Sip, speak, and connect: Japanese Conversation Café comes back to SMC

Sachi Johnston (left), a professor from Santa Monica College’s Japanese department, guides participants through a hiragana chart and vocabulary exercises at one of the language tables at Santa Monica College Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The activity helped learners build confidence in reading and pronunciation. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

Yuka Kitazono (left) and Yukiko Tsuboi (right), both professors of Japanese at Santa Monica College, support the Japanese conversation event at Santa Monica College Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The professors volunteered as native speakers to guide student learning and foster cross-cultural communication. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

Kyoko (center), a native Japanese-speaking volunteer, engages in conversation with Mayorga Ally (right), a first-year social science student at Santa Monica College, during the Japanese conversation event at SMC Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

Jared McClellan (standing), program officer and Japanese language program coordinator at the Japan Foundation, records observations as participants practice conversations in small groups at Santa Monica College Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The event was co-organized by the Japan Foundation and the Santa Monica College Japanese department. The Japan Foundation is Japan’s only institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

Ray (left), a native Japanese speaker and volunteer, chats with Mirian Martinez Garcia (right), a first-year graphic design student at Santa Monica College (SMC), during a language exchange session at the Japanese conversation event at SMC Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Native speakers were paired with beginner and intermediate learners to support cross-cultural dialogue and language practice. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

A vibrant assortment of colorful pins featuring Kanji, Japanese phrases, onomatopoeic words, and sports cheering expressions is displayed as collectible souvenirs for attendees at the Japanese conversation event at Santa Monica College Café in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Jiale Xian | The Corsair)

On Saturday, May 17, Santa Monica College (SMC) hosted the Japanese Conversation Café for the second time. The event was a collaboration between the college’s Japanese program and the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles. It attracted students and people of all skill levels to the main campus cafeteria for a lively morning of language over tea, drawing a turnout of about 120 people.

“We go around hosting these types of events to help facilitate and spread the Japanese culture, and help other people experience it and get out there and go to practice their Japanese,” said Jared McClellan, who works with the Japan Foundation. 

The cafeteria was bustling with people trying to check in at the registration table. Next to it was another table filled with various resources, including opportunities to work in Japan and take Japanese classes offered at SMC in the Fall. Other tables offered attendees various Japanese snacks and drinks. 

Before it started, participants checked in and wrote down their names and proficiency level on a name card. Along with it, they also received a paper with several phrases and words that matched their skill level that they could use to stimulate conversation. Then, volunteers led them to tables separated on their respective levels, ranging from brand new to advanced. At each table, more volunteers who were fluent in Japanese were available to help start and keep the conversation going.

McClellan and a colleague, who were translating from English into Japanese, started the event with a brief introduction and thanked all those who came and helped make the event happen. The plan was to shuffle the groups every 20 minutes after each conversation. As a five-minute warning before each round ended, McClellan and his colleague walked around with a paper and a desk to signal the upcoming switch. 

The event officially began after the announcement, and the sounds of people conversing quickly filled the cafeteria. Some attendees grabbed complimentary snacks or drinks to enjoy during their conversations. While several used the provided sheet to help guide their dialogue with native speakers, others chose to speak freely without it. 

There were no conversation prompts or pre-arranged topics; participants engaged in open-ended discussions. Topics ranged from asking how to say specific phrases in Japanese to sharing stories about where and how they grew up.

Kaoru Kuribayashi, the arts and culture program coordinator for the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, has noticed an increase in participants over time, as this event has been going on for around 10 years.

“We’ve been doing this in different schools, and more people (are) joining lately, and there are also like cross-school interactions as well,” Kuribayashi said. “I see some people from, you know, schools in Long Beach…around Santa Monica, UCLA, a lot of students are joining this event today. 

“The ultimate purpose is to, as the Japan Foundation, our mission is to make friends through the cultural exchange,” Kuribayashi said. “The ultimate purpose is to, you know, make friends through speaking Japanese together. But also, as a side mission, is to enhance Japanese education…because it’s hard to find the friends who you can speak Japanese to.” 

For more information about future events, visit https://www.jflalc.org.