BWIJ CON 2026 Workshops
Workshop Information
Are you as excited as we are for the upcoming conference? Read more about the upcoming workshops below. You will find their speaker(s), description, date, and time. Depending on the day you attend the conference, you will be able to enjoy a variety of workshops and panel discussions! On both days, there will be a photobooth managed by Tia Haygood.
We are looking forward to having you in Nagoya.
Saturday Workshops
View all of the Saturday workshops below.
Rooted in Japan: A Black Women's Guide to Owning Your Space (SATURDAY)
Homeownership, Professional Development
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 10:30 – 11:20
Speaker: Dee Dee Ohara Blizard & Tia Haygood
This workshop is for Black women living in or relocating to Japan who are ready to move from renting to owning property. We will break down the Japanese real estate process — from financing and legal requirements to navigating language barriers and cultural expectations as a foreign buyer. Whether you’re just curious or actively house-hunting, this space is designed to make homeownership feel possible and within reach.
Seeing Your Time Clearly: Journaling for Mental Strength and Recovery (SATURDAY)
Personal Growth, Experience in Japan
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 10:30 – 11:20
Speaker: Annette Hayashi
This workshop is for women who want to find their own way to make space for themselves mentally and clarify their own goals.
Architectures of Survival: Weaving Intergenerational Solidarity and Community Care Through the Lived and Scholarly Negotiations of Blackness Amidst Global Volatility (SATURDAY)
Academic Research, Personal Growth, Experience in Japan
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 10:30 – 11:20
Speakers: Skye R Tinevimdo Chirape & Jasmine Boothe-Henry
Scholars Jasmine Boothe Henry and Dr Skye Chirape examine how Black women’s active solidarity and collective care buffer against systemic violence and global volatility. Drawing on their lived experiences navigating life and scholarship in Japan and beyond, they demonstrate how these practices create spaces for survival and self-determination within academia. This intergenerational dialogue showcases how active solidarity sustains Black women scholars amidst institutional harms and geopolitical instability.
Work Culture vs Workers' Rights: What You Need to Know (SATURDAY)
Professional Development
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 11:35 – 12:25
Speaker: Claudia Ardin
This workshop is for anyone working in Japan, especially employees who want to understand their workplace rights better. We will cover important topics such as work contracts, paid leave, health insurance, parental leave, and other key information that Black women working in Japan should know. The session will provide practical knowledge while creating space for discussion and shared experiences.
An Introduction to Afrobeats (SATURDAY)
Art, Music, Dance
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 11:35 – 12:25
Speaker: Yinka O.
Want to ride the Afrobeats wave but feel overwhelmed? This class will help you know your Azonto from your Amapiano, distinguish your Akwaaba from your Alkeda, find your Footwork, and polish your Zanku. Come for an hour of fun, accessible dance from around the continent.Â
Bring clothes you can easily move in.
Regulate & Recharge: Your Dopamenu (SATURDAY)
Wellness, Health, and Fitness
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 15:35 – 16:25
Speaker: Brianna Hamamoto
This workshop explores how motivation works, including the role of dopamine and why it can fluctuate — especially as Black women living in a foreign country. We’ll look at common reasons motivation drops and introduce the concept of a personalized “dopamenu.”
The Syllabus of STRUT: Heels Dance Workshop (SATURDAY)
Wellness, Health, and Fitness
Date: 6/27/2026 Time: 15:35 – 16:25
Speaker: Shanda Clifton
This workshop is for Black women looking to reconnect with their confidence,
sensuality, and strength through the art of heels dance. We will explore foundational movement, posture, and expressive choreography designed to foster self-advocacy and celebrate sisterhood in a supportive environment.
No dance experience is required at all!
Panel Discussion
Category TBA
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: TBA
Speaker: TBA
This is an open panel discussion.
Sunday Workshops
View all of the Sunday workshops below.
Modern Kimono Style for Everyone (SUNDAY)
Japanese Culture
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 10:00 – 10:50
Speaker: Kara Harris
This workshop is for women who are interested in the kimono and its place in society. It includes a crash course in kimono history, as well as the industry today. Participants will be able to gain confidence in their kimono journey and leave with kimono dressing pointers and information on how to start their own journey.
Pursuing Tech and Design in Japan (SUNDAY)
Art, Tech, Professional Development
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 10:00 – 10:50
Speaker: Traci S.
This discussion will focus on Black women who are interested in changing their job industry in Japan to tech and design. We will touch on the hard skills needed for the transition, as well as the possible challenges Black women may face while working in the tech and design industry. Attendees will walk away with practical steps to begin their transition.
Beginners Hip Hop Dance Workshop (SUNDAY)
Art, Crafts, Music
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 10:00 – 10:50
Speaker: Miranda Hyder
This is a workshop for those who want to move their bodies, connect with hip hop culture and music, and express themselves in safe spaces.
Mostly Water: Writing Belonging Into Being (SUNDAY)
Black Culture (Africa & All Diaspora) / Diaspora Identity
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 11:05 – 11:55
Speaker: Aisha Fukushima
A reflective poetry and writing workshop exploring identity, voice, and belonging through meditation, storytelling, and guided creative prompts. Together we’ll reconnect with our inner voices, honor the complexity of our lived experiences, and imagine belonging on our own terms.Â
No prior writing experience necessary.
Different Is the Strategy: How to Build a Creator Career Using the Exact Life You're Already Living (SUNDAY)
Business, Tech, Finance
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 11:05 – 11:55
Speaker: Sashanna Mighty
A practical, identity-forward workshop for Black women in Japan who want to build a creator business or understand what that even means. It breaks down what a creator career actually is, how the money works, and why your life in Japan puts you in a stronger position than you think. This session gives you the clarity, the context, and concrete steps you can take before you leave the room.
Expressing Heritage and Spirit: Making a Self-Portrait (SUNDAY)
Art, Crafts, Music
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: 11:05 – 11:55
Speaker: Jenelle Valentine Davenport
This workshop is for beginners and professional artists to come together and paint, draw, cut and glue, sculpt, and create the beginnings of a Self-Portrait that evokes one’s past, present, and future.
Panel Discussion
Category TBA
Date: 6/28/2026 Time: TBA
Speaker: TBA
This is an open panel discussion.
Support Us!
Black Women in Japan is a non-profit organization that thrives on community support. If you believe in what we do and are interested in supporting us or becoming a volunteer, click one of the links below for more information on how to get involved.