On March 6th, nearly 130 students, teachers, professors, and community members gathered virtually to celebrate Japanese language education in Washington State at our first annual Japanese Language Festival. In partnership with the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center (HBCC), WATJ, and the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, we presented the winners of HBCC’s Japanese Speech and Skit contest, enjoyed a live rakugo performance by Yanagiya Tozaburo “Zabu” III, got reports from current JET participants, competed in a Kahoot trivia competition and enjoyed fun breakout rooms.

We want to express a special thank you to Zabu for his amazing live rakugo performance!