Japan Village in Brooklyn is hosting a rare opportunity to shop Yamazaki Home favorites at 40–60% off. Discover minimal, thoughtful design at exclusive price points, only while supplies last!

From entryway essentials to kitchen must-haves, explore a curated selection of open-box items priced at just $5 to $100 (+ tax). Quantities are limited. Arrive early for the best selection.

About Yamazaki Home

Yamazaki Home is a sleek Japanese housewares brand known for its minimalist and functional products that keep in mind small spaces and the need for organization. Learn more about them at their website and follow them on Instagram.

Support JapanCulture•NYC by becoming a member! For $5 a month, you’ll help maintain the high quality of our site while we continue to showcase and promote the activities of our vibrant community. Please click here to begin your membership today!

Susan McCormac 9/4/25 Susan McCormac 9/4/25

Gardens for Peace at BBG

As part of the North American Japanese Garden Association’s annual Gardens for Peace project, which brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is presenting free public programming in and around the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.

Gardens for Peace

Saturday, September 6, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn

Free with Garden Admission: $24.22 | $17.52 Seniors and Students | Free for Children under 12

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Photo from bbg.org

Related Activities

Japanese Garden Mini Tours
Tours run every fifteen minutes between 11:00 a.m. and noon
Meet at Duck Landing, next to Viewing Pavilion.

Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 15-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.

Drop-in Japanese Woodblock Printing
From noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion

Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose from patterns by Sato or the Gardens for Peace pattern, designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace.

Gardens for Peace pattern, designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace

Shamisen Variation
At noon at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion

Enjoy a relaxing traditional Japanese shamisen variation.

Koto Performance
1:00 p.m. at the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Viewing Pavilion

Stroll the Japanese Garden paths as you listen to a traditional style koto performance.

Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours
1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum

Drop by to talk with trained Garden Guides about BBG’s bonsai collection, view season standouts, and ask questions. Get hands-on at the special interactive station featuring tools, pots, and trees from BBG’s Education collection.

Details

Gardens for Peace is free with admission to Brooklyn Botanic Garden. No registration is necessary to join the activities. To purchase tickets, please visit BBG’s website. Tours can be canceled due to inclement weather, so check BBG’s website for updates.

Susan McCormac 9/3/25 Susan McCormac 9/3/25

Outdoor Concert & market in the Catskills

Momoglobalflowers, a biodynamic farm in the Catskills, is hosting its fifth annual Shinrinyoku (forest bathing) outdoor concert and market. Enjoy an evening of music, food, and local artisans surrounded by the beauty and nature of the farm.

Momoglobal Flowers 5th Annual Shinrinyoku Outdoor Concert and Market

Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, September 7)

Momoglobalflowers Farm – 414 Swiss Hill Road, Jeffersonville, NY 12748

Admission: $30 | Free for children under 15 | Dogs are welcome

The ticket includes a free tasting of Dassai Sake, an Uji Kyoto ice shake matcha with oat milk and koji by Damdam Tokyo, and a free tasting by Aaron Burr Cidery. To purchase tickets, please visit Momoglobal’s Eventbrite page or pay cash at the door.

Schedule and Activities

The Market opens at 3:00 p.m. for free workshops and shopping.

Mini-Ikebana workshop by Kaya Abe
Japanese calligraphy by Yuka Sudo
Origami by Izzy Yang
Keiko Pottery
Te Plus Te Hinoki body care
Peaboy and Mitsu tie dye
Herbal soap by Manami collaboration.
Guided meditation by Miriam Hernandez at 4:00 p.m. before the concert begins
Suikawari (watermelon splitting) at 9:00 p.m.

Musical Artists

Singer/songwriter Monday Michiru
Jazz pianist Misha Tsiganov with his trio
Andrew Pertulis playing handpan
Electronic musician Rikitaro Suzuki
Rap artist The Mighty Cobra

Food and Beverage Vendors

Ice shake with matcha from Uij, Kyoto, by Damdam
Japanese handmade sweets by Diane
Japanese dried plums and treats by Mimaki Umeboshi Miwa
Filipino food by Nais Cassy Shu
Bibimbus Kai a Korean food truck
Ohmammy Mami Japanese curry
Desserts by Vesurce

Please bring your own chair or blanket to sit on and a bag to carry out your trash. For more information, please follow @momoglobalflowers on Instagram.

Susan McCormac 8/26/25 Susan McCormac 8/26/25

Calligraphy Master Leads Workshop at Brooklyn Kura

Enjoy the meditative art of Japanese Calligraphy with a glass of sake and sushi pairing!

Japanese Calligraphy Workshop with Rihaku Inoue

Sunday, September 28 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Brooklyn Kura – 36 34th Street, Industry City, Brooklyn

Admission: $109.96

Enjoy the meditative art of Japanese Calligraphy with a glass of sake and sushi pairing!

This Sunday, Brooklyn Kura hosts a special afternoon of mindfulness, calligraphy, sake, and sushi in collaboration with Japanese Calligraphy Master RIHAKU.

Welcome the season of early autumn through brush, ink, and flavor. The theme of this workshop is the Zen-inspired phrase: 「ひと葉落ちて秋を知る」Hitoha ochite Aki wo shiru. (When a single leaf falls, the world senses the coming of autumn.)

Guided by RIHAKU, participants will slow down, align breath with brush, and experience the meditative rhythm of Japanese calligraphy. Writing this seasonal phrase becomes a practice of mindfulness—quieting the mind, noticing subtle transitions, and embracing the present moment.

RIHAKU (center, in kimono) leads a calligraphy workshop at Brooklyn Kura

Each guest will create their own unique piece on traditional Japanese washi paper, to be taken home as a personal keepsake of calm and clarity.

This mindful journey will be paired with a tasting of Brooklyn Kura’s premium sake, along with casual futomaki rolls and inari prepared by Sushi Chef Yoshihiko Kousaka. His simple yet refined sushi will complement the spirit of the workshop, grounding the senses in flavor and seasonality.

To register, please visit Brooklyn Kura’s website.

About Rihaku Inoue

Rihaku is a New York–based Japanese calligraphy artist and founder of RIHAKU New York. She pioneers “3D Calligraphy,” blending classical brush techniques with projection mapping and VR. She has collaborated with Michelin-starred restaurants, cultural institutions, Brooklyn Kura, and in 2025 she led a mindful calligraphy workshop sponsored by JP Morgan. Her large-scale calligraphy performance at Japan’s Todaiji National Temple garnered national media coverage. Her mission is to share the timeless spirit of Japanese calligraphy across cultures, fusing tradition with innovation. Follow her on Instagram at @rierihaku.

Susan McCormac 8/21/25 Susan McCormac 8/21/25

JapanCulture•NYC & Kaede Kimonos to host Pre-Halloween Bash

Kaede Kimonos and JapanCultureNYC are thrilled to announce we’re collaborating to present AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience! On Saturday, October 25, Japan Village will come alive with Yokai in this immersive celebration of Japanese horror, fashion, folklore, and fandom.

AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience

Kaede Kimonos and JapanCulture•NYC are thrilled to announce we’re collaborating to present AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience! On Saturday, October 25, Japan Village will come alive with Yokai in this immersive celebration of Japanese horror, fashion, folklore, and fandom.

AkumuFest merges Japanese horror aesthetics with modern fandom through immersive storytelling, folklore-inspired fashion, and interactive experiences. Attendees are invited to dress in Japanese horror cosplay, kimono, or original yokai-themed attire.

Event Details

📅 Saturday, October 25, 2025

🕘 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 pm
🌑 AkumuFest After Dark: 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

📍 Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

🎟️ Admission: Free

Presented By

👘 Kaede Kimonos & Japan Culture NYC

🎌 Under the patronage of Japan Village

Main Highlights

📖 Japanese Storytelling

👹 Cosplay Contest

🏮 Unique Vendors

🎤 Live Performers

🏯 Brooklyn’s First Night Parade of 100 Yokai

After Dark

✨ Stay with us for AKUMUFEST AFTER DARK ✨

🎶 Live Performances • 🎭 Comedians • 🎤 Special Guests

Register

If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, vendor, performer, or participant, please contact us! Email susan@japanculture-nyc.com with “AkumuFest Info” in the subject line.

Night Parade Volunteer Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6GIn96Mc4KowUnT90n8-lLrudaDLN5NhYwzecaJ4ITjZmHg/viewform

We’ll have more details and registration forms available soon, so please stay tuned!

Susan McCormac 8/19/25 Susan McCormac 8/19/25

Explaining Expo: LinkedIn Live with Yvonne Burton

JapanCulture•NYC is thrilled to continue our ongoing Expo 2025 Talk series with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International!

