Author: Esther Shin

Esther graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in the Summer of 2013 with a Bachelor's degree in History and a minor degree in Japanese. She was the curatorial intern at JANM for the 2013 Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Internship Program, and has also completed a marketing internship at the museum. Esther currently works as a Development Assistant for JANM.

Visit the Japanese American National Museum for FREE on Museum Day!

Esther Shin Leave a comment

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Bring yourself and a friend to the Japanese American National Museum for free! On Saturday, September 28th, JANM will be participating in the Smithsonian Magazine’s “Museum Day Live!” A ticket will provide free admission to one person, plus a guest.

In the spirit of Smithsonian Museums, who offer free admission everyday, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket… for free.

The Japanese American National Museum is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, and excited to be a part of Museum Day Live! When you come on Saturday, check out I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story, an exhibition of banners created by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, on view through October 27, 2013.

Here are some rules and guidelines to ensure an enjoyable and smooth museum visit:
–       Only an official Museum Day Live! ticket is eligible for free entry. Official tickets can be requested through the Museum Day Live! website: www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/ticket/
–       One ticket per household, for two people.
–       A ticket will gain entry to only one of the participating museums, excluding parking and special events and exhibits.
–       If the museum reaches capacity, the museum has the right to limit the number of guests until space becomes available.

See you on Saturday!

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For Museum Day Live! FAQs:
www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/Museum-Day-Faqs.html#ixzz2Z97wd51P

View the list of museums that are participating by using this link: www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/venues/

For more information on the Smithsonian magazine: www.smithsonianmag.com/?ref=logo

Japanese Tea Ceremony Demonstration on Saturday

Esther Shin Leave a comment

la-tea-festivalOn Saturday, September 28th the Japanese American National Museum will be presenting a free Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration as part of the 3rd Annual Los Angeles International Tea Festival.

The Japanese tea ceremony is called chanoyu or sado in Japanese. It is a choreographed ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea with traditional Japanese sweets to balance with the bitter taste of the tea. Preparing tea in this ceremony means pouring all of one’s attention into the predefined movements. The whole process is not about drinking tea, but it is about the aesthetics, and preparing a bowl of tea from one’s heart.

This Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration is presented as part of the Tateuchi Public Programs Series, an organized partnership between the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation and the Japanese American National Museum. Tateuchi Public Programs develop presentations that explore the connections between Japan and the United States in the context of politics, art, music, and culture. The programs series aims to enhance understanding between the two countries.

The 3rd  Annual Los Angeles International Tea Festival is being presented by the Chado Tea Room at JANM on Saturday & Sunday, September 28-29, 2013. The  Tea Festival is an educational and entertaining event about the multifaceted world of tea that will bring together authors, industry experts, buyers, retailers, artists, educators, and tea-lovers from across the country. It will give you the opportunity to sample some of the world’s finest and most varied flavors of teas, attend presentations by leading tea authors and industry experts, and meet premier tea and tea-ware suppliers all at one place!

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn new facts and expand your enjoyment of this fascinating beverage!

For more information and to purchase tickets for the Los Angeles International Tea Festival, please visit www.teafestivalla.com.

Check out photos from a previous tea ceremony demonstration held at JANM. Click on the photos to see the full images.

Photo Credits: Amjadkhan Pathan

Stay updated on all of the museum’s events, including the tea ceremony by visiting www.janm.org/events.

2013 Nisei Week Grand Parade and Ondo & Closing Ceremony

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This year the Nisei Week Grand Parade took place on Sunday, August 11th. Dances, songs, and performers traveled throughout Downtown Los Angeles in the Little Tokyo District, filling the streets with Japanese and Japanese American culture and tradition. Once again, the Japanese American National Museum was proud to be a part of this year’s Grand Parade, and also proud to be a part of the Ondo & Closing Ceremony on Sunday, August 18th.

Here are some photos from the Japanese American National Museums’ participation in both the Grand Parade and the Ondo & Closing Ceremony! A big “thank you” to the National Museums’ staff members, volunteers, and friends for being a part of the Grand Parade, and for your hours of practice in preparation for the Ondo & Closing Ceremony!

Click on the photos to see the full images.

 

 

To learn more about Nisei Week: www.niseiweek.org

Photos by: Daryl Kobayashi, Richard Murakami, Richard Watanabe, and Russell Kitagawa