Oshogatsu (New Year's Day) Celebration in Little Tokyo
Topic: New Year's Day

A very colorful New Year’s Day (Oshogatsu) celebration in Little Tokyo will be sponsored by Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California. (Photo courtesy of JCCSC)

 

    A very colorful New Year’s Day (Oshogatsu) celebration is coming to Little Tokyo very soon. Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California has sponsored the 2007 New Year’s Day event on Monday, Jan. 1, 2007 in Little Tokyo, in conjunction with the similar festival events also held at the Hotel New Otani and Japanese Village Plaza.

 

    Dubbed as “Oshogatsu in Little Tokyo,” the New Year’s Day events will take place at Weller Court Shopping Center at the corner of Second and San Pedro Streets in Little Tokyo. Admission free.

 

The celebration starts at 10:50 a.m. with the powerful beating of taiko drums by Hikari Taiko Group, followed by lion dance, Japanese calligraphy demonstration by Mme. Hiroko Ikuta, koto performance by Mme. Yoko Awaya, and mochi-give away by Nisei Week Queen and her courts and L.A. Kimono Club on the Weller Court stage.

 

Also planned for presentation are the Samurai Action Show which is very popular to children and the demonstrations of martial arts such as Swordsmanship, Kendo and Shorinji Kempo.

 

Cheerful Awa dance will be performed by Awa Aika Ren and traditional folk songs and dance will be showed by Matsutoyo Kai. Well Court stage programs will end at 3 p.m. Japanese sweets will be given to 200 children as first come first serve basis.

 

Tables will be set up to teach children and adults the Japanese arts of paper-folding, kite-making and other cultural handicrafts. Mochitsuki – pounding of sweet rice will take place during the stage hours.

   

    The day’s event will conclude with the opportunity drawing of many prizes including a grand prize roundtrip economy class ticket to Japan.

  

   The New Year’s Day event in Little Tokyo will give Japanese children and Americans an excellent opportunity to experience the old-time New Year’s day traditions. For more information, call Japanese Chamber of Commerce at (213) 626-3067 or check www.jccsc.org.

 

    On New Year’s eve, the special gourmet Kaiseki dinner will be served from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Thousand Cranes Restaurant in the New Otani Hotel, Little Tokyo. Long Life Noodles will be served from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the hotel’s Azalea Restaurant.

 

    On New Year’s Day, the New Otani Hotel will serve Osechi-Breakfast at Azalea from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Free Toso Sake will be provided at Azalea from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

 

    At the Garden Level of the hotel, Osechi Buffet will be served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. New Year’s Day Food and Refreshment Corner will be set up at Azalea from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For reservation, call New Otani Hotel at (213) 629-1200.

 

    Various cultural demonstrations also will take place at the banquet floor of the New Otani Hotel from 12 –3 p.m. Open to public. Most of the events are free. Fee will occur in designated programs. Cultural exhibitions will include Origami paper craft, pottery, fabric, crafts and toys. Events will feature Children’s Karura-tori tournament, calligraphy demonstration by Rev. Kanshu Ikuta and Mme. Hiroko Ikuta and Rakugi comic storytelling by LA Yose Club. Kimono dressing service will be provided by Mme. Fumi Akutagawa. At lobby lounge of the hotel, tea ceremony will be served by Mme. Sosetsu Nishimura of Edo-Senke Fuhaku-kai. The New Otani Hotel is located at 120 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, www.newotani.com.

 

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Buddhist services

 

  Koyasan Buddhist Temple (342 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012): Year end service at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 and New Year’s Day prayer at 10 a.m.

 

  Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple (505 East Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013): Year end service at 6 p.m. and New Year’s Day prayer at 10 a.m.

 

  Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (815 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012): Year end service at 6 p.m. and New Year’s Day prayer at 10 a.m.

 

  Zenshuji Soto Mission (123 South Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 9012): Year end service at 4 p.m. and New Year’s Day prayer at 10 a.m.

 

  Nichiren Buddhist Temple (2801 East Fourth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033): Year end service at 5 p.m. and New Year’s Day prayer at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

 

  Jodoshu North America Buddhist Mission (442 East Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013): Year end service at 3 p.m. and New Year’s Day prayer at 10 a.m.

 

 

Kotohajie, celebration for beginning of new year, Jan 8
Topic: New Year's Day
Both solemn and festive, the closing of an old year and the beginning of a new one are viewed as a time of reflection as well as festivity. Kotohajime is the annual celebration of traditional and contemporary performances in observance of the New Year, presented by Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.

This year's celebration includes the performance "Messengers from Forbidden Mountain" on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006 from 1 p.m. at JACCC Plaza and a Shikishi (card) exhibition at Doizaki Gallery in the JACCC Building. This year's Shikishi theme is Hatsu-hanashi (First-story) will be exhibit from Jan. 8 through Jan. 29. The celebration is open to public and free admission. Shikishi exhibition is also free admission.