Expo 2025 Talk #5: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

Wednesday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET | 4:00 p.m. PT | Thursday, September 4 at 8:00 a.m. JST

LinkedIn Live

Admission: Free

JapanCulture•NYC is thrilled to continue our ongoing Expo 2025 Talk series with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International!

At the Heart of Expo: Countries and Connections

In Talk #5, Yvonne will update us on her most recent visits to Expo 2025, which now number more than 20! With two months remaining in the international exposition, how is Yvonne planning her final visits? Will she reveal her agenda?

Yvonne will also share her latest insights, show photos, and answer your questions in an interactive conversation that brings you closer to Expo 2025—even from afar! 💬 Have you visited Expo 2025? Share your observations with us! Bring your questions and join the live conversation in the comments!

Join the talk on LinkedIn Live: https://www.linkedin.com/events/expotalk-5withcross-culturalcon7366980410452373504/theater/

🎥 Missed our earlier talks? Catch up here

Talk 1: https://youtu.be/zd1fEp3SLLI
Talk 2: https://youtu.be/vF00yjNyPO4
Talk 3: https://youtu.be/bpenIQ5dROM?si=0EwThM4XrP765mw9
Talk 4: https://www.linkedin.com/events/expotalk-4withcrossculturalcons7346199577739378688/

📝 Read Yvonne’s Expo blog posts: burtonconsulting.biz/blog
🔗 Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: Yvonne Burton

Susan McCormac 7/21/25 Susan McCormac 7/21/25

Staged Reading on Hiroshima Bombing

This production of The Face of Jizo is unique as Miyake will read alongside her father; they are both descendants of survivors of Hiroshima's atomic bombing.

THE FACE OF JIZO 父と暮せば Project

Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Downtown Art – 70 E. 4th Street (between Bowery and 2nd Avenue)

Admission: Free

This year, we commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In recognition of this event having impacted not only Japan, but the world over, New York-based actor Yuriko Miyake is presenting the play The Face of Jizo by Hisashi Inoue. The play specifically revolves around the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Subtitles will be provided by Roger Pulvers, the translator and filmmaker who worked on the translation of this piece. This production is unique as Miyake will read alongside her father; they are both descendants of survivors of Hiroshima's atomic bombing. Together they will share a staged reading of this masterfully crafted work.

Admission is free, but registration is required. RSVP through Eventbrite. Children under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

An Extraordinary Reading in NYC: “The Face of Jizo” by Hisashi Inoue—Performed by a Real Parent and Child from Hiroshima

This summer in New York City, witness a rare and deeply moving staged reading of The Face of Jizo (Chichi to Kuraseba), a powerful play written by acclaimed Japanese playwright Hisashi Inoue.

What makes this performance extraordinary?

It is brought to life not by actors alone—but by a real-life father and daughter from Hiroshima, the very city where the story is set.

Performed in the heart of a nuclear-armed nation, this reading offers a poignant reflection on memory, grief, love, and resilience across generations. Despite its harrowing context—the aftermath of the atomic bombing—the story gently unfolds as a beautiful portrayal of a father’s quiet love and a daughter’s quiet sorrow.

Whether you are drawn to literature, history, peace activism, or simply human stories told with grace—this is a rare opportunity to experience a masterpiece of postwar Japanese theater in an intimate and powerful way.

Susan McCormac 7/20/25 Susan McCormac 7/20/25

Dassai Sake Series Continues at Japan Society

Dassai Sake Series at Japan Society: Conversation with Dassai Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki, entrepreneur and CEO of Benihana of Tokyo

Dassai Sake Series: Benihana and Beyond

Thursday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Please arrive by 6:45 p.m.)

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Admission: $45 | $35 Japan Society members

Join Dassai Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki, entrepreneur and CEO of Benihana of Tokyo, for a talk about the past, present, and future of both organizations. Both leaders will engage in a dialogue around the themes of “Challenge” and “Innovation,” discussing how they blend yesterday and tomorrow with the goal of rising to the modern world.

How are we defined by our history, and what is our obligation to it? What are the realities of the U.S.-Japan world today and new dangers and opportunities within it? Is there a future without innovation? How can one create change within a historic organization? And what are the needs to create real revolution? Japan Society invites you to spend the evening with Hiroshi Sakurai and Keiko Ono Aoki to hear their answers.

To purchase tickets, please visit Japan Society’s website.

About the Dassai Sake Series

The Dassai Sake Series is an ongoing lecture series pairing thought and business leaders from across the U.S.-Japan world together onstage with festive sake celebrations. The Dassai brand is built around the goal of bringing revolution to the sake industry, and the Dassai Sake Series is similarly focused on engaging conversations with U.S.-Japan leaders who have created their own revolutions—each concluding with celebratory networking receptions and kampai toasts to their success.

Susan McCormac 7/20/25 Susan McCormac 7/20/25

Tak Furumoto: From Tule Lake to Hiroshima to Vietnam

Conversation with Tak Furumoto and Mayu Nakamura about Tule Lake, Hiroshima, and Vietnam

UPDATE: The original post stated that admission is $10 for non-USJC members, but this event is FREE to everyone! If you’d like to make a donation to USJC, please visit the organization’s donation page. JapanCulture•NYC regrets the error.

A Conversation with Tak Furumoto and NHK World Japan’s Mayu Nakamura

Tuesday, July 22 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.) | Live Stream from 6:00 p.m. until 7:15 p.m.

New York Buddhist Church – 331-332 Riverside Drive (between W. 105 and W. 106 Streets)

Admission: Free

The New York & Vicinity region of the U.S.-Japan Council is hosting a timely discussion, in person at the New York Buddhist Church and virtually.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In recognition, NHK recently produced Raised in Hiroshima, Fought in Vietnam, a documentary profiling New York-based entrepreneur, Vietnam veteran, and activist Takeshi Furumoto. You can watch the documentary in English here (free) and in Japanese here (fee required).

The film’s director, Mayu Nakamura, will join Furumoto for a special behind-the-scenes conversation. Akemi Ooka, the executive producer and narrator of the Emmy award-winning film Three Boys Manzanar, will moderate.

Furumoto will reflect on his extraordinary life journey — from being born in the Tule Lake concentration camp to growing up in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing and later serving in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Nakamura will share insights into the making of the documentary and the importance of preserving stories like Furumoto’s, particularly in the context of today’s global challenges.

Following the conversation, in-person attendees will have an opportunity to network over light refreshments.

To register for this event, please send an email to membership@usjapancouncil.org.

For more information, please visit USJC’s website.

(Please note: The author is a member of U.S.-Japan Council and serves on the Communications Committee of the New York & Vicinity region.)

Susan McCormac 7/19/25 Susan McCormac 7/19/25

Remaining Japanese Films at NYAFF

24th New York Asian Film Festival

Walter Reade Theater – 165 W. 65th Street
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater – 144 W. 65th Street
LOOK Cinemas – 657 W. 57th Street
SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd Street

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center present the 24th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). This year marks NYAFF’s most globally expansive lineup . From blockbusters to indie treasures, NYAFF offers a rare opportunity to discover emerging talent and groundbreaking voices from across the region.

This year’s theme is “Cinema as Disruption”—spotlighting bold, genre-defying films that challenge, provoke, and reimagine. From unsettling horror and feminist thrillers to cosmic punk epics and political allegories, NYAFF celebrates the power of Asian cinema to defy convention.

“This year’s lineup dares to confront, question, and dream—exactly what cinema should do,” says Samuel Jamier, NYAFF Executive Director. To see the full lineup and to purchase tickets, please visit NYAFF’s website.

The remaining Japanese films include Transcending Dimensions, Blue Spring, 9 Souls, How Dare You?, Ravens, Samurai Fury, Jinsei, and Babanba Banban Vampire. Several screenings

Saturday, July 19 at 9:15 p.m.

Walter Reade Theater – 165 W. 65th Street

Admission: $19 General | $16 Seniors, Students, and Persons with Disabilities | $14 Film at Lincoln Center Members

Transcending Dimensions

2025 | 97 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

North American Premiere

Matsuri to Midnight + Q&A with NYAFF 2025 Filmmaker in Focus Toshiaki Toyoda

Reaffirming his status as one of Japan’s most daring cinema provocateurs, NYAFF 2025 Filmmaker in Focus Toshiaki Toyoda returns with his first feature in seven years. A pulsing flirtation with the surreal, and an enthralling masterwork exploding with visceral and cerebral delights, Transcending Dimensions fuses sci-fi and crime into a meditation on the very nature of existence, time, and belief. Blending concepts that he’s been exploring in his brilliant “Mt. Resurrection Wolf” series of shorts, Toyoda immerses viewers in an aesthetically transfixing vision of inner and outer worlds. Set against a backdrop of collapsing realities and cosmic uncertainty, his new film delivers an epic journey involving four men: an earnest hit man (frequent collaborator Ryuhei Matsuda), a gullible monk, a mountain mystic, and a powerful sorcerer. Soon, faux religions, yakuza-style violence, and environmental collapse threaten to collide.

