Newsletter: August 2025
Summer is nearly over already! Take a look at what all we’ve been doing and what we have coming up!
Upcoming Activities
August Pika Kai - Dinner and Ponyo
Grab your popcorn! For August's get together, we will be seeing Ponyo in theaters!
For those interested, we will be eating dinner at Tokyo Joe's beforehand.
When: Monday, August 25th @ 5:40pm for dinner, and 7pm for the movie
(please meet at 6:50pm in the movie theater lobby)
Dinner Location: Tokyo Joe's - Denver West (14227 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80401)
Movie Location: Regal US Colorado Mills in Lakewood (14500 W Colfax Ave Suite 600, Lakewood, CO 80401)
Please RSVP here to let us know you are attending, and please purchase your own theater tickets here
September and October
We’re still hammering out the details, but keep your eyes peeled on our social media, website, and future newsletters for more information on the following events:
September: Sushi making party
Date/Time: TBD
October: Sports Day and Picnic
Date/Time: TBD
Utah Sub-Chapter
Pepper Lunch
For anyone missing the mall staple restaurant Pepper Lunch, new locations have opened in Utah and continue to open across the US! Check out their DIY Teppanyaki with fresh ingredients for a delicious — and possibly nostalgic — taste of Japanese cuisine!
Community Activities
Japanese Self-Study in Denver
Did you know that there’s not one but TWO meetups for practicing Japanese with fellow Japanese learners in the Denver area? Allow us to introduce each one:
The Japan America Society of Colorado (JASC) - JASC hosts this bi-weekly gathering for native and non-native Japanese speakers to use their language skills in a relaxed space. If you don't use it, you lose it! Don’t miss the two upcoming dates:
When: Saturday August 16th & 30th 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Edgewater Public Market
More Info: Click here for additional information.
Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
The mission of Colorado Dragon Boat is to build bridges of awareness, knowledge, and understanding between the diverse Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and the general public through cultural education, leadership development, and athletic competition.
Where: Sloan’s Lake Park, Denver, CO
When: September 6th and 7th, 2025
Recent Events
2025 Cherry Blossom Festival
Our collaboration with the Office of the Consul General of Japan in Denver at this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival was a huge success. We had the opportunity to connect with prospective JETs, JET alum, and people with an interest in traveling to Japan.
We would love to thank the Consul General’s office and staff for collaborating with us on this amazing opportunity for community connection and outreach, and a heartfelt thanks to all of our volunteers who helped make it all possible.
It was the perfect opportunity to show off our new volunteer happi as well!
JET Pre-Departure Q&A
This year’s pre departure Q&A was held remotely on June 28th. It is a major opportunity for the outgoing JET cohort to get answers to their most pressing questions as the clock counts down to their final departure date. We would like to thank the office of the Consul General of Japan in Denver for inviting JETAARM and other members of our JET alumni community to present and share their experiences with the outgoing JET cohort. It is an invaluable experience in calming nerves, forging connections, and setting expectations for all involved.
A special thanks to all of our volunteers: Brad Breiten, Jennifer Basco, Avery Truman, Joe Mignano, Alissa Berdahl, Ryan Pascua, Abigayle Goldstein, Christy Go, and David LaCharite.
JET Pre-Departure Orientation
On July 25, this year’s cohort of outgoing JETs from the Rocky Mountain Region underwent the grueling day long pre-departure orientation. The excitement — and sometimes nerves — in the room were palpable as everyone asks their last minute questions about what to expect once they arrive in Japan for the Tokyo orientation.
After the long day or questions, preparation, and presentations, the outgoing JETs, presenters, members of the JETAARM board, and distinguished members of the Japanese cultural community in Denver were invited to the Consul General’s residence for a reception and celebration. Our very own JETAARM President, David LaCharite, gave a speech to the outgoing JETs as some final words of wisdom before their departure.
This year, we sent 42 new JETs from the Rocky Mountain region. You are all now JET alum, and we will welcome you with open arms when you return. Best of luck on your adventure! Itterashai!!
Kagoshima JET Alumni Support Internation Art Exchange
Earlier this month, Kagoshima JET Alumni Alberto Martinez and David LaCharite teamed up with visiting artist Takumi Fujiwara from Denver’s Sister City, Takayama, Japan. The group harvested native Colorado prairie grass at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farm as materials for Fujiwara-san’s cultural exchange project with local Denver artist Casey Kawaguchi.You can view the resulting installation now at RiNo Art Park (1900 35th St, Denver, CO 80216)—a great example of how grassroots (no pun intended) collaboration and international friendship take shape through art!
Upcoming USJETAA Events
Sign up for the USJETAA newsletter for JET-related news & events and check out the Upcoming Events page
Thanks For Reading!
Have Something to Share?
Feel free to reach out to us by email or on Facebook! This space is open to all - if you have an upcoming event, an essay, a review, an amazing photo, or anything else you want to share, send it to editor@jetaarockymountain.org with the subject "Newsletter Idea."
