Yoshi Nakano

Photo gallery of 3rd Annual Japanese Mochitsuki celebration

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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 doing the opening welcome. Photo credit Brandy Gannon

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

Odaiko Sonora performing,photo credit James Tokishi
Odaiko Sonora performing, photo credit James Tokishi
Odaiko Sonora drummers at 2016 Mochitsuki, 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

Usu (mortar) and kine (mallet) before the pounding. Photo credit James Tokishi
Usu (mortar) and kine (mallet) before the pounding. Photo credit James Tokishi
Mochi pounding, photo credit James Tokishi
Mochi pounding, photo credit James Tokishi

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Welcome Year of the Sheep at Yume Japanese Gardens

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yearoftheram

Saturday, January 3,  from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson.

“Pick up your brush and greet 2015 — the Year of the Ram (Sheep)— with a Japanese ink brush painting (sumi-e) and New Year’s card that you create yourself. Zen Tribe Wellness instructor and nationally-known zen calligraphy artist Yoshi Nakano will show you how to write your name and New Year’s greetings in Japanese, and how to create an image of a ram with deft brush strokes that you can mail to friends or frame for your wall.

 Nakano  creates inspirational brush works and semi-abstract calligraphy that he calls “brush art meditation”. Participants can then compare their technique to Nakano’s award-winning art, which will be on exhibit at the Gardens January 3-17.

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