Ticket holders are invited to the Furman Gallery for Matsuri to Midnight before the screening starts.

*Blue Spring* © Taiyo Matsumoto/Shogakukan・"Blue Spring"Film Partners 2001

Sunday, July 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Walter Reade Theater – 165 W. 65th Street

Admission: $19 General | $16 Seniors, Students, and Persons with Disabilities | $14 Film at Lincoln Center Members

Blue Spring

2002 | 83 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

Special Screening

Q&A with NYAFF 2025 Filmmaker in Focus Toshiaki Toyoda

NYAFF presents a special 35mm screening of Toshiaki Toyoda’s seminal classic Blue Spring. This groundbreaking, provocative film captured the malaise and disillusionment of a generation of youth coming of age at the turn of the millennium in a post-bubble Japan, where the norms of the past felt irrelevant and the future uncertain. With serious verve and a roiling badass soundtrack, this tale of power and rebellion grabs the viewer and doesn’t let go.

In their graduation year, disaffected students turn their concrete box of a school into a backdrop against which to create their own version of society. The newly elected boss Kujo (Ryuhei Matsuda) disdains all the rules, including those that have led to his election. Into this power vacuum, his scandalized friend and lieutenant Aoki (Hirofumi Arai) enters with vicious intent. As graduation looms, the pupils study violence and death.

Sunday, July 20 at 3:15 p.m.

LOOK Cinemas – 657 W. 57th Street

Admission: $15

9 SOULS

2003 | 120 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

Special Screening

Part of NYAFF’s 2025 Filmmaker in Focus on Toshiaki Toyoda, 9 SOULS is the surrealist comedy addition to Toyoda’s body of work. Following his nihilist punk youth drama Blue Spring, Toyoda showcases his genre range with a mashup of gangster drama, satire, and comedy. Though it may be different in tone, 9 SOULS nevertheless shows Toyoda’s signature rebelliousness and cult style.

Nine convicts escape from prison; most are convicted murderers. They commandeer a van from a strip club. Their plan is to find a stash of counterfeit money that a deranged cell mate told them about, divide it, then part ways. They make it to the site where the money is supposed to be hidden, and then one by one, each seeks out the place he wants to be, a version of home, somewhere to connect. Will it end well for any of them?

Sunday, July 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater – 144 W. 65th Street

Master Class with Tadanobu Asano and Mark Gill

Admission: $10 for general public and $5 for FLC & NYAFF members

An in-depth master class with renowned actor Tadanobu Asano (Shōgun) and the director of Ravens, Mark Gill.

Sunday, July 20 at 6:15 p.m.

Walter Reade Theater – 165 W. 65th Street

Admission: $19 General | $16 Seniors, Students, and Persons with Disabilities | $14 Film at Lincoln Center Members

How Dare You?

2025 | 96 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

North American Premiere

Q&A with Mipo O

Grade schooler Yuishi becomes infatuated with schoolmate Kokoa when she gives an impassioned class speech about saving the environment in the spirit of Greta Thunberg. Soon after they team up with the class troublemaker, and Yuishi finds himself both on a self-righteous crusade of activism and in a precocious love triangle. When the trio’s antics escalate to unexpected consequences, they must all own up to the cold, hard truth.

Director Mipo O proves not only her insightful sense of humor, but also a knack for getting naturalistic performances out of her young cast. With its cleverly wry script that takes on both huge moral issues and murmurs of the heart from a child’s viewpoint, How Dare You? is a winningly observant and bittersweet cautionary tale for both young and old alike.

*Ravens* ©Vestapol Films, Ark Entertainment, Minded Factory, Y house, Katsize Films

Sunday, July 20 at 9:00 p.m.

Walter Reade Theater – 165 W. 65th Street

Premium Screening: $25 for general public; $20 for seniors, students, persons with disabilities, and members

Ravens

2024 | 116 minutes | Japanese and English with English subtitles

New York Premiere

Q&A with Mark Gill, Tadanobu Asano, and cinematographer Fernando Ruiz

In Mark Gill’s hauntingly beautiful portrait of legendary Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, Golden Globe winner Tadanobu Asano (Shōgun) commands the spotlight with his trademark manic energy and melancholy grandeur, reminding us not only of his irresistible charm, but of his immense talents.

In a story spanning 50 years, ranging from Shinjuku’s iconic Golden Gai to New York’s MoMA, Asano embraces both the dark and the light and, with his luminous costar Kumi Takiuchi (A Balance), brings the tortured artist and his obsessions to exhilarating life. With the support of the Fukase Archives, Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated director Gill (The Voorman Problem, England Is Mine) creates an achingly poetic film driven by a pulsating yesteryear soundtrack, shot with exquisite period sensitivity, tinged with magical realism, and layered with Fukase’s own iconic images, evoking the fractured beauty of a life lived on the knifepoint of genius and madness.

Tuesday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m.

SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd Street

Admission: $15

Samurai Fury

2025 | 135 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

U.S. Premiere

Yu Irie’s thrilling jidaigeki epic vividly portrays rebellion during Japan’s tumultuous Muromachi period. Hasuda (Yo Oizumi), a rogue warrior reminiscent of Mifune, gathers a crew of fighters, including a bojutsu prodigy (Kento Nagao), to challenge the oppressive shogunate. Mixing spaghetti-western grit, wuxia flair, and dynamic swordplay, this adaptation of Ryosuke Kakine’s novel is brilliantly filmed at Toei Kyoto Studio.

Samurai Fury combines breathtaking cinematography, electrifying choreography, and gripping historical drama, depicting a pivotal era’s brutality and beauty, as well as a desperate fight for justice that alters Japan’s destiny.

Friday, July 25 at 9:00 p.m.

SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd Street

Admission: $15

Jinsei

2025 | 93 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

North American Premiere

2025 NYAFF Uncaged Award Nominee

Intro and Q&A with director Ryuya Suzuki

Jinsei follows the life of one man over 100 years. The main character’s life is broken up into chapters, distinguished by the evolution of his name, or rather the names he goes by. He is a child, an orphan, a budding J-pop star, an outcast, a leader, an oracle. Employing a lo-fi style, director Ryuya Suzuki immerses the viewer in this man’s life, and as each chapter evolves so does the picture’s framing, color palette, and editing style.

Epic in scope, Jinsei is one of the most original Japanese animated films in years. Over nearly two years, newcomer Suzuki wrote, directed, animated, and edited this tour-de-force by himself, determined to bring his captivating vision to life. Essential, experiential viewing, this is one that must be seen on the big screen.

Sunday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m.

SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd Street

Admission: $15

Babanba Banban Vampire

2025 | 105 minutes | Japanese with English subtitles

Love bites, and so does he—but only when the neck is ripest. In this adaptation of Hiromasa Okujima's cult manga, 450-year-old vampire Ranmaru (Ryo Yoshizawa) works at a traditional bathhouse while stalking his next meal: 15-year-old heir Rihito (Rihito Itagaki), whose virgin blood he craves. When Rihito falls for a classmate, Ranmaru declares war. His desperate sabotage attempts turn the town into a battlefield of cockblocking chaos.

Director Shinji Hamasaki delivers this BL-tinged bloodbath with fang-sharp wit, featuring a 2025 remix of the classic bathhouse anthem "Ii Yu da na." One question remains: Is protecting your dinner's virginity harder than immortality itself?

Susan McCormac 7/18/25 Susan McCormac 7/18/25

Catch BALLS at Caveat

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy continues its popular summer residency at Caveat NYC

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy”

Friday, July 18 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 19 from 9:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 5 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Caveat – 21A Clinton Street (between Stanton and E. Houston Streets)

General Admission: $35.74 | SPLASH (and splish) ZONE: $53.24

The hysterically entertaining BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy continues its popular summer residency at Caveat NYC, the acclaimed Lower East Side comedy venue that “champions nerdy, funny art—and sells cheap drinks.” Leading the cast of talented comedic performers is voiceover legend Stuart Zagnit, the original voice of Professor Oak from the English-language version of the Pokémon television series.

