mmblog

The Unwritten Invitation of Hatsume – Come Dressed to Play

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[twocol_one]Enter the gardens of the Morikami for Hatsume Fair on April 1 & 2, and you can be guaranteed a few things – lively crowds, dynamic taiko drumming and an array of all things Japanese – from food to games to art. However, what you might not expect are the costumes. At Hatsume, people who enjoy “cosplay,” or costume play, walk around in full regalia with accessories, wigs, makeup, boots and even masks. So just what is this all about? Cosplay is a fun mixture of Halloween (where we have …

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TEA DAY | お茶の日

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Celebrate the culture of the wide world of tea at Morikami! Tea Day includes tea tasting, storytelling for the family, and Tea Talks—a lecture series with green tea experts Candice Kumai and ITO EN’s Rona Tison.

Speaker Spotlight: Kendall Brown’s Delirious Japan

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[fourcol_one][/fourcol_one] [fourcol_three_last]Dr. Kendall H. Brown is Professor of Asian Art History in the School of Art at California State University Long Beach. He received BA and MA degrees in history and art history from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University. Dr. Brown publishes actively in several areas of Japanese art, such as Japanese paintings and woodblock prints. Brown has curated or contributed to exhibitions for museums across the country, including our exhibition, Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920–1945. [/fourcol_three_last]  How long …

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So Have You Tried The Taiyaki Yet? We Hear It’s Good

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[twocol_one]At Oshogatsu (January 8, 2017), the Morikami grounds turn into an outdoor New Year’s celebration with taiko drumming, dancing lions and food – lots and lots of food. Among the many food vendors will be Cam and Heather Baird of Gaijin Taiyaki, returning for their second year to sell taiyaki, a sweet Japanese snack food that comes in a variety of flavors. Cam and Heather happened upon their food’s popularity, rediscovering it in California, then introducing it in Florida at comic cons and now at Morikami. So have you tried …

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A Historical Announcement

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[twocol_one] Several months ago, we were approached by a private collector with an offer to acquire a Japanese Friendship Doll—Miss Gunma. Morikami was poised to take advantage of this unique opportunity that may have never presented itself again. These dolls are a significant but often forgotten piece of the history between the United States and Japan in the years preceding World War II—when the countries were experiencing strained relations due to the threats of polarizing nationalism. The Friendship Dolls served as goodwill ambassadors between the two superpowers in this time of rising …

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