Portland Japanese Garden celebrates Japanese New Year with traditional dance, art

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The Portland Japanese Garden invited visitors to celebrate O-Shogatsu, the Japanese New Year, with a variety of activities on Sunday.

“We forget about everything that happened in the last year and we start fresh,” said Mayuka Sasanuma, Director of Cultural Programs at the Portland Japanese Garden.

The garden invited guests of all ages to participate in multiple activities like a scavenger hunt, Japanese ink brush painting and even a traditional dance performance.

Crowds gathered to watch the Shishi-Mai, a traditional Japanese lion dance that is typically performed during New Year’s celebrations and festivals.

“They are supposed to bring good luck to people. So people want to be ‘bitten’ by the lion,” Sasanuma said.

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Anne Ellett has been coaching the Centennial High School dance and drill team for six decades.

But in the garden itself, visitors immersed themselves in the picturesque foliage and architecture.

“I find this is a tranquil, peaceful place to be,” said Dale Yee. “Especially during times of turbulence, both personally and in the world.”

And the New Year’s celebrations even brought in visitors from out of state. Avid gardener Heidi Loshbaugh is from Denver and brought her family to the garden on Sunday to see the New Year’s festivities.

Loshbaugh told FOX 12 that aside from the celebrations, she wanted her family to see the unique atmosphere found only at the Portland Japanese Garden.

“The setting in which different cultures have come together — The Northwest, the Pacific Northwest, and then embracing Japanese-style gardening — is really important to me,” Loshbaugh said.

But no matter what brought visitors to the garden on Sunday, many told FOX 12 it felt good to embrace the culture and enjoy the nature.

“This is the second time I’ve been here for this. It’s definitely something that’s very peaceful and calming,” Yee said. “And who could turn down a little good luck, right?”