With pop up performances through August, audiences will have several chances to join The Professor on this epic musical adventure featuring improvised battles, an immersive Splash Zone, and a never-ending parade of adorable/violent puppet monsters.

In April, TDF listed BALLS as one of the top five shows to stream in the country. Nintendo Life call it “a proper laugh-fest [that] wears its Pokémon inspiration proud [sic] on its sleeve.” TimeOut New York says it’s the tenth best (out of 111!) thing to do in the city this weekend.

And JapanCultureNYC highly recommends BALLS! It’s weird, nostalgic, and thoroughly entertaining. Splurge for the Splash Zone; it’s worth it. I had a great conversation with Zagnit, so stay tuned for an in-depth look at his connection to the early days of Monster-Catchin’ and his involvement with this comedic musical.

Stuart Zagnit as The Professor and Harrison Bryan as Warlordturtle in *BALLS*

Created by Brandon Zelman (“Who’s that Pokémon? Podcast”, “Cat in the Hat Podcast”) and Harrison Bryan (“A Hanukkah Carol," “NY Innovative Theatre Award” Winner), BALLS features new music by an Elite Team of award-winning composers spanning Broadway, Hollywood, The West End, and TikTok, with an evocative score built around nostalgia. Composers include Lena Gabrielle (Six, Emojiland), Pippa Cleary (My Son’s a Queer, The Great British Bake Off Musical), Joriah Kwamé (Little Miss Perfect), Aaron Kenny (The Little Mermaid, A Hanukkah Carol), and Grace Yurchuk (Caesar: The Musical). Additional Music by Allan Nalven ("LSDJ") and Matthew Ryan Hunter (NBC) with Orchestrations, Arrangements, and Music Supervision by Lena Gabrielle.

BALLS Cast

Stuart Zagnit (Pokémon, Little Shop of Horrors) as "The Professor"
Teresa Attridge (Avenue Q, Fun Home) as “The Rival”
Harrison Bryan (Hand to God, “Handy Award” Winner) as “Warlordturtle”
Ebony Deloney (Hairspray, Beautiful) as “Fat’Chance”
Kurt Cruz (Asian AF, UCB) as “Pocket Pedia”
Katie Luke (Bandstand, Hairspray) as “Spittle”

“While BALLS wears its fandom on its sleeve, it’s not just a spoof. At its core, the show is a love letter to anyone who grew up catching monsters and dreaming big—and a reminder that growing up doesn’t mean giving up adventure.” (Artist Weekly)

To purchase tickets, please visit Caveat’s website. Learn more about the mayhem at BALLSmusical.com, and make sure to follow @ballsmusical on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for updates, discount codes, merch, and prizes.

Susan McCormac 7/11/25 Susan McCormac 7/11/25

NY Yankees Hosting Japanese & JA Community Weekend

Japanese and Japanese American Community Weekend at Yankee Stadium with Cubs vs Yankees!

Japanese and Japanese American Community Weekend

Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13

Yankee Stadium – 161st Street and River Avenue, Bronx

Celebrate the Japanese and Japanese American communities and our great heritage of baseball with the New York Yankees as they take on Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, and the Chicago Cubs. A special promotional Yankees Japan Heritage Jersey will be included for all tickets purchased. (Please note: The jersey is available in L size only.)

Game Information

Friday, July 11 at 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, July 12 at 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, July 13 at 1:35 p.m. – There will be a ceremony at home plate with leaders from JAA and other Japan-related organizations, and Shota Imanaga will start for the Cubs!

Please click here to purchase tickets.

To pick up your jersey, go to the redemption table located on the Field Level (100 Level) next to Gate 2. Jerseys will be available up to 60 minutes after the originally scheduled first pitch.

Join Japanese and Japanese American Community Weekend and the New York Yankees for fun-filled games at Yankee Stadium!

Susan McCormac 7/4/25 Susan McCormac 7/4/25

Japan Society’s Film Festival Begins July 10

JAPAN CUTS 2025 Powered by GU

Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 20

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese film returns for its 18th year this summer at Japan Society! In the span of eleven days from July 10 through 20, audiences will be treated to 30 curated films from across Japan featuring major award winners, indie darlings, up-and-coming filmmakers, restorations, documentaries, experimental and short films, and anime. JAPAN CUTS Powered by GU is a showcase of the latest in Japanese cinema, featuring both today’s most popular actors and directors as well as tomorrow’s pioneering talent.

Festival Highlights

JAPAN CUTS Powered by GU will present legendary director Kiyoshi Kurosawa with the CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film, host the premieres of his new film Cloud and recent remake of Serpent’s Path, as well as showcase revivals of License to Live and a new 4K restoration of the original Serpent’s Path.
A special screening of Yasuhiro Aoki’s ChaO in collaboration with GKIDS on Opening Night. JAPAN CUTS is presenting ChaO before it goes to theaters in Japan in August.
Yuumi Kawai, Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress winner, appearing in-person for the North American Premiere of A Girl Named Ann and the U.S. Premiere of She Taught Me Serendipity.
A Closing Night screening and shochu reception following the U.S. Premiere of The Spirit of Japan, featuring Yamatozakura Distillery and the film’s director, Joseph Overbey, in attendance.

Admission Information & Pricing

Screenings with Receptions: $26 Nonmembers | $18 Members | $23 seniors and students
Screenings with Q&As: $24 Nonmembers | $17 Member | $22 seniors and students
All Other Screenings: $20 Nonmembers | $14 Members | $18 seniors and students
Short Films: $10 Nonmembers | Free for Members | $5 seniors and students
All-Access Pass: SOLD OUT

Become a member to save 20% on all tickets and reserve free tickets for the SHORT CUTS short films presentation.

Waitlists for Sold-Out Screenings

Those wishing to attend sold-out screenings can visit the Japan Society Box Office in person. There is no online or email waitlist for sold-out screenings. A physical waitlist will begin one hour before each sold-out event. Ten minutes prior to the screening, any available tickets will be released and can be purchased by those present in the order in which they arrived. Please note, there is no guarantee that tickets will be available for sold-out events.

Schedule

Thursday, July 10 at 6:00 p.m.

ChaO – SOLD OUT

Dir. Yasuhiro Aoki | 2025 | 90 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Ouji Suzuka, Anna Yamada

Special Screening—Followed by Opening Night Reception

Yasuhiro Aoki’s debut feature joins the lineage of Studio 4ºC’s (Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet) innovative oeuvre, formulating an idiosyncratic Andersen fairy tale set in the cyberpunk mélange of near-future Shanghai where humans coexist with mermen. Ordinary salaryman Stephan is catapulted to instant fame when he is suddenly proposed to by Chao, the mermaid princess. Entrusted with the future of human-mermen relations, Stephan is rushed into the pairing, amid a flurry of politicking and diplomacy, and reluctantly agrees to marry the fish princess. But despite the makings of a political marriage, the effervescent Chao’s ardent affection sparks genuine connection. With its off-kilter brand of humor, unique kineticism, and superb hand-drawn art style—purportedly using more than 100,000 hand-drawn frames—Aoki’s ChaO is a fantastical spectacle with a deluge of heartfelt passion, produced over the course of seven years.

Friday, July 11 at 6:00 p.m.

The Real You

Dir. Yuya Ishii | 2024 | 122 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Sosuke Ikematsu, Ayaka Miyoshi, Koshi Mizukami, Taiga Nakano

North American Premiere

Introduced by author Keiichiro Hirano and followed by a book signing

Based on a novel by the Akutagawa-Prize winning Keiichiro Hirano, The Real You is a sci-fi mystery set in a disturbing future that feels far too real. Following the death of his mother, Sakuya Ishikawa (Sosuke Ikematsu) creates a “Virtual Figure” based on her memories to come to terms with his loss and unravel the mysteries of her passing. While he finds solace in this AI simulacrum, will he find answers—and will they be the answers he seeks? A bleak parable for our own world injected with the same sharp satire as Black Mirror, The Real You casts a cutting eye on artificial intelligence, automation, gig work, influencer culture, and tech billionaires run amok.

Attendees will be able to purchase copies of Keiichiro Hirano’s books at this screening or bring books from home for a signing session following the screening.

Friday, July 11 at 9:00 p.m.

The Gesuidouz

Dir. Kenichi Ugana | 2024 | 94 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Natsuko, Leo Imamura, Yutaka Kyan, Rocko Zevenbergen, Yuya Endo

U.S. Premiere

Musician Hanako (Natsuko) believes she has one year left to live and embarks with her horror-themed punk band on a quest to write the world’s best punk song before she dies at the same age as her heroes Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison. An offbeat, delightful, and deadpan musical comedy from cult filmmaker Kenichi Ugana, The Gesuidouz follows Hanako and her band of misfits’ creative process all while balancing banal life and daily chores in a rural farming village. Overflowing with visual and aural charm, it’s impossible not to cheer for Hanako to live her punk dream.

