Tachibana Dance Group and Utsuki-kai at Mochitsuki Portland 2012

Established in 1996, Mochitsuki is Portland’s annual Japanese New Year celebration. The mission is to celebrate, share, and educate the broader community about the dynamic Nikkei New Years traditions while strengthening bonds between our Nikkei groups.

Numerous performers will be participating, including the Tachibana Dance Group and Utsuki-kai. I’ll be dancing Haru Kaze Soran with Tachibana and drumming with Utsuki-kai.

Saturday January 29, 11am-4pm
Scottish Rite Center
1512 SW Morrison Street
Admission: $4-$10

Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team in January

The Portland Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team has been busy with numerous performances for the New Year. I was able to participate in a few so far:

Uwajimaya’s “Year of the Dragon”
Video: Lion Dance
Saturday 1/21, 3pm
Beaverton, OR

HK Cafe “Families with Children from China” Event
Saturday 1/21, 4:30pm
4410 SE 82nd Avenue
Portland, OR

Out and About with Drew Carney
Monday, 1/23, 6-7am
Video: Live from Lan Su Chinese Garden
Portland, OR.

PSU Taiko Ensemble Performances, Fall 2011

The PSU Taiko Ensemble performed at Lincoln Hall on Monday, December 5 at 4:30pm, presenting Matsuri Daiko, Renshuu, and Isami Goma. The ensemble repeated this performance at the “Teach East Asia Youth Forum” hosted by the World Affairs Council of Oregon and the PSU Institute for Asian Studies on December 9 at 12:45pm.

Tachibana Dancers at the Portland Art Museum, Friday 11/4, 7pm

The Tachibana Dancers will be performing for a fundraising dinner at the Portland Art Museum on Friday 11/4 at 7pm. Unfortunately this is a private event, but it should be fun. I’ll be dancing Byakkotai with Kimi and performing taiko with Traci as an interlude before the final dance number. We’re planning on two-person versions of Yatai from the Edo Bayashi repertoire as well as a short Matsuri Daiko.

Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team at the Oregon Zoo, Saturday 9/24 at 11am

The Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team will be performing for the World Animal Festival on the Amphitheater Stage at the Oregon Zoo. Traci and I will be performing on Saturday, 9/24 at 11am, but the team will also be performing on Sunday at 10:30am. Both days have a morning and afternoon program including such performers as Northstar Dancers, Boka Marimba, Hanz Araki, Los Rumberos del Caribe, Baba Wague, Natya Leela, Wild Rose Garland Dancers, Prashant Kakad, Portland Taiko, and Obo Addy! Come check it out!

Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team at Under the Autumn Moon Festival, Saturday 9/10

The Portland Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team will be performing at the Under the Autumn Moon Festival on Saturday, September 10. More information to be posted.

Old Town Chinatown
NW 3rd Avenue and Flanders Street
Admission: Free

Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team at Sake One, Saturday 8/27, 12pm

The Lee’s Association Dragon and Lion Dance Team will be performing at Sake One’s Pacific Rim Festival on Saturday, August 27 at 12pm. It will kick off an afternoon of hula dance, taiko (Portland Taiko and Takohachi), reggae, and rock.

820 Elm St.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
12-9pm, $5 admission

Taiko at the Japanese Garden Obon Festival, Monday 8/15, 8pm

Traci and I will be drumming for the Obon Festival at the Portland Japanese Garden on Monday, August 15, 8pm. This is a free event for members of the garden, but it looks like reservations have been closed for non-members.

Sahomi Tachibana will lead the dancing and it will be officiated by Reverend Zuigaku Kodachi.

HAPPYFUNSMILE at the Oregon Buddhist Temple Obon Festival, Saturday 8/6, 6:30pm

HAPPYFUNSMILE will have its Oregon debut at the Oregon Buddhist Temple Obon Festival, held on Saturday August 6 from 3-9pm. We’ll be performing at 6:30pm and starting the bon-odori soon afterwards! Akiko will be singing, Ali and Ryan will be coming up from California, and we’ll be welcoming Andre St James on bass! Hope to see you there!

Oregon Buddhist Temple
3720 SE 34th Avenue
Portland, OR 97202
Admission: Free

HAPPYFUNSMILE at the LA Higashi Honganji Obon Festival, 7/30 and 7/31

HAPPYFUNSMILE will be back entertaining the folks at the Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Obon Festival. This is a favorite event of ours, sharing the stage with TaikoProject, Bombu, Kitsune, and others! We’ll be performing at 6:15pm on Saturday July 30 and 5:30pm on Sunday July 31. Come join the fun!

Akiko will be singing, Josh and Ryan will be coming from NYC, and we’ll be welcoming our new male singer Taku Kumagai and bassist Devin Hoff!

Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple
505 East Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Admission: Free

Update: Photos from our performance were posted on the Rafu Shimpo site.