Bring Your Own Bento: Japanese Language and Culture Talk (October 3, 2026)

Saturday October 3, 2026

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET In Person @ The Japan Foundation, Toronto 

Have you been thinking about learning a new language but haven’t been able to find the time?

The Japan Foundation, Toronto is happy to offer a series of Japanese language and culture talks where we will introduce words and expressions to get you started on the path to learning Japanese! All levels of Japanese learners are welcome to join too!

If you are near the Yonge/Bloor area in Toronto, why not come by during your lunch hour and learn more about Japanese language and interesting cultural information?  These sessions are B.Y.O.B. (“bring your own bento“), so please feel free to bring your lunch with you!

In conjunction with the JFT Library’s event titled “Tsunagu: Passing on Books, Memories & Culture”, this session’s topic will be Japanese Gift-Giving Culture. Come join us and learn Japanese words and phrases related to gift-giving, along with interesting facts about this theme.  All attendees will receive a gift from our center! Join us for the talk, and take the opportunity to participate in the library’s event during your visit.

This session is free to join but registration is required. Please let us know if you will be joining us using the button below. Space is limited, so please secure your spot soon!

If you have any questions, please contact us at koza_jftoronto@jpf.go.jp.

Terms and Conditions:

• The Japan Foundation, Toronto (hereinafter referred to as “the Organizer”) reserves the right to cancel the registration of any participant who engages in disruptive behavior or any sales activity during the event. Such actions may result in immediate removal from the event at the Organizer’s discretion.
• The Organizer is not responsible for any personal interactions between participants outside of the event. Participants are encouraged to manage these relationships independently.
• Photographs or videos may be taken during the event by the Organizer’s staff for promotional purposes only.
• Participants are not to record, photograph, or take screen captures of the event.
• By registering for and attending the event, participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to the above Terms and Conditions.

Please note that registration will take place on Eventbrite, accessed via the link below.

REGISTER HERE

RELATED PROGRAMMING

Join us for TSUNAGU (つなぐ: to connect), a special celebration of the books, memories, and cultural connections that have flourished at the JFT Library. As we prepare to relocate, this will be our final in-person celebration at our current library location and the final Saturday that the physical library will be open to the public.

Some of our library items are selected for giveaway, including books, manga, magazines, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHSs in English, Japanese, and French. Find a treasure to take home and help us pass our collection on to new readers!

At our hands-on origami station, you’re invited to fold a paper butterfly and pair it with an ema (絵馬)-inspired message card. Drawing on the Japanese tradition of writing wishes and messages on wooden plaques, you can share a memory, wish, cultural discovery, or message for the future. A butterfly is also included in the Japan Foundation’s logo, whose form represents the cyclical exchange of culture: our wish to deliver Japanese culture to the world while conveying diverse cultures of the world back to Japan. Add your butterfly and message to a growing collaborative art installation, and help us create a collective expression of the connections made through the library!