Last Chance of the Season for an Interactive Glimpse at Life in Japan

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Just behind the museum, through the garden and tucked away on Yamato Island you’ll find the original museum building – the Yamato-Kan. In this traditionally styled building lies your window to life in Japan: Japan through the Eyes of a Child. This exhibit, developed by the National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C., transports young visitors to Japan in an exhibit designed especially for them. Japan through the Eyes of a Child (or JTEC for short) spotlights four different aspects of life for kids in Japan: an elementary school classroom, a …

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Bunny Origami

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Since the Museum is closed this Sunday for Easter we thought it would be great to show you how to make an origami rabbit. But we couldn’t pick just one, so here are some of our favorite origami bunnies (and a carrot!) to brighten your day in lieu of being able to enjoy the gardens. We’ll start with the simplest project – the carrot: And here’s ours The carrot should be simple enough for younger children (though they may need some help when it comes time to fold the stem). …

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The Storm Before the Calm

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Thunder, lightning, flooding and frustrating delays aside, we opened the gates at last Saturday’s Bon Festival beneath clear skies and sent almost 1,000 lighted lanterns into Morikami Lake; as one Facebook fan so aptly put it, we braved “the storm before the calm.” We want to first thank our visitors and steadfast supporters who braved this storm with us on Saturday. Under torrential rain and severe weather advisory until 6:30 pm, we opted to open our doors no later than 7:30pm. There was no shortage of work to be done: …

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Our First Ever Social Media Lantern

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With Bon Festival just under four (!) weeks away, we’re highlighting what’s new this year, beginning with our favorite addition to the Obon repertoire – our Social Media Lantern. Each year at Bon Festival, Morikami staff handcrafts close to 1,000 paper lanterns, inscribed with messages from our visitors to loved ones who have passed away.  At the end of the night, each lantern, lit by a single candle, is released into Morikami Lake as part of tōrō nagashi: literally, lantern floating.   These lanterns are meant to guide visiting spirits, who …

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Happy 35th Birthday to Us!

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Just about 35 years ago today, the Morikami Museum opened its doors for the very first time.  We’re celebrating three-and-a-half decades of bringing Japan to South Florida on Tuesday, June 26 with a day of discounts, special tours, and extended hours.  If you follow us on Twitter and Facebook, you’ve noticed we’ve been counting down the 35 days to our 35th anniversary with a fascinating Morikami fact, one for each day.  Here’s the complete list, with  a sneak peek to the Morikami tidbits we have yet to reveal this week. …

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