Viewing Los Angeles as the contemporary Silk Road: where the routes for commerce, culture, language, and arts, intermingle as they migrate, "The
Messenger from Forbidden Mountain" performance features an eclectic blend of traditional and contemporary arts.

"Messenger" features Masakazu Yoshizawa's expertise with Japanese wind instruments, Shakuhachi and Nohkan, Yuval Ron's unique mix of traditional
and contemporary Middle Eastern music, and the Japanese archery group Ikkyu.

Yoshizawa, along with his group Kokingumi, set a strong foundation with their blend traditional and contemporary Japanese music for this performance. Joining Yoshizawa in Kokingumi are Hiromi Hashibe on the Koto and Takeo Takahashi on the Tsugaru Shamisen.

Ron is an international composer, performer, educator and record producer. His ensemble includes Arabic, Israeli and Jewish musicians as well as
Christian Armenian artists. Ron is dedicated to building musical bridges between people of Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths.

The Shikishi exhibit, running from Jan 8 through Jan 29th at Doizaki Gallery, will feature works from all walks of life: from dignitaries on both sides of the Pacific to children, from Prime Ministers
to teachers. The only guideline imposed were the Hatsu-hanashi theme and the use of ones' imagination.

Fist fire rite according to Esoteric Buddhism at Koyasan Temple, Jan. 1
Topic: New Year's Day
Visiting a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine to offer a prayer on New Year’s Day is called hatsu-mode in Japanese and it refers the New Year’s Day service (Shusho-e) according to the Buddhist tradition in Japan.

Koyasan Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles will hold the annual Hatsu-goma ritual, the first fire rite of the New Year at 10:00 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2005 at the Koyasan Temple, 342 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Bishop Taisen Miyata officiates the rite of the New Year, the year of the Dog (inu) according to the Shingon esoteric Buddhist tradition.

The fire ceremony of the New Year starts with chanting mantras and beating a taiko drum and concludes with toasting sake (otoso). The distribution of mochi to those who were born in the year of the Dog will follow.

Omikuji (fortune telling slip), hama-ya (good luck arrows), oma-mori (amulets), ema (picture tablet) and consecrated ofuda (charm) are available for visitors on the occasion of hatsu-mode. The Koyasan Temple opens 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the first three days of the New Year. A few thousands people are expected to visit the temple. For further information, call Koyasan Temple at (213) 624-1267

(Photo Caption)
Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo will hold Hatsu-goma, the first fire rite of the New Year on Sunday, Jan 1. Bishop Taisen Miyata conducts the annual ritual. (Photo courtesy of Koyasan Buddhist Temple)

Japanese New Year's Day Celebration in Little Tokyo, Jan 1
Topic: New Year's Day
A very colorful New Year’s Day (Oshogatsu) celebration is coming to Little Tokyo very soon. Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California has sponsored the 8th annual New Year’s Day event in Little Tokyo, in conjunction with the similar gala events also held at the Hotel New Otani and Japanese Village Plaza.

The New Year’s Day events will take place on Sunday, January 1 from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. at Weller Court Shopping Center at the corner of Second and San Pedro Streets in Little Tokyo. Admission free.

The celebration starts with the powerful beating of taiko drums, followed by lion dance, Japanese calligraphy demonstration, koto performance, Japanese karuta-card playing and mochi-pounding.

Also planned for presentation are the Samurai Action Show which is very popular to children and the demonstrations of martial arts such as Swordsmanship, Kendo and Shorinji Kempo. Colorful New Year’s Kimono Show is also presented by L.A. Kimono Club at 2 p.m. at Weller Court Shopping Center.

Tables will be set up to teach children and adults the Japanese arts of paper-folding, kite-making and other cultural handicrafts. The day’s event will conclude with the opportunity drawing of many prizes including a grand prize roundtrip economy class ticket to Japan.

Some traditional New Year’s Day activities such as mochi-pounding and karuta-card playing are no long practiced commonly in modern day Japan. But the New Year’s Day event in Little Tokyo will give Japanese children and Americans an excellent opportunity to experience the old-time New Year’s day traditions still kept alive here in the United States.

The events in New Otani Hotel, 120 South Los Angeles Street, start at 7 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Japanese Village Plaza, located between First and Second Streets, presents stage shows from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information, call Japanese Chamber of Commerce at (213) 626-3067 or check www.jccsc.org.

(Photo Caption)
Japanese New Year’s Day Celebration will take place in Little Tokyo on Sunday, Jan. 1. Various entertainments are scheduled at Weller Court Shopping Center, Japanese Village Plaza and New Otani Hotel. All outdoor events are free. (Cultural News Photo)