Chapel Hill-Durham Japanese Association (CHDJA)
チャペルヒル・ダーラム日本人会
Non-profit organization
An organization for Japanese nationals and Japanese-Americans living in the Chapel Hill-Durham area that focuses on helping families and individuals that have recently moved from Japan to NC.
https://www.facebook.com/chdjanc/
http://cdnihonjinkaijp.g1.xrea.com/index.html
cd.nihonnjinkai.jp@gmail.com  

Japan-America Society of North Carolina (JASNC)
ノースカロライナ日米協会
Private, non-profit, non-political organization
Founded in 1917 to promote understanding and enlightened relations between the United States and Japan through cultural events, public affairs, and educational programs in North Carolina. Is also the 36th chapter of the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS).
PO Box 91164, Raleigh, NC 27675
https://www.jasnc.org/
919-278-7857 

Japanese Association in Charlotte
シャーロット日本人会
Non-profit organization
Established in 1980 consisting of 50 companies and 50 individuals in North and South Carolina. They organize golf tournaments twice a year, a softball tournament in the fall, a New Year party in January, Bon Odori in the summer, and the Japanese Language School in Charlotte throughout the year.
Midwood International & Cultural Center, 2nd floor
1817 Central Ave. Suite 300 Charlotte, NC 28205
http://jacharlotte.g1.xrea.com/
jacharlotte@jacharlotte.onmicrosoft.com
704-333-2775

Nippon Club of the Triangle
A volunteer-based, non-profit organization
Founded in 1990 serving the Triangle region (Raleigh, Durham, & Chapel Hill) and promoting cultural understanding between Japanese and Americans through intercultural programs and activities such as the Nippon Club Social Hour, Bon Odori Club, Chanoyu Club, Chorus Club, Kendo Club, Mochitsuki Club, and Taiko Club, as well as annual events such as the Children's Day celebration, NC Japan Summer Festival, and the Year End Mochitsuki.  
https://trianglejapanclub.org/

Southern Bridge International
Non-profit organization
Established in 2003 to serve as a bridge between Japanese and American people through social and cultural events. Focuses on welcoming Japanese families to the area and providing them with tools and resources to help better integrate them into American life. SBI provides socializing opportunities for expecting and new mothers, mothers with young children, and for elders over 80 as well as Japanese-English translation and interpreting services, babysitting services, and tutoring services.
110 Pheasant Wood Ct. Suite C, Morrisville, NC 27560
https://www.southernbridgeintl.org/
sbi@southernbridgeintl.org
919-830-7130

App State

Japanese Culture Club
https://appstate.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/japanese-culture-club

Asian Student Association
https://appstate.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/asian-student-association 

East Carolina University

Asian Students Association
https://ecu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/asian-students-association 

STAR Fire Sorority
https://ecu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/star-fire-support-trust-aspire-respect 

NC Central

Asian Student Organization
https://nccu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/aso
Link broken as of 09/14/2022

NC State 

Asian Students Association
https://getinvolved.ncsu.edu/organization/asa

CRANE Collective
https://getinvolved.ncsu.edu/organization/craneco 

Japan Club
https://getinvolved.ncsu.edu/organization/377 

Anime Club
https://getinvolved.ncsu.edu/organization/animeclub 

UNC Asheville

Asian Students in Asheville
https://unca.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/asia

Anime Club
https://unca.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/animaclub

UNC Chapel Hill

Asian American Students Association
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/aasa 

Japan Club
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/japanclub 

Carolina Kendo Club
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/carolina-kendo-club
unckendo@gmail.com 

Pera Pera Japanese Chat Club
UNC Chapel Hill
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/uncperaperaclub

Carolina Otaku Uprising Anime Club
UNC Chapel Hill
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/carolina-otaku-uprising 

Minority Anime Appreciation Club
UNC Chapel Hill
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/maac 

Mixed Asian Students' Heritage Club
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/mash 

UNC Charlotte

Asian Student Association
https://ninerengage.uncc.edu/organization/asian-student-association 

Nihon Club
https://ninerengage.uncc.edu/organization/nihon-club 

Japanese Reading Club
https://ninerengage.uncc.edu/organization/japanese-reading-club 

Japanese Anime and Manga Society
https://ninerengage.uncc.edu/organization/japanese-anime-and-manga-society 

Shodō Calligraphy Club
https://ninerengage.uncc.edu/organization/uncc_shodo_club 

UNC Greensboro

Asian Students Association
https://uncg.presence.io/organization/asian-students-association-2 

UNC Wilmington

Asian Student Association
https://uncw.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/asianstudentassociation 

