Tag: free

Highlights from February’s Target Day with KoAloha Ukulele!

Esther Shin Leave a comment

KoAloha_JANM_2-8-14_M Palma Photography-477

On February 8, 2014, JANM held the Target Day Free Family Saturdays: Aloha from Hawaii with KoAloha Ukulele family festival. Every corner of the Museum was filled with music as KoAloha Ukulele led free performances, workshops, and more!

Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh leads a cartoon workshop. Photo by Russell Kitagawa.
Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh leads a cartoon workshop. Photo by Russell Kitagawa.

In addition to the performances and workshops, guests also enjoyed ukulele-related film screenings of My KoAloha Story and The Haumana; and a variety of craft activities.

The Adventures of Sikh Captain America, a special program in conjunction with the Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986 exhibition, completed the full day of free programming.

KoAloha_JANM_2-8-14_M Palma Photography-152
Ryo Montgomery. Photo by Mike Palma.

Throughout the afternoon the Aratani Central Hall was filled with the sounds of spectacular ukulele performances by exciting young performers Jason Arimoto, Tj Mayeshiro (from Hawaii), and Ryo Montgomery (from Australia!).

JANM guests bring their own ukeleles for free classes taught by KoAloha Ukele artists and artist partners. Photo by M Palma.
JANM guests brought their own ukeleles for free classes taught by KoAloha Ukele staff and artist partners. Photo by Mike Palma.

Many guests brought their own instruments for free ukulele classes with KoAloha Ukulele staff and artist partners. These lively classes were enjoyed by guests of all ages and all levels as a number of classes were offered by different artists.

 

Check out these photos from February’s Target Free Family Saturday. Click on the thumbnails to see the full image larger.

The festival closed with an All-Star jam finale featuring Jason Arimoto, Tj Mayeshiro, Ryo Montgomery, and Brian Benevente! Photo by M Palma.
The festival closed with an All-Star jam finale featuring Jason Arimoto, Tj Mayeshiro, Ryo Montgomery, and Brian Benevente! Photo by M Palma.

 

Thanks to Russell Kitagawa, Mike Palma, Caroline Jung, Tsuneo Takasugi, and Tokumasa Shoji for taking amazing photographs!

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Save the date for JANM’s next Target Free Family Saturday on May 10th! In celebration of the new Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game exhibition (opening March 29!), bring the whole family out for free baseball-themed crafts & activities…sure to be a home run! Stay tuned for updates on janm.org/target.

Target FREE Family Saturday: Aloha from Hawaii with KoAloha Ukulele on February 8

Vicky Murakami-Tsuda 1 Comment

KAERU_ALOHA2014

KoAloha Ukulele is coming from Hawaii on Saturday, February 8 to lead performances, workshops, crafts, and all things ukulele at our next Target Free Family Saturday. It’s FREE all day!

Bring your own ukulele to learn basic and intermediate ukulele with Brian Benevente of KoAloha Ukulele and other KoAloha artist partners (11:15am/12:15pm/1:15pm/2:15pm). The little ones will enjoy strum-along and sing-along workshops with George “Gibi” del Barrio as “Abba Geebz” (Grandpa Geebz) at 11:30am, 12:45pm, and 1:45pm. If you don’t have your own ukulele, Anacapa Ukulele will be on-site selling instruments!

There will be solo performances by spectacular ukulele performers Tj Mayeshiro, Jason Arimoto, and Ryo Montgomery at 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. Plus an All-Star jam finale at 3:30pm with all three performers.

Plus, screenings of award-winning films: My KoAloha Story at 11:30am and The Haumana at 1:30pm; make your own candy leis; send an aloha to someone special by making a valentine with a bit of a Hawaiian touch; and fold an origami Hawaiian canoe.

For complete schedule, visit janm.org/target.

