Culture & Education
2024/3/15
One of the many duties of the Consular Office is to spread Japanese culture, public relations, the JET program, and other foreign exchange program information. Here are some of the ways our office is involved in the local Alaskan community.
Cultural Events
The consular office co-hosts an annual Summer Festival and Japanese Speech Contest. It is our hope that these events deepen Alaskans’ understanding of Japanese history, tradition, and culture.
Web-based Public Relations
In addition to this website, the consular office is also on Facebook.
For the most up-to-date information on news and events, please consider following us.
The JET Program (Japan Exchange and Teaching)
This program recruits local Alaskans to become Assistant Language Teachers (ALT), Coordinators for International Relations (CIR), and Sports Exchange Advisors (SEA) in Japan for a fixed term.We are always looking for highly motivated individuals with a strong desire to work in Japan. Although the CIR position requires a fairly high proficiency in Japanese, ALTs and SEAs can apply without any Japanese language ability.Educational Materials
We have a stock of the magazines “Nipponica Magazine” (about Japanese culture) and “Kizuna” (about Japanese politics and economics). Typically, we distribute these to local educational institutions, facilities, and libraries, but often we have extra copies, so please reach out if you are interested.
Aside from magazines, we also have DVDs of “Japan Video Topics” (a video series featuring different aspects of Japanese culture). These videos can also be found on their YouTube channel, but for those who wish to view them at their own pace, we can lend these DVDs out.
Aside from magazines, we also have DVDs of “Japan Video Topics” (a video series featuring different aspects of Japanese culture). These videos can also be found on their YouTube channel, but for those who wish to view them at their own pace, we can lend these DVDs out.
Rental Service for Items of Cultural Significance
Hina Dolls
Happi
Our office has a number of traditional Japanese goods available for public use including Shogi and Go boards, Japanese dolls, Yukata, Happi, and more. These items are available for school functions as well as more general community recreational use.
School Programs
Our office offers free educational programs for elementary, middle, or high school students. Each presentation is about an hour long with a general introduction to Japan followed by information on a specific topic, such as Japanese culture, art, or history. The School Program Coordinator works with the teacher to curate a unique presentation for his/her class.
Presentations generally include a lecture accompanied by a slideshow with information and pictures. Past presentations include:
- Videos on Japan topics
- Musical performances
- Interactive activities such as origami
- Informational materials such as maps and pamphlets for your classroom
Visits can be scheduled Monday-Friday between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
To schedule a presentation, please emailed your completed request form to pubcul-ak@se.mofa.go.jp Please send request forms at least one month in advance of desired presentation dates.
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