Bellevue College to Host 8th Annual Japan Week 

Students and the greater Eastside community are invited to attend Bellevue College’s eighth annual Japan Week, a series of events in which students will learn about Japanese culture and history Sept. 30-Oct. 3, followed by a matsuri (festival) day open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 5.  

This year’s event will celebrate major milestones in the creation of Japanese media icons: Godzilla (70^th anniversary), Doraemon (55^th), Hello Kitty (50^th), and Gundam (45^th).  

Japan Week attendees can expect to see two of those icons as mascots walking around campus on Oct. 5 for photo opportunities and more. The festival day will include a flea market with authentic Japanese items for sale, two showings of the 1954 film “Godzilla,” musical performances, games, karaoke, a photobooth, a language exchange, a calligraphy workshop, tea ceremony demonstrations, and a manga swap. On average, the festival day sees roughly 4,000-5,000 visitors each year. 

“I want students and the greater community to learn more about Japanese culture and history,” Anne Matsumoto Stewart said of attendees. “I want them to get used to the culture and experience something they haven’t experienced before, to learn something they cannot learn in a classroom, and become comfortable with a different culture.” 

Stewart, a faculty emeritus who taught Japanese at Bellevue College for 15 years before retiring in June, helps lead and organize the event’s production alongside a group of students within the Japanese Culture Exchange Club at the college. Japan Week began eight years ago in 2017 and has expanded year over year with support from the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle. 

Ikumi Sugimoto, a Bellevue College student who is part of the student club and is helping with the event’s production, said it’s an honor to be part of Japan Week. Having grown up in both the United States and Japan, she said she hopes attendees will realize Japanese culture is more than just manga and anime, although she acknowledges those are both great ways to get introduced.  

“In the world now where we can access Instagram or Facebook, there’s so much information about our ‘catchy’ culture, anime, sushi or food. But one thing I want to express through Japan Week is there’s more to our culture,” Sugimoto said. “There’s beauty and virtue, tea ceremonies, martial arts – things that are not as catchy on social media but are still important to our culture.” 

To facilitate appreciation for traditional origami design and bento boxes, which are said to be invented by farmers and merchants between 1185-1333, organizers are currently hosting community photo contests that encourage participants to fold origami or character bento boxes, take a photo of their art, and submit it on the event’s website. On Saturday, Oct. 5, there will also be a Kendama contest, a trivia and cosplay costume contest.  

For more information about Japan Week, a list of activities, and information about parking, visit the Japan Week website.