GANBARU! Day of Giving

Ganbaru, also romanized as gambaru, is a ubiquitous Japanese word which roughly means to slog on tenaciously through tough times. The word Ganbaru is often translated to mean "doing one’s best", but in practice, it means doing more than one's best. The word emphasizes "working with perseverance" or "toughing it out."

We at Japan House believe that we are all doing this during these difficult times, and we are asking for your support to ensure that we can continue to offer cultural events, classes and experiences in the future.

Japan House’s Matsuri Festival has become a key and highly anticipated event for the campus and community to enjoy. Matsuri originated in 2015 as our small gesture of connecting with like-minded businesses, artists, and organizations who wanted to share and celebrate Asian culture in our community. With Facebook stating that 900 individuals were interested in this event, Japan House was thrilled! Unbeknownst to us for our first festival, we welcomed over 3000 people who delighted in an afternoon of performances and activities while supporting local businesses and artists. Each year since, this festival has grown dynamically — partnering with even more businesses, artists, and performers to honor Asian culture while enchanting thousands of students, staff, faculty, families and community members. We are honored that Matsuri has become a staple in our community — a true celebration of cultural diversity that welcomes all to engage with unique practices and customs outside of their everyday norms.

We are living through an unprecedented time — a worldwide pandemic which has asked each of us to make incredible sacrifices. The decision to cancel Matsuri 2020 was not an easy decision, and yet in obvious ways it was. The well-being and safety of our community and our campus is paramount to us. Japan House’s mission is to embrace the ideals of Chado, the Way of Tea — harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. Right now, we must respect the situation with pure minds and hearts, and by doing so, we showcase our reverence for humanity. We can look upon this time as a chance to reflect and to re-examine our lives. We have the space and time to reassess how we can and should contribute to humanity right now and as we move into the future, Consequently, in order to support and protect the well-being of our community, Japan House will sorrowfully close its doors for all events until we are assured that it is safe for all.

During this time, we seek your continued friendship, support and understanding. We will longingly await the day when we can reunite and celebrate together. We hope that time will be Matsuri 2021 - a festival of all festivals that will return with vibrancy, revelry and renewed hope for humanity.

If you enjoyed our Ganbaru programming, please consider making a donation. Click here to show your support!

Ganbaru! Day of Giving was made possible through the efforts of many people. Japan House is all about the connections that tie our humanity together and Japan House wouldn’t exist without the support and efforts of everyone. We are thankful to our small but mighty staff for countless hours of planning, filming, editing, and beyond: Director Jennifer Gunji-Ballsrud, Education and Experience Coordinator Michael Darin, Education Associate Diana Liao, Office Manager Lisa Akins, and Senior Intern Jeffrey Elem. We send our deepest gratitude to all of our friends in Japan, our tea students, our volunteers, and friends of Japan House. We also thank many businesses for their support of GANBARU! —Michaels’ Catering, Triptych Brewery, Bodyworks Associates, Wright Soapery, Twisted Twig Bonsai, Jack Matsumoto, Tangerine Mountain Imports, Quilter’s Gallery, Flying Machine Avionics, Broadway Food Hall, Siam Terrace, Pipapo & Norden Design, Mark Hirsbrunner Origami, Common Ground, Maxx Gogski, Latea, Prairie Fruits Farm, and Green Onion.

And for those who participated today, Japan House thanks all of you for your support, continued friendship, and understanding. Arigatou gozaimashita.

Yes! Please revisit this page next week and we will upload each hour for your enjoyment! Thank you for supporting Ganbaru! Day of Giving. Please consider donating to Japan House if you enjoyed our programming today to continue to support us!