Samurai Saturdays
May 4, 2013 - May 25, 2013
Fun samurai-inspired activities for children and adults: films, art-making activities, performances, tours, bento boxes, and more. Samurai Saturdays are free with Museum admission; no reservations are required to participate in most of the programs listed below. Free admission Saturday, May 25, as part of Memorial Day Community Weekend.
Every Saturday in May
Samurai Films
See individual film listings for screening times and locations. Get swept up by the masterworks of samurai cinema.
Family Art Cart
10 am–4 pm
Discover the MFA with fun (and educational!) activities designed for children ages 4 and up to do with adults in the galleries.
Family Art Activity: Family Crest
10 am–4 pm
Design your own family crest armor inspired by the Samurai exhibition.
Artist Toolbox Cart: Japanese Woodblock Prints
11 am–4 pm
Explore the tools and materials that artists use and talk with knowledgeable staff at this drop-in program.
Spotlight Talk: Buddhist Temple
11:30 am and 1 pm
Discover the MFA’s Buddhist Temple Room in a short talk.
Arms and Armor Art Connection Cards
Available anytime at Sharf Visitor Center.
Self-guided exploration of arms and armor in the MFA’s collection from around the world.
Bento Boxes
Japanese-inspired lunch special for adults and kids in Taste café and wine bar.
Special Events on Saturday, May 4
Film Screening: Samurai Rebellion
Saturday, May 4, 1:00pm –2:45 pm
Explore this gripping story of a peaceful man who finally decides to take a stand against injustice.
Artist Demonstration: Japanese Calligraphy
Saturday, May 4, Noon–3 pm
Explore the ancient art form of calligraphy with master artist Michiko Imai.
Special Events on Saturday, May 11
Lecture: Stan Sakai, HappyGiant, Usagi Yojimbo, and the Creative Process
Saturday, May 11, 11 am–12:30 pm
Comic series creator Stan Sakai and video-game company HappyGiant talk about the award-winning Usagi Yojimbo comic and new video game.
*FREE tickets available, while supplies last, on the day of the event at 10 am, in person only, at any MFA ticket desk. Museum admission required.
Artist Demonstration: The Art of the Samurai Sword
Saturday, May 11, Noon–3 pm
Discover the artistry associated with the famed Japanese samurai with Gordon Fisher and Gerard Tanguay III.
Spotlight Talk: Japanese Garden
Saturday, May 11, 12:30 pm and 2 pm
Discover the MFA’s Japanese Garden.
Film Screening: Sanjuro
Saturday, May 1, 10:30 am–12:05 pm
Get immersed in the story of an idealistic group of young warriors who weed out their clan’s evil influences.
Special Events on Saturday, May 18
Film Screening: Three Outlaw Samurai
Saturday, May 18, 2013, 10:30 am–12:05 pm
See this classic tale of revenge and loyalty when three samurai are hired by a corrupt magistrate.
Film Screening: Yojimbo
Saturday, May 18, 12:45–2:35 pm
Enjoy the inspiration for Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars and Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comic series when a masterless samurai turns a war between two evil clans to his own advantage.
Film Screening: Taboo
Saturday, May 18, 3:10–4:50 pm
Japan's rigid samurai code is threatened by the emotional whirlwinds of passion and desire.
Performance: Japanese Taiko Drumming
Saturday, May 18, 11 am and 2 pm
Experience this exciting and energetic art form that includes choreographed movement, voice, and rhythm by a troupe of drummers.
Special Events on Saturday, May 25
Free admission Saturday, May 25, as part of Memorial Day Community Weekend.
Spotlight Talk: Japanese Garden
Saturday, May 25, 12:30 pm and 2 pm
Discover the MFA’s Japanese Garden.
Film Screening: Seven Samurai
Saturday, May 25, 12:30–4 pm
See one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. This Academy Award–winning film tells the story of samurai hired by a village to protect them from invading bandits. It was later adapted into John Sturges’s The Magnificent Seven.
