February 2026

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Conversation Over Cookies

Free for members! If you're a member, just log in to enable the free ticket option. $5 for non-members. We apologize if the event is full and invite you to join the waiting list. Our space is limited.

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).

Any level of speakers are welcome!

We are looking for friendly Japanese-speaking helpers to join our conversation session with Japanese language learners at the event. If you enjoy chatting in Japanese and supporting learners in a relaxed, welcoming environment, we would love to have you join us! If you are interested, please contact Ayumi or email info@japanamerica.org.

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

No meeting in March

April 4th (Saturday), 1:30pm to 3:00pm, Create space at Library 21c

May 2, Saturday, 1:30pm to 3:00pm, Create space at Library 21c

See the Events page on our website for details and to register.

JASSC Board Meeting

All members are invited to attend our board meetings, which are usually held monthly on a Monday evening. We alternate between in-person and virtual meetings. Please contact any board member or email info@japanamerica.org for details.

The usual format is social time from 6-6:30pm where we catch up with each other. Guests are welcome to join these discussions. From 6:30-7:30pm is the business meeting.

Our next meeting is Monday, February 23 (virtual; please contact us for a link).

Mini-Sakura Festival

Our sponsor Rainy Day Anime is organizing this free event at their location, 2350 S. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO (click link for a map).

It's on Saturday, April 18 from noon-4pm. See the event page for the latest details.

It will Feature:

• Giveaways!!! (While Supplies Last)
• Local Artists
• An Activity Tent (weather permitting)
• Photo Ops
• Bake Sale for JASSC

So come dressed in your favorite cosplay or Japanese fashion and join us at this free, family friendly event!

Consul-General Meets with JASSC Leadership

On February 9th, Consul-General Okajima welcomed executive members of the Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado (JASSC) to the official residence and engaged in discussions regarding grassroots exchange in Colorado Springs.

This occasion also served as a farewell to Ms. Jennifer Basco and her husband, who will be moving to Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture for Ms. Basco to begin her new role as a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) in April, and as a welcome to Ms. Naomi Wise, who will succeed Ms. Basco as the new JASSC vice president.

Consul-General Okajima expressed his sincere respect for President Wayne Stout and all members of the Society for their dedication to Japan-U.S. exchange, and that he looks forward to continued collaboration in the future.

Concordia Language Villages Offers Scholarships, including for Japanese

We received the following. [Editor's note: my own children attended a week of this camp when they were much younger. It is a quality program and they enjoyed it.]

My name is Elise Grabinger, and I’m reaching out on behalf of Concordia Language Villages. I’d like to share some opportunities for youth ages 6-18 connected to Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado to participate in language and cultural immersion programming this summer at Mori no Ike, the Japanese Language Village, and receive scholarship funding to attend!

We offer programs in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Nestled deep in Minnesota’s North Woods, the Villages are welcoming, supportive communities where anyone—regardless of proficiency—can benefit from the language immersion experience. Scholarships are available, and now is the best time to apply! Details on scholarship opportunities can be found on our website, linked below.

To learn more about summer camp programming, we invite families to join us for a virtual Mori no Ike information session on February 25^th at 5:30 pm CST (4:30pm Mountain time), which can be registered for at https://cord.zoom.us/meeting/register/yEajAQxKSeqJNvyE9V3YuQ#/registration. Additional sessions on summer programming in general are being held biweekly between now and May. We hope you will consider sharing this information with families at your organization.

In addition to our summer youth camps, we also offer programming for adults, families, college students, and school groups, as well as some virtual programs. For groups looking for a more personalized experience, custom programming is available.

Thank you so much for your time. We hope to see more villagers connected with Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado at Mori no Ike this summer!

Elise Grabinger

Program Assistant (she/her)

Concordia College Class of ‘23

Concordia Language Villages

ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org

Inspiring Courageous Global Citizens

Seeking Actors for Local Production

We received this casting call. Please contact them if you are interested at sethlamos@gmail.com

My name is Seth Lamos and I am a Line Producer for Mayonnaise Productions. We are casting for an upcoming TV pilot titled, 'Swords of Illumination', based on a book of the same title.

We are hoping to get the word out for a unique opportunity for anyone potentially interested in acting in our pilot episode — no acting experience required.

Here is the casting call — it is a paid role and it will require 2 days of filming in the Denver area.

Male

Age 45-75

Japanese

NHK February Focus is Discover Hokkaido

See this page for 52 episodes featuring various aspects of Hokkaido.

The Imperial Palace | NHK WORLD-JAPAN 

The Imperial Palace of Japan showcases peerless artworks, craftsmanship, and a tradition of thoughtful hospitality. Join us on a journey into a world of supreme aesthetic elegance.

Documentary 2 episodes

• 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

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Thanks to our Sponsors!

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