From a gala at Daikin Park to online cooking classes, origami in the park, and traditional sweets pop-ups, the Japan-America Society of Houston is bringing Japan to your neighborhood all spring long.
If you didn’t know Houston has one of the most active Japanese cultural organizations in the country, now you do. The Japan-America Society of Houston — known as JASH — has been building bridges between the U.S. and Japan for 58 years, and their spring 2026 calendar is one of the best lineups they’ve put together. Whether you want to cook Japanese food at home, fold origami with your kids in a park, taste handmade traditional sweets, or attend a black-tie gala at Daikin Park, JASH has something for you.
Cook Japanese Food From Your Own Kitchen
The Ouchigohan! series — the name means “home cooking” in Japanese — is a family-friendly online cooking class that runs monthly and is one of the most accessible and delicious things JASH offers. The April 25 session is a spring showcase: Salmon Takikomi Gohan, a comforting one-pot rice dish with edamame; Broccolini with Miso Dressing inspired by Japan’s spring vegetable nanohana; and Mitarashi Dango, chewy dumplings made with silken tofu and drizzled with a sweet soy glaze. The instructor is Debra Samuels, a James Beard-recognized food educator and author of My Japanese Table who has lived in Japan for 12 years. Tickets are $10 for JASH members and $15 for non-members. One registration per family.
Date: Saturday, April 25, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Format: Online via Zoom Register: jasnc.org/jasnc-ouchigohan — use code “houston” for member pricing
Japanese Sweets Pop-Up — This Friday
If you’ve never tasted wagashi — traditional Japanese sweets — Sweets Oyatsu is bringing them to the JASH office this Friday, April 24, from noon to 2 p.m. Handmade treats will be available for walk-in purchase on a first-come, first-served basis until sold out. Only cashless payments accepted. The menu is coming soon — follow Sweets Oyatsu on Instagram at @sweets_oyatsu_htx for the latest.
Date: Friday, April 24, noon to 2 p.m. Location: JASH Office, 2990 Richmond Ave, Suite 670, Houston, TX 77098
Bamboo Basketry Online Talk
On Monday, April 27, JapanCraft21 presents a free online talk by Steve Beimel on Japanese bamboo basketry — nearly 200 years of master craftsmanship, featuring 25 distinguished artists whose work transformed bamboo into objects of breathtaking elegance used in flower arrangement and display. Free with registration.
Date: Monday, April 27, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Format: Online via Zoom Register: forms.gle/YN4UgUuwqL3sZTbUA
Japan Junction at Levy Park — Every First Wednesday
Every first Wednesday of the month, JASH brings Japan to Levy Park in Houston for Japan Junction — a free family event featuring kamishibai “paper drama” storytelling and crafts rooted in Japanese tradition. May 6 celebrates Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi) with a performance of the beloved folk tale Momotaro (Peach Boy) and a koinobori carp streamer craft. Free and open to all ages.
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Location: Levy Park Event Pavilion, 3801 Eastside Street, Houston, TX 77098
Origami at Evelyn’s Park — Every Second Saturday
On the second Saturday of every month, JASH sets up an origami station at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire. May 9 celebrates AAPI Heritage Month with traditional Japanese origami patterns — a Kabuto helmet for beginners, a box for intermediate folders, and a crane for advanced. All supplies provided, all ages welcome, free.
Date: Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m. to noon Location: Evelyn’s Park, 4400 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, TX 77401
AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration at John Paul Landing
On Saturday, May 2, JASH joins Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones for the 2nd Annual AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration at John Paul Landing Cricket Grounds in Cypress. JASH will run a craft booth making koinobori carp streamers in honor of Children’s Day. The event also features live cricket matches, a cricket clinic for kids ages 6 to 15, live DJs, cultural performances, henna artists, Korean dance and calligraphy, and a variety of AANHPI cuisine. Free with registration.
Date: Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: John Paul Landing Cricket Grounds, 24502 West Road, Cypress, TX 77433 Register: forms.monday.com (search Harris County AANHPI Heritage Celebration)
Children’s Day at the Children’s Museum of Houston
On Sunday, May 3, JASH takes the Children’s Day celebration to the Children’s Museum of Houston as part of their AANHPI Heritage Month programming, with koinobori craft booths for families. Free with museum admission.
Date: Sunday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Location: Children’s Museum Houston, 1500 Binz Street, Houston, TX 77004
JASH BASH 2026 — Gala at Daikin Park
The biggest event of the JASH year is JASH BASH 2026, a black-tie gala at Daikin Park — the first Major League Baseball stadium to bear the name of a Japanese company — celebrating America250 and the enduring U.S.-Japan partnership through the shared language of baseball. This year’s honorees are Satoru Akama, President and CEO of Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, receiving the J. Thomas Schieffer Leadership Award, and Jim Crane, Owner and Chairman of the Houston Astros, receiving the Houston-Japan Friendship Award. The evening includes a reception, dinner, speakers, awards, and a silent auction.
Date: Monday, May 18, 2026 Reception: 6 p.m. | Dinner and awards: 7:30 p.m. | Closing: 9:30 p.m. Location: Daikin Park, 501 Crawford Street, Houston, TX 77002 Tickets and sponsorships: jas-hou.org/ticket
Learn Japanese Online
JASH runs an ongoing Japanese Language Program at all levels through Zoom. Session 2 of the 2025-2026 year runs through May 14. Private and semi-private lessons are also available year-round.
Class schedule and registration: jas-hou.org/class-schedule
Contact JASH
Japan-America Society of Houston 2990 Richmond Ave, Suite 670, Houston, TX 77098 Phone: (713) 963-0121 Website: jas-hou.org
