JACCC Annual Kotohajime Stage

The ritual shooting the arrow will be performed by a Kyudo archery group. (Courtesy of JACCC)

To celebrate the New Year, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles presents its annual Oshogatsu festivities with its signature New Year program, Kotohajime, or The First Performance of the New Year on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013 at 1 pm at the Aratani Japan America Theatre at the JACCC campus in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles.

Kotohajime: The First Performance of the New Year is an artistic journey through Western and Eastern performing arts and traditions curated by the creative vision of Hirokazu Kosaka, Artistic Director of JACCC.

Kotohajime in 2013 will be featuring performances by the Kwan-Gyu Lim Dance Company, the  Professional Training Program students of the Colburn School’s the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Majikina Honryu Okinawan Dance Company and Okinawan musicians, and shakuhachi player George Tetsuo Abe.

The ritual shooting of the arrow – a purification ceremony – will be performed by Ikkyu of the Los Angeles Kyudo Archery Group.

Kotohajime in 2013 will celebrate the Year of the Snake with the theme titled Hatsu Mato or “First Target.”

To view the Kotohajime performances at Aratani Theatre, tickets are $20 for general and $18 for the JACCC members.

For more information, call (213) 628-2725 or visit www.jaccc.org