Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! I hope 2026 is off to a wonderful start for you.
In Japan, the New Year (oshogatsu) is a time filled many meaningful traditions—hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year), osechi ryori (spectacular traditional New Year’s foods—which, to be honest, look better than they taste), otoshidama (money in special envelopes given to children in the family), nengajo (New Year’s cards delivered on January 1), and many more.
What is your favorite Japanese New Year tradition? (If you haven’t experienced the New Year holiday in Japan, I highly recommend it!)
Here at Japan Society of Northern California, I like to use the New Year as the moment to reflect on the highlights and accomplishments of the past year, and to think about our goals and opportunities for the coming year.
2025: A Remarkable (and Very Busy) Year for JSNC
Last year was particularly memorable for us. To test your JSNC knowledge, here’s a quick POP QUIZ!
- What major milestone did Japan Society reach in 2025?
- How many programs did JSNC deliver last year?
- What was our most well-attended program?
- What was our highest rated program?
- How many individual paid members do we have?
- What was YOUR favorite program or activity last year?
We couldn’t have accomplished any of our work without the generous support of our members, language students and program attendees—so THANK YOU for being part of our growing community!
As of the end of 2025, JSNC included:
- 94 corporate members (including 14 new corporate members in 2025)
- 906 individual members, and
- 45 Leadership Circle members
Each of these member categories has had consistent growth for more than 3 straight years.
A Quick Membership Reminder
The New Year is also the time to renew your membership—or to join our community by becoming a new member. Membership support helps cover the costs of our programs and activities throughout the year. You can find more information and join or renew your membership on our website. We are also happy to schedule a call or visit with you to discuss our membership programs
A Strong Start to 2026
We set a high bar in 2025, but 2026 is already off to an active and exciting start, including:
a fantastic Japan Night Healthcare Networking event (400 attendees!) (photos), a wonderful tour of the Art of Manga Exhibit at the de Young Museum for Leadership Circle Members, and a sellout program recapping Highlights of CES 2026.
This year, we aim to:
- Continue offering a wide mix of frequent, high-quality programs, while experimenting with new formats, partners, and locations
- Reach 1000 individual members and 100 corporate members, while improving our systems to engage with and serve our members
- Undertake key institution-building efforts to ensure JSNC’s long-term sustainability
Some highlights from our upcoming calendar include:
- Japan Outlook 2026 (Feb. 11, 4-5:30 p.m. Online Program), featuring a look forward at the political and economic events that will shape Japan over the coming months, taking place shortly after Japan’s election, and featuring Japan experts Kiyo Aburaki of Bower Group Asia, Emma Chanlett-Avery of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and JSNC Board chair and long-time diplomat, Larry Greenwood.
- The Art Lovers Guide to Japanese Museums (Feb. 17 Online Program) – an online discussion with Sophie Richard, the author of a fantastic guide to amazing Japanese museums. This is a “must-buy” book if you love art and are planning a trip to Japan!
- Kokuho – Film Screening (2/20 -in partnership with the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, we are delighted to bring the hugely popular film Kokuho to the Bay Area. This story set in the Kabuki world is the 2nd highest grossing film ever in Japan.
- Transpacific Collaboration Forum: Japan’s Partnering Strategy to Revitalize its Semiconductor Industry (Feb. 27, 2-6 p.m.). Sponsored by a grant from The Embassy of Japan and NAJAS, and presented in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, this half-day forum will explore Japan’s efforts to rebuild a world-class semiconductor industry, with speakers from METI, Rapidus, NYMCTU in Taiwan, NTT and others.
We have many more events and activities coming, so please keep an eye on our website and event announcements.
I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!
Warm regards,
Steve
POP QUIZ Answers:
- Major 2025 milestone: JSNC celebrated its 120th anniversary! Founded in 1905, we are the second-oldest Japan Society in the United States.
- Number of 2025 programs: 73 programs on topics ranging from business and innovation, to healthcare, to policy and politics, and, of course, language, arts and culture
- Best attended: Japan Night Healthcare Reception – 400 attendees!
- Highest rated: Nihonbuyo: Traditional Japanese Dance with Ume Nakamura (9.9/10), followed closely by Understanding Japanese Urushi Lacquerware with Steve Beimel of JapanCraft21 (9.8/10)
- Paid members: 906 individual members
MY favorite program? Hard to choose, but probably Inami Woodcarving demonstration program, or the interview with Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice. What was yours?
