Cultural Programming

Anime Milwaukee is committed to bringing attention not only to Japanese pop culture, such as anime and manga, but also educational content about Japan's rich traditional culture, including artwork, cuisine, language, music and more. We have great local community partners that we've been proud to work with and honored to bring out to the show. Below you will find more information on some of the partners who present at Anime Milwaukee.

Japanese Culture Center

The Japanese Culture Center was established in 1977 in Chicago by Aikido Shihan (Teacher of Teachers) and Zen Master Fumio Toyoda to make some of the martial arts, crafts, and philosophical riches of Japan available to the public.

Today the JCC continues this tradition, offering classes in over a dozen martial and cultural arts. The Center is not a museum where lifeless objects are displayed; it is a school where living skills are passed on person to person from generation to generation. You become an active participant in arts that have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

We invite you to visit and experience the richness and complexity of knowledge cultivated around the world. Upon entering the Center you will see a wooden panel on which are carved the characters “Ten Shin Kan,” or “Place of the Universal Mind/Body/Spirit”. In the spirit of the traditional training halls, the JCC is a true “Dojo”, or “House of the Way”.

Japanese Cultural Center will be running three programs at Anime Milwaukee:

  • Sunday, March 9
    1:30PM-2:30PM in Main Programming

    Mugai Ryu is a traditional, feudal-era style of swordsmanship founded around 1700 by Tsuji Gatan Sukemochi. The style aims at teaching practical, combative sword techniques, with an emphasis also on Zen and the attainment of enlightenment through swordsmanship.

    Practice centers on learning the formal sword drawing and cutting solo forms, as well as paired combative forms using partners. More advanced students will have the opportunity to learn forms from other styles, such as the Sekiguchi Ryu and the Niten Ichi Ryu. Iaito (training swords) are optional if owned, otherwise beginners may borrow or purchase wooden training weapons.

  • Friday, March 7
    5PM-6PM at Kilbourn (Hilton)

    Japanese calligraphy or Shodo is an artistic way of writing the Japanese language using brush (fude) and ink (sumi). This form of writing with a set brush stroke order allows for a creative way to produce works of art. Often tied with meditation, the mind is cleared to let the letters flow out with little effort. This state of mind is called mu shin or “no mind state.”

  • Saturday, March 8
    10:15AM-11:15AM at Panel Room #3 - S102DE

    During this one hour program, attendees will learn about the basics of what it takes to learn the Japanese language. Yamamoto Sensei will review the three alphabet systems, basic phrases, introductions and more! Come ready with pencil and paper and a willingness to learn.

Hibiki Taiko

Taiko (太鼓, lit. “big drum”) is an ancient form of traditional Japanese drumming that has been involved in various aspects of Japanese culture and history over many centuries. It has functioned as a form of communication in the military, is played during religious and spiritual ceremonies, rituals and local festivals, and is incorporated into traditional Japanese theater. More recently, “taiko” has become popularized around the globe as an ensemble style of performance called kumi-daiko (組太鼓, lit. "set of drums").

Milwaukee Taiko Group Hibiki showcases both traditional and modern styles of taiko with the mission of promoting interest in and understanding of Japanese culture through taiko drumming.

Ikebana International Milwaukee Chapter #22

Ikebana means “living flowers” – they are “living in” the container. The art dates back to the 4th Century, where flowers were a temple offering, and are now done for beautification and self gratification. Ikebana International Milwaukee Chapter #22 will have a display in the Exhibit Hall near the entrance and will be running two demonstrations Friday and Saturday at 1:00 PM. For more information, visit their website or reach out via email.

Friday Presenter: Lynn Laufenberg

Lynn Laufenberg is a Junior Master of the Ichiyo School of Ikebana headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and current president of Ikebana International Milwaukee Chapter #22, a part of an organization spanning 44 countries with more than 6,000 members representing many schools. Lynn demonstrates how to create a morbana (low container), and a nageire (tall container), with variations.

Saturday Presenter: Carolyn Jackson

Demonstrator Carolyn Jackson has been a member of Ikebana International Milwaukee Chapter #22 since 2020 and held many leadership positions, including president. She has studied in the Ichiyo School of Ikebana for 15 years, reaching the level of Instructor, and has been teaching for 8 years. She has attended Ichiyo workshops in Atlanta, Omaha, and Tokyo, Japan; and the Ikebana International Convention 2017 in Okinawa, Japan. She represented Ikebana International Chapter #22 at the 2018 Milwaukee Art In Bloom and won The Judges First Place Choice Award.