JASA, Japan Club host Bunkasai to celebrate Japanese culture

Students gathered in Parkes Hall for Bunkasai, a Japanese cultural festival hosted by the Japanese American Student Association and Japan Club on Sunday.

From origami and calligraphy to shaved ice and takoyaki, the event aimed to bring the spirit of Japanese cultural festivals to Northwestern as well as build connections with broader Chicago Japanese communities, Weinberg junior and JASA co-President Hina Kazama said.

Bunkasai are annual cultural festivals held at schools in Japan, allowing students to come together through music, food and art.

JASA co-President and Medill sophomore Trois Ono said Bunkasai was an opportunity to show the NU community what Japanese culture looks like beyond common perceptions.

“People usually think that Japanese culture is just like anime, cherry blossoms, sushi, and that’s one part of such a more elaborate, detailed culture,” Ono said.

For the first time, JASA and Japan Club partnered with the Japan America Society of Chicago, a nonprofit that connects Japanese and American companies and communities across the region, Kazama said. JASC had a booth at the event where students could learn more about the organization.

The nonprofit hopes to support student groups however it can, according to JASC Director of Operations and Membership Support Erika Kono.

“They’re really just trying to do more and go outside of just Northwestern, and we just wanted to help in any way that we can,” Kono said.

Kazama said the new partnership reflects a broader goal to bring NU and the Chicago Japanese communities together.

That larger aim of connection also informed what organizers wanted attendees to take away from the Bunkasai. Ono said she hoped people from all backgrounds could come together at the festival to enjoy Japanese culture.

McCormick first-year Malka Parker said that openness was clear throughout the festival.

“I think that it’s good that they’re able to open the space to people who aren’t necessarily Japanese as well,” Parker said. “It’s just a very welcoming community.”

For students like JASA member and McCormick first-year Koyuki Yagi, that sense of belonging is part of what makes cultural events like Bunkasai meaningful.

Yagi said finding a place to connect with other Japanese students was especially important to her as someone who grew up in a community with a small Japanese population.

“I think it encourages a sense of belonging for everyone, so it makes everyone feel comfortable around each other and connect with their community,” she said.

JASA and Japan Club hosted its last joint Bunkasai in 2024, Kazama said.

Looking ahead, Kazama said she hopes Bunkasai continues to grow — both on campus and beyond.

“I’m really excited to have it come back this year,” Kazama said. “So of course, I hope that it continues every year now — that we continue to build these relationships with other organizations within and outside of Northwestern and continue to have people enjoy for many more years to come.”

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