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.

Through this program, Kumi hopes to further develop her leadership skills and find new ways to serve and uplift our community. This opportunity will not only strengthen her role at the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee but also foster connections and collaborations across Knoxville.

Congratulations, Kumi! We’re excited to see all the great things you’ll accomplish as part of LK 2025!

This week, we were delighted to welcome 11 middle school students from our Sister City, Muroran, Japan, to Cedar Bluff Middle School. This exchange is a meaningful step in strengthening our cultural and educational ties.

In support of Cedar Bluff Middle School’s 2025 trip to Muroran, the Asian Culture Center of Tennessee proudly presented a $5,000 donation from the proceeds of the 11th Knox Asian Festival. This donation marks the creation of our new Education Support Fund, established to further cultural exchanges and educational opportunities between Knoxville and Japan.

Through this fund, made possible by our dedicated festival supporters, we aim to nurture global understanding and mutual respect among our youth.

• Shinichi Nara, Vice Mayor
• Shozo Hayakawa, Chair of Muroran City Council
• Masashi Saito, General Affairs Manager
• Akira Omachi, Chief of Facility Management
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The Knox Asian Festival has been recognized with the prestigious Iris Award in the “Stars of Industry” category by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TN.gov). This award honors our festival’s contributions to promoting cultural diversity and community engagement through tourism.

We had the privilege of attending the annual Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association’s Purple Iris Awards, which celebrate excellence and innovation in the hospitality and tourism industry. The awards recognize individuals, organizations, and establishments that have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the sector.

The ceremony took place on Thursday, September 26th, at the Chattanooga Convention Center during the Governor’s Conference on Hospitality & Tourism. It was a wonderful evening, featuring a cocktail reception, dinner, and a celebratory after-party

Thank you so much for welcoming us. We toured the Hiroshima Peace memorial museum with the Executive Director. We learned about each item’s history. Mayor Kincannon gave a flower wreath to show respect at the peace park. We learned that the Hiroshima Mayor serves as the President of Mayors for Peace, an international non-partisan, non-governmental organization. More than 8,000 member cities in 163 countries and regions –including 213 U.S. cities, are working together to achieve two key objectives: “Realization of a world without nuclear weapons”; and “Realization of safe andresilient cities”, which, we believe, will lead us to our ultimate goal, lasting world peace.

We visited Iwakuni Mayor Fukuda. Iwakuni city became a very important city between the USA and  Japan Relationship. Also Kintai Bridge serves as a symbol of Iwakuni and is one of the three most beautiful structures of its kind in all of Japan.