Date & Time: Saturday, October 17, 10:00–11:30 a.m.Location: Honorable Shirley Chisholm Library (formerly the Amherst Main Library at Audubon) The Japanese Group of Buffalo recently held a Halloween party, our first in several years. Seven children from four families joined us, along with eleven adults, including staff. We began with a craft time, painting small…
Date & Time: Saturday, September 26, 10:00–11:30 a.m.Location: Honorable Shirley Chisholm Library (formerly the Amherst Main Library at Audubon), 350 John James Audubon Parkway, Amherst We held our third Kamishibai storytelling event on September 26. Two children and seven adults joined us: the Honbu family, a mother and daughter from the Sasaki family, and four…
On Saturday, August 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., our Summer Picnic was held at Ellicott Creek Park. We were blessed with beautiful weather and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon together. As this was a potluck party, everyone brought an abundance of delicious homemade dishes, far more than we could possibly finish. People who do…
The 3rd annual Bon Odori Festival was held on Sunday, August 9th (4:00–8:00 PM) at Enkyoji Temple, a Nichiren Buddhist temple in North Tonawanda. The event began with a Bon memorial service (Bon-e Hoyo) led by the temple’s head priest, Reverend Kanjin, followed by a lion dance and a kamishibai (Japanese picture-story) performance. Outside, members…
On Saturday, July 18 (10:00 AM–11:30 AM), we held our second kamishibai storytelling event at the Hon. Shirley Chisholm (Audubon) Branch, Amherst Public Library, Community Room #2. Following the storytelling, all participants made Pikachu headbands and wore them while dancing the Pokémon Ondo. Mary Hirtzel performed the kamishibai stories “Momotaro” and “The Golden Gift,” and…
On Saturday, June 20 (10:00–11:30 AM), a kamishibai performance was held at the Hon. Shirley Chisholm (Audubon) Branch – Amherst Public Library, Community Room #2, presented by JGB member Mary Hirtzel. A total of 17 participants from 7 households attended, including 2 non-member households. The program featured two stories: Kaguya-hime (The Tale of Princess Kaguya)…
Following the spring consular service on June 4, JGB committee members met with Consul Naoki Matsunaga of the Consulate General of Japan in New York over coffee at Wegmans. Honorary Consul Joseph Koessler and his wife were also in attendance.For Japanese nationals living in the Buffalo area, consular services play an important role in everyday…
Survey Period: May 12 – May 31, 2026Total Responses: 22 (Japanese form: 18, English form: 4)Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your feedback will help guide our future activities. Q1. Why did you choose to renew or join as a new member this year? (Multiple answers allowed) Q2. Would…
The 13th Annual Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival was held on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, at the Buffalo History Museum and the Japanese Garden. Although we had some rain on Saturday, Sunday turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 people visited over the course of the…
The 2026 Buffalo Japanese Association General Meeting was held on Saturday, April 18 (at UB Lockwood Memorial Library, Room 223).There were 12 participants, including three who joined via Zoom.The discussion lasted approximately two hours and was highly productive, with active exchanges of ideas about the future direction of the association.