Saturday, July 12 at 12:30 p.m.

SHORT CUTS – Four short films: FLOW, The Tree of Sinners, End of Dinosaurs, and I Am Not Invisible

FLOW
Dir. Shoko Tamai | 2025 | 5 min. | English | With Dandara Amorim Veiga, Niara Hardister, Minami Ando, Xiaoxiao Cao, Isaiah Newby, Maxfield Haynes
New York Premiere
Introduction by director Shoko Tamai
The word “taboo” comes from the French Polynesian word “tapua.” It means “sacred blood.” FLOW is an experimental short film that honors the taboo inside every woman, the cycle of the moon, and the power of creation.
The Tree of Sinners
Dir. Rii Ishihara and Hiroyuki Onogawa | 2024 | 25 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Sumire, Masatoshi Kihara, Ann Nishihara, Rii Ishihara
North American Premiere
Husband-and-wife team Rii Ishihara and Hiroyuki Onogawa (composer of August in the Water) craft a surreal Taisho fantasy set in a remote mansion, where a maid is forbidden to enter the room of her master’s sick wife. Visually arresting, the pair’s second medium-length work is a beautifully dark fable.
End of Dinosaurs
Dir. Kako Annika Esashi | 2024 | 28 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Kako Annika Esashi, Shota Imai, Leica Sasafu
U.S. Premiere
A young community organizer, a free-spirited girl, and a drag queen set out to challenge a dinosaur-ridden town’s attempt at redevelopment. A delightfully quirky and poignant film from Japanese American filmmaker Kako Annika Esashi. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the PIA Film Festival.
I Am Not Invisible
Dir. Yuki York | 2024 | 24 min. | in Tagalog, English, and Japanese with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Winner of the 2024 PIA Grand Prize, Yuki York’s self-reflexive documentary is a personal essay, shot in an impoverished district of the Philippines, deemed “invisible” by York’s on-screen text. Tracing York’s roots, I Am Not Invisible asks residents innocuous questions about their lives to understand them better, in turn offering to understand York’s own Filipina grandmother better.

Saturday, July 12 at 3:00 p.m.

Yasuko, Songs of Days Past

North American Premiere

Helmed by ’80s auteur Kichitaro Negishi (Distant Thunder, Detective Story), Yasuko is a resplendent Taisho-set period drama penned by Seijun Suzuki scribe Yozo Tanaka, whose past works made up some of the most decadent evocations of Taisho through the visual triumphs of Suzuki’s independent triumvirate of Zigeunerweisen, Kagero-za, and Yumeji. Set in the younger days of ill-fated modernist poet Chuya Nakahara (“Japan’s Rimbaud”), Yasuko captures the prodigy’s early love affair with aspiring actress Yasuko Hasegawa (Suzu Hirose) and the ensuing entanglements when she falls for literary critic Hideo Kobayashi. Negishi’s lush melodrama, his first film in 15 years, burrows deep into the tumultuous entwinement of their bohemian lives, while endowing Hirose’s Yasuko with a depth that exceeds the tired narrative of literary muses.

Saturday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m.

She Taught Me Serendipity

Dir. Akiko Ohku | 2025 | 127 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Riku Hagiwara, Yuumi Kawai, Aoi Ito, Kodai Kurosaki

U.S. Premiere

Q&A with Yuumi Kawai and Reception

Director Akiko Ohku (Tremble All You Want) shifts away from her novel engagements with the neurotic interiorities of young working women to explore the life of college student Konishi (Riku Hagiwara), an anxiety-ridden loner who brandishes an umbrella on sunlit days. Through a progression of coincidences, Konishi forms a bond with classmate Hana (Yuumi Kawai), whose equally vulnerable and eclectic state of mind suggests a perfect match, but in his utter infatuation, Konishi’s self-involved disposition places enormous neglect on friends and co-workers. Sensory and sonically attuned, even balletic at times, She Taught Me Serendipity inventively constructs an approximation of Konishi’s psyche and shines in its open-hearted confessions, soul-baring and poignant in their nature.

Sunday, July 13 at 12:30 p.m.

Kowloon Generic Romance

Dir. Chihiro Ikeda | 2025 | 120 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Riho Yoshioka, Koshi Mizukami

World Premiere

Perhaps nostalgia is nothing more than another form of love. Reiko Kujirai (Riho Yoshioka), who works at a real estate agency in the nostalgic town of Kowloon Walled City, is in love with her senior, Hajime Kudo (Koshi Mizukami). Hajime knows every corner of Kowloon and often takes Reiko to his favorite places, yet the distance between them remains the same. Despite this, Reiko finds comfort in her everyday life, surrounded by dear friends like Yaomay (Minami Umezawa), the shoemaker owner, and Xiaohei (Kotone Hanase), who works part-time at various stores across the town. One day, Reiko is startled when Tao Gwen (Shuntaro Yanagi), a café worker at Goldfish Teahouse, mistakes her for Hajime’s lover. She also stumbles upon a photograph—one that shows Hajime with a woman who looks exactly like her. The forgotten memories of her past, the mystery behind her duplicate self, and the hidden truths buried within Kowloon . . . As the past and present collide, romance becomes the key to unraveling the unknown. Jun Mayuzuki’s acclaimed science fiction mystery manga comes to life!

Sunday, July 13 at 3:00 p.m.

Michiyuki – Voices of Time

Dir. Hiromichi Nakao | 2024 | 79 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Daichi Watanabe, Kanjuro Kiritake, Hiromichi Hosoma

World Premiere of Final Version

Shot in Nara, Hiromichi Nakao’s sophomore feature is an elegant meditation on time and memory with sublime black-and-white cinematography, while also mixing hand-drawn animation with 8mm and digital camerawork. Moving into an old house in the rural countryside, videographer Komai converses with its former owner Umemoto and the town’s inhabitants as he renovates the premises; their discussions draw from personal memories to discuss histories, morphology, cartographies, and the passage of time, reflecting upon the changing tides of tradition and progress within generational spans of the town’s history.

Sunday, July 13 at 5:30 p.m.

A Girl Named Ann

Dir. Yu Irie | 2024 | 113 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Yuumi Kawai, Jiro Sato, Goro Inagaki

North American Premiere

Q&A with Yuumi Kawai

Starring Yuumi Kawai, who won Best Actress at the Japan Academy Film Prize for this stunning performance, A Girl Named Ann tells the story of a teenage dropout attempting to rebuild her life. Ann (Kawai) tries to find hope amid abuse and addiction, and it takes the hand of a Tokyo detective (Sato) to help lift her from the depths. Yet what are the motives of this outstretched hand, and can a single girl climb back to society when the world itself has turned its back? Inspired by a painfully true story, A Girl Named Ann is a testament to individual perseverance and condemnation of larger societal failures, written and directed by the lauded Yu Irie.

Monday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m.

Teki Cometh

Dir. Daihachi Yoshida | 2024 | 108 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kumi Takiuchi, Yuumi Kawai, Asuka Kurosawa

New York Premiere

Gisuke (Kyozo Nagatsuka) is a retired college professor who lives a quiet life alone, until one day he finds a post on the internet about an approaching “enemy,” and the world around him begins to melt into paranoia, dream, delusion, and fantasy. Director Daihachi Yoshida (Kiba: The Fangs of Fiction) presents a beautiful, thought-provoking, and arresting film pulled from what many considered an unfilmable novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka. Stunningly lensed and deeply affecting, Teki Cometh poses challenging questions about aging, mortality, and the faulty relationship between memory and reality without offering any easy answers. Widely acclaimed in Japan, Teki Cometh won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival.

Monday, July 14 at 8:30 p.m.

A Samurai in Time

Dir. Junichi Yasuda | 2024 | 131 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Yuno Sakura

New York Premiere

The biggest Japanese indie phenomenon since One Cut of the Dead! This low-budget film financed entirely by director Junichi Yasuda was initially shown in only one theater, but through word of mouth it grew into a sensation across Japan and ultimately took home Best Film at this year’s Japan Academy Film Prize. At the end of the Edo period, a flash of lightning sends a samurai into the present day, and to survive, he takes a job as an actor in jidaigeki movies. This fish-out-of-water comedy is a love letter to moviemaking and an especially heart-felt tribute to Japan’s jidaigeki industry.

Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m.

What Should We Have Done?

