/College of Arts and Sciences
The Japan Center at Stony Brook

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PAST Events & News

  • The JET Program participants in 2026: Yue Zhu (CIR)
  • The 21st Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (May 3, 2026)  SBU News   |   Photo Gallery 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (April 26, 2026, Charles B. Wang Center)  
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 10, 2026, Eastern Pavillion) 
2025

  •  Lecture "Emergent GendersL Living Otherwise in Tokyo's Pink Economies" by Michelle Ho, Assistant Professor,National University of Singapore, Organized by WGSS, co-sponsored with Dept. of Asian and Asian American Studies, English Depts, Humanities Institute, and JCSB (September 16, 2025)

  • 20th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (May 4, 2025)   SBU News |  Photo Gallery 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (April 27, 2025, Charles B. Wang Center)   SBU News  |  Long Island Press  

Photos of sakura matsuri in 2025

Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri) 

  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 11, 2025, Eastern Pavillion) 
2024
  • 19th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 20, 2024)   SBU News  |  Mid-Island Times 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (April 24, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center) 

  •  "The Choice to Become a Japanese Diplomat” by Natsuko Oku, Deputy Director, Japan Information Center, Consulate General of Japan in New York (March 25, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 13, 2024, Eastern Pavillion) 
2023 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 7, 2023, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • 18th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 29, 2023, Charles B. Wang Center)   SBU News 
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (January 14, 2023, Zoom) 
2022
  • "Japanese Poetry on the Digital Age" by Andrew Campana, Assistant Professor of Japanese literature and media, Cornell University (Nov 16, 2022, on Zoom) 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 7, 2022, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • 17th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 23, 2022, Zoom)  SBU News
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 15, 2022, Zoom) 
2021 

  • Lecture “Japan’s Legislature and Executive Branch" by Kenju Murakami, Director of Japan Information Center, Charles B. Wang Center (Nov. 17, 2021, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • "Popular Boom of Japanese Sword Image” by Kohki Watabe (Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021,  Zoom)
  • Breaking Silence: A Public Forum on Anti-AAPI Racism, organized by the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, co-sponsored with the JCSB, Charles B. Wang Center, CAS, GLI, and others (May 5, 2021, on Zoom)
  • 16th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 23, 2021, on Zoom)  SBU News  |  Mid-Island Times  
  • "Imagining 'Our' Hometown: A Taiwanese Writer Tzeng Ching-wen's Children's Literature and His Literary Works" by Hiroko matsuzaki, Organized by the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies  (March 25, 2021, on Zoom) 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 6, 2021, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 9, 2021, on Zoom) 
2020
  • “Food Education and School Lunch in Japan” by Alexis Agliano Sanborn (Dec. 4, 2020, on Zoom)
  • 15th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (June 13, 2020, on Zoom)   SBU News  | NY-Seikatsu 
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 11, 2020, Eastern Pavillion) 
2019 
  • Lecture "Water in Japanese Gardens" by Takaya Kurimoto (Dec. 2, 2019, 5:30 pm Wang Center, Lecture Hall 2) 
  • Distinguished Lecture "Here, There and Everywhere: Many faces of Japan" by Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi (Nov. 18, 2019, Charles B. Wang Center)