Video of TJ Mayeshiro and Ryo Montgomery performing in Korea:

 

Video of Jason Arimoto performing “Kaze Blues,” an original blues ukulele song about the Japanese picture bride experience in Hawaii in the early 1900s:

Target Free Family Saturday: Ukulele fun & Valentine crafts!

Lynn Yamasaki Leave a comment

Feb target crafts

Aloha! Are you ready? It’s the first Target Free Family Saturday of 2014 and we are excited to see you!!

On Saturday, January 8th from 11am – 4pm, we’ll be celebrating Hawaii with KoAloha Ukulele, who will be leading performances, workshops, crafts, and all things ukulele…and it’s all FREE! (If you have an ukulele, be sure to bring it to join in the fun.)

A full schedule for the day can be found here.

Not only is Hawaii on our minds, but, we’re also thinking about Valentine’s Day which is right around the corner. All kids can come and think sweet thoughts as they construct a candy lei. We will also have a variety of supplies available for you to make Valentine cards. It’s going to be a fun one so we hope you can join us!

 

 

2014 Oshogatsu Family Festival Highlights!

Esther Shin Leave a comment

Horses

On Sunday, January 5th, JANM rang in the New Year and the Year of the Horse with fun arts ‘n crafts, food, exciting cultural activities, and performances!

Oshogatsu Family Festival is one of JANM’s biggest events of the year, and we were glad to see so many guests come to join in on the fun. From folding a prancing horse origami, to jumping around in a horse bounce house, all of the activities celebrated the New Year and the Year of the Horse.

Thank you to all the JANM staff, volunteers, and friends who helped out at Oshogatsu Family Festival, and of course, thank you to all the guests for helping JANM kick off the New Year with a fun and exciting day!

Check out these photos from the 2014 Oshogatsu Family Festival (click on the thumbnails to see the full pictures):

 

Photo Credits: Richard Murakami, Caroline Jung, Russell Kitagawa, Richard Watanabe, and Tsuneo Takasugi

Check out more photos on our JANM Facebook page >>

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Don’t miss our next Target Free Family Saturdays: Aloha from Hawaii with KoAloha Ukulele on Saturday, February 8th from 11AM to 4PM. It’s FREE all day! Visit www.janm.org/target for more information.

December Target Free Family Saturday Highlights

Esther Shin Leave a comment

Picture Frames

JANM’s Winter Wonderland-themed Target Free Family Saturdays event on December 14, was jam-packed with holiday activities!

From taking pictures with Asian American Santa, decorating picture frames, making a cereal snack, taking a ride on a horse-drawn carriage, and enjoying a kamishibai winter-time story, our guests were able to get into the holiday spirit!

Check out these photos from December’s Target Free Family Saturday (click on the photos to see them larger):

 

Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts is on view at JANM through March 2, 2014. For more details about the exhibition, visit: janm.org/goforbroke

If you like food, cultural activities, and entertainment, mark your calendar for JANM’s annual Oshogatsu Family Festival, coming up on Sunday, January 5, 2014 from 11AM – 5PM! It’s FREE ALL DAY!

Our next Target Free Family Saturdays event will be on be on February 8, 2014 from 11AM – 4PM. You won’t want to miss a day of making music with KoAloha Ukulele as they lead performances, workshops, crafts, and all things ukulele! For details, visit: janm.org/target

Photo Credits: Tsuneo Takasugi, Caroline Jung, and Esther Shin.

Highlights from November’s Target Free Family Saturday

Esther Shin Leave a comment

Crafts!

On November 9, 2013, JANM celebrated autumn with many guests at Target Free Family Saturdays: Awesome Autumn!

The day was filled with free activities such as putting together a festive fall salad, banging on a drum in a drum circle, sitting in on a reading of Thanksgiving at Obaachan’s, decorating a furoshiki (wrapping cloth) for a mini omanju (traditional confection), and much more!