Anime Club
https://uncw.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/animeclub 

Japan Club
https://uncw.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/japanclub 

Western Carolina

Asian Student Association
https://wcu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/asian-student-association 

Martial Arts Centers

Common Ground Martial Arts Academy
https://commongroundmaa.com/ 

Karate International
https://karateinternational.net/ 

Aikido

Judo

Jujutsu

Brazilian Jujutsu

Kendo

Asheville Kendo Club
Kendo club
A small group of Kendo practitioners in western North Carolina that meets twice a week at the Shori-te Dojo in Arden.
https://www.facebook.com/Asheville-Kendo-Club-326184444178893/
ashevillekendo@gmail.com 

Carolina Kendo Club
UNC Chapel Hill Student Organization
A student organization at Chapel Hill that holds regular practices, participates in SEUSKF-sanctioned kendo competitions, and performs demonstrations at cultural events.
https://heellife.unc.edu/organization/carolina-kendo-club
https://www.carolinakendokai.com/  
unckendo@gmail.com 

Greensboro Kendo Club
Non-profit dojo
A small non-profit dojo established in 2012 dedicated to bringing Kendo to the North Carolina Triad area. They meet regularly on Sunday afternoons at the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center. 
200 North Davie Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
https://sites.google.com/site/greensborokendo
greensborokendo@gmail.com 

SouthEastern US Kendo Foundation
Regional Kendo Federation

http://www.seuskf.org/  

Karate

Schools

Japanese Language School of Raleigh (JLSR)
ローリー日本語補習学校
Japanese language and culture classes 
Founded in 1982 providing supplemental education on Saturdays for Japanese and non-Japanese students seeking Japanese language fluency.
5102 Oak Park Rd. Raleigh, NC 27612 (Office)
Saint Mary's School, 900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603 (School)
http://www.japanschoolraleigh.com/
919-787-1300

The Japanese Language School in Charlotte
シャーロット日本語補習校
Japanese language and culture classes
Founded in 1980 providing supplemental education on Saturdays for Japanese and non-Japanese students seeking Japanese language fluency.
7030 Nations Ford Road Charlotte, NC 28217
https://www.jlscharlotte.org/home
office@jlscharlotte.org
704-333-2775 

Japan Culture Exchange
Japanese language and culture classes 
Founded in 2002 providing supplemental education on Saturdays for Japanese and non-Japanese students seeking Japanese language fluency.
PO Box 31582, Raleigh, NC 27622-1582
info@japance.com
https://www.japance.com/ 

Websites

Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese
For beginner to intermediate learners
An extensive guide to learning Japanese that focuses on grammar and vocabulary. Provides explanations of grammar and example sentences that range from beginner to intermediate/advanced topics.
https://guidetojapanese.org/learn/ 

Itazuraneko
For beginner to intermediate learners
A thoroughly written general guide to learning Japanese. Contains a lot of useful links to other sources and has a library page of manga in Japanese provided for Japanese reading practice. 
https://itazuraneko.neocities.org/learn/learnmain.html 

NHK Easy Japanese
For beginner learners
A series of free language lessons provided by the Japanese public broadcaster, NHK World Japan. Available in 20+ languages. 
https://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/english/index.html 

NHK High School Course
For intermediate learners
A free TV/radio program provided by the Japanese Public broadcaster, NHK World Japan, intended to help you with learning about various high school subjects in Japanese.
https://www.nhk.or.jp/kokokoza/ 

NHK News Web Easy
For beginner to intermediate learners
A free news website provided by the Japanese Public broadcaster, NHK World Japan, intended to help you with reading and listening comprehension. Provides daily articles from the original NHK news website and simplifies them for Japanese learners.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/ 

Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese
For beginner to intermediate learners
A series of free video-based language lessons provided by The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute. Subtitles in different languages are available on the videos or as downloadable PDF transcriptions. Textbooks and DVDs are available to purchase through the website. 
https://www.erin.jpf.go.jp/ 

Jisho
For all learners
An online Japanese-English dictionary that pulls information from various sites in order to provide definition, kanji (if applicable), example sentences, etc. You can search the English word, the Japanese word, or the Japanese word with English letters.
https://jisho.org/ 

WaniKani
For all learners
A website by Tofugu for learning kanji and vocabulary related to the kanji. Their aim is to teach 2,000 kanji and 6,000 commonly used or useful vocabulary in a year to a year and a half. They focus on mnemonics, radicals, and a spaced repetition system to teach.
https://www.wanikani.com/ 

Podcasts

Check back later...or give us some recommendations!

