One Busy Summer: JETAA Prairies Gives You the Low Down

It’s been one busy summer for JETAA Prairies. From Aikon to a Pre-Departure dinner to a national conference to having lunch with the Consult General of Japan, members at JETAA Prairies have been busy and we are more than happy to give you the details.

Aikon 2025

JETAA Prairies spent one weekend in July at Aikon, Winnipeg’s largest anime/manga convention. Over a hundred people stopped by at our table to discuss about Japan. We printed out a huge map of Japan and asked visitors to place stickers to parts of Japan where they have been.

On behalf of JETAA Prairies, we thank Aikon for allowing us at their convention again.

JETAA Prairies members at their outreach table at Aikon 2025.
JETAA Prairies members at their outreach table at Aikon 2025.

Farewell Dinner For Our Departing JETs.

JETAA Prairies President and Secretary meet one of the new JETs for dinner before departing for Japan later in the week.
JETAA Prairies President, Rigor (centre), and Secretary, Hyewon (left), meet one of the new departing JETs (right) for dinner.

This year, we have two new shortlisted JETs departing from Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The President of JETAA Prairies, Rigor, and Secretary, Hyewon, met up with newly selected JET days before departure. As for the JET in Saskatchewan, our President made time to talk with the Sakatchewan JET via a conference call.

JETAA Prairies President, Rigor, meet one of the new JETs via conference call. This new JET is currently living in Saskatchewan.
JETAA Prairies President, Rigor, meet one of the new JETs via conference call. This new JET is currently living in Saskatchewan.

On behalf of everyone at JETAA Prairies, we wish all new JETs best of luck.

2025 JETAA Canadian Conference in Halifax

JETAA chapter representatives getting ready to start the National Conference in Halifax.
JETAA chapter representatives getting ready to start the National Conference in Halifax.

In mid-August, JETAA Prairies President, Rigor, and Secretary, Hyewon, flew to Halifax for this year’s National Conference. Chapter representatives from all Canadian chapters, a country representative from USA, and representatives from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and CLAIR converged onto Halifax’s Dalhousie University to present their respective chapter reports, brainstorm, and partake in Japanese ikebana.

JET alumni do ikebana in Halifax for the National Conference 2025.
JET alumni do ikebana in Halifax for the National Conference 2025.
JETAA Prairies chapter representatives - President Rigor Maglaya (left and giving the Vulcan salute) and Secretary Hyewon Park (right) - present their chapter report at the JETAA Canada Conference at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Photo taken by Danielle Markewicz of JETAA BC.
JETAA Prairies chapter representatives – President Rigor Maglaya (left and giving the Vulcan salute) and Secretary Hyewon Park – present their chapter report at the JETAA Canada Conference at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Photo taken by Danielle Markewicz of JETAA BC.

Once the conference wrapped up, Rigor managed to get one epic selfie with most the delegates in one huge selfie that can rival Ellen Denegeres’ Oscar selfie. What do you think?

A group selfie full of JET alumni in Halifax. This was taken once they eneded the conference.
A group selfie full of JET alumni in Halifax. This was taken once they ended the conference.

On behalf of JETAA Prairies, we thank JETAA Halifax, CLAIR, and JETAA Canada Representative, Shuaib, and all of the chapter representatives for helping to organize this year’s conference.

Meeting with the Consul General of Japan at the Forks

JETAA Prairies welcomed Calgary’s Consul General of Japan, Takehiko Wajima, Vice-Consul Yoshiko Okada, and Vice-Consul Haruna Aizawa to Winnipeg. The Consulate of Japan in Calgary were in town for Winnipeg’s Folklorama. Before embarking for the Japanese Pavillion, the Consul General and fellow staff had lunch with members of JETAA Prairies alumni at the Forks.

JETAA Prairies alumni meet Consul General of Japan in Calgary, Takehiro Wajima, Vice Consul Yoshiko Okada, and Vice Consul Haruna Aizwa at the Forks for lunch.
JETAA Prairies alumni meet Consul General of Japan in Calgary, Takehiko Wajima, Vice-Consul Yoshiko Okada, and Vice-Consul Haruna Aizwa at the Forks for lunch.

On behalf of JETAA Prairies, we thank Consul General Wajima, Vice-Consul Okada, and Vice-Consul Aizawa for visiting Winnipeg. We hope to see you again!

JETAA Ottawa’s FREE Movie Night: Restaurant From The Sky

JETAA Ottawa in collaboration with The Japan Foundation is holding a FREE moving night. The dates/times are below as follows.

Friday, November 3, 6:59 PM (Atlantic) to Monday, November 6, 12:59AM (Atlantic).
Friday, November 3, 5:59 PM (Eastern) to Sunday, November 5, 11:59PM (Eastern).
Friday, November 3, 4:59 PM (Central) to Sunday, November 5, 10:59PM (Central).
Friday, November 3, 3:59 PM (Mountain) to Sunday, November 5, 9:59PM (Mountain).
Friday, November 3, 2:59 PM (Pacific) to Sunday, November 5, 8:59PM (Pacific).

You have register to the get the free movie pass for these times. Registration and the movie screening link can found here: https://watch.eventive.org/restaurantfromthesky/play/6532db3fc0efb900d91cbed7

JETAA Ottawa’s event page for this event: https://www.jetaaottawa.ca/japanese-movie-weekend-free-nov-3-to-nov-6/

ストーリー
今日も食卓に、明るい声が響く。ここは道南・せたな町。海が見える牧場で酪農を営む亘
理は、 妻のこと絵、一人娘の潮莉とのしあわせな家族 3 人暮らし。自然に寄り添った食
を追求する仲間たちに囲まれ、厳しくも美しい大地で楽しい日々を送っている。亘理の夢
は、自分の牧場の牛乳で、この地でしか食べられないチーズを作ること。でも師匠のチー
ズ職人・大谷にはまだ追いつけず、落ち込んだり奮起したりの繰り返しだ。ある時、札幌
から訪れた有名シェフ・朝田に自分たちの食材を激賞され、亘理は一つのアイデアを思い
つく。それは、せたなの おいしいもの を広く届けるため、一日限定のレストランを開く
ことだった。だが、納得ゆくチーズが完成せず思い悩んでいたある日、突然大谷が倒れ…
…。

STORY
Wataru lives happily with his wife, Kotoe, and daughter, Shiori, in Setana,
Hokkaido. He runs a cheese factory and raises cattle on a ranch with a view
of the ocean that he inherited from his father. His cheese-making skills are still mediocre, so he is constantly getting scolded by his strict master. But Wataru enjoys a good life with a group of like-minded friends that are always there for each other. Then Kanbe, a young shepherd from Tokyo, joins their circle, and the friends find pleasure in “good food” that they produce themselves and share with one another. Then one day, a chef from a famous restaurant in Sapporo, who is attracted by their food, pays them a visit. They are ecstatic that their products are made even more delicious by this chef, and together they start planning a one -day- only restaurant to spread their joy to other people.