Japan Week presents this year’s highlights on Saturday! (October 10)
Anniversaries for Japanese Brands
日本の人気キャラクターの周年記念
Kazuma Jinnouchi – Behind the Music: Composing for Games, Films and Anime
陣内一真 映画・テレビ・ビデオゲーム作曲家
Mikoshi & Yosakoi Parade
お神輿・よさこいパレード
Little Red Riding Hood: Another Story (Japanese Musical)
日本語ミュージカル「赤ずきん・アナザーストーリー」
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition
広島・長崎原爆展
Lectures & Presentations Information
講演・実演
Super Mario Bro. (Mario Kart 8 game)
Location: Bldg. R, Room R-203
Join us in Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros! We will be hosting local fun and casual matches of Mario Kart 8 on the Switch 2. Show your speed and defeat the competition!
Game Time:
– 10:30–12:30pm
– 1:00–3:00pm
– 3:30–5:00pm
Dragon Ball Scavenger Hunt
Location: Bldg. R, Room R-202 (Inside of Anime Café)
Time: 10am – 5pm (Till prizes runs out)
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series! Explore Japan Week events and find the location of the seven Dragon Balls of Bellevue Campus! Receive a stamp from each location on your Dragon-Passport and redeem it for a quick prize!
Pokémon Trading Hall
Location: Bldg. R, Room 210
Time: 10am – 5pm
Come and enjoy a nice relaxing environment in the Pokémon Room! Bring your TCG binders and make some friends in the Trading Card section of the room. Don’t have any cards? No problem, you can still celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Pokémon with us! We will be showing some fun Pokémon clips and provide coloring pages with many different Pokémon. Come relax and have fun with us
Behind the Music:
Composing for Games, Films, and Anime
映画・テレビ・ビデオゲーム作曲家
Kazuma Jinnouchi
陣内一真
October 10 (Sat), 12:30 – 1:30pm
B Building, Room 104
Kazuma Jinnouchi is a composer for film, television, and video games whose music blends orchestral writing with contemporary sound design to create emotionally resonant, cinematic experiences. Collaborating with filmmakers, studios, and orchestras across Japan, the United States, and Europe, he has developed a musical voice that balances intimate storytelling with large-scale cinematic expression.
His film credits include Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume, winner of Best Music at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize and nominated for Best Music – Feature at the 51st Annie Awards, as well as Star Wars: Visions – The Ninth Jedi, Netflix’s Leviathan, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045, and ULTRAMAN. He also received a BAFTA Games Award nomination for Best Music for Halo 5: Guardians.
Website: https://www.kazumajinnouchi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kazjin2612/
Omikoshi & Yosakoi Parade
お神輿・よさこいパレード
Vancouver Sakura-kai
Pikake School
Mai Yuasa Suratos Dance Team
October 10 (Sat), 3:00 – 3:20pm
between C Building Water Fountain and Carlson Theater
Sign up to be a Mikoshi Carrier during the festival!
(must be at least 15 years old)
Experience the excitement and energy of our Mikoshi & Yosakoi Parade, a vibrant celebration of Japanese tradition and community spirit. The parade opens with an energetic Yosakoi dance performance by children led by Mai, a former Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters official cheerleader. The young students of Pikake School will proudly carry their children’s mikoshi (portable shrine), followed by the Sakura-kai Mikoshi from Vancouver, Canada. Filled with music, movement, and festive spirit, this colorful procession is sure to delight visitors of all ages and capture the spirit of a traditional Japanese festival.
Please come join us and cheer them on!
Little Red Riding Hood: Another Story
赤ずきん・アナザーストーリー
Performed in Japanese
日本語での上演
October 10 (Sat), 3:30 – 4:30pm
Carlson Theater
Free admission (no food or drinks in the theater)
Back by Popular Demand! The hit musical that delighted audiences is returning this fall for JAPAN WEEK!
Little Red Riding Hood: Another Story
Discover a fresh and heartwarming twist on the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Filled with laughter, memorable songs, lively dancing, and an inspiring story, this musical is perfect for audiences of all ages. Performed entirely in Japanese, this production offers a wonderful opportunity to experience Japanese language and culture through live theater.
📅 Saturday, October 10, 2026
🕞 3:30 PM–4:30 PM
📍 Carlson Theater, Bellevue College (no eating or drinking inside the theater)
🎟️ Free Admission
More Information / Playbill: click here!
Step into a whole new world of Little Red Riding Hood! Bring your family and friends and join us for this special performance. We look forward to welcoming you!
