Hinoki Foundation

10/04/2026

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu to everyone who stopped by the Hinoki activity tables at the Novi Japan Festival today!! 🥳🎉🗾 We appreciate the JBSD & JSD Women’s Club for including us! 🙏🙇🏻‍♀️ Many thanks to all the Hinoki volunteers (Mieko, Gabe, Takeru, Cyrus, Kureha, Jasper, Andy, & Anne) who made it possible❣️🤩🙏
とても楽しかったです♪🎉😎

08/24/2026

私たちもこのコラボを楽しみにしています！🤩🙌🎉

We are excited to announce the launch of the Fall 2026 session of the Japanese after school program being offered at Holmes middle school in Livonia for the 2026-2027 school year! The program will start September 14th and end November 2nd. The days and time are slightly different from last year due to teacher availability- Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:10 to 5 pm.

We are continuing to partner with the Hinoki Foundation and students can expect more cooking, conversation, calligraphy, career exploration, and STEM activities!

Please follow the link to register your student here: https://forms.gle/Ubnf7qiKQAjaNbcJ8

We are still working on finalizing grants for this year's programs and hope to finalize the cost of the program for this semester soon. We appreciate your patience as we work to keep the cost low for families.

If your child is interested in joining, we ask that you register and wait to pay until we get the final cost. If cost is a determining factor, we ask that you still register your child's interest and let us know your final decision when we share the cost.

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]

08/22/2026

That’s a wrap for 2026 Hinoki Camp!! ⛺️ 🙌　
Over 160 campers (including 12 new families) enjoyed a weekend of great weather August 7-9 at Camp Dearborn, enjoying traditional Japanese activities like "suika-wari" watermelon splitting 🍉, "bon odori" folk dances🪘🎶, and "kamishibai" illustrated storytelling, along with water balloons 🎈, volleyball 🏐 , swimming 🏊, fishing 🎣 , ghost stories 👻 , and campfire cuisine 🔥.

hinoki_foundation Assistant Publicity Officer Kureha Watanabe stated, “As a camper myself, I enjoyed the kamishibai performance of the story Kon and Pon, read in English and Japanese. Listening to the heartwarming friendship between Kon and Pon, and getting to hear both versions of the song featured in it, was very interesting to me.” 🌏 🎶 🌎

To see highlights from 2026 Hinoki Camp, please check out DJV Productions’ excellent video here: 🎬 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594-60waYC0　

This event was made possible by generous support from Japan Foundation, New York, the Ypsilanti Meijer Store meijerstr027, the PR/Culture Section of the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit, and members of the Michigan Shishimaikai/Great Lakes Taiko Center. A special thank you goes out to the many outstanding volunteers who helped make this year‘s camp such a success! 😍 🙏 🙇‍♂️

8月7日〜9日に開催されたひのきキャンプが無事終了しました！今年は初参加の12組のご家族を含め、なんと160人以上のキャンパーが集まりました。⛺️✨ ミルフォードの豊かな自然の中、爽やかなお天気に恵まれて最高の3日間になりました！☀️

日本の夏定番のスイカ割りや盆踊りのほかに紙芝居、水風船、水泳、釣り、怪談話、キャンプファイアー料理など様々なアクティビティーを楽しみました！🙌 🏕

キャンプパーとして個人的に一番面白かったイベントは紙芝居でした。登場人物の「コン」と「ポン」の温かい友情や物語の中で歌われる曲が日本語と英語でどっちも聞けたことが興味深かったです。🌏 🎶 🌎

DJV Productionsさんが作ってくださった、キャンプのハイライト動画をぜひご覧ください🎬👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594-60waYC0　

また、今回のひのきキャンプ開催にあたり、温かいご支援・ご協力をいただきました国際交流基金ニューヨーク（JFNY）様、Ypsilanti Meijer Store（）様、在デトロイト日本国総領事館の広報文化課様、みしがん獅子舞会・Great Lakes Taiko Center様をはじめとするスポンサーやボランティアの皆様に、心より感謝申し上げます。😍 🙏 🙇‍♂️

08/20/2026

Momo Sensei will be leading a Japanese songfest for children ages 0-6 at the Ann Arbor District Library downtown main branch this Saturday 8/22 at 11:00am!

07/23/2026

Hinoki Camp is coming up August 7-9!! 🎊⛺🎊

Over 150 people are expected to join in the bilingual, bicultural festivities this year! 🌏 🙌 🌎

These include Japanese summer activities like folk dances, "kamishibai" illustrated storytelling, and "suika-wari" watermelon splitting, along with water balloon tosses, volleyball, swimming, fishing, ghost stories, s'mores, and more!! Each camper will get to tie-dye their own original Hinoki Camp T-shirt for a lasting memory of summer. 👕 🏊🏻 🏐

This event is made possible by generous support from sponsors including Japan Foundation, New York and Ypsilanti Meijer Store . Sincere thanks to members of Sakura Japanese Instrumental Group for their support of the bon odori dance practice! 🙏🤩

