2026 JANM Annual Natsumatsuri Family Festival Event Summer Celebration (Performers, Hula, Tea Ceremony, Taiko, Crafts, Origami..) Nisei Week EventNEW

Natsumatsuri Family Festival, an annual summer celebration featuring free cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!  Held during Nisei Week at JANM in Little Tokyo, Japantown.

Date
August 22, 2026, Saturday

Time
12:00 am - 5:00 pm




Update Coming Later.

Entry Costs
Free all-day

Schedule
Celebrate summer with us at JANM’s Democracy Center and the Norman Y. Mineta Democracy Plaza featuring free cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!

• Cultural performances
• Storytime with author and racecar driver Nadine Sachiko Hsu
• Fun summer-themed crafts and origami
• Exclusive activities connected to JANM’s new exhibition, Cruising J-Town
• And more!

Special perks are available for JANM Members! Check-in when you arrive to get a Member sticker and take advantage of all the benefits!

Activities

Photo & Souvenir Activities
• Photo Booth - Grab fun props from Mighty Little Studio and take souvenir photos. Members get express lane!
• Wish Wall - Add your wish to the pop-up wall celebrating the U.S. 250th birthday.

Crafts & Hands-On Activities
• Ruthie’s Origami Corner - Fold an origami car in honor of Ruthie Kitagawa.
• Construct Your Cruise - Make your own paper car and town scene.
• Paper Sun Hat - Decorate a wide-brimmed hat to protect from the summer sun.

Explore & Engage
• Scavenger Hunt - Explore Little Tokyo and win a prize! Members get two chances (while supplies last).
• Los Angeles Public Library - Sign up for a library card and enjoy kids’ crafts.

Shopping & Events
• JANM Store Pop-Up - Buy unique gifts in the Democracy Center lobby.
• Nisei Week Plaza Festival (JACCC Plaza, 11am-4pm) - Food, games, booths, and live entertainment. Find the JANM “On the Go” booth!

Nisei Week Events

See Nisei Week Festival Events: See Nisei Week Tips Page 
Natsumatsuri is held in conjunction with Nisei Week Festival, Little Tokyo's biggest annual event. Make your plans early!

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)
Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of america’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese american experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South america. JANM is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Thursday from 12 p.m.-8 p.m. JANM is free every third Thursday of the month. On all other Thursdays, JANM is free from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media @jamuseum.

Event Location
Japanese american National Museum (janm.org), 100 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Event Title
JANM Annual Natsumatsuri Family Festival Event Summer Celebration (Bon Odori, Life Performers, Hula, Tea Ceremony, Taiko, Crafts, Origami..) Little Tokyo, Japantown