Event

Second Sundays: Japanese New Year

Celebrate the new year at the Japanese Heritage Shōya House with traditional Shōgatsu (New Year’s) activities—including taiko drumming, botanical craft-making, ikebana floral displays, and a mochi-pounding demonstration—at this all-ages event.

Taiko Drumming

Experience the powerful and rhythmic sounds of the centuries-old tradition of kumi-daiko drumming with a performance by Kodama Taiko.

Mochi Pounding

Take part in a traditional mochitsuki (mochi pounding) and learn how this tasty treat has developed through the centuries.

Botanical Craft

Create your own shimekazari wreath using rice from our first harvest at the Shōya House, and welcome good fortune in the new year.

A group of people pose for a photo.

Photo courtesy of Kodama Taiko.

A group of people perform with drums in an outdoor courtyard.

Photo courtesy of Kodama Taiko.

A large group of people gather in front of a traditional Japanese building.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Visitors stand at the front entrance courtyard of a traditional Japanese home.

Exterior view of the Japanese Heritage Shōya House. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

A Japanese-style floral arrangement in a wooden bowl.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

A person squats near a wood bowl, pulling a white substance with their hands and a spoon.

A member of Kodama Taiko performs a mochitsuki (mochi pounding) demonstration. | Photo courtesy of Kodama Taiko.

A traditional wood bowl and hammer to pound mochi.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Rear view of a traditional Japanese home, with a gravel path and private garden.

Exterior view of the Japanese Heritage Shōya House. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

A twisted wreath in a figure-eight form, created from stems of a rice plant with hulls on.

An example of a traditional Japanese shimekazari wreath, crafted from rice stalks. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

A group of people gathered at a table in front of a traditional Japanese building.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

A private garden courtyard at a traditional Japanese home.

View of the private garden at the Japanese Heritage Shōya House. Photo: Joshua White / JWPictures.com. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

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A group of people pose for a photo.
A group of people perform with drums in an outdoor courtyard.
A large group of people gather in front of a traditional Japanese building.
Visitors stand at the front entrance courtyard of a traditional Japanese home.
A Japanese-style floral arrangement in a wooden bowl.
A person squats near a wood bowl, pulling a white substance with their hands and a spoon.
A traditional wood bowl and hammer to pound mochi.
Rear view of a traditional Japanese home, with a gravel path and private garden.
A twisted wreath in a figure-eight form, created from stems of a rice plant with hulls on.
A group of people gathered at a table in front of a traditional Japanese building.
A private garden courtyard at a traditional Japanese home.

About the Performers

Kodama Taiko is a group of percussionists from the greater Los Angeles area who are dedicated to performing both traditional and contemporary pieces through the sounds of taiko. The group is primarily composed of working professionals who enjoy spending their free time learning and creating entertaining performance pieces.

About the Ikebana Display

San Marino League in California is a nonprofit organization of women committed to philanthropic work in the community as well as furthering their own knowledge of fine arts. In spring 1958, the league’s founding president, Mary B. Hunt, was qualified to teach at the Ikenobo School of Ikebana and began teaching classes to league members. These classes continue today. The league’s dedicated ikebana enthusiasts continue to provide fresh flower arrangements in the original Japanese House every week, year-round.