Photo of a lecture in 2019

Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi (Nov 18, 2019, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • 14th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 14, 2019, Charles B. Wang Center)   SBU News 
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 5, 2019, Charles B. Wang Center)  SBU News
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 12, 2019, Eastern Pavillion) 
2018
  • Eriko Sato collaborates with students for publication of bilingual Japanese stories  SBU News
  • Ryan McHugh (Class of 2020) was selected to participate in the Amgen Scholars Program  SBU Happenings
  • “Mindfulness and Japanese Spatial Concepts” by Yoko Kawai, Yale School of Architecture & Penguin Environmental Design (Nov. 19, 2018, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • "L2 Pragmatic Research in the Era of Globalization: The Role of Intercultural Competence in Pragmatic Development" by Professor Naoko Taguchi, Professor of Linguistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Organized by the MIC; Co-sponsored with JCSB and the Pre-College Japanese Program (April 19, 2018, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 13th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 15, 2018, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 6, 2018, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 13, 2018, Benten Japanese Restaurant)  Photos
2017
  • IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Satoshi Ozaki, a world-renowned physicist, passed away on July 22, 2017, at the age of 88. He was a Senior Scientist Emeritus at Brookhaven Lab and a key driver of international collaborations in high-energy and nuclear physics. He served as a JCSB Board Member since 2003. He participated in all and each Shinnenkai (New Year's Gala) organized by the Japan Center and proposed a toast each year to wish everyone's health and happiness in the community. Our thoughts are with him and his family.   BNL Newsroom 
  • Lecture "Troubled Bodies: How to Read Japanese Myths" by David B. Lurie, Associate Professor of Japanese History and Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University (Nov. 6, 2017, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Chris Saunders was accepted to the  JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) program
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 7, 2017, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • 12th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 22, 2017, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan.14, 2017, Benten Japanese Restaurant)   Photes
2016
  • Tracking the 'Female Urgan Nomad' as She Floats Through the 'Urban Desert' of Tokyo by Jonathan Reynolds, Professor of Art History, Barnard College/Columbia University (Nov. 10, 2016, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • A Day of Double Celebration: On October 6, 2016, we celebrated two significant milestones: the publication of Heart of Japan , a collection of award-winning essays from 2005 to 2015, and the Japan Center's receipt of the Consul General's Commendation in recognition of its distinguished contributions to promoting Japanese culture and strengthening U.S.–Japan understanding  (October 7, 2016, Charles B. Wang Center)

Photo of Japan Center members and their guests holding the newly published copies of Heart of Japan

Publication of Heart of Japan

 

Photo of Japan Center members with their guests celbrating the commendation

The Consul General of Japan's Commendation to the Japan Center at Stony Brook 

  • Three JET Program Participants accepted in 2016: Louis Mesa, Eric Stiller, and Michael Yeung
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 1, 2016, Charles B. Wang Center)   SBU News
  • 11th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 17, 2016, Charles B. Wang Center)  SBU News
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan.9, 2016, Benten Japanese Restaurant)   Photos
2015
  • Kyogen: Japanese Medieval Comedy Performed by The Mansaku-No-Kai Kyogen Company (Dec. 8 , 2015, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Origami Heaven at the Wang Center (Fall 2015)  co-sponsored by the JCSB; New York Times article
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 3, 2015, Charles B. Wang Center)  SBU NEWS 
  • 10th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 12, 2015, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 17, 2015, Benten Japanese Restaurant)  Photo gallery  
2014
  • One-on-one career consultation for Japanese/English bilinguals (Nov 12, 2014)
  • Pre-College Japanese Program Student Presentation (May 11, 2014,  Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 3, 2014, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 9th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 6, 2014, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Kenichi Ebina (performance) Organized by the Chales B. Wang Center, co-sponsored by the JCSB (March 27, 2014, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 11, 2014, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2013
  • Pre-College Japanese Program Student Presentation (May 5, 2013)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 4, 2013, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 8th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 6, 2013, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 12, 2013, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2012
  • "Study of Japanese Art History Abroad" by Masako Watanabe, Ex-Senior Research Associate/ Curator of Asian Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Nov. 28, 2012, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Satoshi Ozaki (a JCSB Board Member) Honored by Ambassador Sigeyuki Hiroki, Consul General of Japan in New York (Sept 6, 2012)  BNL Newsroom

  • The winners of the 7th Essay Competition invited to the luncheon at the Japanese Ambassador's residence (May 12, 2012, Ambassador and Mrs. Shigeyuki Hiroki's residence)

The photo of the winners of the 7th Essay Competition with the Japanese Ambassador and Japan Center membmers

At Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki's residence  (May 12, 2012)

  • 7th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 14, 2012, Charles B. Wang Center)  
  • Pre-College Japanese Program Student Presentation (May 6, 2012)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 5, 2012, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 7, 2012, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2011

  • Lecture “Japan and the US: Friends and Partners in Asia-Pacific Diplomacy” by Yasuhisa Kawamura, Deputy Chief of Mission Consulate General of Japan in New York (Dec. 6, 2011, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • JET Seminar (Nov. 9, 2011, Charles B. Wang Cneter)

  • Campus-wide response to relief effort for Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, JCSB raised $26,000+ for the earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan, over $50,000 with matching from Brookhaven National Lab    SBU News 1   |   SBU News 2  

Photo of a big poster of a check for $26,443 held by fundraising committee members

 

