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.
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.
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 Tucson Japanese New Year’s festivalMochi (rice) pounding in stone usu with wooden kineTucson Kendo Kai ready to perform their skills
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.
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 TokishiOdaiko 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:
