PORTLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM SELECTED AMIDST HUNDREDS OF OTHERS TO HOST INTERACTIVE, CULTURAL EXHIBIT

Portland OR -- Portland Children’s Museum is honored to host Five Friends from Japan, a nationally touring exhibit, from October 6, 2006 – January 15, 2007. The exhibit advances understanding and appreciation of Asian culture with true stories and real objects straight from Japan. Intended to entertain and educate the young and old, Five Friends highlights similarities and differences between Japan and the U.S. and replaces misguided stereotypes about Asian lifestyles with authentic vignettes.

Museum Executive Director Sarah Orleans said of the exhibit, “We competed with hundreds of other museums to have the honor of presenting this exhibit and are thrilled that Portland was chosen as one of just ten cities to be able to host to Five Friends From Japan.”

The exhibit’s excitement begins at the center of the 1,800-square foot exhibition space in a typical Japanese elementary school classroom where Museum visitors discover video messages from the five friends. Which desk belongs to which child? Did you know that Japanese students eat together every day in their classroom? You can role-play and take turns serving lunch to each other. Students are also responsible for cleaning their school! After getting acquainted, kids and their families “follow” the friends home.

Rooms modeled after real Japanese homes feature more in-depth video narratives and hands-on activities led by the five friends:

In Sakiko’s Bedroom, visitors can dress in typical Japanese attire, model Asian fashions, and check out real manga, or comics.

In Ken’s Tatami Room, youngsters will experiment with Japanese calligraphy, try out futon bedding, and learn about traditional home architecture. They will also learn that Ken is a fan of baseball and Harry Potter.

In Aisa’s Kitchen and Tofu Shop, role-playing with Japanese cuisine is on the menu. With Aisa’s help, visitors fill up on information about the variety of foods and eating habits in Japan, and learn about traditional festivals that take place in her town.

In Yusuke’s Yard, children of all ages can practice aikido moves. The yard is filled with Yusuke’s athletic equipment.

In Shoko’s Living Room, visitors will listen to and create different types of Japanese music. Here, children may notice that Shoko’s living room looks a lot like their own here in the U.S.

Exhibit Background

Five Friends from Japan is part of an initiative funded by the Vermont-based Freeman Foundation to advance understanding of Asian cultures by American students. Seven separate exhibits were developed and designed in partnerships between individual children’s museums and the Association of Children’s Museums. Five Friends was designed by the Children’s Museum of Boston and the Capital Children’s Museum in Washington D.C.

The exhibit is especially well-suited for ages 5-12, while younger children will enjoy many of the role-playing and dress-up components.

Programming

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Museum has scheduled special performances, including:

Tales from Japan: “The Lucky Teakettle” and “Momotaro the Peach Boy”
Traditional Japanese folktales told through puppetry, presented by Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre
Sunday, October 8 at 1 pm & 3 pm
Sunday, October 22 at 1 pm & 3 pm
Sunday, November 5 at 1 pm & 3 pm
Sunday, November 19 at 1 pm & 3 pm

Bonsai Talk, for children ages 6 and up
October 15 at 1 pm – Bonsai is the art of growing real trees in miniature. How do you make Bonsai stay small? Where do you get them? Anne Spencer, member of the Bonsai Society of Portland since 1975 will answer these questions and more. This free program offered courtesy of Anne Spencer, the Bonsai Society of Portland and the Japanese Garden.

Monmouth Taiko Drumming
October 29 at 1 pm and 3 pm
Come experience the power and energy of this dynamic performance group demonstrating the age-old Japanese tradition of Taiko drumming.

Raku Glazing
Visit our Clay Studio, Saturdays in October from 2-4:30, and create an iridescent teacup using raku. $3 fee.

Collaboration with the Japanese Garden

During the Five Friends from Japan exhibit, the Museum is pleased to collaborate with the Japanese Garden. From October 6-November 15, the Japanese Garden will host a significant Bonsai exhibit. In celebration of both remarkable Japanese cultural exhibits, the two organizations have arranged a reciprocal discount for their members. From October 6 – November 15, members of Portland Children’s Museum may show their membership card at the Japanese Garden and receive a free child’s admission (ages 5 and up) for each paying adult. The Japanese Garden members will receive the same benefit upon showing their membership card at Portland Children’s Museum.

Five Friends From Japan is part of the Asian Exhibit Initiative, funded by the Freeman Foundation and administered by the Association of Children’s Museums.

Local promotional support is provided by: TriMet, Metro Parent, Portland Tribune and Kink-FM.

About the Museum:

Founded in 1949, Portland Children’s Museum is a hands-on museum for children from birth to 10 years old. The non-profit museum’s mission is to inspire imagination, creativity, and the wonder of learning in children and adults. The museum features changing exhibits, arts-based programs and a public school. Make a splash in our better and wetter Water Works; dig into fun in the Dig Pit; join the construction crew in Building Bridgetown; shop and prepare a meal in our role-play Kid City Market and Café; feed and clothe the babies in Kids Care; turn trash into treasures in The Garage; sculpt a creation in the Clay Studio; watch a puppet show or stage your own!

The Children’s Museum is located at 4015 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, across from the Oregon Zoo. Parking available, $1 per vehicle. Five minutes from downtown Portland, it is accessible by MAX Light Rail and TriMet bus #63.

Open Fall/Winter hours (September 1-February 28): Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Open Spring/Summer hours (March 1-August 31): 7 days. Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: general $7; seniors and military $6; children under 1 and museum members admitted free.

For general information, call 503-223-6500 or visit www.PortlandChildrensMuseum.org.

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