Join JETAA Chicago for our 18th Annual JETAA Chicago Shinnenkai! To welcome the new year, we are spreading the fun out over two days from Friday, February 4, to Saturday, February 5! Each day will have a different focus, as we celebrate the culture of Japan and our community’s continued connection to it. And as always, the Shinnenkai is open to the public!

All the proceeds raised will go to benefit the Japan America Society of Chicago and the Japanese Culture Center. Scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about both organizations.

• General Admission, FREE, Access to join the fun both Friday and Saturday!
• GA + Trivia Participant, $10, Admission to both days and a spot in Saturday's trivia! Prizes for trivia include a One-of-a-Kind shodō piece from Oda-Sensei at the JCC, one year memberships to the JASC YPC and more.
• Additional Donation, $5 increments, An option for offering additional support to our partners!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Kick-off - Friday, Feb. 4 - 6PM-7PM CST

Our welcome ceremony featuring our partners from the Japan America Society of Chicago and the Japanese Culture Center! Hekiun Oda-Sensei, the JCC's resident shodō master, and Professor Charles Harris will lead special presentations on 書道 (shodō) and 生け花 (ikebana) for attendees to help kick-off the celebration.

Cultural Connections through Food Recipe Swap and Trivia Night featuring Consul General Tajima, Chef Satoshi  Ito  and Jerry Lai - Saturday, Feb. 5 - 7PM-9PM CST

An evening of exploring our connections with Japan through our culinary favorites. Consul General Tajima will help us kick off the festivities with his personal Chef Satoshi Ito(check out his Cooking with Chef Ito Series!) who will demonstrate his Tamagoyaki cooking method! Jerry Lai, a friend of JET behind the YouTube channel Chicago Griller, will join the fun to describe pandemic hobby of grilling has turned into a YouTube channel with 6,200 subscribers and growing! Join us for an inside look into the ways he incorporates Asian flavors and cooking principles into his grilling methods and how he continues to teach himself new ways to explore food and culture! Attendees are encouraged to bring stories and recipes to swap! After the event, JETAA Chicago is going to collect the recipes and share them with everyone that attends. Part II features an all out Trivia Battle themed around Japanese Food with the chance to win wonderful prizes for those that make a donation!

In Part II (8PM-9PM), attendees can go head-to-head in a special Food themed trivia and compete for a variety of prizes including a One-of-a-Kind shodō piece from Oda-Sensei at the JCC, one year memberships to the JASC YPC, JETAA Chicago swag and more.

You do not need to make a donation to participate in the game itself, BUT trivia participants who sign up for the "+Trivia" option will be eligible to win the prizes.

We hope to see you there!

Questions? Contact us at info@jetaachicago.com.

And in the spirit of strengthening our community’s connection with Japan, this year proceeds from the "Trivia” upgrade will benefit two organizations in Chicago that have been incredible partners to our chapter over the years: the Japan America Society of Chicago and the Japanese Culture Center.

Japan America Society of Chicago

Established in 1930, The Japan America Society of Chicago creates and promotes Japanese and  American friendships. We do this through business, social, educational  and cultural activities. We are the only organization in Chicago that  touches all of these areas in American and Japanese relationships.

Click here for more information.

Japanese Culture Center

The Japanese Culture Center was established in 1977 in Chicago by Aikido Shihan (Teacher of Teachers) and Zen Master Fumio Toyoda to make some of the martial arts, crafts, and philosophical riches of Japan available to the public.

Today the JCC continues this tradition, offering classes in over a dozen martial and cultural arts. The Center is not a museum where lifeless objects are displayed; it is a school where living skills are passed on person to person from generation to generation. You become an active participant in arts that have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Click here for more information.

Questions? Contact us at info@jetaachicago.com.