Contact: mimibunkosea@gmail.com
日本語 (click here)
多くの皆さまからご好評をいただいたミュージカルが、この秋、「JAPAN WEEK」で再演決定！
ミュージカル『赤ずきん アナザーストーリー』
日本語 誰もが知っている「赤ずきん」の物語を、新しい視点で描いた、笑いあり、歌あり、ダンスあり、そして心温まる感動のストーリーです。
📅 2026年10月10日（土）
🕞 午後3:30～4:30
📍 Bellevue College Carlson Theatre (館内での飲食はご遠慮ください。)
🎟️ 入場無料
公演プログラム（click here）
あなたも、この新しい赤ずきんの世界を体験してみませんか？ ご家族、ご友人をお誘い合わせのうえ、ぜひお気軽にお越しください。皆様にお会いできるのを楽しみにしています。
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibit
広島・長崎原爆展
Courtesy of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum,
Nuclear Weapons Awareness
October 5 – 8 (Mon – Thurs) and October 10 (Sat)
(time and location below)
Exhibition:
- October 5 (Mon) – 8 (Thurs):
C Building Room 130 A and B (10am – 3pm) - October 10 (Saturday Festival):
B Building Room 101 (10am – 5pm)
Join us during the 10th Japan Week @ Bellevue College for the Hiroshima Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibit, a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of nuclear weapons and the urgent need for peace. There will be over 30 specially curated photos, data panels, and historical materials from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (courtesy of Nuclear Weapons Awareness), so don’t miss this opportunity to learn what happened 80 years ago in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Lectures & Presentations
講演・実演
Times and Location below
This section is for presentations that provided us with information. For all performances and presentations, check the Saturday Schedule here.
Kimono 101
着物１０１
Seattle Kimono Club
10:00–11:00am – R Building Room 101
Discover the history, meaning, and artistry behind one of Japan’s most iconic garments in this introduction to Kimono 101. Explore how kimono evolved from everyday clothing into an important part of modern Japanese culture and ceremony. Learn the differences between men’s and women’s kimono, major types of kimono, family crests (kamon), and the fundamentals of kitsuke—the art of dressing in kimono. Whether you’re completely new to kimono or already a fan, this presentation offers an approachable look at kimono as a living cultural tradition.
Within the Silence: Incarceration Camp Experiences
沈黙の中で
Prisca Kim (Living Voices)
11:30–12:30pm – B Building Room 102
Also available on Wednesday (Oct. 7), 2:30–3:20pm (Weekday Schedule)
Please join us for a moving multimedia performance of Within the Silence co-created with the Wing Luke Museum and the Living Voices Theatre company .Through a powerful blend of performance and archival film, experience the impact of Japanese American incarceration. Within the Silence brings life to history and invites reflection on resilience and belonging.
Elementary School Life in Japan: Customs, Culture, and Everyday Experiences
日本の小学生の生活
Koichi Kitazumi (JASSW, Japan in the Schools)
1:00–2:00pm – R Building Room 101
What is it like to be an elementary school student in Japan? Join Koichi Kitazumi for an interactive journey through a typical school day as we follow Taro from home to school. Learn common Japanese phrases, discover unique aspects of Japanese school culture, and get a hands-on look at authentic classroom items such as textbooks, a randoseru backpack, and uwabaki, the indoor shoes worn by students at school.
Manga Drawing Workshop
マンガ作画講座
Arisa Nakamura
2:30–3:30pm – R Building Room 101
Also available on Tuesday (Oct. 6), 2:30–3:20pm (Weekday Schedule)
Arisa Nakamura will explain the basic technique of manga drawing, such as manpu, fukidashi, facial expressions and how to design manga characters. You’ll also have a chance to learn how to use tools to draw and color manga characters!
Sumie: Calligraphy Painting Workshop
墨絵ワークショップ
Hiroko Nagatomo
3:30–4:30pm – B Building Room 102
Limited to 20 participants
Also available on Thursday (Oct. 8), 2:30–3:20pm (Weekday Schedule)
Please wear dark-colored clothing, as sumi ink may stain and cannot be washed out. Explore the elegance and simplicity of sumi-e, the traditional Japanese art of ink painting that emphasizes balance, expression, and the beauty of each brushstroke. In this beginner-friendly, hands-on workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of sumi-e, including basic brush techniques, ink preparation, brush control, and the use of line, shading, and empty space to create expressive works of art.
Onigiri Workshop
おにぎり作り体験
Kanako Koizumi (Kozmo Kitchen)
4:00–5:00pm – R Building Room 101
Limited to 20 participants
Also available on Monday (Oct. 5), 2:30–3:20pm (Weekday Schedule)
Kanako Koizumi’s authentic Japanese home cooking begins with the culinary traditions of her upbringing in Japan’s northern prefecture of Akita. She’s been teaching in Seattle for over 15 years as an instructor at PCC Cooks and Whisk as well as her own classes at the Phinney Neighborhood Association. Her classes combine native recipes, traditional techniques, and seasonal ingredients to evoke the feelings of connection to family, home, and culture that only a nurturing, hand-crafted meal can provide.
In this workshop, the chef will guide you step by step through the process of crafting your own onigiri. You’ll learn how to portion the rice, place your fillings just right (including vegan options), and shape each onigiri so it holds together beautifully—and tastes as good as it looks. This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience with a timeless Japanese snack.