LOS ANGELES, May 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, the premier Japanese cultural destination in the heart of Hollywood, is launching a virtual program featuring their most popular education and entertainment workshops, including expanded content, to enjoy at home during its temporary closure.

All events and content can be found on the JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles’ events or articles pages.

“JAPAN HOUSE aims to elevate awareness and appreciation for Japan through imaginative programming. As we look forward to welcoming visitors back to JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles in the future, we are excited to showcase the breadth of these cultural experiences online for fans to experience at home,” said Yuko Kaifu, president, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles.

Current and upcoming content details follow. Watch for updates on the JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles social feeds, including new cultural stories and mindfulness-themed articles, to help people stay entertained and their minds energized during these unsettling times.

JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Manga & Anime-Inspired Character Drawing Workshops (May – June)
Artist MinoMiyabi teaches students to explore the joy of drawing through simple techniques. While a pencil and paper may seem like rudimentary materials, in the hands of an illustrator or animator they can create magic. In countless art forms, including manga and anime, a simple line can become an entire world. JAPAN HOUSE previously hosted MinoMiyabi’s drawing workshops, especially popular with families and kids of all ages, during their landmark Naoki Urasawa exhibition in 2019.

The four-part series releases bi-weekly and teaches basic drawing skills, in addition to ways to practice on your own. The just released Episode 1 entitled, “Emotions with a Simple Smiley Face!,” guides students on drawing basic emotions. Future episodes – “Build Your Own Characters,” “Animals 101,” and “Drawing Characters in Perspective,” will be released between May – June.

Japanese Food Lab | Home Cooking Series (May)
JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles’ beloved Japanese Food Lab goes online with its Home Cooking Series curated by Japanese food ambassador, Tomoko Imade Dyen. Available online starting this month, the first of the virtual cooking series features a recipe for Sakura Carrot Spring Rice (Takikomi Gohan), teaching a technique to make beautiful sakura-shaped (cherry blossom flower) carrots to garnish spring rice. Future episodes will feature a variety of themes and ingredients including one decided via an ingredient poll taken on JAPAN HOUSE’s social feeds.

Movie & Bites | Tampopo (May)
JAPAN HOUSE’s popular Movie & Bites series pairs dishes with acclaimed Japanese film and television shows. This first installment features foodie fan-favorite, “Tampopo,” a 1985 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami, and starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kōji Yakusho and Ken Watanabe. Centering on a truck driver who stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business, the movie is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.

JAPAN HOUSE will offer tips on making ramen, content introducing a variety of regional ramen, and tips on how to enhance and best enjoy your at-home (instant) ramen experience.

Flower Arrangement (May)
The deep history of flower arranging in Japanese culture and the influence of Japanese perspectives in Western flower design will be explored through two tutorials with detailed written instructions and images utilizing easy-to-find items.

Flower Arrangement with Mitsuko Osuga: Mitsuko Osuga, acclaimed floral designer and owner of Mitsuko Floral, will highlight spring arrangements, drawing inspiration from vibrant color in combination with the idea of achieving “balance.” For people sheltering at home, participants can utilize common flowers and simple greens easily obtained from the supermarket or personal gardens, and everyday cellophane tape, to transform common bowls found at home (e.g., ramen or cereal bowls) into unique vessels for formal flower arrangements.

Flower Arrangement with Takeshi Nakamura: Takeshi Nakamura, lauded floral designer and owner of the popular Angeluck Custom Design Florist, will draw upon the Japanese connection to nature and the reverence for the healing power found within the appreciation of even the simplest of nature's plants and forms. Common greens from house plants, flowers, and stones easily obtained from personal gardens and neighborhoods, combine with vessels found within the home, to present a template for distinctive creations.

ABOUT JAPAN HOUSE

JAPAN HOUSE is an innovative, worldwide project with three hubs, London, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, conceived by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It seeks to nurture a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japan in the international community. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles occupies two floors at Hollywood & Highland. The 2^nd floor features a gallery space and the 5^th floor hosts a Japanese restaurant, relaxing library, and event venue, along with spectacular views of Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles offers a place of new discovery that transcends the physical and conceptual boundaries creating experiences that reflect the best of Japan through its spaces and diverse programs.

Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Website:  www.japanhouse.jp/losangeles

Media Contacts:
Nerissa Silao | 310-874-9230 | nerissas@ca.rr.com
Lisa Nakanouchi | 323-904-9298 | lnakanouchi@japanhousela.com