Japan Society of New Orleans upcoming events

JSNO Happy Hour @NOLABrewing (Wed, October 21, 2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Interested in meeting more people interested in Japan? Want to discuss your recent trip? Need advice for your upcoming trip? Just need an excuse for a drink after a long day of work?

Join us for food & drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic!) at Nola Brewing and Pizza Co! We have had a great turnout in the past and several familiar faces! Friends & family are welcome! Looking forward to seeing everyone, meeting some new people & continuing to grow JSNO within the local community! See you there!

* NOLA Pizza & Brewing is a family friendly venue! Feel free to bring the family, as they have arcade games and other things for kids to play with! *

Date: Wednesday, 21 October

Time: 6:30pm until 9:00pm

Place: NOLA Brewing & Pizza Co, 3033 Tchoupitoulas St, NOLA 70115

NAJAS Webinar - Godzilla & Modern Japan (Sat, October 24, 2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

GODZILLA AND MODERN JAPAN

Culture, Cinema and Global Influence

For more than 70 years, Godzilla has been destroying cities, captivating audiences, and changing with Japan itself.

Born from the anxieties of postwar Japan in the landmark 1954 film Godzilla, the King of the Monsters has become one of Japan's most recognizable cultural icons and a truly global phenomenon.

Join us for a lively roundtable discussion exploring what more than seven decades of Godzilla can tell us about Japanese cinema, culture, and Japan's changing relationship with the world.

Bringing together acclaimed writers and experts on Japanese film and popular culture, including Ed Godziszewski, Erik Homesick, Roland Nozomu Kelts, and Steve Ryfle, Godzilla and Modern Japan will trace the character's remarkable journey from the haunting symbolism of the 1954 original to the wildly different incarnations of Godzilla seen in Japan and the United States today.

Whether you're a lifelong Godzilla fan or simply curious about Japanese cinema and culture, this conversation offers a new way to look at the world's most famous monster.

OCTOBER 24TH (SATURDAY)

7:00PM EDT

Online Webinar I

https://www.youtube.com/live/lOJgmNslpvk

Presented by Japanese Culture Club of Arizona, Heart of America Japan-America Society and NAJAS

Kwaidan Book Club: "Japan, Beyond the Genkan" (Sun, October 25, 2026)

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 19:00:00 GMT

For our next book club meeting, we will be reading and discussing the book Japan, Beyond the Genkan by Dr. Joshua Walker. This book explores the Japan-America relationship through his own personal perspective. The book was requested from a few of our members after Dr. Walker's appearance on the Krewe of Japan Podcast.

Opportunity Alert:

Author Dr. Joshua Walker will be in town and is having a book signing at the local Barnes & Nobel. Get his book, get it signed, and tell him hi! Let him known you are with Japan Society of New Orleans.

This meeting will be on October 25th, in-person at Kung Fu Tea at 3348 W Esplanade Ave S, Metairie, LA 70002.

About the Book:

(Page count: 239 pages)

As America’s international policy experiences massive upheaval, and Japan, now being led by its first female prime minister, decides how to answer and advocate for itself, Japan, Beyond the Genkan comes at just the right time.

Part memoir, part diplomatic and political treatise, and part love letter to a culture he lived in as a bicultural and bilingual American, Dr. Walker shares the tools to fully comprehend and appreciate what Japan offers to the United States and the rest of the world today.

He explores Japan’s notions of soft power and social harmony, and the robust markets that help the nation to have global standing as America’s largest investor. In Japan, the genkan is the semi-public lobby entrance that goes into the private space within a house where guests are greeted. Dr. Walker as an adopted dosanko—the title of someone from Hokkaido, Japan—invites us beyond the genkan into a rare insider’s view of the country.

Through the perspective of his life and experience as a global citizen and a leader in the U.S.–Japan space, Dr. Walker reviews the U.S.-Japan relationship as both an outsider and an insider. This is a rich, personal appreciation of Japan that links the head and the heart of the country—and a well-researched plea by a geopolitical expert to continue the U.S.–Japan relationship.

As America’s global role and alliances become ever-more transactional, Japan can no longer count on the United States as its primary strategic anchor. The U.S.–Japan relationship that started eighty years ago as World War II came to a close must now be repositioned because the world in which that alliance was birthed no longer stands, even as Japan’s appeal has never been greater.

Drawing on its soft power, cultural depth, and history of resilience, Japan must define and act in its own national interest. In some ways, this book also serves as the opening chapter for what is still to come for U.S.–Japan and for all who care intensely about that relationship, whether their interest is personal, cultural, or professional.

About the Author:

Joshua W. Walker, PhD, is president and CEO of Japan Society. He has held leadership positions at Eurasia Group, the USA Pavilion of the 2017 World Expo, and APCO Worldwide, previously serving in the State Department and the Defense Department.

He is Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, Presidential Leadership Scholar, David Rockefeller Fellow of the Trilateral Commission, Munich Security Conference Young Leader, British-American Project Fellow, and Nakasone Yasuhiro Award Winner. He was previously a Professor of Leadership and the American Presidency at George Mason University and the Reagan Foundation, Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and cofounder of the Yale Journal of International Affairs.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a doctorate from Princeton University.

Information provided by Amplify Publishing Group.

