“In a heartfelt Domo arigato! (“Thank you!”) to the entire Tucson community, Yume Japanese Gardens will feature live performances of Japanese music and songs and demonstrations of popular Japanese traditional arts in a day-long celebration of its fifth anniversary on January 13, 2018.  UPDATE: performance schedule below

Festivities will include demonstrations of Ikebana, or traditional Japanese flower arranging, and of origami, the Japanese art of folding paper to create three-dimensional figures. Musical performances will range from traditional melodies played onshakuhachi (bamboo flute) to a recital of Japanese folk songs and thunderous taiko drumming by Odaiko Sonora, southern Arizona’s premier Japanese drumming ensemble.

The day’s events begin at 10:00 am and continue until 4:30 pm. Japanese food will be available for purchase, and admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children under 15. Attendees may purchase tickets at the door, or in advance by calling (520) 272-3200 or by visiting www.yumegardens.org and clicking on “Events” and then on “Buy Tickets.” All tickets are non-refundable.

Literally created from nothing, non-profit Yume was laid out on an empty clay lot before opening in 2013 with five classical Japanese garden landscapes, including a koi pond. It has not stopped growing since. Over the years it has added a replica traditional Japanese cottage, a small museum of Japanese arts and crafts, and an art gallery and gift shop, while hosting a lengthening roster of cultural events. These have ranged from exhibits of hanging scrolls and hand-painted kimonos to musical performances on traditional instruments, as well as tea ceremonies and seasonal festivals marking such Japanese holidays as Children’s Day every May.

The Gardens are at 2130 N. Alvernon Way, one block south of the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Celebration attendees are requested to avoid parking on East Hampton Place on the north side of the Gardens, so as not to disrupt neighborhood traffic.”

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For more information on the anniversary event or on Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson, visit www.yumegardens.org, writeyume.gardens@gmail.com, or call (520) 272-3200.