2024 Oshogatsu Family Festival Event: Year of the Dragon (Cultural Performances, Crafts, & Activities for Families/Kids) New Years Event - FREE EVENTNEW

Join us at the Japanese American National Museum as we welcome the Year of the Dragon with cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!

Scheduled
• Traditional mochitsuki (Japanese rice pounding ritual) performance by Kodama Taiko
• Candy sculpture demonstrations by Shinobu “Shan the Candyman” Ichiyanagi
• Interactive storytimes
• Souvenir photos by cre8tive outlets
• Fun crafts and origami inspired by Oshogatsu and Year of the Dragon
• Scavenger hunt for prizes
• Free admission all day to see
    • The Bias Inside Us
    • Glenn Kaino: Aki’s Market
    • The Interactive Story
    • File of Lawson Iichiro Sakai
    • Common Ground: The Heart of Community

…and so much more

Event Date
January 7, 2024

Event Time
11 am - 5 pm

Cost
Free admission all day

Register Free Ticket

Special Perks for JANM Members
Be sure to check in when you arrive to get a sticker to take advantage of all the special benefits!
• Members-only giveaways-exclusive prizes just for our valued Members!
• Access to a Members-only entrance for expedited entry
• Priority seating-get the best views during performances
• Not a current member? JOIN/RENEW NOW

Complete Schedule of Performances and Activities

Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Candy Sculpting Demonstration
Artist: Shan Ichiyanagi (Shan the Candyman)
Description: Ancient Asian folk art of candy sculpting, creating candy shapes of dragons and Asian zodiac animals. Candy pieces offered as prizes in Kids’ Raffle.

Time: 11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Minyo Dance Performance
Performers: Nippon Minyo Kenkyukai, Hoshun Kai
Description: Japanese folk dance performance by a group based in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Nagoya, Japan.

Time: 12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
Kamishibai Reading
Description: Discussion and reading of kamishibai (paper drama), a traditional Japanese storytelling art form.

Time: 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
Cold Tofu Comedy Performance
Performers: Cold Tofu
Description: Improv and sketch comedy performance by Cold Tofu, the nation’s longest-running Asian American comedy group.

Time: 1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Los Angeles Public Library Storytime
Description: Fun-filled storytime session with friends from the Los Angeles Public Library.

Time: 1:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Kodama Taiko Performance (Mochitsuki Demonstration)
Performers: Kodama Taiko
Description: Unique mochitsuki (rice pounding) demonstration incorporating taiko drumming, a Japanese New Year tradition.

Time: 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Taiko Workshop
Instructor: Hal Keimi (JANM Volunteer)
Description: Energetic lesson in basic taiko drumming.

Time: 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Kodama Taiko Performance (Mochitsuki Demonstration)
Performers: Kodama Taiko
Description: Another session of the unique mochitsuki (rice pounding) demonstration incorporating taiko drumming.

JANM Location Information
Located on the corner of 1st Street and Alameda Street in Downtown Los Angeles

Contact Information
Kazz Morohashi - [email protected]

Nearby public parking lots
- City of Los Angeles, Lot 2 at 300 E. Temple St.
- Japanese Village Plaza at 335 E. 2nd St.

Public Transportation
Metro Local 30 and Metro L Line (Gold) Shuttle 854 stop at 1st and San Pedro streets within 0.2 miles of the museum.

LADOT Little Tokyo/Arts District Dash A stop at 1st St. and Central Ave. right across the street from the museum.

RSVP To Win
This event is free, but RSVPs are requested. Those who RSVP and show their ticket at the JANM membership table at the Oshogatsu Family Festival will be entered into a drawing for a special JANM gift bag! RSVP NOW

Special Perks For JANM Members
Be sure to check in when you arrive to get a member sticker so you can take advantage of all the special member benefits!  Be a member today!

About This New Years Festival Event
At the Los Angeles-based Japanese American National Museum (JANM), the Oshogatsu Family Festival Event is an annual celebration that gives families, friends, and visitors a chance to learn about and experience Japanese culture. At this event, guests will enjoy traditional activities, performances, and crafts related to Japan’s New Year holiday.

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)
The Janm Japanese America National Museum (JANM) is a museum dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1985, JANM has become an essential institution for the preservation and interpretation of unique aspects of American history-the relocation, internment and resettlement of Japanese Americans during World War II, and beyond.

JANM’s mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. To this end, JANM collects, preserves, and exhibits historical materials related to Japanese Americans both in the United States and abroad; organizes traveling exhibitions and public programs; publishes books, videos and other educational materials; produces documentary films; administers a website that features an extensive online collection of primary source documents related to the history of Japanese Americans; sponsors an annual National Conference on Japanese American History as well as a variety of special events throughout the year.

The museum has also developed several award-winning interactive websites for educators, students, families, organizations and individuals exploring significant aspects of Japanese American history. These include Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project, Executive Order 9066: Why We Were Forced from Our Homes and Lives, and Fred Korematsu Speaks Up.

JANM is located in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles. The museum is housed in the historic Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, which was built in 1925 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. JANM’s campus also includes the Midori Clark Kimura Heritage Garden, which was designed by renowned landscape architect Takeo Uesugi and was dedicated in 2002.

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