Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House

Bring your family and your guests to the
Japanese Cultural Center

EVENTS, 2010

April 17 - Saturday

Girl’s Day- Hina Doll Festival (Me and my doll)

Dress up, and bring your favorite doll to a tea party just for you. Enjoy yummy treats, and a bit of tea. There will be a doll fashion show and each participant can show the doll

they brought.

Have fun making an origami doll.

Chaperone required. Perfect for large groups or small! $10.00 per person. Reservations requested. Please call ......

Hina Dolls will be displayed the month of April.

Hina dolls were gifts for the Hina Festival or Girl's Day Festival. This tradition, called “Hina Matsur”, has been carried on for over 300 years. Every little girl is a princess to her own family that day. A traditional set consists of 15 dolls, the Emperor & Empress (Dairi Bina), 3 ladies-in-waiting (San-in-Kanjo), 5 Court musicians (Gonin-Bayashi), Minister of the Right (Udaijin), Minister of the Left (Sadaijin) and 3 servants (San-in-Jogo). Japan Society Origami Hina Dolls

May 15 - Saturday

Boy’s Day

Make Ninja tools and a Samurai Helmet with Origami.

Display of Japanese “Action Figures”

Japanese families give thanks for the young males in their families. It has been an important annual event for Japanese families going back to 1600’s.

The traditional display used to commemorate Boys’ Day contains warriors with representations of swords, arrows, and armor, tools prized by the samurai warriors of Japan’s past.

It started with farmers using “scarecrows” to scare off insects with brightly colored banners and scary figures. These figures started to take the shape of brave warriors famed for their victories on the battlefield. Like our action figures. They became more artistic and people began displaying them in their homes instead of the garden & farm fields. The figures are now used to instill courage and strength as boys grow into men.

Boys’ Day is also celebrated with the display of “koi nobori” three large paper Carp streamers. The largest fish represents the father, the middle fish represents the mother, and the smaller one represents the young boys of the family. The Carp stand for courage and power to achieve great goals as the Carp have strength to easily swim against the current. Kite flying is also a popular Boys’ Day activity.

June 16 – Wednesday

5th Annual Art & Garden Festival

The Japanese Cultural Center will feature Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) in the garden. You will also have the opportunity to experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony.

Ikebana (生け花, "arranged flower") is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō. There are many styles of Ikebana. But there are essential qualities to the art. When the flower arranger cuts the plants and flowers for arrangement a plant shape is not recreated. A new form is created which holds the arranger’s impressions of a plants beauty as well as the arrangers own spirit. Cut flowers and plants are used to express the feelings of the arrangers own heart.

July 7 – Wednesday

Tanabata Festival (Star Festival)

1:00 – 3:00 pm

There is a Japanese legend that two stars, a princess Vega (Orihime) and a boy (Altair) who loved each other were separated by another star. The girl Vega was a Weaver and the boy Altair was a Shepherd. As they were separated by the jealous star they could only meet once a year in the Milky Way galaxy on July 7. Now children write wishes on colored paper (Tanzaku) and hang them on tree branches. They also hang other paper ornaments on the tree branches. In Japan they hang them on Bamboo branches placed in their back yards or entrances to their homes. Then they pray that their wishes

come true.

August 21 – Saturday

Marshall Arts

September 19 - Sunday

Japan Festival

1:30 to 4:30 pm

October

Display of Kokeshi Dolls

75 Wooden dolls

The Kokeshi doll is a traditional folk art form of Japan, dating back to approximately 1830. Originally made by craftsmen during the winter months for sale to tourists, they have come to symbolize Japan to people around the world. Traditional Kokeshi dolls have distinctive characteristics connecting them to their specific region of origin. All traditional dolls are made of wood with a slender body, roundish head, and hand painted features and no arms

or legs.

November

"Holidays in the Heart of the City" open house

Have your name written in Japanese calligraphy.

A beautiful kimono, obi, and other items will be displayed in the Japanese room.