The Anime Central 2023, the biggest Japanese anime and manga convention in the Midwest, took place at the Donald Stevens Convention Center and Hyatt Regency O’Hare from May 19 to 21 for three days. The event, held in the Chicago area since 1998, has grown significantly over the years and become one of the top anime conventions in the U.S.

New Consul General Jun Yanagi arrived in Chicago on August 22, and the Chicago Shimpo interviewed him on September 5 at his official residence.

Q: Could you tell us what factors moved you to become a diplomat?

Yanagi: When I was a university freshman and sophomore, I traveled to Europe and China as a backpacker. During those trips, I was more inspired to see the world and wished to work in the international society.

   Takarazuka Revue O.G. concert “World of Dreams” took place at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, Chicago’s northwest suburb, on August 20. Four former Takarazuka ladies, Erina Mariho, Tamaki Amo, Rei Ayaka, and Mayura Tama, attracted the audience with their strikingly beautiful song and dance, and gorgeous costumes. Their highly sophisticated performance, which pursues perfection by strict training, would be unique to Japan.

The Japan Festival Chicago 2023 took place on August 19 at the Chicago Cultural Center for the first time in four years. At the Preston Bradley Hall, a variety of Japanese cultures were exhibited and demonstrated, and popular food was offered to taste and purchase. At the Cassidy Theatre, 13 performances were played on the stage one after another.

Red, orange, yellow, blue and purple, rows of colorful Japanese paper lanterns evoke childhood memories of summer festivals. Awaited Ginza Holiday returned to the Midwest Buddhist Temple in Chicago with Japanese traditional artisans for the first time in four years after almost all the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted both in the U.S. and Japan.

Consul General Hiroshi Tajima announced his return to Tokyo and held a farewell reception on August 4 at his official residence to thank many contributors in a various field such as business, culture, and education for their hard work to make deeper Japan-U.S. relationship.

The City of Chicago and the City of Osaka marked the 50th anniversary of their sister-city relationship and together celebrated their successful relationship on August 1st at the Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center. A celebratory reception was hosted by the Osaka Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities International with many supporters and volunteers.

The third Chicago Japanese Film Collective (CJFC) – the only Japanese cinema festival in the Midwest – was held from June 22 to July first both in a theatre and online. This year CJFC brought a lineup of 10 independent feature films to Japanese cinema fans in the U.S.

Kikkoman Foods, Inc. in Walworth, Wisconsin, celebrated the 50th anniversary at the neighboring Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva with its 700 guests and friends. To commemorate its huge milestone, the 7th Wisconsin-U.S.-Japan Economic Development Conference was also held with the theme “Achieving Sustainable Global Economic Growth in an Era of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity.”

Both Americans and Japanese inevitably face great cultural differences between the two countries when they engage in business talks. Mr. Ralph Inforzato would be one of the best persons to ask some guidance to reduce frustrations due to the different business cultures.

Titled and themed as “I Am An American: The Nisei Soldier Experience”, the National Veterans Network (NVN) has announced to hold Nisei Soldier Traveling Exhibition scheduled to begin in 2026.

The Traveling Exhibition will feature objects and stories based on the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service to prove their loyalty and patriotism amid prejudice and discrimination after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

“The Japanese Collectables and Sword Show” was held at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield in Schaumburg, Illinois, from April 28 to 30, bringing Japanese sword and arts lovers from across the country.

The show was filled with Japanese swords, sword fittings such as tsuba and menuki, samurai armors and helmets, antiquities, books and everything related with the sword.

Annual Hanami, or Cherry Blossom Viewing, festival was held on April 22 at Chicago’s official Cherry Blossom Viewing site, in and around the Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park.

Over 170 cherry trees were planted in the garden and surrounding area on the south-side of the Museum of Science and Industry and across the lagoon to the east of the Obama Presidential Center currently under construction.

The Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai’s 2023 Spring Party was held on April 1 at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in the north part of the City of Chicago. With an amazing performance of Yasuhide Uezu, a special guest from Okinawa Prefecture, the members of the Kenjinkai entertained the audience with a variety of the traditional Okinawan music, dance and Karate performances.

The Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago (JMAS) held its 2023 annual meeting on March 27 at the Japanese American Service Committee. It was held in person for the first time since 2019.

At the meeting, announcement of future and past activities, annual reports on finances, plots availability in the Montrose Cemetery and community outreach were presented, and the 2023 Board of Directors were approved.

With nimble steps, movements in perfect order and breathtaking performance, Chicago based Trinity Irish Dance Company brings its annual performance on April 22 at Auditorium Theatre from 7 p.m.

Trinity has had a long relationship with Japan and will introduce new dance pieces which are inspired by Japanese traditional arts.

The 37th Annual Japanese Language Speech Contest took place at the Japan Information Center, the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago. The contest was held in-person for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 28 contestants from five states, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, competed to show their Japanese language skills.

Grand Opening Celebration of the Asian Improv aRts Midwest’s new building “AIRMW Cultural Hub” was held on February 24. The place is also called “Dojo” where regular rehearsals and classes of traditional Japanese arts under the Asian Improv aRts Midwest (AIRMW) are held. Those traditional arts are Tsukasa Taiko, Shubukai, and Toyoaki Shamisen which perform Japanese taiko drumming, Japanese classical dance and three-string-musical instrument, respectively. This new Dojo is also used as a cultural event venue and invites artists and performers.

The Asian American Coalition Chicago (AACC) celebrated its 40th anniversary and Lunar New Year on February 18 at Hyatt Regency O’Hare.

This year, Anne Shimojima and Michael James Ichiro Olszewski from the Japanese American Community received Exemplary Community Service Award and Youth Who Excels Award respectively.