New Year Ohana Festival - 01/13/2013

Somehow, I managed to miss this event every year but I finally got a chance to check out the Ohana Festival this year at the Japanese Cultural Center. I was worried it would rain, so I didn't bring my 50D but it turned out to be a great but super hot day.  The Lumix is great for sunny outdoor shots, but too slow for action  shots so I  didn't get any good performance shots. Still i managed to click at the right time to get some good mochi pounding pics and the long zoom helped get great closeups.

When I arrived, they were doing the Mochi Pounding or "mochi-tsuki" demonstration. It was really cool how they managed to pound the grains of mochi rice into a sticky dough.

I wanted to get pics of the entire process so I came back later to get better shots of the mochi-tsuki process.

At the cultural center, they had calligraphy writing make-it take-its.

 I watched a dance performance by these girls in brightly colored kimonos.

And of course the Taiko performers.  I recognized them from the Okinawan Festival.

I wasn't a fan of Kikaida when I was little because of the language barrier, but saw that the actor was going to appear so I fought the crowd to try get some pics..  I think he is Kikaida..

And here's the actor Ban Daisuke who came all the way from Japan.

There were also appearance of Kikaida's Friend, who I have no idea what his name is.. but I know he is a 'good guy'.  It was great fun and the kids young and old loved it.