The Japanese Student Association (JSA) was founded in the Autumn of 2010 and quickly became a Recognized Student Organization at the University of Chicago in Winter 2011.
The founders desired to create an outlet for the Japanese community on campus and friends to openly discuss topics of Japanese lifestyle and current events, and to give university students, unfamiliar with Japanese culture, the opportunity to experience it. The JSA is now expanding to be a line of support for incoming Japanese undergraduate students, Japanese high school students interested in attending university in the US, and short-term Japanese students of upper-level studies.
In the spring of 2011, the independent Japanese conversation group, known as Hanasukai, merged with JSA and reformed into what is now known as the Japanese Language Committee. Starting in the 2012-2013 school year, this committee will be working to facilitate for those students studying Japanese at the University of Chicago no matter what their level. The JSA also will be working with nearby institutions of primary and secondary education to expose young students to Japanese language.
Since its founding, despite limited resources, the Japanese Student Association was able to host and participate in several events. The JSA received several generous offers from other cultural RSOs on campus and performance groups in the Chicago area to collaborate and we gladly accepted whenever possible. Though the JSA has only existed for a short period of time, members are grateful to have been invited and included by other RSOs on campus. As JSA enters into its third year, the board has many plans to build a more solid foundation and exciting experience for each member.
We invite you to forge ahead with us!
Please refer to the Events page for a list of past activities and more images from JSA events!