  • "Hohoemi: Smile From Within Japanese Pottery" Lecture by Makoto Saeda, Philadelphia Museum of Art (Oct 17, 2011, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 7, 2011, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 6th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 2, 2011, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 8, 2011, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2010
  • Teacher Education Programs for Chinese and Japanese: Stony Brook University has launched an undergraduate teacher education program in Japanese leading to New York State initial teaching certification and the B.A. degree in Asian and Asian American Studies: Adolescent Education–Japanese, Grades 7 – 12.   SBU News 

  • "Is Japan Progressing or Regressing?" lecture by Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai, Cousul General of Japan in New York, Former President of Japan Society (Nov. 30, 2010, Charles bi Wang Center)

  • Kenny Endo Gateway: Ma vs. Groove, organized by the Charles B. Wang Center, co-sponsored by the JCSB (Nov 13, 2010, Charles B. Wang center)

  • JET Information Seminar (Nov 3, 2010, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 5th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (May 1, 2010, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (April 24, 2010, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 9, 2009, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2009
  • "Japan-US Relations" lecture by Akira Sugiyama, Director, Japan Information Center  (Nov 19, 2009, Wang Center)

  • Khoomei Taiko Ensemble (Mongolian Music with Japanese Drumming), organized by the Charles B. Wang Center, co-sponsored with the JCSB (Nov 17, 2009, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Musical “Our Blue Planet: Will it Survive Till Tomorrow?”  A Musical for the Environment By Japan Classic Live for the United Nations, co-sponsored with the JCSB (Nov 3, 2009, Avram Theater, Stony Brook Southampton)

  • JET Program Information Session (Nov 4, 2009, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Book Signing by Eriko & Anna Sato, authors of My First Japanese Kanji Book (Sept. 23, 2009)   SBU News  
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (April 25, 2009, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 4th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 18, 2009, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Taiko Project, organized by the Charles B. Wang Center, co-sponsored with the JCSB (Feb. 26-27, 2009)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 31, 2009, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2008
  • "HUNGER": Dance and Music by Eiko and Koma The JET Program Information Seminar, Co-sponsored by the Wang Center and the JCSB (Oct 3, 2008, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 3, 2008, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • 3th Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 26, 2008, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Symposium: Asian Languages and the Professions, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, the Center for India Studies, The Japan Center at Stony Brook, The Center for Korean Studies, The China Studies Program, The Program in Korean Studies, The Program in Japanese Studies, The Pre-College Japanese Language Program (April 8, 2008, Charles B. Wang Center)

Photo of the symposium, Asian Languages and the Profession

Symposium: Asian Languages and the professions (April 8, 2008, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 19, 2008, Benten Japanese Restaurant)
2007
  • Memorial service for Makoto Oda (Oct 15, 2007, Library Special Collection)
  • JCSB Japanese Moview Screening (Charles B. Wang Center): 
    • The Sea is Watching (Sept. 27, 2007)
    • 1 Litre of Tears (Oct. 9)
    • Abduction (Oct. 15)
    • When a Woman Ascends the Stairs( Nov. 8)
    • The Last Atomic Bomb: A Survivor's Story (Nov. 28)
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (May 5, 2007, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Kimono Workshop (March 11, 2007, SAC Ballroom B)
  • 2nd Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony (April 28, 2007, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Celebration Party (Jan. 20, 2007, Benten Japanese restaurant)
  • Tentaro Inoh Collection was created by Professor Sachiko Murata, and has catalogues by Dr. Mary Diaz (May 21, 2007, Library N4065)

Photo of the people who attended Inoh Collection Opening in 2007

Opening of Inoh Collection Library (Library N4065, May 21, 2007)

2006
  • Japanese Movie screening:
    • Nana (Nov 29, Charles B. Wang Center)
    • Shinobi (Nov 16, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • "MOURNING": Dance and Music by Eiko & Koma, and Tan (Oct. 6, 2007, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Piano Journey in Japan by Junko Ueno Garrett (March 28, 2006, Charles B. Wang Center Theater)
  • 1st Annual JCSB Essay Competition Awards Ceremony with Masayo Ishigure's Koto Performance (April 29, 2026, Charles B. Wang Center) 

Photo of the winners of the first essay competition

Winners of the 1st Japan Center Essay Competition (April 29, 2006, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • New Yar's Celebration Party featuring lion dance , Japanese foods, Shishimai (The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York), Screening of Kohaku Utagassen (NHK's Japanese music program). Special Guests from Consulate General of Japan in New York (Jan. 29, 2006, Charles B. Wang Center)