Dir. Tomoaki Fujino | 2024 | 101 min. | Japanese with English subtitles

In 1983, director Tomoaki Fujino’s 20-something sister Masako began exhibiting signs of schizophrenia. Yet his parents—both in research and medical positions—responded by actively denying anything was wrong and refusing to treat her. Recording his sister from 2001 until her death in 2021, Fujino chronicles his family saga in a deeply personal trove of conversations, family scenes, episodes, and meetings, all documented on a handheld consumer-grade camera. What Should We Have Done? actively explores and confronts the cultural disparities associated with mental illness in Japan. Debuting at the 2024 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Tomoaki Fujino’s independent sleeper hit poses a biting titular question, one that has yet to be resolved.

Tuesday, July 15 at 8:30 p.m.

See You Tomorrow

Dir. Saki Michimoto | 2024 | 99 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Makoto Tanaka, Ryota Matsuda, Risa Shigematsu

North American Premiere

The debut feature from director Saki Michimoto is an Osaka-set slice-of-life work, revolving around talented art school student Nao, who roams the streets, framing everything in her line of vision in the viewfinder of her camera. With graduation looming, Nao’s natural abilities, which vastly outshine her friends and classmates, bring promise of new opportunities but at the cost of leaving everything behind. A gentle coming-of-age drama, Michimoto’s See You Tomorrow is subtle and unassuming, quietly affirming the need to branch out and discover fulfillment for oneself.

Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Cloud – SOLD OUT

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 2024 | 124 min | Japanese with English subtitles | With Masaki Suda, Kotone Furukawa, Amane Okayama

New York Premiere

CUT ABOVE Award Ceremony—Q&A with Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Reception

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s third film in a prolific year, following the creative spurt of Chime and Serpent’s Path, shapes up to be a slow-burn techno-thriller, one which takes its name from today’s ubiquitous virtual cloud. Moonlighting as a black-market internet reseller for fake merchandise and products, factory worker Yoshii’s (Masaki Suda) get-rich-quick schemes and morally dubious actions seem to pay off when afforded the opportunity to move out to a remote, wooded lake house seemingly perfect for his business dealings. Rattled by strange incidents, however, Yoshii finds his errant ways catching up to him when unknown assailants target him. Kurosawa’s suspense-driven exercise in the action genre envisions the amplified ire of internet culture as a radicalized hydra of sprouting heads, amassing an anonymous network to quash its petty grievances. Kurosawa, as he so often does, masterfully finds terror in the mundane.

Thursday, July 17 at 6:00 p.m.

Serpent’s Path

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 2024 |113 min. | French with English subtitles | With Ko Shibasaki, Damien Bonnard, Mathieu Amalric, Hidetoshi Nishijima

East Coast Premiere

Q&A with Kiyoshi Kurosawa

A higher budget remake of Kurosawa’s 1998 straight-to-video effort, Serpent’s Path presents a variation on the original, supplanting Tokyo for the overcast banlieues of Paris while swapping genders with its clinical protagonist and adding new narrative depths despite overtly, if not eerily, echoing its predecessor. Kidnapping an associate of a purported child-trafficking organization ominously named The Circle, Albert (Damien Bonnard) seeks retribution for the death of his child and enacts his cruel vengeance with the aid of physician Sayoko (Ko Shibasaki). The snaking narrative of Kurosawa’s psychological experiment has been told once before, yet its pathway differs ever so slightly. With haunting precision, Serpent’s Path suggests that the destination remains incontrovertibly the same.

Thursday, July 17 at 9:30 p.m.

License to Live

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 1998 | 109 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Hidetoshi Nishijima, Koji Yakusho, Shun Sugata

Archival 35mm Presentation

Introduction by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s fascinating reconstruction of a 1970 Jason Robards picture—Sam Peckinpah’s frontier western The Ballad of Cable Hogue, to be exact—lifts the framework of Bloody Sam’s uncharacteristically subdued hangout film while substituting the twilight days of the Old West for 1990s Tokyo. Awakening from a ten-year coma, 24-year-old Yutaka (Drive My Car’s Hidetoshi Nishijima in his first lead role) finds that his family has separated in the decade-long interim. Expressing disinterest in the time lost, the lackadaisical Yutaka, with the help of his father’s old college friend Fujimori (Koji Yakusho), resolves to establish a pony ranch on a plot once owned by his family, forming an outpost which welcomes a community of outsiders. Irreverent, wryly comic, and heartfelt, License to Live is a marked departure from Kurosawa’s V-Cinema and horror fare, constituting an early show of the filmmaker’s remarkable adaptability and versatile range.

Friday, July 18 at 6:00 p.m.

Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers

Dir. Amélie Ravalec | 2024 | 100 min. | English and Japanese with English subtitles | With Nobuyoshi Araki, Tadanori Yokoo, Keiichi Tanaami

New York Premiere

Q&A with director Amélie Ravalec

Exploring the explosion of postwar radical art in the 1960s and the rise of Japanese avant-garde, Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers covers the multitude of then-burgeoning experimentations in the art form, spanning across the disciplines of photography, film, graphic design, theater, and performance. With the participation of major figures in these revolutionary movements—Hosoe, Araki, Moriyama, Yokoo, to name a few—Amélie Ravalec’s documentary is an enthralling glimpse into the outsider art of Japan’s underground movements.

Friday, July 18 at 8:30 p.m.

Blazing Fists

Dir. Takashi Miike | 2025 | 119 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Danhi Kinoshita, Kaname Yoshizawa, Gackt, Anna Tsuchiya

U.S. Premiere

From iconoclastic director Takashi Miike and with a cast including pop stars Gackt and Anna Tsuchiya, Blazing Fists is the story of two men in a juvenile reformatory determined to redeem themselves through a fighting tournament. Can they change their destinies through their physical mettle, or will the weight of their pasts weigh down their futures? Blazing Fists is a powerfully human film about loyalty and friendship, filled with exuberant outbursts of Miike’s hallmark action, humor, and violence.

Saturday, July 19 at 12:30 p.m.

Promised Land

Dir. Masashi Iijima | 2023 | 89 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Rairu Sugita, Kantaro

New York Theatrical Premiere

Masashi Iijima’s feature film directorial debut is based on an award-winning 1983 novel by Kazuichi Iijima. Set in a rural mountain town, it follows two matagi (traditional Japanese hunters) as they embark on a bear hunt in secret, preserving their custom despite a governmental ban. This tense and austere film told through long shots and minimal dialogue presents a very personal story about the conflict between tradition and progress and allows the audience ample time to reflect in wide stretches of silence amid snowy mountain vistas.

Saturday, July 19 at 2:30 p.m.

My Sunshine

Dir. Hiroshi Okuyama | 2024 | 90 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Sosuke Ikematsu, Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi

New York Premiere

On the snowy island of Hokkaido, a young hockey player named Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama) becomes transfixed by the figure skaters who share the rink, particularly Sakura (Kiara Nakanishi), a rising star from Tokyo. Her coach, Arakawa (Sosuke Ikematsu), takes an interest in Takuya, seeing himself in the young boy. He pairs the two up and trains them as an ice-dancing duo. Tentatively at first, they grow closer and form a deep bond, but as unspoken feelings begin to surface, the harmony of the trio begins to shake. Intimately lensed and told through a striking kaleidoscope of winter hues, My Sunshine is an aching film that captivates the audience with a nostalgia for both the wonders and pain of young love while at the same time confronting the deeper subjects of Japan’s attitudes toward masculinity and homosexuality.

Saturday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m.

So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely

Dir. Megumi Okawara | 2025 | 67 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Megumi Okawara, Shin Namura, Naoko Miya

North American Premiere

Q&A with director Megumi Okawara

A frenetic display of heartbreak filled with whimsical leanings, So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely finds school janitor Nozomi Haruta (Megumi Okawara) at her wits’ end when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her to marry another woman. Struggling to rationalize the situation, she behaves erratically, photobombing his wedding pictures and fantasizing a Castella version of her boyfriend. Imbued with a sense of real youthful energy at its core due to its rapid-fire demonstration of versatile editing and playfully absurd humor, writer/director/editor and lead actress Megumi Okawara’s So Beautiful overflows with creative ambition.

Love Letter © Fuji Television Network. Inc.

