{IN PERSON } AUTUMN O-HIGAN & OHAGI

Please read class description in its entirety. This for is for IN PERSON registration only.

TICKETS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE.

Class fees are non transferable, please note that we stick to the student agreements clicked on during registration. Please ensure you are able to attend the scheduled class time.

O-higan (literally translates to “distant shore”) is a widely practiced Buddhist holiday that occurs around the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. It is a time of visiting hometowns to pay respect to ancestors and reflect on the cycle of death and rebirth. In this cooking class, we will focus on the process of making ohagi, the sacred confectionary offering made during O-higan, as well as learn about the spiritual and historical background of the holiday. Allergen warning: legumes (red beans, soy)

Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake is a visual artist, karate-ka and creator of Live Deliciously. Based in Denver, her work is informed by her identity as a third and fourth-generation (sansei-han and yonsei), mixed-race Japanese American. Her artwork blends themes of Japanese folklore with Western mysticism. She is inspired by the intersectionality of cultural tradition, ancestral wisdom and modern identity. She is a lifelong student of Shotokan karate-do under the instruction of her father, Isao Gary Tsutsui, at Colorado Budokan.
Akemi has also been fortunate to train with masters of other karate styles in California, Hawaii and Japan. As karate embodies so many elements that are integral to the Japanese American experience, she describes karate as her ethnic and spiritual identity in motion. With a formal education in Ethnic Studies, Akemi has worked in the fields of culturally specific education, advocacy and holistic health. She has continued her studies through courses on Japanese energetic healing, Shinto, deep ancestral work and radical community care. Akemi is a frequent collaborator with the Japanese Arts Network as a Cultural Consultant and artistic partner.