During the decade that led up to Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941 and the subsequent war between the U.S. and Japan, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph C. Grew did his best to try to avoid war and warn American leaders of the oncoming storm, but his warning fell onto deaf ears in Washington. Steve Kemper, author of Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor, reveals the story in a recent online lecture hosted by the Smithsonian Associates.

An American food stylist who is in love with Japanese anime and sweets explained how she put the two together in her new cookbook, during a recent online presentation organized by the Japan America Society of Chicago.

The online book talk & demo on Nov. 16 featured New York-based Hadley Sui, who authored Oishisou!! The Ultimate Anime Dessert Cookbook. Monique “Mo” Narboneta Zosa, the book’s illustrator, appeared alongside Sui to talk about the creative process of the book.

A sampling event took place in Chicago recently, offering new and adventurous desserts featuring soy sauce and chocolate.

Soy sauce is a traditional Japanese condiment and widely accepted worldwide today. Recipes for both Japanese and non-Japanese dishes abound that require the use of soy sauce. But the combination of soy sauce and chocolate is not something that you encounter every day.

As Executive Director of the Japanese Arts Foundation and Director of the Japanese Culture Center, Saira Chambers is busy promoting understanding of Japanese culture and arts. Where does her enthusiasm for Japanese arts come from? The Chicago Shimpo had a conversation with Chambers to find out.

  Shamisen-jazz group The Toyoaki Ensemble, led by Chicago-based Japanese musician Tatsu Aoki, presented its unique amalgam of Chicago jazz and traditional Japanese chamber music during the Chicago Jazz Festival in September.

The 52nd joint meeting of the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association (“MWJA”) was held at JW Marriott Hotel in Chicago Sept. 11-13. A total of 317 business leaders, diplomats and governors from Japan and the U.S. Midwest states gathered to discuss the future of Japan-Midwest economic relations.

Medical Alley, a Minnesota-based health technology innovation network, wants to invite startups to invest in the U.S. market.

In an Aug. 29 webinar, the Japan External Trade Organization (“JETRO”) Chicago Office featured this “innovation hub” of the health industry. Through the presentations, representatives of the network explained what it has to offer to medtech startups, along with advantages and strategies of doing business in Minnesota.

Ginza Holiday, a beloved community summer event in Chicago, returned to the Midwest Buddhist Temple in a scaled-down version on August 13 & 14, after missing two summers due to the pandemic.

Ginza LITE was held at the Temple’s parking lot on W. Menomonee St. The famous Teriyaki Chicken sizzled on the grills and drew many hungry visitors again this year. Veggie burger dinners and Hawaiian shaved ice were also on the menu.

Families and friends of Chicagoland’s Japanese community gathered for the second year at Busse Woods, Elk Grove Village, for a full day of fun and food on August 6.

The annual Japanese Community Picnic has a long history, starting shortly after the end of World War II. Initially organized by Japanese Americans who relocated to Chicago, it had been hosted by the Tokon Judo Academy in Chicago and held in Niles for decades. The venue was moved to Busse Woods in 2021.

Chicago-based jazz & blues singer and pianist Yoko Noge appeared at the terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on the evening of August 2, showcasing Chicago R&B sounds that are infused with a Japanese flavor.

The audience spilled from the terrace chairs onto the lawn, breathing the humid air filled with hot beats. 

Noge was featured in the Museum’s “Tuesdays on the Terrace” free concert series. The series invites Chicago’s jazz musicians every Tuesday throughout summer to perform at the Museum’s Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden.