The Austin Children's Museum kicks off its Japan and Nature exhibit next month with Aki Matsuri or Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 22. The museum is at 201 Colorado St. in downtown Austin, one block west of Congress Avenue and one block north of Town Lake.

"We're really excited to open the exhibit with a fall festival, a traditional Aki Matsuri, and we've been collaborating with the Japanese community in Austin to bring it about," says Connie Swann, the museum's marketing and communications manager.

The Japan-America Society of Greater Austin's own Michiko Miyata Lambelet is serving on the committee spearheading that collaboration. Community groups participating in the festival include Austin Aikido, Okinawa Tomonokai Dance Group and the drummers of Austin Taiko, which was a huge hit at JASGA's Satsuki Matsuri (May Festival) last spring.

Author Jane Scoggins-Bauld will sign and read selections from her book about the Zilker Taniguchi Garden in Zilker Park, and the students of Bluebonnet Montessori School of Lakeway will sing several favorite Japanese songs. Children can listen to myths and stories of kamishibai (paper dramas) in Japanese and English, and will have an opportunity to help the museum make 1,000 origami cranes. The origami program will continue throughout the three months that the museum hosts the Japan and Nature exhibit.

The traveling Japan and Nature program is presented by the Freeman Foundation Asian Exhibit Initiative, administered by the Association of Children's Museums, and sponsored locally by Tokyo Electron. The exhibit is divided into quadrants dedicated to major seasons in specific Japanese locations, including Spring in Fukuoka and Summer at Lake Niwa.

Other sections of the hands-on exhibit will explore the look and feel of Fall in Kyoto and Winter in Sapporo. In the Kyoto section, visitors can try on traditional festival attire, hammer out rhythms on a taiko drum and hear folk tales associated with the former capital city. The Sapporo exhibit explores the natural setting of Japan's northern island, and offers a look into food preparation and other regional traditions. It is said that Sapporo is at its best when it's ice-cold!

The Children's Museum plans additional Japan-themed events in the coming months to complement Japan and Nature. A smaller festival is slated from 10:30 a.m. until noon Saturday, Nov. 5, at the museum, and will feature a kendo demonstration and kimono fashion show. Called Shichi-Go-San, the event celebrates children ages 7, 5 and 3.

Parents can also register their children (ages 6 1/2 - 9) for free Japanese language lessons, to be taught one day each month by Michiko Miyata Lambelet. The museum will announce a schedule and sign-up details soon. For more information about the museum and its programs, visit http://www.austinkids.org.

Visitors to the JASGA Web site at http://www.jasga.org will be able to join the organization online by paying annual dues with a credit card.

Webmaster Morgan McCollough has completed a project to implement the new feature, which offers a secure payment method through PayPal. Those who register online and those who submit payment through the mail will receive a username and password to access the JASGA membership directory.

After logging onto the secure server, individual members can find names and email addresses of other individual members. The designated contact person for corporate members will have access to a separate list of other corporate members and their email addresses. Corporate members won't have access to individual member information and vice versa.

Other changes in the works will eventually allow visitors to view the Web site either in English or Japanese, and a new administrative interface will enable members of JASGA board of directors to more easily post notices and updates to the site. There is also a new interactive event calendar.

Masako Wetzel will teach the basics of creating kurumie art on Nov. 12. See Featured Events in this newsletter for details.

JASGA provided a virtual visit to West Texas last month with a program on Big Bend National Park on Sept. 15 at Unity Church of the Hills. The program included a 35-minute video. (For information on Big Bend National Park, visit http://www.nps.gov/bibe/home.htm.)

This was the first in a series of gatherings on "Hidden Treasures of Texas." One of JASGA's missions is to facilitate cultural exchange and host programs intended to make life in Austin more memorable, enjoyable, and productive for Japanese people.

During the Hurricane Rita evacuation, a consulate staff member asked long-time friends, Dr. and Mrs. Takeshi Udagawa, for help in finding temporary hosts in the Austin area. Upon request from the Udagawas, JASGA sent a communication to the members and volunteers of JASGA regarding the urgent request. Several people responded quickly, offering rooms to house the Consulate staff members and their families. Consul General Kamo sent a thank-you note to the Udagawas for the kindness and generosity extended by the Austin Japanese community. The Udagawas asked us to relay the Consul General's gratitude to all of you. The JASGA Board adds a Texas-size "Thank You" to all who responded.