Saturday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Dir. Shunji Iwai | 1995 | 117 min. | With Miho Nakayama, Etsushi Toyokawa, Miki Sakai, Takashi Kashiwabara

30th Anniversary—North American Premiere of 4K Restoration

The feature film debut of ’90s auteur Shunji Iwai is a swell of desiderium and emerging memory, an epistolary melodrama which lightly evokes Proust’s madeleine in the blanche wintertide of Otaru. Framed within the back-and-forth correspondence of heartbroken Hiroko and librarian Itsuki—a widowed fiancée and the former classmate of her deceased lover (Miho Nakayama in dual roles)—Love Letter focuses on buried recollections as their letters uncover Itsuki’s school-age memories of Hiroko’s dead fiancé. Unapologetic in its soft-focus lyricism, Love Letter brims with unbridled emotion, buoyed by its dreamy cinematography, mnemonic constructions, and amber shades. Beloved throughout Asia, Iwai’s breakthrough would capture the hearts of an entire generation, swept over by its sincere convictions and the late Miho Nakayama’s eternal mountainside cry “O genki desu ka?”

Saturday, July 19 at 9:00 p.m.

Serpent’s Path – 4K Restoration

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | 1998 | 85 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Sho Aikawa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yurei Yanagi

North American Premiere of 4K Restoration

Given the chance to shoot two films back-to-back within the same two-week span, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 1998 V-Cinema production, along with its sister film Eyes of the Spider, hinges on the same premise: a man seeking revenge for the murder of his child. With a detached, observational style, Kurosawa relays the grim chain of events with muted horror as Miyashita (Teruyuki Kagawa) and his calculating friend Nijima methodically kidnap and torture a yakuza thought to be involved in the brutal killing of his young daughter. The blind search for vengeance leads them down a convoluted path, ravaging through a string of connected associates. Operating on a low budget, Kurosawa’s taut psychological thriller plumbs the depths of this fanatical obsession, resigning to a goal which becomes ever more obscure.

Sunday, July 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Gridman Universe

Dir. Akira Amemiya | 2023 | 118 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Hikaru Midorikawa, Yuya Hirose, Yume Miyamoto, Soma Saito, Junya Enoki

North American Theatrical Premiere

Studio Trigger, one of the most explosive anime studios in Japan, reimagined Tsuburaya Productions’ classic tokusatsu series Gridman: The Hyper Agent in honor of its 25th anniversary with the anime series SSSS.Gridman. Following the success of SSSS.Gridman and its sequel SSSS.Dynazenon, Trigger now presents an all-new big screen spectacle celebrating the tokusatsu and kaiju genres and injecting them with their trademark over-the-top, stylish action. Perfect for fans of these genres and deeply rewarding for followers of Trigger’s previous Gridman series, Gridman Universe is a dimension-spanning adventure where the fate of more than one world hangs in the balance.

Sunday, July 20 at 3:00 p.m.

Kaiju Guy!

Dir. Junichiro Yagi | 2024 | 80 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Gumpy

North American Premiere

Ichiro Yamada (Japanese comedian Gumpy) works in the Seki City tourism department, and one day he’s ordered to produce a “local movie,” a common Japanese promotional gimmick designed to highlight local hotspots and increase visitors. However, Yamada has doubts about the mayor’s plan and proposes something else: a local kaiju movie. Heads butt, emotions clash, and a monster is unleashed. An absolutely delightful, heartfelt, and rewarding comedy, Kaiju Guy! will make you roar.

Sunday, July 20 at 5:00 p.m.

The Spirit of Japan

Dir. Joseph Overbey | 2024 | 48 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | With Tekkan Wakamatsu, Kazunari Wakamatsu, Ranko Wakamatsu

World Premiere

Q&A with director Joseph Overbey and producer Stephen Lyman and followed by a reception featuring shochu from Yamatozakura Distillery

The Spirit of Japan is the story of the Wakamatsu family, who have been distilling sweet potato shochu by hand at their Yamatozakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture since the 1850s. This documentary follows fifth generation master brewer Tekkan Wakamatsu as he takes 175-year-old traditions passed down by his father, Kazunari Wakamatsu, and strives to adapt them to a rapidly changing market driven by commodification and mass consumerism. Director Joseph Overbey lived with the Wakamatsu family as he shot The Spirit of Japan, offering a rarified look inside the shochu-making production, an intimate portrait of family succession, and an unflinching glimpse into the harsh realities of preserving tradition in the modern world.

Susan McCormac 7/2/25 Susan McCormac 7/2/25

What Expo Means for Osaka’s Global Business Future

📣 We’re going live on LinkedIn!

On Monday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET, I’ll be joined by cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton for our fourth Expo 2025 talk—this time focused on what the World Expo means for Osaka’s global business future.

Expo 2025 Talk #4: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

Monday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET | 4:00 p.m. PT | Tuesday, July 15 at 8:00 a.m. JST

LinkedIn Live

Admission: Free

JapanCulture•NYC is thrilled to continue our ongoing Expo 2025 Talk series with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International!

What Expo Means for Osaka’s Global Business Future

In Talk #4, Yvonne will focus on what Expo 2025 means for the city of Osaka in terms of global business opportunities, international visibility, and economic development. Yvonne will share observations from the Expo site, highlight what major companies and industries are showcasing, and offer insight into Japan’s strategy for engaging the world through this major international event. She’ll also share her latest insights, show photos, and answer your questions in an interactive conversation that brings you closer to Expo 2025—even from afar!

💡 Whether you work in international business, cross-cultural strategy, economic development, or are simply curious about Japan’s global presence—this conversation is for you.

Join the talk on LinkedIn Live: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7346199577739378688/about/

🎥 Missed our earlier talks? Catch up on YouTube:
• Talk 1: https://youtu.be/zd1fEp3SLLI
• Talk 2: https://youtu.be/vF00yjNyPO4
• Talk 3: https://youtu.be/bpenIQ5dROM?si=0EwThM4XrP765mw9

📝 Read Yvonne’s Expo blog posts: burtonconsulting.biz/blog
🔗 Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: Yvonne Burton

💬 Bring your questions and join the live conversation in the comments!

Night view of the Germany Pavilion at Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Photo by Yvonne Burton.

Susan McCormac 6/20/25 Susan McCormac 6/20/25

Dance and Poetry of Japan Workshop

Sachiyo Ito and Company presents the culmination performance of her Dance and Poetry of Japan Workshop on Tuesday, June 24.

Culmination Performance of Dance and Poetry of Japan Workshop

Tuesday, June 24 from11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

University Settlement's Neighborhood Center – 189 Allen Street (between Stanton and E. Houston Streets)

Admission: Free

Sachiyo Ito and Company presents the culmination performance of her Dance and Poetry of Japan Workshop on Tuesday, June 24. Participants will present the Japanese classical dance Yanagi no Wakaba (Young Leaves of Willows) and dances inspired by haiku and renku (linking verses). Special guest vocalist Beth Griffith will join to accompany the dances.

The program highlight is Sachiyo Ito’s work created for the Chinese community, titled Hiei Oroshi (Cold Wind from Mt. Hiei). Sung by Yong Jhong Jia from the Chinese Opera Theater with the Japanese melody, the work is choreographed to selected poems from Shajin-Shu, the collection of poems by Chinese poetesses.

The presentation will conclude with dance improvisations on haiku stanzas from the audience. Audiences are invited to bring their own haiku. A reception with refreshments will follow the program.

To reserve your spot, please send an email to sachiyoitoandcompany@gmail.com. (Please note: The venue has changed from 94 E. 1st Street to the current location of 189 Allen Street.)

Photo courtesy of Sachiyo Ito and Company

About the Dance and Poetry Workshop

Sachiyo Ito has conducted the free Dance and Poetry Workshop for the last ten years at several senior centers in Manhattan. Seniors from various cultural backgrounds who share a love for and interest in Japanese culture have attended.

The culmination concert showcases an example of artists’ efforts to unite the peoples of New York, known for its diversity in culture, ethnicity, and races.

Sachiyo Ito’s Memoir on JapanCulture-NYC.com

Sachiyo Ito has been serializing her memoir on JapanCulture•NYC, each chapter revealing a different aspect of her early life in Tokyo and career in New York City.

Ito offers of a profound exploration of the experience of dedicating herself to traditional Japanese dance at an early age, arriving in New York City during the tumultuous ‘70s, and making a successful career in the arts. Each chapter offers a glimpse into the complexities that shaped her journey. It is a literary examination of not only Ito Sensei’s life, but of how New York City’s culture evolved over the decades and what sacrifices one must make to achieve a thriving career in the arts.

The memoir is an invitation to delve into the layers of a creative life and career that has spanned more than 50 years. As a work in progress, it is also an invitation for you to offer your feedback. Your insights will contribute to the evolution of this extraordinary work.

To read all the chapters, please click here. For more information about Sachiyo Ito, please visit her website, dancejapan.com.

