What to Know
- Wednesday, Jan. 1
- 10:50 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza
There'll be several celebrations in the coming weeks built around the beautiful Lunar Year, but you can give the coming Year of the Rat a warm and wonderful welcome on the very first day of the year.
How?
By making for two spots in Little Tokyo, on Wednesday, Jan. 1. For that's the where and the when of the neighborhood's annual Oshogatsu Festival, a traditional year-starting to-do that's filled with cultural gifts.
Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza are the places you'll want to visit, though arriving early to see and hear the Taiko drummers, as well as the swirling shishimai, is essential, especially if you like to start your celebrating with a lively lion dance performance.
Other happenings during the daytime event include a calligraphy demo, opportunities to purchase and enjoy classic Japanese street food, and chances to pop by anime booths.
This is all free, which, truly, is a most marvelous and auspicious way to start any new adventure, and if that adventure is a just-dawning year? Even better.
