At the front of the room, Portland Shishimai Kai showcased a traditional Japanese lion dance known as Edo Kotobuki Jishi. Portrayed by a dancer with a gold lion head and a mane of long white hair, the shishi, or lion, roaed through the space, accepting dollar bills in its mouth and playfully nibbling on attendees’ heads. Receiving a shishi bite means good luck for the year to come, said Kelsey Cleveland, cultural programs manager at Portland Japanese Garden. The performance was one small part of the annual festival that attracts hundreds of guests to the Japanese Garden in Washington Park. O-Shogatsu is one of the most important holidays in Japanese culture, Cleveland said. Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: mark_w_graves #portland #portlandjapanesegarden #japanesegarden #japanesenewyear #yearofthesnake #theoregonian #oregon