Go For Broke - Veterans Day Weekend

The Go For Broke National Education Center also held an important event at their monument. 11 veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were reminded of France’s gratitude for their efforts during World War II and received the French Legion of Honor Medal. Words of remembrance and appreciation, followed by the pinning of the Medals were presented by Fabrice Maiolino, the Deputy Consul General of France in Los Angeles. Afterwards, exciting activities ensued at the Go For Broke Monument in honor of Veterans Day. Guests were able to view the monument, and enjoy various family-friendly activities as well.

It was an exciting Saturday to celebrate the season, and Veterans Day. Check out these photos from November’s Target Free Family Saturday!

Photos by Caroline Jung, Richard Murakami, Russell Kitagawa, and Tsuneo Takasugi

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Don’t miss our next Target Free Family Saturday, “Winter Wonderland” on Saturday, December 14th from 11AM – 4PM! It’s a Winter Wonderland of seasonal crafts & activities including photos with Asian American Santa, a horse-drawn carriage, and kamishibai story-telling! For more information, visit janm.org/target.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to see it already, JANM’s newest exhibition, Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts is on view until March 2, 2014. For more information on the exhibition please visit janm.org/goforbroke.

The Military Intelligence Service in Occupied Japan on Saturday, December 7th

Esther Shin Leave a comment
Nisei civilians and soldiers work in the translation and scanning sections, responsible for the translation of all Japanese documents which was vital to the success of the occupation.
Nisei civilians and soldiers worked in the translation and scanning sections, responsible for the translation of all Japanese documents which was vital to the success of the occupation. Photo: National Archives.

 

On Saturday, December 7th at 2pm author, professor, and M.I.S. veteran Edwin Nakasone will moderate a discussion with fellow veterans Bruce Kaji and Hitoshi Sameshima about their roles in the rebuilding of Japan after the end of World War II.

The M.I.S., or the Military Intelligence Service, was a United States military unit mostly comprised of Japanese American Nisei who provided translation, interpretation, and interrogation services in the Pacific during World War II.

This program is presented by JANM and the Go For Broke National Education Center. It is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts (on view through March 2, 2014).

Don’t miss this FREE and exciting opportunity to learn more about the M.I.S. from the veterans themselves!

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Tateuchi Public Program Series
The Military Intelligence Service (M.I.S.) in Occupied Japan
Saturday, December 7, 2013 • 2PM
Tateuchi Democracy Forum

FREE EVENT

This public program is part of the Tateuchi Public Program Series. Organized in partnership between the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation and the Japanese American National Museum to develop presentations that explore the connections between Japan and the United States in the context of politics, art, music, and culture. For more information please visit: janm.org/events/tateuchi

Celebrate autumn this Saturday at JANM’s Target Free Family Saturday!

Esther Shin Leave a comment
Enjoy autumn-themed crafts and activities at our November Target Day!
Enjoy autumn-themed crafts and activities at our November Target Free Family Saturday!

Join us this weekend for our Target Free Family Saturdays event on November 9th from 11am to 4pm! The day will feature a variety of autumn-themed crafts and activities, in addition to celebrating Veterans Day with the Go For Broke National Education Center.

Assemble your own "Festive Fall Salad" with Kidding Around the Kitchen!
Assemble your own Festive Fall Salad with Kidding Around the Kitchen!

The day will start at 11am with Kidding Around the Kitchen, as they will lead a fabulous make-it-yourself  Festive Fall Salad, using the best that fall harvest has to offer. Also beginning at 11am will be a Comic Book Lounge, where guests can relax and read comic books in celebration of the Marvels and Monsters exhibition.

 

At 1:30pm (and again at 2:30pm) you can join in on an energetic drum circle by playing on a drum (no experience necessary)! Then at 3pm, join us for a reading of Thanksgiving at Obaachan’s with author Janet Mitsui Brown. Then stick around to decorate your own furoshiki (wrapping cloth) complete with your own mini omanju (traditional confection) to snack on!

