Pauline Adamek
The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) presents its 27th Annual Children’s Day Celebration (Kodomo no Hi) this Saturday, May 15th, 2010, at the Center’s campus in the heart of Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles.
It”™s a day of fun-filled, hands-on cultural activities and performances, celebrating the health and happiness of children! The day is kicked off with a Little Tokyo favorite, the Chibi-K: Kids Fun Run, then the street is cleared for the San-Tai-San: 3-on-3 Youth Basketball Tournament, followed by the Asian Pacific Arts & Crafts Faire and Cultural Discovery Workshops led by local artists and professionals. Children and families have the unique opportunity to experience a variety of cultural traditions all in one day!
This is a one-day festival where kids rule, families have a blast and people can engross themselves in cultural activities, cuisine, arts and entertainment focused on Japanese culture. The Children’s Day Celebration is JACCC’s signature festival honoring the cultural diversity and children of Southern California.
Make your way downtown this May 15th and once in Little Tokyo look up to the skies for the giant multi-colored carp kites billowing in the wind off of the top of the JACCC building. Carp kites are the traditional symbols of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) and signify aspirations for long life, strength and determination to travel upstream, against the river’s current, as carp fish do.
Children’s Day kicks off at 8 am with the endearing Chibi-K: Kids Fun Run, where children ages 4 to 12 run through the streets of Little Tokyo in one of 4 divisions- 1/4K (4 yrs), 1/2K (5-6yrs), 1K (7-9yrs), 1K (10-12yrs). All runners receive a Chibi-K Run t-shirt, bib, goodie bag, and as a thumbs up for waking up so early, a pancake breakfast! At 9:30 am the streets are cleared to make way for the San Tai San / 3 on 3 Youth Basketball Tournament. Teams of boys and girls 3rd-7th grade bring it to the streets of Little Tokyo to play 3-on-3 basketball. All registered teams play at least 3 games and all players receive a goodie bag and t-shirt.
***Registration is required for both the Chibi-K Run and the San Tai San/3 on 3 Basketball Tournament.***
From 10am to 4pm on the JACCC Plaza the annual Asian Pacific Arts & Crafts Faire presents a host of vendors offering traditional handmade Asian Pacific craft items, food, children’s games, crafts, health and community information booths, and a wide representation of Pan-Asian performances on the main stage. Admission is free.
Families are invited to sign up together for one or several Cultural Discovery Workshops being offered throughout the day. This year workshops are being offered in taiko drumming with Prota, manju making with Manju Master Brian Kito of Fugetsu-Do Confectionary and sushi making with Sushi Chef Institute’s founder Chef Andy Matsuda. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Space is limited and will be filled on a first come first serve basis.
For more information and to register for Chibi-K, San Tai San, and the Cultural Discovery Workshops, please visit the official site or call (213) 628-2725 ext. 128.
The JACCC is located in the Little Tokyo district in downtown Los Angeles at 244 S. San Pedro St., Downtown.
Parking is available on 2nd Street, between Central Avenue and San Pedro Street. Go Metro to the 27th Annual Children’s Day Celebration! Parking will be limited, so public transit is the best way to avoid traffic and parking hassles. To plan your trip, simply use the Metro Trip Planner or call 1-800-COMMUTE.
The 27th Anniversary Children’s Day Celebration is made possible in part by support from the Japanese American Optimists (JAO), Ties That Bind, and the UCLA Nikkei Student Union. JACCC programs are made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors through the County Arts Commission. Significant support is provided by American Airlines. KSCI-LA18TV and The Rafu Shimpo are media sponsors.
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WHAT: 27th Annual Children’s Day Celebration
WHEN: Saturday, May 15 2010, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
WHERE: Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
ADMISSION: Registration required for Chibi-K, San-Tai-San, & Cultural Workshops.
Free admission for Asian Pacific Arts & Crafts Faire
INFO: Janet Hiroshima (213) 628-2725, ext. 128 or jhiroshima@jaccc.org
About the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC)
Founded in 1980, the JACCC is the largest Asian American cultural center of its kind in the U.S. and is the preeminent presenter of Japanese, Japanese American and Asian American arts. JACCC is home to a number of civic and arts organizations and serves as the cultural and community focal point of Japanese Americans throughout Southern California. to present, perpetuate, transmit, and promote Japanese and Japanese American arts & culture to diverse audiences.
Report by Pauline Adamek
Brian Sonia-Wallace
Thanks, that was very interesting. Actually, I was born in Thailand in 1969 but my parents fled the country and came here in Britain. To be honest, I didn’t care much about my Thai heritage until my mother died last month, now I’ve been trying to find out as much as I can. Seemed like cuisine was as good a place as any to start ! Anyway, I found a ton of Thai food recipes that your readers might be interested in .