'YEAR OF THE HORSE' THEME FOR MUSEUM’S FREE OSHOGATSU FAMILY FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 5

Los Angeles – The Japanese American National Museum is pleased to present the 2014 Oshogatsu Family Festival on Sunday, January 5, 2014 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. One of the Museum’s most popular and well-attended family events, the festival will celebrate the New Year with a “Year of the Horse” theme. The day will be packed with hands-on activities, taiko performances, Japanese traditional New Year’s food tasting, and more.

As 2014 represents the year of the horse on the Asian Zodiac, the National Museum has organized several events around the horse theme. All-day activities include a horse bounce house, horse-related arts & crafts, an origami corner, and a toddler room for the Museum’s youngest guests to enjoy.

Food will be a major component of the festival. From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. visitors can learn how to make onigiri rice balls and participate in JANM’s Onigiri Design Contest, sponsored by Common Grains. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Kidding Around the Kitchen will provide the ingredients to make some lucky zaru soba (buckwheat noodles). For Museum members, there will be a special gourmet osechi-ryori tasting from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Members will be able to sample traditional Japanese New Years foods, while supplies last.

World-renowned candy artist, Shan Ichiyanagi will make horse and other special candy sculptures from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. These sculptures will be for children only and candies will be raffled off throughout the day.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m visitors can meet and ride real live ponies in celebration of the year of the horse. There will also be an Express Lane available for JANM members only. This event is for children only and the line will end at 4:30 p.m.

Kodama Taiko will perform a demonstration of mochitsuki, a traditional rice cake pounding ceremony at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Kodama’s performances combine the age-old tradition of hand-pounding mochi (sweet rice) with the sounds of taiko. This energetic custom is typically performed during the Japanese New Year’s. Mochi samples will be passed out at the end of each performance.

The Museum Store is also taking part in the New Year’s festivities with the sale of its fukubukuro (lucky bag), or mystery grab bag. In Japan, department stores often have fukubukuro on sale around New Year’s. The contents of the bag are not known to the purchaser, but are still packed with valuable items.

The Japanese American National Museum holds its Oshogatsu Family Festival on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day each year. For more detailed information and a current calendar of events, visit janm.org, or call 213.625.0414.

GENERAL INFORMATION

About the Japanese American National Museum
The Japanese American National Museum is dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by preserving and telling the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Since its incorporation in 1985, the National Museum has grown into an internationally recognized institution, presenting award-winning exhibitions, groundbreaking traveling exhibits, educational public programs, innovative video documentaries, and cutting-edge curriculum guides. www.janm.org

General Information
The Japanese American National Museum is located at 100 North Central Avenue in historic Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. For more information, call 213.625.0414, or visit janm.org. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $9.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors; $5.00 for students and children; FREE for Museum members and children under age five. Admission is FREE to everyone on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Closed Mondays, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.