HELLO FROM JAPAN
Hello from Japan! is a 1,500 sq. ft. interactive traveling exhibit that will transport families to a present-day setting in Tokyo. The exhibit will invite families to explore an immersive, yet small-scale, Tokyo streetscape and Shinto park. Visitors to Hello from Japan! will learn how ancient traditions of Japan co-exist with contemporary culture.
Based upon the colorful and bustling streets in the modern Harajuku district, the exhibit’s streetscape explores contemporary Japanese culture by evoking the friendly feel of the Japanese kawaii aesthetic, which emerged in the 1970s among Japanese school children and has now permeated cultures worldwide. Families are introduced to Japan’s unique culture through child-friendly characters and graphics. Visitors express their own individuality and simultaneously gain insight into modern Japanese society as they create kawaii outfits, design playful mascots, explore regional cuisines, practice writing Japanese characters, and sing along to Japanese children’s songs in a karaoke booth. Hello from Japan's host museum is the Children's Museum of Manhattan.
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is the vibrant home to 350,000 visitors a year from all segments of the NYC community and tourists from around the world. The museum’s educational mission in early childhood education, arts, creativity, health and culture thrives within our home on 83rd Street and in dozens of communities across the city as well as through national initiatives with leading authorities and government agencies. For details regarding all of CMOM’s programs and initiatives, please visit www.cmom.org.