Apps

Mango Languages
General language learning app
A language learning app that focuses on recorded audio and repetition. Costs a monthly fee, but is offered for free through most library systems in the US as long as you have a library card. 
Available on both Android and iOS.
https://mangolanguages.com/ 

Duolingo
General language learning app
A language learning app that focuses on recorded audio and user response. Free with paid options for extra content.
Available on both Android and iOS.
https://www.duolingo.com/

Lingodeer
General language learning app
A language learning app that focuses on East Asian languages through recorded audio, grammar explanation, and user response. The first lesson is free but requires a subscription for full course access. 
Available on both Android and iOS.
https://www.lingodeer.com/

Todai Easy Japanese
Language focused news app
A Japanese news app in Japanese that allows you to sort articles by their overall difficulty and shows individual vocabulary difficulty of each article.  Has the option to show/hide furigana, an in-app translator and dictionary, practice JLPT tests, and allows the user to look up and save vocabulary. Free with a premium option. 
Available on both Android and iOS.
https://www.easyjapanese.net/  

Calligraphy - 書道

John Neal Books
Books, bookbinding, and calligraphy supplies
A book store and supply shop for calligraphers, lettering artists, illuminators, bookbinders, and papercraft enthusiasts. Usually has Japanese inkstones and inksticks in stock. 
1833 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
336-272-6139, 1-800-369-9598, Fax: 336-272-9015
https://www.johnnealbooks.com/

Ikebana - 生け花

Ikebana International Chapter #49 (Charlotte)
Meets on the first Thursday of each month from September thru May; Tea Time typically starts at 9:30 AM and the Meeting and Demonstration starts at 10:00 AM. Usually meets at the Southpark Christian Church. They don't teach ikebana at the meetings themselves but they have books you can borrow and a list of teachers on the website in or around Charlotte that can teach ikebana. All meetings are free and open to the public and membership is $75 a year.
6550 Park South Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
http://www.ikebana49.org/
ikebanacharlotte@gmail.com 

Ikebana International Chapter #74 (Asheville)
Meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month from February through October. Usually meets in the Asheville Folk Art Center auditorium on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 10:30 A.M. Has a list of teachers on the website in or around Asheville associated with the chapter and a members-only library. All meetings are free and open to the public and membership is $75 a year.
382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC 28805
http://www.ikebanaasheville.org/
ikebanaasheville@yahoo.com

Ikebana International Chapter #140 (Fayetteville)
Meets every 4th Friday of the month from September to May from 9:30am to 11:30am. Non-members and guests are welcome to attend but need to send an email to get specific meeting and location information.
https://www.facebook.com/Fayetteville-Ikebana-104435991386127/
ikebanafay@gmail.com 

Ikebana International Chapter #212 (Wilmington)
Meets on the third Thursday of the month from September through May. Usually meets at the New Hanover County Arboretum in Wilmington starting at 9:30am for hospitality with the meetings, programs, and workshops beginning at 10:00am. Membership is $80 a year. 
6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina
https://www.facebook.com/IkebanaInternationalChapter212/
https://sites.google.com/view/ikebanawilmington212/
ikebanachapter212@gmail.com, caroleosman@gmail.com  

Ikebana International Sarah P. Duke Chapter #264 (Raleigh/Durham)
Meets at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University. Membership is $75 a year. Contact the chapter through the email or by the contact form on their website for their list of teachers.
420 Anderson St, Durham, NC 27708
919-309-4925
https://ii-spd-264.mystrikingly.com/
llhoward@nc.rr.com 

Ikenobo Ikebana Blue Ridge Chapter
Meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10:00am, Usually meets at the First Congregational Church of Henderson. Visitors are usually welcome but meetings are currently members-only and closed to the public due to COVID.
1735 Fifth Avenue West, Hendersonville NC
https://blueridgeikebana.com/
ikenobohvl@gmail.com 

Fashion

Mainichi Kimono
Certified kimono stylist (着付け師範) in Japan

J. Rin Shiroshita is a mixed Japanese-American living in Osaka whose goal is to help others learn kimono through her services and through posts on social media. She has personal experience as Japanese diaspora growing up outside of Japan and as such knows that connecting with and/or learning about your heritage and traditional culture can be challenging, so she hopes to be someone that can help people of Japanese diaspora (日系人) connect with their heritage. 

