“Decorated for Shogatsu during a Wee Winter Wonderland as part of Holidays Around the World and Through Time.

Shoichi Uchiyama

1992

AKE-MASHITE-OMEDETOU-GOZAIMASU! (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

Shogatsu is a three day New Year celebration in Japan. Though most families get together on December 31^st for New Years Eve, Shogatsu actually begins with the most important national holiday in Japan, Gantan (New Year’s Day) January 1^st. The Japanese greeting “ake-mashite-omedetou-gozaimasu” is expressed to everyone you see the first time in the New Year.

Holiday decorations are placed in and around the house beginning December 30^th. Shimekazari is a traditional ornament hung over the front of the house to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck. You will see bamboo and pine decorations tied with straw rope called kadomatsu at both sides of the entrance of houses set up to summon the New Year god Toshigami. It is believed that the god will bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year. The materials are symbolic- bamboo symbolizes strength and pine longevity. These decorations can be seen on the Japanese Family Farmhouse.

A special decoration called Kagami mochi is set out as an offering to Toshigami in the Japanese Kitchen. The decoration consists of two round mochi rice cakes of different size stacked (the smaller on top of the larger one) topped with a dadai (Japanese bitter orange). The Kagami mochi also symbolizes the continuity of the family; the mochi symbolize the past year and the year ahead and the dadai represents long life and the continuity of generations.

It is also a tradition to give children money during the Shogatsu holiday. Adults prepare small envelopes of money for the children called otoshidama. Look on the counter in the Japanese Kitchen for otoshidama. There is a custom of visiting a shrine or temple during the New Year’s holiday to pray for safety, health and good fortune.”

Carolyn’s note: This is one of 14 miniature exhibits in the “Holidays Around the World and Through Time” show at this museum at 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive, west of Swan Rd. Hours are 9 to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Happy New Year of the Snake in 2025.

• Sunday, November 17, 2024
• 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
• Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)
• Google Calendar  ICS

“Join us at Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson on Sunday, October 20, 2024, for a peaceful haiku walk, The Quieting of Nature. Embrace the stillness of autumn as the season shifts, using haiku to capture its beauty and transitions. Through guided exercises, you’ll heighten your awareness of the present moment—observing falling leaves, crisp air, and the fading light. Reflect on the simplicity and impermanence of autumn as you write haiku inspired by nature’s cycles. This mindful walk will help you find stillness, gratitude, and deeper connection as the world slows down in preparation for winter.

This event will be led by award-winning poet, Kenneth Pearson. Kenneth is the digital librarian for The Haiku Foundation and the author of five collections of poetry, including two collections of haiku.

This learning pathway is part of a program designed by Kenneth Pearson to promote living a Haiku life and having a Haiku mindset.

Kenneth Pearson has a MFA in Creative Writing with a MS in Industrial Organizational Psychology. He serves as the Digital Librarian of The Haiku Foundation, is the Facilitator of the Haiku Walk at Yume Japanese Gardens in Tucson, and the author of two haiku collections. For Kenneth, Haiku has become a cornerstone of his life, teaching him to appreciate simplicity, presence, and the fleeting beauty of each moment.”

Date/Time:

Sunday, November 17 @ 12pm – 1:30pm

Tickets:

$20 General/$10 Members 

Space is limited. Please reserve your spot!Get Tickets

• Sat, Nov 16, 202410:00 AM to  Sat, Dec 14, 20241:00 PM
• Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)
• Google Calendar  ICS

Manga Workshop Series

W’hile Japanese manga share much in common with Western comics and graphic novels, it is a unique and ancient art form dating back to the 13th century!

In our short intro workshop, we will learn about the evolution of manga and explore the fundamentals of character design, story development, page layout, penciling, editing, and inking techniques through fun, challenging exercises designed to inspire creativity and ignite a desire to write and draw stories in modern and classic Japanese styles.

This workshop is a series of 5 classes, held on Sundays, in which fundamental skills and techniques are practiced and applied to projects created by the participants.

About the Artist:

Lin Lucas is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. At age five, he saw Superman flying across his kindergarten lunch box and knew he wanted to be someone who explored the boundaries of possibility. His favorite question is, “What if…?”

Dates & Time: 

WEEKLY Saturdays 11/16 to 12/14

10 AM – 1 PM

Tickets:

General Admission: $250 (for 5 classes)

Students: $175 (for 5 classes)

All materials included (does not include Gardens admission)

Advanced ticket reservation is required. This is a limited admission event.Sign Up Now

• Thu, Nov 14, 20249:30 AM to  Sun, Nov 24, 20245:00 PM
• Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)
• Google Calendar  ICS

Fall Ikebana Festival

“Have you ever heard of “The Way of Flowers”? Sound intriguing? Come to our Annual Fall Ikebana Festival and experience the essence of the season with a wide array of colorful floral arrangements displayed in original vases throughout the Gardens.

Ikebana, also known as “the Way of the Flowers”, is the meditative art of Japanese floral arranging dating back to the 15th century. It subtly harmonizes nature and the hand of the arranger to create floral compositions that move the observer’s heart.

Unlike the flowers you may have seen here in America, Ikebana uniquely emphasizes shape, line, and form while giving equal attention and importance to the branches, stems, and leaves of a plant rather than merely arranging its blooms. This emphasis on the often forgotten parts of plants in western culture, make Ikebana truly inspirational. If you haven’t seen an ikebana arrangement for yourself yet, you must come to our festival this Fall! For our friends who come every year, the arrangements are never recreated so there will be Gardens full of new arrangements for you to explore as well.

Date & Time:

Festival will be held during our regular admission hours from 11/14 – 11/24. Special event fees apply, please check ticket prices below.”

Our general admission hours are: 

Thursday – Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Sunday: 12 PM – 5 PM

Tickets:

General admission: $20

Children under 15: $5

Members: $15

Includes entry to the entire Gardens.Get Tickets

•  Sat, Nov 9, 2024 6:30 to 8:30 PM
• Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)
• Google Calendar  ICS

EVENINGS AT YUME: FLOATING LANTERNS (TORO NAGASHI)

“As the sun sets and darkness falls, visitors will come to enjoy the custom of Toro Nagashi, a symbolic and poignant tradition that refers to Japanese lantern festivals: candle-lit lanterns are released on water together with prayers for peace or to honor those who have passed. This is a cultural and spiritual practice that fosters a deep sense of connection between the living and the dead.

This floating procession of lanterns, drifting slowly away on Yume’s sparkling koi pond, is truly a serene and contemplative sight. Participants will be mesmerized by the poetic glow of candlelight and relax to the sound of Japanese folk music playing softly in the background.

The term “toro” refers to lanterns, and “nagashi” means flowing or floating. This practice is often associated with various cultural and religious events, particularly during Obon, a Japanese Buddhist custom to commemorate deceased ancestors’ spirits. This poignant and spiritual practice fosters a sense of deep connection between the living and the dead. It’s a way for people to express their love and respect for those who have passed away while also finding solace in the belief that their spirits continue their journey.

Purchase a floating lantern at the door, and launch it on our sparkling koi pond to participate in this ancient and symbolic Japanese tradition without ever leaving Tucson.

Before launching the lanterns, participants may write messages, prayers, or the names of deceased loved ones on the lanterns.

Also available will be delicious foods from Takoyaki Balls food truck.”

Dates & Time: 

11/9

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Tickets:

General Admission: $20

Members: $17

Children 3-15: $5

Lanterns $5 each (recommended one per family)Get Tickets