The Japan Foundation, Toronto

🖌️🎌 Looking to brush up on your Japanese this summer? Join our 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐔𝐩 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 for Japanese Language Teachers, a free online professional development opportunity designed especially for non-native Japanese Language teachers in Canada 👩🏻‍🏫🧑🏻‍🏫🍁.

Over 4 days, participants will work through one chapter of 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝟭 (𝗕𝟭) 📚 in a supportive and interactive online environment. Whether you would like to strengthen your language skills 💪🏼, reconnect with fellow educators, or gain fresh confidence for the classroom 📝, we would love to have you join us!
* 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦.

📅 Date: Monday, July 6 - Thursday, July 9, 2026
🕖 Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (ET)
💻 Location: Online (Zoom)
💰 Free Admission
🔗 Register here: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/summer-brush-up-2026/

🎌 Are you an upper-intermediate or advanced learner of Japanese 👩🏻‍🏫? Join our 7-week online 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 (𝐁𝟐) 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞, designed to develop students’ language skills at the B2 level of the JF Standard 📝.

This Term 3 course will explore the topic "日本の食に関する諸問題", 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 🍴, and will make use of authentic materials such as current affairs articles 📰 and dialogues 💬 to strengthen your Japanese communication skills 📚.

Register now to secure your spot! 💪🏻

📅 Date: June 1 – July 13, 2026 (Every Monday)
🕡 Time: 6:45 pm – 8:25 pm (ET)
🖥️ Location: Online (Zoom)
💡 Check out the course schedule, syllabus, and registration details here: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/language/classes/marugoto/advanced/

#日本語学習 #日本語 #日本語上級

🎌 Want to teach your kids Hiragana but don't know where to start? Whether you’re a parent wanting to introduce Japanese Hiragana at home or a teacher working with young learners and their families, this workshop is for you! 🧑🏻‍🏫

📚 Join us as we explore practical methods and mindsets for 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 ✍🏻. An experienced Japanese language instructor and also a mother of three, will guide you through the steps to make Hiragana come alive. The session includes personal experiences and ideas to help families discover a learning approach that works best for their children 👦🏻👧🏻.
* 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦.

📅 Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
🕚 Time: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm (ET)
💻 Location: Online (Zoom)
💰 Free Admission
🔗 Register here: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/workshop260614/

Join us on Saturday, June 6, for a lively and wide-ranging in-person talk about anime and manga studies! Billy Tringali, Librarian at the Indiana University Indianapolis and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anime and Manga Studies (JAMS) will introduce you to the growing field of anime and manga studies through real-world examples and current research.

Drawing from projects on anime research in the United States, anime’s impact on fans’ social and mental health, and global anime data initiatives, Billy will explore how people study these pop culture contents and why it matters.

Register now to reserve a spot: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/anime-studies-appetizer-sampler/

🎬 Join us for a special screening of EYE CONTACT (2010) ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™!⚽

EYE CONTACT follows Japan’s first Deaf women’s soccer team as they prepare to compete in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics in Taipei. Bringing together players from different backgrounds, this inspiring documentary captures their determination, teamwork, and resilience on and off the field.

📅 Wednesday, June 10
🕛 6:30PM (ET). Doors open 6:00PM.
📍 JFT Event Hall
Presented in Japanese, Japanese Sign Language & Japanese Simu-Com Sign Language with English subtitles.

For more info, please visit: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/eye-contact/

Watch a recorded lecture on Robo-Buddhism and Techno-Religion in Japan by historical and visual anthropologist, Dr. Jennifer Robertson!

The fusion of religion and technology has deep historical roots across the world’s cultures, including Japan, the focus of this lecture. In this video, Dr. Robertson highlights innovative uses today in temples and shrines (and churches) of hi-tech devices, including robots. The presentation on robo-Buddhism is followed by a conversation between Dr. Robertson and Japan Foundation, Toronto’s Executive Director Noriko Yamamoto, on topics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research and Japanese Studies.

This event originally took place on May 5, 2026 at the Japan Foundation, Toronto with a limited audience. We are happy to share it with a larger audience through our YouTube channel. Watch here: https://youtu.be/9hqdsJDG7pc

Toronto loves 𝐉𝐨𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢—and the feeling is mutual.

The legendary Japanese composer, conductor, and pianist returns to lead your Toronto Symphony Orchestra in a riveting program featuring two of his own recent works: the Canadian Première of his Concerto for Orchestra, co-commissioned by the TSO, and his hauntingly beautiful Viola Saga, performed by acclaimed French violist Antoine Tamestit. The evening also features Steve Reich’s vibrant Three Movements—a perfect complement to Hisaishi’s own distinctive voice.

Best known for his decades-long collaboration with filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, Joe Hisaishi has scored more than 100 films and released numerous solo albums blending minimalist, classical, and electronic influences.

Experience Hisaishi’s collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on May 28, 29 & 30 at Roy Thomson Hall.

* 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵.

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
May 28 – 30 at 7:30pm
Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe Street, Toronto)

Tickets and details here: https://www.tso.ca/concerts-and-events/events/hisaishi-returns

JFT Library & Gallery will be CLOSED on Saturday, May 16 for the Victoria Day weekend.
*Please note that the drop box is unavailable during this time. Kindly return borrowed items during regular library hours. Thank you for your understanding!

Calling all Japanese Language teachers in Canada! 🎌

🤔 Have you heard of 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐓𝐁𝐋𝐓) ✍🏻 ? TBLT is an approach to language education based on 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗦𝗟𝗔) research and has been widely used in language classrooms around the world 👨🏻‍🏫.

In our upcoming online workshop series, we will:
💡 Explore the basic concepts of TBLT
💡 Learn what a “task” means in language teaching
💡 Discover practical ideas and techniques for Japanese Language classrooms
💡 Exchange ideas and experiences through participant discussions

📚 Whether you are an experienced teacher or simply interested in Japanese Language education, you are welcome to join us!
* 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦.

📅 Date: Saturdays, June 6 & 20, July 4, 2026
🕖 Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm (ET)
💻 Location: Online (Zoom)
💰 Free Admission
🔗 Register here: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/event/workshop260606/