Special Preview for Traveling Exhibition

Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan

Date & Time :
Thursday, March 9, 2023
7:00PM
(Door Open @6:30pm)
  

Location:
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles Office
(5700 Wilshire Blvd., #100, Los Angeles, CA 90036)

Admission: FREE

*** Registration Required***
Click HERE to Register
You will be directed to Eventbrite page.

Please come and celebrate with us at our special preview event for the traveling exhibition titled “Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan” at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles.

Local LA group "Namahage" will be here to scare you. There will also be a short live "Tsugaru Shamisen" performance by local shamisen player and JFLA staff member Mike Penny!

*Namahage in traditional Japanese folklore is a demon-like being, portrayed by performers wearing hefty ogre masks and traditional straw capes (mino) during a New Year's ritual of the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture.

Credit: Namahage L.A. (Left), Photo and Kimono by Toshiko Okawa (Right)

About the exhibition:

“Beautiful Handicrafts of Tohoku, Japan” is an exhibition planned to mark the March 11 anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The Tohoku region, known for its beautiful mountains and seascapes as well as its rich local culture and history, suffered damage and destruction of unprecedented proportions. Much was lost, and manufacturing and handicraft culture were hard hit.  People in local areas affected by the disaster, however, have been working closely together to rebuild, intent on restoring peace and normality to their lives as soon as possible.

This exhibition reminds us once again of the distinctive appeal of Tohoku’s heritage of arts and craft.  The displays present works of various genres—ceramics, lacquerware, textiles, metalwork, wood and bamboo crafts, etc.—allowing visitors to enjoy the diverse and exquisite world of Tohoku traditions.

The works included in the exhibit present an opportunity to discover anew the high level of traditional craft techniques nurtured in the Tohoku region and the functional beauty of daily implements used since ancient times in Japan.  The art and craftsmanship of these works also help us to better appreciate the folk wisdom derived from lives lived close to nature and the manual skills and dexterity cultivated out of that wisdom.