Japan Society of New Orleans upcoming events

JSNO Japanese Cinema Series Screening: "Belle” (Thu, May 28, 2026)

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In Partnership with The Shop, Japan Society of New Orleans' Japanese Cinema Series presents a free screening of Mamoru Hosoda's... Belle!

Date: Thursday, May 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. All ages welcome! Tell your friends, and hope to see you there!

Movie Summary from IMDB:

Teen Suzu embarks on an epic quest to uncover the identity of a mysterious beast in a virtual world.

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years,s he has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters "U", a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious "beast" and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Rated PG for thematic content, violence, language and brief suggestive material.

You can watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/izIycj3j4Ow?si=s5vYxF0oKSA0zFjO

Nihongo Renshuu (Conversation Practice) (Sun, June 07, 2026)

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Nihongo Renshuu is meeting again in June! 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, 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, June 7th from 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Kwaidan Book Club: "The Outsider" (Sun, June 14, 2026)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

We will be reading and discussing the book The Outsider: The Life and Work of Lafcadio Hearn by Steve Kemme. Dive into the extraordinary life journey of the man who inspired the name for the JSNO Kwaidan Book Club. This book will let us see into Lafcadio's childhood, his career path, his life in Japan, and his works on Japanese folklore.

Opportunity Alert:

Author Steve Kemme will be the keynote speaker at the first-annual Lafcadio Fest, celebrating the life and work of Lafcadio Hearn, to be held at the New Orleans Jazz Museum on Esplanade Ave on Saturday, June 20th! He will be holding a panel where attendees can ask questions about his book.

This meeting is in-person at Kung Fu Tea at 3348 W Esplanade Ave S, Metairie, LA 70002.

About the Book:

(Page count: 272 pages)

Step into the extraordinary life of the man who made an impact as an observer wherever he lived, and went on to become the leading western interpreter of Japan and Japanese culture—a position he still occupies today.

Born in Greece and abandoned as a child, Lafcadio Hearn lived the life of an exile. He travelled the world and became a famous writer but always felt like an outsider—in Dublin, London, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and French-speaking Martinique. To him, none of these places felt like home.

Hearn's life in America was punctuated by a string of successes and failures. In Cincinnati he became the city's best-known crime reporter but was fired after marrying a black woman. Devastated, he moved to New Orleans, where he championed French Creole and Caribbean culture and created the city's image as a place of voodoo and debauchery (the image which many Americans still hold today).

Hearn arrived in Japan at a time of historic change. Sent there as a correspondent, he soon found himself alone and jobless. He settled in the remote town of Matsue, firmly believing that Japan would provide him with an endless supply of rich writing material—perhaps enough to last a lifetime.

Over the next dozen years, Hearn published 15 books which were lauded by the likes of Mark Twain, William Butler Yeats, Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin. Hearn's books made him famous as the leading writer on Japan and Japanese culture.

This book includes a foreword by Bon Koizumi, Hearn's great-grandson and director of the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum in Matsue, Japan.

About the Author:

Steve Kemme is president of the Lafcadio Hearn Society/USA and a former reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, where Hearn formerly worked. He is a member of the Japan Research Center of Greater Cincinnati and has spoken at Hearn symposiums worldwide.

Information provided by Tuttle Publishing.

Lafcadio Fest 2026 (Sat, June 20, 2026)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Join us at the New Orleans Jazz Museum for Lafcadio Fest 2026, a celebration of the life and legacy of New Orleans author Lafcadio Hearn, presented and produced by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Festivities include: a panel of scholars offering insights on Lafcadio's writings from New Orleans, the Caribbean, and Japan; a keynote from Hearn biographer Steve Kemme; talks by Krewe of Lafcadio founder John Kelly and Krewe of Rex float designer Caroline Thomas; community members' reflections on the ongoing connections between New Orleans and its sister city Matsue, Japan; food by Greta's Sushi; virtual "visits" from the Mayor of Matsue and Hearn's great-grandson; and musical surprises to come! Entry to the event is free and open to the public.

Lafcadio Fest 2026 Info

Where: New Orleans Jazz Museum - 400 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

When: Saturday, June 20^th from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM

For more information and schedule updates, visit the JSNO Lafcadio Fest website and our Facebook event page. Follow us on Instagram @lafcadiofest. To get involved with Lafcadio Fest, for media inquiries, or to learn more about Japan Society of New Orleans, contact us at lafcadiofest@gmail.com.

NAJAS Annual Meeting (Wed, July 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT

The Japan Society of New Orleans, in collaboration with the Japan America Society of Northwest Florida, will host the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Japan America Societies in New Orleans 29-31 July 2026 at the Sheraton New Orleans.

JSNO is thrilled to welcome members, partners, peers and guests of NAJAS for this conference. This is unmatched assembly of U.S.-Japan non-profits converging from 30 states and one province across North America in our country's Gulf Region.

This is a unique opportunity to network with leadership, staff and board members from most of our 39 Japan-America & Japan Societies (JAS/JS), together with selected institutional supporters, government leaders, and representatives of business and other sectors.

For JSNO & JASNWF members, there will be volunteer opportunities to help support this event, so be on the lookout for updates.

More information can be found at: https://www.us-japan.org/2026-conference

Japan Fest 2026 (Sat, October 10, 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This is the single largest Japanese cultural event of the year for the New Orleans Metro area. JSNO will have tables to spread the word about the Society, raffle off traditional and pop Japanese items, and try on Samurai armor courtesy of Japan Foundation, New York. In addition. there will be Japanese arts and crafts for sale, taiko drums performance, Japanese dance & tea ceremonies, along with plenty of food and drink. This is an all ages Festival with something for everyone.

Admission is $10, but if you sign up for a slot to volunteer through JSNO, you get a wrist band for free admission. Interested in working one or a couple of the tables at Japan Fest? Sign up today using the link below!

Note: Table sign up is limited to members only who are of 18 years or older.

Japan Fest JSNO Sign Up

Come out and help support your local Japan Society by joining in on this great event!

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 TBD.

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!