Jackson Free Press

The Mississippi Children's Museum is now helping kids learn more about Japanese culture with the "Hello from Japan!" traveling exhibit. The Children's Museum of Manhattan began the exhibit earlier this year, and after closing May 17, it began traveling across the U.S.

"The opportunity (to host the exhibit) was presented to us a while ago," Chellese Hall, communications coordinator at the Children's Museum, says. "We host a number of visiting exhibits throughout the year. This is new. It's more focusing on arts and culture, a different culture very diverse from ours. Currently, we have one about STEM and science. We had 'Zoom Into Nano' last fall, and this is just another cool opportunity to have something different."

The Children's Museum will open "Hello from Japan!" with a preview event on Friday, Sept. 18. The exhibit opens to the public Sept. 19 and runs through Jan. 3.

"It's very bright, it's colorful, (and) it's very visually engaging," Hall says.

Visitors will tour the Harajuku District in Tokyo and travel across a bridge designed after the city's famed Jungu-bashi Bridge. They will learn about traditional and modern Japanese culture, from fashion to the Katakana, one of the country's writing syllabaries. The exhibit will feature different storefronts and activities to educate children about contemporary Japanese culture, as well as traditional values.

The exhibit will also teach kids about healthy eating through avenues such as the bento box, which is a portioned meal common in Japanese cuisine.

The exhibit is part of the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series, which The Freeman Foundations funded. MCM partnered with the Japan-America Society of Mississippi for it, and Nissan, Renesant Bank, M-Tek and Yokohama Tires are sponsors.

The preview event for "Hello from Japan!" is Friday, Sept. 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the exhibit runs Sept. 19, through Jan. 3, 2016. The Mississippi Children's Museum (2145 Museum Blvd., 601-981-5469) is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. Admission is $10, and children under 1 and members can get in free. For more information, visit 
mississippichildrensmuseum.com.