JANM Free Family Days: Superheroes! | Japanese American National Museum

About the Event

FREE ALL DAY

This full day of crafts, performances, and other activities will be inspired by real-life heroes as well as the fictional characters of Kaiju vs Heroes: Mark Nagata’s Journey through the World of Japanese Toys.

ALL DAY ACTIVITIES:

Superhero Capes: Attention all crime-fighting kids and their grown-up sidekicks! Make your own superhero cape and unleash your hidden powers.

Superhero Masks: Keep your secret identity under wraps with a handcrafted hero- or kaiju-inspired mask.

Ruthie’s Origami Corner: Fold an Ultraman superhero!

Superhero Selfies: Grab your cape and mask, strike a powerful pose, and snap a selfie in your new super outfit! Selfie sticks provided by JANM for this activity.

Save a Life with A3M: Become a real hero by seeing if you’re a bone marrow donor match. Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M) focuses on recruiting marrow donors in ethnic communities because the odds of finding a match is much more likely within one’s own racial or ethnic group.

Veterans Day Letters: Write a letter of appreciation to a veteran, to be delivered by Operation Gratitude. It only takes a few minutes to write a letter, but it will bring lasting joy to the person who receives it!

SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES

11:30 a.m.–12 p.m.: Ukuleles for Little Tokyo Performance
U4LT engages Japanese and Japanese American seniors while providing free ukulele instruction in Japanese and English. Reserved seating for members.

11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.: Superhero Training
Our friends from Terasaki Budokan will help kids transform basketball fun into fantastical feats of physical fitness worthy of free prizes. Run at the speed of light, fly to slam dunk, make jaw-dropping no-look passes, and sink amazing far-away shots.

12 p.m.–12:45 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.–2 p.m.: Superhero Drawing Workshop:
Any mild-mannered child can transform into a fantastic superhero by joining artist and art educator Sylvia Lopez for this interactive workshop. Learn how to quickly sketch and draw a basic human form to create your very own hero character. All levels welcome! Reserved seating for members.

12 p.m.–3 p.m.: Superhero Caricatures
Watch yourself be turned into a superhero with a caricature drawn by an artist from Taylor Entertainment. For children only. Line ends at 2:30 p.m. Express line for members.

12:30 p.m.–1 p.m.: Sho Tokyo Kendo Demonstration
Sho Tokyo Kendo of LA Minobusan Beikoku Betsuin will deliver a captivating demonstration of kendo, a traditional Japanese martial art that utilizes bamboo swords and protective armor. Reserved seating for members.

3 p.m.–3:15 p.m.: Kizuna Taiko Performance
Enjoy a performance from Kizuna Taiko, a group made up of children and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities and their parents and siblings from the Japanese Speaking Parents Association of Children with Challenges (JSPACC). Reserved seating for members.

3:30 p.m.–3:45 p.m.: WizStars Performance
Check out WizStars, a hip-hop dance ensemble featuring individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities and their parents or siblings from the JSPACC. Reserved seating for members.

Please check back for updates.

Sponsored by Dwight Stuart Youth Fund.