JSNO Japanese Cinema Series Screening: "House” (Wed, October 28, 2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In Partnership with The Shop, Japan Society of New Orleans' Japanese Cinema Series presents a free screening of the 1977 film, House!

Date: Wednesday, October 28th
Time: Doors open @ 6:30pm, Screening starts @ 7pm
Place: The Shop at the CAC (3rd Floor), 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cost: FREE! Open to the public!

Screening will take place on the third floor. Tell your friends, and hope to see you there!

Movie Summary from Asian Movie Pulse:

Oshare (Gorgeous) is excited about spending summer vacation with her father, until she finds out that his beautiful, freakishly serene girlfriend Ryouko would be going as well. Oshare decides she will be going to her aunt's house in the country instead. She brings with her her friends from school - Fanta (who likes to take pictures, and daydreams a lot), KunFuu (who has very good reflexes), Gari/Prof (who is a major nerd), Sweet (who likes to clean), Mac (who eats a lot), and Melody (a musician). However, the girls are unaware that the house is actually haunted. When they arrive at the house, crazy events take place and the girls disappear one by one while slowly discovering the secret behind all the madness.

This film depicts moderate nudity, violence, some smoking, and some profanity. The violence is pretty outdated and cartoonish special effects which are over the top.

Subtitled, Duration: 88 minutes

You can watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/g-K9XKObU5E?si=y9wE90C4z92mrLVr

JSNO Annual Meeting 2026 (Thu, November 05, 2026)

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:30:00 GMT

We will be holding our Annual Meeting at the Southern Yacht Club on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Our Principal Speaker is Dr Rose Honegger, PhD, Associate Director of Global Engagement, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Fulbright Japan Alum & board member of the Fulbright Association. Her presentation is titled: 80 Years of Fulbright, 74 Years of Japan-US Friendship: The Enduring Power of People-to-People Diplomacy

Please log on and register for this free to membership event to hear what's going on with your Japan Society, engage with our Guest Speakers and confirm next year's Board and Officers.

We will have a silent auction to raise money for our Exchange Fund. See our website Home page for pictures of the items (to be posted soon).

Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar (please bring cash; credit cards not accepted) will be available starting at 6:30 and after the meeting. If you wish to renew or join, membership payments will be accepted at the registration table.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Nihongo Renshuu (Conversation Practice) (Sun, November 15, 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Nihongo Renshuu is meeting again! As the name suggests, it is now focused on conversation with other activities being involved occasionally. It truly is a practice session for those wanting to practice their Japanese. Our new program chair, Aina-sensei, will guide participants into Japanese conversation.

This program is free and open to all who are looking to practice their Japanese speaking skills (meaning some prior Japanese knowledge is required)! Please register online for this meeting as spots are limited.

Meeting details:

Where: The Coffeehouse - 7265 St Claude Ave, Arabi, LA 70032

When: Sunday, November 15th from 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Note: Attendees are expected to already know some Japanese language and ready to speak at this meeting.

JSNO Happy Hour @NOLABrewing (Wed, November 18, 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 00:30:00 GMT

Interested in meeting more people interested in Japan? Want to discuss your recent trip? Need advice for your upcoming trip? Just need an excuse for a drink after a long day of work?

* NOLA Pizza & Brewing is a family friendly venue! Feel free to bring the family, as they have arcade games and other things for kids to play with! *

Date: Wednesday, 18 November

Time: 6:30pm until 9:00pm

Place: NOLA Brewing & Pizza Co, 3033 Tchoupitoulas St, NOLA 70115

JSNO Happy Hour @Broadside/Nikkei Izakaya (Wed, December 16, 2026)

Thu, 17 Dec 2026 00:30:00 GMT

PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE CHANGE!

Come toast the holidays with us! Join us for a night of drinks and friendship, both new and old! We always love hearing about everyone's interest in Japan, recent trips, or sharing advice for any upcoming trips.

We've have had a great turnout in the past, seen several familiar faces as well as made many new friends. Thank you to everyone who has joined us! For the holidays, celebrate with us for sushi and sake (or a wine or seltzer) at The Broadside! Looking forward to seeing everyone and hopefully meeting some new people!

Date: Wednesday, December 16th

Time: 6:30pm until 9:00pm

Place: The Broadside/Nikkei Izakaya 600 N Broad St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Houston Ballet performance of Madame Butterfly (Sat, April 17, 2027)

Sun, 18 Apr 2027 00:00:00 GMT

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Julie Kent and Stanton Welch AM, Houston Ballet returns to the stage with Welch’s powerful Madame Butterfly. Originally created in 1995 for The Australian Ballet as Welch’s very first full-length work, this internationally lauded masterpiece now stands as a definitive milestone of his career.

Set to Puccini’s iconic score, the production follows the poignant tale of Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha who sacrifices her faith and family to marry an American naval lieutenant. Exquisite choreography and picturesque sets by Peter Farmer beautifully evoke 19th-century Japan, drawing viewers into an emotionally charged journey of love and betrayal.

From sweeping, passionate pas de deux to deeply moving final scenes, Madame Butterfly showcases Houston Ballet’s elite storytelling and flawless classical technique. The incredible dramatic depth of the company’s dancers brings this production to life with unforgettable intimacy, proving exactly why they are recognized as one of the nation’s premier classical companies.

“One of the nation’s best ballet companies” —The New York Times

Programming subject to change.