Executive Director Diary
Moon Viewing Festival at the beautiful Cheekwood Garden
What an unforgettable evening celebrating Japanese culture under the full moon!
Mochi Tsuki – The Asian Culture Center of Tennessee prepared 50 cups of mochi rice and served about 400 guests! Huge thanks to Ayako and Mr. & Mrs. Yoshinaga for their wonderful help.
Kimono Show – Kaori Sensei dressed 7 beautiful models showcasing stunning floral obi designs — such elegance!
Green Tea Ceremony – Atsumi, Sakura, and Sachi presented a graceful tea ceremony that touched everyone’s hearts.
Music – The Knox Shamisen Group filled the garden with beautiful traditional Japanese songs.
The Asian Culture Center of Tennessee is very happy to partner with Cheekwood to share the beauty of Japanese culture.
Special thanks to Senetor Hagerty and his wife Chrissy — Chrissy shared that she remembered Atsumi serving her green tea in the past! Also, sincere thanks to Ms.Jane O. MacLeod (President) of Cheekwood Garden, Consul General Watanabe and Shoko for inviting our Knoxville team.
Tennessee Arts Commission Meeting
We are so grateful to the Tennessee Arts Commission for supporting the Knox Asian Festival and helping us bring professional dancers and artists to our annual event!
Tennessee Arts Commission donated $12.9 million to arts programs across Tennessee—what an amazing impact!
A special thank you as well to Ms.Jenny Houbler Boyd, our wonderful this year’s chairman, and the entire BOYD family for always supporting the Knox Asian Festival. We couldn’t do this without you! Thank you so much.
35th Anniversary of DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee in Maryville
On behalf of the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, I presented a plaque to President Chuntao to express our deep appreciation for DENSO’s continued commitment to supporting our vision of creating a welcoming and inclusive community in East Tennessee.
I am truly grateful for DENSO’s partnership and for the strong bond we continue to build together. Congratulations to the entire DENSO team on this incredible milestone!
Excellence Awards: Community Leadership Award
We are honored to share that Kumi Alderman, Executive Director of the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, was recently awarded the Excellence Awards: Community Leadership Award (only 1 awardee) by US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce-Southeast.
The Community Leadership Award recognizes the leader of a non-profit or community advocacy group in the southeast that has provided outstanding support and leadership in the areas of education and economic development in their communities.
Featured in Chugoku Japanese Newspaper
We are honored to share that Kumi Alderman, Executive Director of the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, was recently featured in the Chugoku Shimbun, a major Japanese newspaper. In the article, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Knoxville community for its continued support of the Knox Asian Festival.
“I truly appreciate the people of Knoxville for making it possible to host the Knox Asian Festival,” said Kumi. “Together, we are building a welcoming community that celebrates diversity and cultural exchange.”
Foreign Minister’s Commendation Ceremony
On Friday, February 21, the Foreign Minister’s Commendation Ceremony for Kumi Alderman, Executive Director of the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, was held at the official residence of the Consul-General of Japan in Nashville.
The purpose of the Foreign Minister’s Commendation is to honor individuals and organizations that have made particularly significant contributions to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and other countries through their activities in various fields of international relations, and to ask the public at large to further understand and support their activities.
Green Tea Ceremony at University of Tennessee
Japanese New year 2025
On Sunday, January 26 the 2025 Japanese New Year Event was held at the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. Consul-General Watanabe, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs spoke at the event’s opening ceremony. Consul-General Watanabe remarked on the popularity of Japanese culture both in the United States and the Knoxville area. He also mentioned the presence of nearby Japanese businesses. The festival featured mochi pounding, musical performances, and a number of Japanese cultural activities. At the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville booth, visitors were introduced to Japanese sake and could decorate Japanese New Year’s cards.
We would like to thank the many people who came to the event and all those who helped organize it.
Birthday Ball Gettysvue
Delta Company 4th USMC Combat Engineer Battalion from Knoxville will be supporting this event. This company of Marine Combat Engineers is also working very hard this time of year to support the annual TOYS FOR TOTS program. All toys collected will be distributed in the greater Knoxville Area to Children in time for Christmas…This national program has been highly successful in reaching children who might otherwise have no presents to open on Christmas morning. Last year across all 50 states, 25 million gifts were delivered to more than 12 million kids with the help of 50 thousand volunteers.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
We are deeply grateful to Consul General Watanabe of Japan for graciously inviting us to his home. It was an honor to engage in thoughtful discussions about the 2025 Knox Asian Festival and to receive his invaluable guidance and advice. 🙏
A special thank you as well to Consul Matsuoka for your steadfast support over the years. Your encouragement continues to inspire and uplift our efforts.
