PCC Downtown

Tucson Japanese Festival 2019

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If you don’t know what takoyaki balls (made from octopus) are, check out our 6th annual Tucson Japanese Festival, which was previously called the Tucson Mochitsuki for the mochi (rice) pounding event highlight. Our Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition (SAJCC) is still pounding & making mochi, but we feature other Japanese activities and performances as  well.  Here’s the flyer and schedule of events below.

NEW location — Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 W. River Rd. (between Oracle and La Canada Drive) –no longer at PCC Downtown, where it was for past 3 years).

 

Enjoy the ramen and my favorite, spam musubi (very popular back home in Hawaii, where it is ubiquitous). It is cooked rice, covered by a wrapping of nori (seaweed) with fried spam inside.

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Photo gallery of 2018 Tucson Japanese Festival

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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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Annual Tucson Japanese Festival on January 20, 2018

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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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7th Annual MegaMania 2017! at PCC Downtown

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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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