Meet Japanese American WWII veterans at the Go For Broke Monument!
Meet Japanese American WWII veterans at the Go For Broke Monument!

Most importantly, don’t forget to visit Go For Broke at their Monument, just outside of the National Museum. Not only can you view the monument, but there will be lots of family-friendly activities. You can even get baseball-style cards signed by Japanese American WWII Veterans!

Have Japanese American WWII veterans sign their baseball cards for you at the Go For Broke monument!
Have Japanese American WWII veterans sign their baseball cards for you at the Go For Broke monument!

This Saturday’s Target Free Family  Saturday is not limited to these activities, but will feature even more FREE crafts and activities ALL DAY! Including a camoflouge-print jump house in honor of Veterans Day, Ruthie’s Origami Corner, coloring, and more!

 

Photo Credits: Russell Kitagawa, Richard Murakami, Tsuneo Takasugi, Caroline Jung, and Esther Shin

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Be sure to check out Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics: 1942-1986, on view through February 9, 2014. Marvels & Monsters illustrates how evolving racial and cultural archetypes defined America’s perceptions of Asians through a selection of images from comic books representing four turbulent decades. For more information please visit: janm.org/marvels-monsters

For the full schedule and updates on the November Target Free Family Saturday (or to see what’s coming up for the December event), visit: janm.org/target.

FREE screening of “Unexpected Journeys—Remarkable Stories of Japanese in America” on November 2nd

Esther Shin Leave a comment

1For the past year and a half, JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center has captured more than 25 first-person accounts of individuals whose lives illuminate the astonishing diversity of the Japanese experience in America.

With the support of NITTO TIRES U.S.A. Inc. and its visionary President, Tomo Mizutani, the Watase Media Arts Center staff has been enabled to videotape extensive interviews with Nisei, Japanese-speaking Kibei, Hapa, and post-WWII “Shin Issei.” Their stories have revealed many new historical insights and several previously unexpressed personal perspectives on the World War II era and beyond.

3From the little known early Yamato colony of Japanese in Florida where Sumi (Fukushima) Hughes’ parents settled to the challenges faced by Hamako (Amano) Schneider, one of the first Japanese war brides to be admitted to the U.S. following World War II, the project has uncovered many aspects of history that have remained unfamiliar to the public.

Photographed in Hi-Definition video by the Media Arts Center’s videographers Akira Boch and Evan Kodani, each interview is transcribed, translated when necessary, and digitally archived for eventual use in documentaries, exhibitions, and ongoing JANM educational projects such as the Discover Nikkei website and the Museum’s YouTube channel, janmdotorg. The project also involved follow ups with interviewees and their families to gather, identify, and scan photo albums, documents, and other supplementary resource material.

2After viewing the completed two-to-three hour interviews and assessing the available supplementary photographs and other visuals, the Media Arts staff—with assistance from Japanese staff member Yoko Nishimura of the Discover Nikkei project—edited selected interviews into a 30-minute documentary, Unexpected Journeys, that interweaves short autobiographical profiles with narration, graphics, and music by accomplished composer and musician, Dave Iwataki. To make these stories accessible to as wide an audience as possible the video includes both English and Japanese narration and subtitling to reach both English and Japanese-speaking audiences.

On Saturday, November 2, several of the interviewees and their families will attend a special premiere public screening presented in JANM’s Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Democracy Forum and will be able to meet fellow project participants, staff, sponsors, and other special guests. Light refreshments to follow program.

Lloyd Inui

FILM SCREENING
Unexpected Journeys: Remarkable Stories of Japanese in America
Saturday, November 2, 2013 • 2PM
FREE & open to the public!

This program is sponsored by Nitto Tire and produced by the National Museum’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center.

 

Check out the updated Watase Media Arts Center pages online: janm.org/mediaarts

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

Esther Shin Leave a comment

Screen Shot 2013-09-24 at 12.04.13 PM

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