Hands-on workshops about Japanese culture will be offered one Saturday per month, January through April, by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation.
The Winter Program Series will cover the Japanese New Year and Mochi Tasting on January 25, Sake and Heart Mountain on February 22, Chirashi Shusi Bowl Cooking on March 29, and Ikebana Flower Arrangement on April 16.
Led by Japan Outreach Initiative Coordinator, Haruka Takaku, the programs all take place at 1 p.m. at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center between Cody and Powell.
The January program centers on the New Year, the most important holiday in Japan, and mochi, the soft rice cakes that are one of the most important parts of the celebration. The 90-minute session will cover how Japan celebrates the New Year, and participants will be able to sample several different types of mochi to welcome 2025.
Sake, the focus of the February program, is more than just a drink. Takaku will talk about the history and cultural meaning of sake in Japan, along with the different types of the rice wine, and share stories of how people made sake at Heart Mountain. The workshop will run 90 minutes.
March is when girls all over Japan celebrate Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival. Families make a colorful meal called chirashi-zushi for the festival. Participants will try making this special type of sushi and learn about seasonal events in Japan during the 90-minute session.
Many people incarcerated at Heart Mountain during WWII brightened their surroundings by making flower arrangements to decorate their barracks. Participants will celebrate the spring by making their own Japanese-style flower arrangement to take home with them. The April program will run 75 minutes.