FREE ALL DAY!

Celebrate International Children’s Day at JANM! Fun crafts, readings, performances and food tastings for the whole family!

Generously sponsored by Target, these special Saturdays are filled with fun activities giving families unique ways to learn, play, and grow together. Media Sponsors: Los Angeles Downtown News, KSCI-TV LA-18, and The Rafu Shimpo

ALL DAY CRAFT ACTIVITIES:

Create a fun and festive tanabata decoration using a variety of materials.

Maneki neko is a Japanese beckoning cat that is considered to be a lucky charm in Japan. Make one of your own to bring you good luck.

Design your own koi nobori (Japanese fish kite) to celebrate Children's Day

Ruthie’s Origami Corner: Create your own Mother’s Day card!

SCHEDULE:
11 AM - Doors open

11 to 2 PM – Spring has sprung and Kidding Around the Kitchen is here to show you how to make kid friendly fruit kebobs with yogurt dipping sauce

1 PM – Try traditional Japanese Children's Day sweets from Fugetsu-do Sweet Shop!

2 PM – Come see the special shadow puppet show, “Urashima Taro,” and hear, The Last Kappa of Old Japan, book reading with Sunny Seki.

3 PM – Listen to the award-winning writer Naomi Hirahara read from her newest book Blood Hina (available to purchase through the Museum Store)

4 PM - Doors close

ABOUT OUR FRIENDS:
Kidding Around The Kitchen
It is such a common problem in today's world that families rarely get to eat together anymore.

Kidding around the Kitchen shows that families can make and eat food together without a lot of fuss or a huge time commitment. The family food demo helps families with tips on smarter shopping, fun recipe ideas, advice on how to incorporate healthier choices when possible and advice on how to delegate tasks in an age-appropriate way. This family food demo is a “how to” get everyone involved in the family meal.

Kidding around the Kitchen is for families that have full plates in life as well as wanting a full plate of food to enjoy together. It's about time well spent. You'll see your kids get a we did it attitude!! This family food demo works on the try it premises all while empowering the kids and family. If we can do it, so can you!!

Kidding around the Kitchen is an adventure in fun, food and family. We are not only making food, we are making memories.

For more information on Kidding around the kitchen go to: www.kiddingaroundthekitchen.co

Fugetsu-Do Sweet Shop
Fugetsu-Do has been a family owned and operated confectionery store in Little Tokyo since 1903. Japanese rice cakes, more commonly known as mochi (rice cake) and manju (sweet bean-filled rice cake), are the staple. The shop, which is currently operated by Brian Kito, is located on East First Street, in the heart of the Historic District of Little Tokyo. Some of the family history was shared with me, and I welcome the opportunity to put down on paper one family's history in the United States.

For more information on Fugetsu-Do Sweet Shop go to: www.fugetsu-do.com

Sunny Seki
Sunny was born in Japan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography. He then studied illustration at Pasadena Art Center College of Design, and operated a successful Portrait Studio for 30 years. His first book, The Tale of the Lucky Cat, was recognized with two prestigious awards. Sunny also teaches a Japanese poetry senryu group. He spends much time retelling and illustrating Japanese folktales, and also presents them with shadow puppetry. Recently Sunny’s craft was featured on The Disney Channel; this two-minute spot can be viewed at here. Sunny lives in San Gabriel with his wife and nine children.

Sunny will also be signing two other books that he also wrote and illustrated. All three titles are available in the Museum Gift Store.

The Tale of the Lucky Cat (East-West Discovery Press, 2007) is a retold folktale about the Japanese origin of the Good Luck Cats (maneki neko) that we see in so many shops and restaurants. This bilingual children’s book combines love of animals, and the rewards of doing good deeds.

Gardeners’ Pioneer Story (Southern California Gardeners Federation, 2007) is a bilingual compilation of the senryu poems written by one century of Japanese gardeners in California. Through these poems, Sunny reveals the history, pain and joy of the gardeners who truly paved the way for today’s Japanese-American community.

For more information about Sunny, go to: www.sunnyseki.com.

Judy Seki
Judy grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, and spent two years teaching English in Kyoto and Tokyo. Currently she teaches mathematics, English, and entrepreneurship at Soledad Enrichment Action Charter High School Girls Academy in Los Angeles.

Urashima Taro
“Urashima Taro” is a famous Japanese folktale that has been in existence for more than four hundred years. Sunny will present this story as a shadow puppet presentation. Sunny created the puppets, and he acts as the chief puppeteer, assisted by his son Mario. His wife Judy will be the narrator.

The Last Kappa of Old Japan
The Last Kappa of Old Japan (Tuttle Publishing, 2010) is an original story about the folklore creatures known as kappas. Through the last surviving kappa we learn a lesson about preserving our environment and we also understand the origin of a new kind of sushi called “Kappa Roll.”

Blood Hina by Naomi Hirahara
In Blood Hina, the fourth installment of Naomi Hirahara's highly acclaimed Mas Arai mystery series, Mas' best friend Haruo is getting married and Mas has grudgingly agreed to serve as best man. But then a hina doll display of Haruo's fiancee goes missing, and the wedding is called off with fingers pointed at Haruo. To clear his friend's name, Mas must first uncover a world of heartbreaking memories, deception, and murder. This mystery takes its readers to Montebello, the flower market in downtown Los Angeles and Imperial Valley. Blood Hina is the first hardcover book in the series.

2010 TARGET FAMILY FREE SATURDAY SCHEDULE
June – Uniquely You!

July – On the Go!

Oct 9: Theme Martial Arts:
"Just for Kicks"

Nov 13: Theme Fall
"Fall into Fall”

Dec 11: Theme: Origami
“Fold, Crease, and Crinkle”