https://www.instagram.com/mainichikimono/ 

https://twitter.com/mainichi_kimono
https://ko-fi.com/mainichikimono 

mainichikimono@gmail.com 

Studio Nakamoto
Accessible Japanese street fashion

Studio Nakamoto is a one-man fashion studio started by Kazuki Nakamoto (中本和樹) who is half-Japanese and half-British. He started the company with the initial concept of incorporating Japanese streetwear into British highstreet and wants to provide western streetwear fans with a portal to accessible Japanese streetwear. Nakamoto's clothes are intended to allow people to dress how they wish and aren't restricted by gender or body shape.
https://www.instagram.com/studionakamoto/

https://www.studionakamoto.com/

Musical Instruments

Ezo Fuji Japan
Traditional instrument music shop
A shop based out of Hokkaido, Japan specializing in Japanese musical instruments such as shamisen, taiko, koto, shinofue, shakuhachi, and others. Carries both new and used products as well as clothing such as vintage kimono, yukata, and haori as well as zouri, geta, and assorted accessories.
https://ezofuji-japan.com/ 

Grocery Stores 

Super G Mart
International grocery store
Focuses mostly Korean and Hispanic foods and products but has a large variety of Japanese and other international products.
4927 W Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27407
https://www.supergmart.com/gso
336-252-1055

Li Ming's
International grocery store
Focuses mostly on Chinese and Asian foods and products but has a large variety of Japanese and other international products. Has two locations in NC; one in Greensboro and one in Durham.
3703 W Gate City Blvd A, Greensboro, NC 27407
336-218-8008
3400 Westgate Dr, Durham, NC 27707
919-401-5212

Toyo Shokuhin & Gifts - 東洋食品
Japanese grocery store
Has Japanese drinks, snacks, and candies as well as ingredients for Japanese cuisine.
748 E Chatham St L, Cary, NC 27511
919-319-1620

Restaurants in Greensboro

Don
Japanese restaurant
A Japanese restaurant that serves Japanese and Korean food. Korean owned. Located on Tate Street; does not accept flex.
423 Tate Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
336-370-9677

Little Ari's Japanese Kitchen
Fast/casual Japanese restaurant
A Japanese restaurant focusing on ramen, hibachi, and casual Japanese dishes.
4129 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC 27407
https://www.littleari.com/
336-542-0156

Happy Bowl
Fast/casual Asian grill, fusion Japanese restaurant
Previously called Taco Bao. Focuses on rice bowls and guabao. Located in Spartan Village; accepts flex.
1201 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC 27403
http://tacobaogreensboro.com/
336-365-8888, 336-808-5916

Tanpopo Ramen
Japanese restaurant
A Japanese restaurant focusing on ramen, hibachi, and casual Japanese dishes. Located in the G Mart shopping center.
4929 W Market St, Suite 2107, Greensboro, NC 27407
336-897-3313 

Moshi Moshi Boba Cafe
Boba Cafe
Bubble tea shop and snack cafe with anime themes. Offers occasional discounts during some holidays like National Anime Day and Halloween as well as during the back to school season to students with a college ID.
2418 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC 27403
336-617-7611

Toshi's Cafe
Sushi, sandwiches, and coffee
Previously called Coffee and Roses Express. Focuses on made-to-order sandwiches, fresh coffee, fusion-style sushi, and packaged snacks. Offers free wifi to customers with tables to sit and work at, a computer with games, and Japanese comics.
5710 W Gate City Blvd, STE FF, Greensboro, NC 27407
https://www.toshiscafe.com/
336-297-2288

Lost Ark Video Games
Game store and arcade
A store carrying video games, comic books, and tabletop supplies with a Japanese style arcade. They also carry collectible Japanese figures, Gundam kits, and Japanese snacks. 
1701-A Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
https://www.lostarkvideogames.com/
https://twitter.com/LostArkVG
336-422-6324

The Comic Dimension
Comic book and game store
A store carrying American and Japanese comics and tabletop games. They feature regular events for tabletop games and have an after-school program for children. 
2823 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
https://thecomicdimension.com/
336-763-9322

McKay's
Used book and record store
A secondhand store with books, comics, games, music, and more that accepts used items for in-store credit or cash. They often have both comics and literary novels in Japanese in the Foreign Language section, but it depends on what's been sold to the store at the time. They have a decent sized manga section and have Japanese video games, usually only in English though.
1607 Battleground Ave, Greensboro, NC 27408
http://www.mckaybooks.com/
(336) 606-3537 

BOOKOFF
Secondhand manga/anime store
A Japanese secondhand store primarily focusing on individual books and entire sets of manga in Japanese for reduced prices. The closest physical stores to us are in New York, but BOOKOFF also sells online through their store as well as Amazon and Ebay. 
https://www.bookoffusa.com/
https://shop.bookoffusa.com/