2005
  • The Cross-Cultural Study of Japanese and American Mother-Child Attachment Relationships  by Tomotaka Umemura (Dec. 5, 2005, Dept. of Asian and Asian American Studies Seminar Room)
  • The JET Program Information Session (Nov 9, 2005)
  • Our Forest is Alive: Our Earth Chapter, Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the United Nations  sponsored by  ÆON Co., Ltd., The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Japanese Ministry of the Environment, The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, The Japan Center at Stony Brook, Charles B. Wang Center, and Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at Stony Brook University (Nov 4, 2005, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese Horror Movie Series: One Missed Call (Chakushin Ari) (Oct. 18, 2005, Wang Center)
  • Taiko performance by Art Lee, sponsored by the JCSB and the Pre-College Japanese Program (May 15, 2005, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese Samurai Movie Series sponsored by the Japan Foundation New York Office:
    • Seven Samurai (1954) (March 3, 2005, Charles B. Wang Center)
    • Twilight Samurai (2002) (March 10, 2005, Charles B. Wang Center)
    • The Last Samurai (2003) (March 17, 2005, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • Japanese New Year's Party featuring Koto by Akiko Stojek and Duet by Maria Cimo and Setsu Uzume (1/30/2005, SAC Ballroom B) 
2004
  • Launching the Pre-College Japanese Language Program on Sundays at SBS building for community residents

Photo of Japanese lesson in a classroom at Stony Brook

Pre-College Japanese Language Program (2004, Social Behavioral Science Building)

  • Japanese Animation Series:
    • Spririted Away by Hayao Miyazaki sponsored by the Japan Foundation in New York (October 7, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center)
    • Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki sponsored by the Japan Foundation in New York (October 13, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center) 
    • Millennium Actress by Hayao Miyazaki sponsored by the Japan Foundation in New York(October 21, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center) 
    • The Legend of Prince Rama by Hayao Miyazaki sponsored by the Japan Foundation in New York (October 27, 2024, Charles B. Wang Center) 
  • Symposium: Asia and America: Emerging Opportunities, honored speakers include: Dr. Huang Huikang, Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China; Consul General Pramathesh Rath of India; Ambassador Hiroyasu Ando of Japan; Mr. Yangwoo Park, Director of Korean Cultural Service. A special performance by the Nippon Club Women’s Chorus presenting a colorful repertoire of songs from Asia opens the symposium. (May 6, 2004, Chales B. Wang Center)

Photo of the committee members and distinguished guest speakers for the symposium on Asia and Us held in 2004

Symposium: Asia and America: Emerging Opportunities (May 6, 2004, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Lecture "Using Technology to Advance the Humanities Agenda: Three Projects about Japan" by Shigeru Miyagawa, Professor of Linguistics, Kochi-Manjiro Professor of Japanese Language and Culture, MIT, (March 5, 2004, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Japanese New Year's Party co-organized with the Pre-College Japanese Program and Japanese Student Organization (January 10, 2004, SAC)

 

2003
  • Japan Film Classics: 

    • Tampopo (Juzo Itami/ 1985) (Oct 19, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)

    • High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku) (Akira Kurosawa/1963) (Oct 22, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)

    • Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa/ 1997) (Oct 29, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • Sweet Peace, organized by SBU's student club, the Japanese Cultural Association, commemorated the victims of the September 11 attacks (9/11) through the folding of 1,000 paper cranes as a prayer for peace. President Shirley Strum Kenny participated in the event, joining students and community members in this expression of remembrance and hope for peace. (Sept. 11, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)
  • The Japan Center at Stony Brook received Kodansha’s book donation to commemorate the presentation of the 14th (2003) Noma Award for the Translation of Japanese Literature to Mr. Jay Rubin, who translated Haruki Murakami’s “The Wind-up Bird Chronicle”(Nejimakidori Kuronikuru) into English. (September 6, 2003, Japan Society)

The photo of the ceremony for Noma Award

Japan Society (September 6, 2003)

  • Kenny Endo's taiko performance and family workshop (June 6 & 7, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • "100 Years in America: The Japanese Americans” by Joan Miyazaki (May 7, Charles B. Wang Center)

  • "Middle East Crisis: A Japanese Perspective" by Makoto Oda, highly -acclaimed novelist and peace activist (April 29, 2003, Charles B. Wang Center)