Japan America Society of San Diego invites you to join us for a look into one entrepreneur's mission to save Japan's disappearing rural heritage.
In 2016, while cycling Japan's coastal routes, Australian/Kiwi entrepreneur Terrie Lloyd began noticing traditional homes disappearing under creepers, slowly collapsing into the landscape. Japan's aging population had outpaced its need for housing, and the wooden houses left behind in "inconvenient" locations were the earliest sign. Too remote, too old, too easy to walk away from. Terrie saw a cultural gap in it: in New Zealand a seaside or countryside home is a prized asset, while in Japan it is more often a burden. Akiya 2.0 was born from that gap.
The company landbanks clusters of traditional homes in villages hit hardest by depopulation. Places like Amazaki, on Omishima Island in Ehime Prefecture, where fewer than 15 of roughly 30 houses are still inhabited and only two hold a family under the age of 80.
Join us as Terrie talks about akiya and about giving Amazaki a new purpose as a rest stop along the Shimanami Kaido, one of Japan's most beloved cycling routes.
Kampai Connection
One rule at Kampai Connections: walk up to anyone, introduce yourself, raise your glass, and say kampai, .
Kampai Connections is here again and we're doing the next one this Sunday at Beshock Ramen in East Village: ramen, drinks, and a couple of hours to meet people.
Date: Sunday, August 9
Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
Place: Beshock Ramen, East Village: 1288 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101
No RSVP — come whenever, stay as long as you like.
We're not providing food, but Beshock's kitchen and bar are open the whole time, so come hungry and order what you want.
Hope to see you Sunday.
Rust, Ruins & Revolution: Kyushu’s Meiji Period Role in Producing Modern Japan
Thursday, July 30, 2026 · 5:00–6:00 PM PDT (San Diego)
Friday, July 31, 2026 9:00–10:00 aM JST (Japan)
Live on Zoom Free · Register on Luma
Event Details:
Most visitors to Japan never leave the Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka triangle, so they never see the places where modern Japan was actually built. In just over four decades during the Meiji Period (1868–1912), a closed feudal society reinvented itself as an industrial power, and much of it happened in Kyushu.
Join Vicki L. Beyer, a travel writer and law professor who has explored all 47 of Japan's prefectures with a special eye for where history and place intersect. Vicki will take us on a journey across the island of Kyushu on a route that threads together various aspects of Japan's incredible modernization, including energy production, transportation, manufacturing, and education. She will introduce the coal mines, shipyards, steelworks, and grand port towns of the Meiji era, from the haunting ruins of "Battleship Island" to the garden estate where one visionary lord lit the fuse of Japan's transformation.
Bon Odori Practice
Date and Time: July 22nd, 7 PM
Place: Buddhist Temple of San Diego: 2929 Market Street, San Diego, California 92102
Bon Odori Practice with the Buddhist Temple of San Diego
Join the Japan America Society of San Diego on July 22nd as we come together with the Buddhist Temple of San Diego for a Bon Odori practice session! Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese dance performed during Obon, honoring the spirits of ancestors and celebrating community and togetherness.
This is a wonderful opportunity for JASSD members and friends to learn the steps, connect with the local Japanese Buddhist community, and prepare for the festival season ahead. No dance experience necessary. All are welcome to come learn, move, and celebrate together!
Kampai Connections
What happens when Japanese culture meets San Diego craft beer? You get an afternoon worth raising a glass to 🍺🇯🇵.
Join the Japan America Society of San Diego at Embolden Brewery for a one-of-a-kind cultural mashup, featuring a behind-the-scenes brewery tour, craft beer tasting, and a World Cup watch party, all wrapped in great company and good conversation.
We'll be sipping from Embolden's exciting Shogun Brand, a collection of east-meets-west recipes born of an unexpected collaboration with Matcha Cafe Maiko. It's the perfect pour for an event all about bridging cultures and building community.
Whether you're a craft beer enthusiast, a soccer fan, or just looking to connect with something new, there's a seat waiting for you.
TASTES, TARIFFS, & SUSTAINABLE TRADE
This event will delve into the complex and rapidly shifting landscape of food production, distribution, and consumption, with a special focus on the pivotal role of Japan and Japanese companies in the U.S. and Mexico.