Go to our Special Events page to purchase tickets!
We are very excited to announce the return of two Special Events! Once again, we’ll be hosting Mini Tsugaru Shamisen Workshops and Sake Tasting panels. While we’ve got more seats to offer this year, seating is still limited, so be prepared to buy early to get a seat. We’ve got more details below for each of these events.
Shamisen Workshops
Mini Tsugaru Shamisen Workshop (Beginners) – $59 per person
Join tsugaru shamisen duo Kiki and YouTuber and shamisen player Norm Nakamura for a lesson in how to play the shamisen! In this rare and interactive workshop from Japan’s top players, you will have a chance to:
- Experience LIVE Tsugaru Shamisen
- Put together your own Mini Shamisen (That you can take home with you!!)
- Learn the basics of Shamisen and even how to play a song!
With small group sizes (max 30 people), tickets will go quickly! We’ll sell 25 tickets in advance and 5 at the door, so if you miss the advance sale, you’ll still have a chance to attend. There will be three sessions over the course of the weekend.
Advance sales for this event will begin on May 13th at noon. Watch our website and social media for links to ticket sales.
Mini Tsugaru Shamisen Workshop (Advanced) – $49 per person
Did you attend this workshop last year but want to learn a bit more? Do you already have a Shamisen? Join Ki&Ki for another session!
This is considered the “experienced peoples’ course”. NOTE: This event will not be selling or building Shamisen. This event requires you to **BRING YOUR OWN SHAMISEN or MINI-SHAMISEN. There will be no shamisen available for sale or for build during this event!
Max group size of 15 seats. Limited seating available. Five (5) tickets will be available for purchase (credit card only – cash not accepted) at the door, first come first served. There will only be ONE advanced session over the course of the weekend.
Advance sales for this event will begin on May 13th at noon. Watch our website and social media for links to ticket sales.
Sake Tastings
We are also excited to offer three sake tasting sessions over the course of the weekend.
Sake 101 – An Introduction to Sake (1 session) – $40 per person
What is Sake? How is it made? What are the main styles? What are the most important key words? How does it pair with food? How should it be stored? How does one taste it? This is one stop shopping for ALL the magic of this ethereal beverage, including a tasting of 6 different sakes!!
Sake in Japanese Culture & Anime (2 sessions) – $40 per person
This fantastic seminar discusses the importance of Sake in Japanese culture, its inclusion in Manga & Anime, sake etiquette in Japan, Nomikai culture, and all travelers in Japan should know about how to enjoy sake. This seminar will include a brief introduction to sake & tasting of two vastly different styles of sake, including a comparison of sake at different temperatures!!
Each sake tasting session has room for 36 people. We’ll sell 26 tickets in advance and 10 at the door. Advance sales for this event will begin on May 13th at noon. Watch our website and social media for links to ticket sales. Obviously, you must be 21 years or older to attend either of the sake tasting panels. ID will be checked at the door.
Note: There will be a small plate of food served with this event which may include dairy, nuts, fruits and other allergens. Please be aware prior to registering for this event. If you have any questions, please email info@animazement.org.
Karuta Tournament
Last year, we introduced the Japanese card game Karuta to our attendees. This year, we are excited to introduce our Karuta Tournament!
To enter, there are only two requirements.
1. You must be 13 years or older to participate.
2. You must know how to read hiragana.
Sign ups are already open for this event, so head over to our SPECIAL EVENTS page and sign up!