Press

New Interactive Exhibit Transports Families to a Present-Day Setting in Tokyo, Hello from Japan! is the Third in a Series of Major Cultural Exhibitions by CMOM

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan will celebrate the opening of Hello from Japan!, a new interactive exhibit that enables families to experience and learn about Tokyo’s vibrant culture and present-day life in Japan, on Thursday, January 15 from 10am-noon at CMOM (212 West 83rd Street). The multimedia exhibit runs through May 17, 2015.

Hello from Japan! will transport families to two distinct areas of Tokyo that exist side by side: one serene and exquisite, the other, bustling with activity and over the top cute. Together, the exhibit highlights how time-honored traditions of Japan co-exist with contemporary culture.

Kawaii Central is a child-sized streetscape inspired by Tokyo’s bustling Harajuku district, bursting with color, trendy shops and cuter-than-cute kawaii-inspired styles. Kids will sing karaoke, smile for the photo booth camera, serve up a seasonal Japanese meal, and design adorable mascots for their families. At the end of the streetscape is a bridge that leads from the contemporary urban setting into a beautiful and tranquil Shinto shrine park, where children can build a bridge, crawl through a forest, encounter kami spirits, and make a wish at a wishing tree.

Media will have the chance to watch young visitors participate in all aspects of the exhibit during the press event.

Hello from Japan is part of the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series, funded by The Freeman Foundation and administered by Association of Children’s Museums.

WHAT:    Hello from Japan!

WHEN:    Thursday, January 15, 10am – noon

WHERE:  Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 West 83rd Street (The Tisch Building)
New York, NY