2025 Hinoki Camp video courtesy of DJV Productions.

For more information, see https://hinokifoundation.org/page4.html

ひのきキャンプ　(8/7-8/9) 🎊⛺🎊

ひのき財団が今年も本格的アウトドアキャンプを主催します。バイリンガル・バイカルチャーならではのお祭りなどを楽しみましょう♪ 🌏 🙌 🌎

伝統的な踊り、紙芝居、スイカ割りなど日本の夏ならではの行事が楽しめます。他にも水風船、バレーボール、水泳、釣り、肝試し、スモア作りなどのアクティビティが待っています。また自分だけのオリジナルひのきキャンプTシャツをタイダイで染めて作ることもできます。👕 🏊🏻 🏐

家族や友達と一緒に忘れられない夏の思い出を作りましょう♪

このイベントはスポンサーのJapan Foundation New York、YpsilantiMeijer(https://www.instagram.com/meijerstr027/)、Sakura Japanese Instrumental Group(https://www.facebook.com/SakuraPerformanceGroup)、DJV Productions (https://www.facebook.com/DJVProductions360) などの方々からのサポートで主催することが可能になりました。

詳しくはこちらをご覧ください:
https://hinokifoundation.org/page4.html

07/09/2026

This accelerated Japanese language program for middle schoolers is now offered online, using Michigan "Section 21f" public funding!
The deadline for applying to join M.A.N.G.A., hosted by the MSU Youth Program (GATE), is Friday 8/21. Details, in Japanese & English, are available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H3IVkoD3ZUWnoH48Ioa3GwEptpngAk5c/view?usp=sharing

#日本語学習　

📣 This rare MANGA deadline extension means even more students have the chance to apply.

For families who needed a little more time, this is a valuable opportunity to join a program that can help students accelerate their high school path while studying Japanese language and culture at an advanced level through Michigan State University.

Students in programs like this gain more than academic challenge. They build real language skills, grow through close learning communities, and deepen their cultural understanding in ways that can shape their future long after high school.

If your student is ready for more, now is the time to take advantage of this extended deadline.

07/07/2026

Today (7月7日) is Tanabata, or the Star Festival! And we have sunny weather, so Orihime and Hikoboshi will be able to meet!
This 10-min. video in Japanese, with furigana/kanji subtitles, explores the reasons why 七夕 is pronounced the same way as 棚機 (an ancient loom), why we write 短冊 wishes to hang on bamboo trees, and so on, in a sort of "folk tale" format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EDOIastaE4
An English summary of the origins of Tanabata and how this festival is celebrated in Japan today are posted at:
https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/folk/tanabata/index.html

Our friends at the Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House, & Gardens of Saginaw are hosting a special Tanabata event this Thursday 7/9 that is free and open to the public:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070368677309

07/02/2026

"Taste of Japan" camp at Mott Community College, July 7-9 and July 14-16!
Come join this hands-on exploration of Japanese cooking, arts, music, games, and more! Learn to count and sing songs in Japanese. Hands-on experiences with brush calligraphy, origami, and other crafts. Open to ages 7-18. Tuition is $139/week.

Dates Class Days Times Location
7/7/2026 - 7/9/2026 Tue, Wed, Thu 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM Flint, Curtice-Mott Complex
7/7/2026 - 7/9/2026 Tue, Wed, Thu 01:00 PM - 4:00 PM Lapeer Extension Center
07/14/26 - 07/16/26 Tue, Wed, Thu 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM Flint, Curtice-Mott Complex
07/14/26 - 07/16/26 Tue, Wed, Thu 01:00 PM - 4:00 PM Southern Lakes Branch Center (Fenton)

No Japanese language experience required to join, we hope to see you there!!

For details/registration, please visit:
https://bit.ly/4dzL7AE

日本の文化を味わおう！
Taste of Japan camp at Mott Community College
開催期間：7月7日〜7月9日、7月14日〜7月16日 (火・水・木）
日本の料理、音楽、ゲームなど楽しく体験できるキャンプです！3日間の間日本語で数えたり歌ったりするほか書道や折り紙などの作品作りもできます。
参加費：$139
日本語初心者でも大歓迎！誰でも参加することが可能です。
お申し込み・詳細はこちらのリンクから：
https://bit.ly/4dzL7AE

06/29/2026

PLEASE REPOST/SHARE:
There are still some spots available for kids ages 7-18 to learn Japanese cuisine, traditional toys, origami, songs, language, etc.!
Half-day camps at Mott Community College in Flint & beyond.
Please register ASAP: https://bit.ly/4dzL7AE

#英語日本語

Summer Camp! Taste of Japan!

Explore Japanese cooking, arts, music, games, and more!

Learn to count and sing songs in Japanese. Hands-on experiences with brush calligraphy, origami, and other crafts.

No prior Japanese language experience required.

Tuition: $139 Tuesday-Thursday 9 am-12:00 pm

Two sessions:
July 7-9
July 14-16

Enroll: https://bit.ly/4dzL7AE

06/23/2026

Thank you to Washtenaw Community College Future U for partnering with Hinoki Foundation to offer "Konnichi wa Circuits: A Japanese STEM Adventure" day camp for youth last week! The 5-day camp featured hands-on geometry (origami), hands-on chemistry (Japanese cooking & baking), and hands-on physics (Snap Circuits kits, kendama, & taketombo propeller toys), along with "rajio taisou" calisthenics, songs, kamishibai stories, calligraphy, mini rock gardens, and how to count in Japanese. Thank you to Chef Tammi, Anne Sensei, and our bilingual assistants Yoko, Youma, & Cassidy for providing this special experience to our young people!

#英語日本語