Celebrate Japan!

Sat., Nov. 14, 1-4 p.m., free with regular museum admission of $10, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, penn.museum.

by A.D. Amorosi

[ festival ]

It doesn't sound sexy — the 150th anniversary of Japan's establishment of diplomatic and business ties with the U.S. — until you consider the wonder of that union. America's learned to love the intricacies of origami, delicate foods and poignant kabuki dress codes. Japan got the New York Dolls and McDonald's. Yeah, that sounds fair. "Celebrate Japan!" shows off the culture of the East with the Penn Museum's samurai delegation of armor, a lesson from Kyo Daiko on taiko drumming, presentations on calligraphy and origami, and Fumiyo Batta instructions on the particulars of kimono dressing. Watch, too, for demonstrations on martial arts like ninjutsu (stealth warfare) and kendo (sword fighting), and a talk by Fred Dickinson, UPenn associate professor of Japanese history, on that first Japanese delegation to visit the States — in case you forgot why you're celebrating.

Sat., Nov. 14, 1-4 p.m., free with regular museum admission of $10, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, penn.museum.