Tag Archives: PCC Downtown

Photo gallery of 2018 Tucson Japanese Festival

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Carolyn Classen | Comments Off

Yesterday Jan. 20, 2018 our Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition (SAJCC) sponsored another New Year celebration, for the 5th year, now calling it Tucson Japanese Festival (instead of Tucson Mochitsuki — named for the mochi (rice) pounding, which is demonstrated every year).

The festival was held once again for 3rd year at Pima Community College downtown (1125 N. Stone Ave.), with musical & dance performances on the stage in the Amethyst Room and activities outside on the patio, and Japanese games/origami upstairs in the Campus Center. Japanese food was for sale, and samples of green tea and mochi were provided to the 1000 plus attendees.

Here’s some photos of the festival, courtesy of various photographers.

Traditional Japanese New Year’s display of mochi (white rice cakes) with an orange fruit on top, photo courtesy M Craig

Mochi pounding demonstration outside of PCC Downtown campus center, photo courtesy Teena Werley

More mochi pounding, photo courtesy James Tokishi

PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert giving welcome remarks, courtesy of James Tokishi

Soulful Sumi Calligraphy by Akiko Victorson, with Master of Ceremonies Louis Rivera, photo courtesy of Louis

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Tucson

Tagged Akiko Victorson, Breanna Pena, Chi Nakano, Crystal Akazawa, Hiroko Espinosa, James Tokishi, Japanese new year, Lani Villanueva, Louis Rivera, Louise Entwistle, M. Craig, PCC Downtown, Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition, Teena Werley, Tucson Japanese Festival, Tucson Mochitsuki, Yumiko Foss

Annual Tucson Japanese Festival on January 20, 2018

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Carolyn Classen | 2 comments

Want to sample & eat Japanese food? Watch taiko & dance performances and kendo demonstrations? Learn to fold origami? Draw calligraphy? Learn about origins of manga and anime in Japan?

All this and much, much more at this 2018 New Year’s celebration, the fifth sponsored by our Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition and Odaiko Sonora. Name change from Tucson Mochitsuki to Tucson Japanese Festival last year, so hence it is the 2nd Annual. Performance schedule flyer (updated 1/17/18) below.

Mochi making and pounding from rice will be demonstrated. Join us to learn about Japanese culture in Japan and in the U.S.

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Tucson

Tagged Japanese culture, Odaiko Sonora, PCC Downtown, Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition, taiko drumming, Tucson Japanese Festival

7th Annual MegaMania 2017! at PCC Downtown

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Carolyn Classen | Comments Off

MegaMania!! 2017

Saturday, July 15, 2017 (1:00PM – 6:00PM)

Pima Community College Downtown, 1255 N. Stone Ave. Tucson

“Time to put on your best cosplay and gather up your bag of holding!

MegaMania!! 2017 is here and it is bigger and better than ever! Gather up your friends and join us at Pima Community College Downtown as we celebrate our seventh year of free comic-con fun.

Pig out on free pizza, drinks, and snacks in the Cantina, try to clock your best time running through our inflatable obstacle course and immerse yourself in the many different cultures of Tucson in our Cultural Room.

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Commentary, Tucson

Tagged Cosplay, Maryb Ellen Palmeri, MegaMania, origami, PCC Downtown

Photo Gallery of 2017 Tucson Japanese Festival

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Carolyn Classen | 3 comments

Tucson Japanese Festival (new name) was held on January 14, 2017 at PCC Downtown, 1255 N. Stone Ave. to celebrate the New Year.

For the 4th year, Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition (SAJCC) sponsored a New Year’s festival featuring numerous performances and once again, mochi pounding (from rice). Odaiko Sonora taiko drummers and Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson were festival co-sponsors.

Origami paper folding was taught and Go, fukuwarai and kendama games were played upstairs in the campus center building. Also on display were ikebana flower arrangements, bonsai from the Tucson Bonsai Club, and calligraphy. Photos below courtesy of freelance photographer James Tokishi, except for last 4 photos by M. Fumie Craig.

Odaiko Sonora doing the welcome at the New Year's festival

Odaiko Sonora doing the welcome at the Tucson Japanese New Year’s festival

Mochi (rice) pounding in stone usu and wooden kine

Mochi (rice) pounding in stone usu with wooden kine

Tucson Kendo Kai ready to perform their skills

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Tucson

Tagged Akiwa Abe Brown, Ayla Moreno, Carolyn Sugiyama Classen, James Tokishi, Ken Koshio, Lee Lambert, M Fumie Craig, Min Yanagihashi, mochi pounding, Odaiko Sonora, Paul Amiel, PCC Downtown, Ross iwamoto, SAJCC, Shiho Takeda, Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition, Suke Nakata, Tucson Japanese Festival, Tucson Kendo Kai, Yosakoi Dancers, Yuki Ibuki, Yume Japanese Gardens, Yurika Tatebe

Tucson Japanese Festival to celebrate the New Year 2017

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Carolyn Classen | 2 comments

Our Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition (of which I have been the website Editor for 4 years) is sponsoring another New Year’s festival on January 14, 2017, at PCC Downtown campus, 1255 N. Stone Ave., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is our fourth Japanese New Year’s celebration in Tucson.

Once again we are offering Japanese martial arts & musical performances (on 2 stages this year), cultural activities and games, delicious Japanese snacks, tea, takoyaki (octopus) balls, and other cultural information. Mochi rice pounding will be again performed with the kine (mallet) in the stone or wooden usu (bowl). See photo below from last year’s popular event. Event schedule also posted below.

Mochi pounding at 2016 Japanese New Year’s Mochitsuki, photo courtesy of James Tokishi

Updates will be on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/tucsonmochi/, with event schedule, listing of numerous Japanese restaurant door prizes, performers. Come watch co-sponsor Odaiko Sonora perform their lively taiko drumming.

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Tucson

Tagged Japanese culture, Japanese new year, New Year's mochi pounding, PCC Downtown, Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition, takoyaki snack vendor, Tucson Japanese Festival

Photo gallery of 3rd Annual Japanese Mochitsuki celebration

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Carolyn Classen | Comments Off

The Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition (SAJCC, of which I am the website Editor) held our 3rd Annual Tucson Mochitsuki celebration for Japanese New Year’s at PCC Downtown , 1255 N. Stone Avenue on Saturday, January 9. This event has grown from its inception 3 years ago at Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson, then to last year at Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, home of the popular Odaiko Sonora taiko drummers. This popular taiko troupe help open the celebration’s festivities.

Odaiko Sonora preparing to do the opening welcome. Photo credit Brandy Gannon

Odaiko Sonora performing, photo credit James Tokishi

Odaiko Sonora drummers at 2016 Mochitsuki, photo credit James Tokishi

Here are more photos of the event, focused on the Japanese tradition of cooking, mashing, pounding rice into mochi cakes. Samples of the mochi were provided to attendees (oshiruku soup), along with a festival atmosphere of various Japanese cultural activities, performances, games, and information.

Video of Odaiko Sonora performance and other activities by freelancer James Tokishi:

https://www.facebook.com/AzBunbunmaru/videos/577442482414877/?theater