For nine years, Bellevue College has hosted the annual Japan Week, a week dedicated to celebrating and learning Japanese culture and history. With weekday exhibitions from Oct. 6 to 9 and a festival on Oct. 11, the event is a great opportunity to explore different cultures and expand historical knowledge.
From Oct. 6 to 9 in the Bellevue College Library and Media Center, students can view the Hiroshima Nagasaki atomic bomb exhibit, with over 30 panels and photos. Students are also invited to watch “Hiroshima Witness: 14 Testimonies” and a short video tour of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Both films will be shown in the Bellevue College Library and Media Center, XR Lab Room D-126P, from 11 a.m. to noon.
The weekday events are only available for BC students and feature a variety of activities and presentations. The full weekday schedule can be found here.
- Monday, Oct. 6, will feature an onigiri-making workshop, hosted by Chef Nobuto Uruma. Spaces for this workshop are limited to 30 BC students.
- Tuesday, Oct. 7, will feature a lecture about the impacts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, given by Stan Shikuma.
- Wednesday, Oct. 8, will feature another lecture by Shikuma on lessons of Japanese incarceration. Both lectures will also be repeated at the Saturday festival.
- Thursday, Oct. 9, will end weekday activities with a hands-on Taiko workshop, where students can learn about Japanese drumming from Ringtaro Tateishi, a professional taiko drummer. Students can sign up using the online form, as there is a limit of 30 BC students. All events take place from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. The onigiri workshop and the two lectures will be held in room D-106 at Bellevue College. The taiko workshop will be at the Carlson Theater.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, the public is invited to the on-campus festival day! From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there are plenty of activities to participate in, from calligraphy classes to karaoke to origami making. The Saturday Festival activities can be found on the Japan Week website.
There are various performances to enjoy as well, including puppet shows, taiko and storytelling. Times vary, so visitors should plan accordingly using the schedule. Three Hiroshima and Nagasaki testimonies will also be shown every 45 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., in room B-104.
The festival also features a Japanese flea market and a manga market, held in rooms R-102 and R-103, respectively. Exhibitors will be at the festival as well, with many set up in the L-building lobby.
Visitors can also partake in contests, including paper airplanes, Beyblades, cosplay, Japanese trivia, and Kendama. Rules and times for all contests can be found on the 2025 Japan Weeks Contests section of the website. Donations can be made for the event here, and volunteers for the festival can sign up using the online form.
Don’t miss the chance to learn more about Japanese culture and history! Whether stopping by for the weekday events or enjoying the Saturday festival, everyone will certainly enjoy it!
