Welcome to the Japanese Culture Institute

The Japanese Culture Institute is a newly formed non-profit corporation established in McHenry County, Illinois as an educational center for the study of Japanese culture.

Our purpose is to foster mutual understanding and facilitate the exchange of information about Japanese culture with the community-at-large through a wide range of exciting programs, including classes, publications, lectures, retreats, youth training, and other educational activities. The JCI will also work to build a spirit of cooperation and harmony among people of different cultures by coordinating events and programs with other organizations.

We offer classes in traditional studies such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, martial arts such as Aikido and Iaido, as well as Japanese language classes and Zen meditation studies. We wish to include studies of various aspects of Japanese culture, including contemplative practices, mind-body disciplines and cultural arts that develop the human being and serve as paths of self-realization. As we grow, we will add additional classes, such as flower arrangement and other classical disciplines.