A cartoon frog dressed for a festival

Special Events

Youth & Families

Members

2022 Natsumatsuri Family Festival

A cartoon frog dressed for a festival

Special Events

Youth & Families

Members

2022 Natsumatsuri Family Festival

About the Event

FREE

Join us for the in-person return of the Natsumatsuri Family Festival, our annual summer celebration featuring free cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!

Plus, free admission all day to see all of our exhibitions: Be Here / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration, Sutra & Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration, The Interactive StoryFile of Lawson Iichiro Sakai, and Common Ground: The Heart of Community.

Special perks are available for JANM members! Be sure to check in when you arrive to get a member sticker so you can take advantage of all the special member benefits!

 

This event is free, but RSVPs are requested. Those who RSVP and show their ticket at the JANM membership table at the Natsumatsuri Family Festival will be entered into a drawing for a one-year JANM family/dual level membership. Members who RSVP will be entered for a chance to win a special gift bag from the JANM Store!

 

Can’t join us in person? We’ll be posting select performances and activities on our YouTube channel and Instagram throughout the day!

See the full schedule of activities below!

 

FREE

Saturday, Aug 13, 2022

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM PDT

Japanese American National Museum

100 North Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012

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About the Event

FREE

Join us for the in-person return of the Natsumatsuri Family Festival, our annual summer celebration featuring free cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!

Plus, free admission all day to see all of our exhibitions: Be Here / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration, Sutra & Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration, The Interactive StoryFile of Lawson Iichiro Sakai, and Common Ground: The Heart of Community.

Special perks are available for JANM members! Be sure to check in when you arrive to get a member sticker so you can take advantage of all the special member benefits!

 

This event is free, but RSVPs are requested. Those who RSVP and show their ticket at the JANM membership table at the Natsumatsuri Family Festival will be entered into a drawing for a one-year JANM family/dual level membership. Members who RSVP will be entered for a chance to win a special gift bag from the JANM Store!

 

Can’t join us in person? We’ll be posting select performances and activities on our YouTube channel and Instagram throughout the day!

See the full schedule of activities below!

 

 Sponsored by:

 Union Bank Logo 

Nissan Foundation

Honda logo

Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

Media Sponsor: Rafu Shimpo

In-kind donations: Yakult logo

For press inquiries, email mediarelations@janm.org or call 213.625.0414.

View Press Release

Press Photo Gallery (Password Access Only—contact mediarelations@janm.org for access.)

Activities

Family photo with JANM logo open on a computer screen

Photo Booth

Grab some fun props from Cre8tive Outlets and take a souvenir photo with friends and family.

Express lane for members!

A colorful fan made out of a paper plate and decorated with stickers in front of foliage

Obon Fan Craft

Make and decorate a colorful paper fan to use during Obon Festival season!

Yellow sunglasses decorated with jewels and stickers

Summer Shades Craft

Decorate some snazzy sunglasses to show off your style this summer.

Illustration of a bamboo tree with strips of paper tie in

Wishing Tree

Wishing trees are a summer tradition in Japan, appearing as apart of the annual Tanabata Festival.

This activity is in collaboration with the Los Angeles Tanabata Festival.

Pink origami lantern and green origami frog with colorful origami paper in the background

Ruthie’s Origami Corner

Learn to fold a jumping frog and a paper lantern—a colorful festival decoration!

This activity is named in honor of JANM volunteer Ruthie Kitagawa (1937-2020), who led origami activities at the museum for many years.

A woman leaning over a glass display, pointing at something out of frame.

30th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt

Explore JANM’s current exhibitions, find all the items on our scavenger hunt list, and win a prize.

One per participant, while supplies last.

Cartoon frog in a relaxed pose

Quiet Room

Take a moment to decompress in our quiet space for young children and families. There will also be a private area for nursing.

Los Angeles Public Library logo

Los Angeles Public Library

Sign up for a library card with friends from the Los Angeles Public Library! Stay for button making and coloring pages!

CBA Book Sale

CMA Book Sale

Check out our Collections Book Sale.

Schedule

Action shot of changemaker Emma Anderson holding a vinyl record.

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

DJ Performance by Emma Anderson

Kick off Natsumatsuri with a DJ performance by one of JANM's 30 Changemakers Under 30, Emma Anderson!

Emma Anderson is a Gosei Okinawan-American radio DJ, podcaster, and software engineer whose focus is uplifting Okinawan stories and traditions. Emma is a proud Uchinanchu, and she hopes to share that pride with the greater Japanese American community through her work in audio production and software development.

A group photo of Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Performance by Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles

Start the day with a performance by Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles! Led by director Carlos Samaniego, Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles performs its repertoire to suit the LGBTQ community while it maintains the highest level of musicality.

Reserved seating for members!

Illustration of a little girl against a green background, cherry blossoms around her

12:15 PM - 12:45 PM

“I am Able to Shine” Book Reading

Join author Korey Watari for a reading from her book I am Able to Shine, an affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice.

Korey will also sign copies of the book, available in the JANM Store.

Reserved seating for members!

A woman dressed in a yukata, leading an obon dance

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Obon Lecture and Community Dance

Learn about Japan’s obon festivals, which honor and celebrate the spirits of ancestors, with Rimban William Briones of Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. A group bon odori (traditional dance) will then be led by Elaine Fukumoto.

A wall of the names of the Japanese American World War II concentration camps written in both Japanese and English

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

For Every Generation: Recovering and Sharing Family Histories

Join us as we learn from Dr. Gail Y. OkawaMitch HommaElizabeth Nishiura, and Laura Dominguez-Yon about their families and the efforts they’ve made to record and share their stories and preserve the unique and rare objects that are featured in Sutra and BibleNancy Ukai, Project Director of 50 Objects, will moderate the conversation.

Learn More

Two kendo students in a match, taking place in a gymnasium

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM

Kendo Demonstration

Learn about kendo with a demonstration led by Sho Tokyo Kendo Dojo, a member dojo of the Southern California Kendo Federation.

Reserved seating for members!

Children gathered on lily pad rugs, listening to a story.

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Storytime with the Los Angeles Public Library

Join friends from the Los Angeles Public Library for a fun-filled storytime session!

Reserved seating for members!

Illustration of a little girl against a green background, cherry blossoms around her

3:45 PM - 4:15 PM

“I am Able to Shine” Book Reading

Join author Korey Watari for a reading from her book I am Able to Shine, an affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice.

Korey will also sign copies of the book, available in the JANM Store.

Reserved seating for members!

Members of Makoto Taiko pictured in uniform next to drums, against a sunset sky.

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Performance by Makoto Taiko

Finish up the fun-filled day with a performance by Makoto Taiko, a taiko group that strives to connect and empower people of all backgrounds by advancing the practice of taiko with intention and sincerity.

Reserved seating for members!

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