The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will host the Oshogatsu Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7.

The popular annual New Year’s celebration will include free crafts, performances, and cultural activities for all ages to help ring in the Year of the Dragon. Tickets will be made available on http://janm.org/events. Admission is free, but advance tickets are recommended. Exclusive benefits will be available to JANM members.

New Year’s is one of Japan’s longest and most important holidays. Although Oshogatsu originally referred to the whole month of January, most people associate it with the first three days (sanga nichi) of the month.

The festivities will include souvenir photos by cre8tive outlets, fun dragon-themed crafts and origami, a dragon-themed scavenger hunt for prizes, and a chance to win a candy sculpture made by Shinobu “Shan the Candyman” Ichiyanagi through a Kids’ Raffle (while supplies last). Kodama Taiko will perform a traditional mochitsuki, musically pounding rice into the sweet treat, mochi.

Free admission to see “Glenn Kaino: Aki’s Market,” “The Bias Inside Us,” “Common Ground: The Heart of Community,” and much more.

The full schedule of events and details will be posted on www.janm.org.

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