Liberty Place is Offering Japanese Workshops for the Lunch Crowd

Everyone who goes to Liberty Place for lunch during the week of April 6^th, 2015 will experience Japanese Cultural Week, a collection of free, fun and educational Japanese events. These events will take place in the rotunda in The Shops at Liberty Place, 1625 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia and are presented by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia as part of their 18^th annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia. The week of events takes place on Monday, April 6 through Friday, April 10 between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. each day. Everyone is invited to attend the daily events and savor Japan’s beautiful and historic culture right here in Philadelphia. The events scheduled are open to all ages, including families with young children.

These free and open events include:

Monday, April 6, Calligraphy:

Learn how to write kanji, the adopted decorative Chinese handwriting

Tuesday, April 7, Origami:

Practice your paper-folding skills with this hands-on demonstration of origami. Learn how to create intricate cranes, flowers and more with these delicate works of art.

Wednesday, April 8, Kimono Dressing:

See dozens of beautiful kimonos; some may even get the opportunity to try one on.

Thursday, April 9, Kamishibai Story-telling:  

Enjoy this unique form of Japanese storytelling that uses beautifully illustrated cards and dramatic dialogue to tell traditional folktales.

Friday, April 10, Shogi & Go:

Learn how to play the traditional games of Shogi and Go, both fun and strategy-oriented board games. Shogi is known as Japanese Chess or the Generals’ Game and Go is similar to Othello.

Additional Festival events include the Cherry Blossom 10K & 5K on Saturday, April 11 as well as a sushi making class led by Philadelphia’s Queen of Sushi, Madame Saito, on Monday, April 6 and Friday, April 10. During the week, there will be a food tasting, an amateur sushi-making competition, kaiseki dinner, film screening and more. Everyone is invited to attend Sakura Under the Stars, the Festival’s fundraising event, on the evening of April 11^th at the Union Trust in Philadelphia. The centerpiece of the Festival is Sakura Sunday on April 12 at the Horticultural Center in West Fairmount Park, an event that celebrates all things Japanese by offering a full day of world-class traditional music and dance performances, colorful crafts, karaoke and activities for all ages.  A complete listing of events and additional information is available online at subarucherryblossom.org or by calling 267-348-0250.