Susan McCormac 6/11/25 Susan McCormac 6/11/25

Meet the Fukushima Sake Brewers in NYC

To introduce New Yorkers to the delights of Fukushima sake, the Fukushima government is hosting a free sake tasting at Union Square Wines & Spirits this Friday, June 13.

Free Sake Tasting – Meet the Fukushima Sake Brewers

Friday, June 13 · 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Union Square Wines & Spirits – 140 4th Avenue (between 13th and 14th Streets)

Admission: Free

Try sake of three top breweries from one of Fukushima Prefecture’s most famous brewing regions, Aizu.

For nine consecutive years, from 2013 to 2022, Fukushima led all prefectures in Gold Prizes at the century-old Japan Sake Awards. Sake from Fukushima is crafted with care and precision to bring out its refined flavor.

To introduce New Yorkers to the delights of Fukushima sake, the Fukushima government is hosting a free sake tasting at Union Square Wines & Spirits this Friday, June 13. Three sake masters are traveling from Fukushima to pour sake for New Yorkers: Nobuhiro Hosoi of Kokken Brewery, Koichi Suzuki of Akebono Brewery, and Nobuo Shoji of Yumegokoro Brewery.

There will be nine different brands from three different breweries to enjoy.

Featured Sake

From Kokken Brewery:

Kokken Yume no Kaori Tokubetsu Junmai
Kokken Yamahai Junmai
Kokken Daiginjo

From Akebono Sake Brewery:

Tenmei Funashibori Junmai Hiire Orange Label
Tenmei Junmai Hiire 1-year Aged Brown Label
Tenmei Bear Cup Sake

From Yumegokoro Sake Brewery:

Naraman Junmai Daiginjo
Junmai DaiginjoNaraman Assemblage
Naraman Junmai-shu Muroka Binhiire

Spend $50 on Fukushima sake and receive a masu cup! (Limited promotion; only 20 masu will be available during the event.) Enjoy a 10% discount on all Fukushima sake on the day of the tastings.

Walk-ins are welcome but RSVPs are appreciated. Please visit the Fukushima government’s Eventbrite page to RSVP.

Susan McCormac 5/30/25 Susan McCormac 5/30/25

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Talk #3

JapanCulture•NYC is thrilled to continue our Expo 2025 Talk series with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International!

Yvonne has been on the ground in Osaka, exploring the site of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. She’s visiting pavilions and reporting on the dynamic energy and discoveries at this once-in-a-lifetime global event.

Photo: Night view of the Netherlands Pavilion with Singapore in the background. Photo courtesy Yvonne Burton

Expo 2025 Talk #3: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET | 5:00 p.m. PT | Thursday, June 12 at 9:00 a.m. JST

Zoom Meeting

Admission: Free (Registration Required)

JapanCulture•NYC is thrilled to continue our Expo 2025 Talk series with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International!

In Talk #3, Yvonne will share her latest insights, show photos, and answer your questions in an interactive conversation that brings you closer to Expo 2025—even from afar!

Previous Sessions

If you missed the previous sessions, catch up here:
📺 Talk #1 Recording on YouTube
📺 Talk #2 Recording on YouTube
🎥 Watch previous Instagram Lives: @JapanCultureNYC
📝 Read Yvonne’s Expo blog posts: burtonconsulting.biz/blog
🔗 Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: Yvonne Burton

Prepare and Register

Have a question for Yvonne?
📧 Email susan@japanculture-nyc.com or DM us on Instagram @JapanCultureNYC.

🎟 Register for Talk #3 here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zKIDr2rxQYODO6fMXHKeUg

Susan McCormac 5/27/25 Susan McCormac 5/27/25

Yankees/Dodgers Watch Party

Bring your cheers and business cards. Watch Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers take on Shohei Ohtani and the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a regular season showdown at Dodger Stadium. View all the action on multiple screens throughout the Pub's 2nd floor. Enjoy beer and food and network with fellow young professionals and members.

JCCI & JAA Young Professionals Networking and Baseball Watch Party

Playwright Irish Pub – 27 W. 35th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 2nd Floor

Saturday, May 31 – Doors Open at 6:00 p.m., Game Starts at 7:10 p.m. ET | 4:10 p.m. PT

Admission: $20

On the heels of a successful Japanese and Japanese American Community Night at Citi Field on May 23, which had a one hour and 38-minute rain delay and several extra innings between the Dodgers and the Mets, the Young Professionals of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and The Japanese American Association of New York are hosting a watch party of Saturday’s matchup between the Mets’ cross-town rivals, the Yankees, against the Dodgers.

About the Event

Admission

Cost to enter is $20, which includes one free drink. Organizers will collect payment at the door, but please register at this link or email info@jcciny.org.

There will be a 5th Inning raffle for New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers merchandise and game tickets. Raffle tickets are $10 each.

Please note: Cash only for admission and raffle tickets.

Susan McCormac 5/23/25 Susan McCormac 5/23/25

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Talk #2

Join JapanCultureNYC for Part 2 of my live conversation with cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton reporting from Osaka, Japan, where she’s been exploring the site of Expo 2025!

Expo 2025 Talk: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton – Part 2

Wednesday, May 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET | 5:00 p.m. PT | In Japan: Thursday, May 29 at 9:00 a.m.

Zoom

Admission: Free (Registration Required)

On May 13 JapanCultureNYC and cross-cultural consultant Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International held a special live Zoom conversation from Japan, where she’s been exploring Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. We had so much fun, we’re doing it again!

Yvonne has been on the ground, visiting pavilions, observing the process, and soaking up the energy at this year’s World Expo. Prior to the event, Yvonne joined JapanCultureNYC for two Instagram Live tours—one at night, the other during the day—and gave us insightful tours.

On Zoom, Yvonne will share highlights, show photos, and answer your questions about what she’s learned so far. Curious about what Japan is showcasing to the world? Wondering how Osaka prepared for millions of visitors? Don’t miss this insightful and interactive session!

What to See

📺 Watch the first Zoom session on @JapanCulture-NYC’s YouTube channel
📌 Watch the recordings of our Instagram Lives on @JapanCultureNYC’s feed
📝 Read Yvonne’s blog posts from each visit at burtonconsulting.biz/blog
🔗 Connect with her on LinkedIn: Yvonne Burton

📧 Have questions for Yvonne? Email susan@japanculture-nyc.com or DM @JapanCultureNYC

Register in advance

🔗 Click here to register on Zoom

Susan McCormac 5/15/25 Susan McCormac 5/15/25

Gotta Catch ‘Em All at Caveat NYC

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy returns by popular demand, starting its summer residency at Caveat NYC.

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy”

Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Livestream: $15

After a sold-out initial run, BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy returns by popular demand, starting its summer residency at Caveat NYC, the acclaimed Lower East Side comedy venue that “champions nerdy, funny art—and sells cheap drinks.” Returning to lead the cast is voiceover legend Stuart Zagnit, the original voice of Professor Oak from Pokémon.

(Please note: The in-person performance at Caveat is SOLD OUT, but it is available via live stream.)

In April, TDF listed BALLS as one of the top five shows to stream in the country. Nintendo Life calls it “a proper laugh-fest [that] wears its Pokémon inspiration proud [sic] on its sleeve.”

In addition to Zagnit, the original cast returns: Teresa Attridge (Avenue Q, Fun Home) as “Rival,” Harrison Bryan (Hand to God, NYIT Award Winner) as “Warlordturtle,” Ebony Deloney (Hairspray, Beautiful) as “Bulletshell,” Kurt Cruz (Asian AF, UCB) as “Pocket Pedia,” and Katie Luke (Bandstand, Hairspray) as “Spittle.” Plus, with surprises at every turn, you never know who else might make a cameo appearance!

Photo Credit: Arin Sang-urai (@photojuice)

Created by Brandon Zelman (“Who’s That Pokémon?” Podcast) and Harrison Bryan (A Hanukkah Carol, NYIT Award winner), BALLS features an original score by a dream team of composers including Lena Gabrielle (SIX, Emojiland), Pippa Cleary (My Son’s a Queer, The Great British Bake Off Musical), Joriah Kwamé (Little Miss Perfect, Pursuit of Happyness), Aaron Kenny (The Little Mermaid, A Hanukkah Carol), and Grace Yurchuk (Caesar: The Musical). Additional music by Matthew Ryan Hunter (NBC) and Allan Nalven (LSDJ), with orchestrations, arrangements, music direction, and supervision by Lena Gabrielle. The creative team includes Zelman as director/art director, leading a scrappy squad of puppet-builders: Kelly Autry, Brendan Malafronte (“Malafronte’s Monster Shop”), Cat Greenfield, Genna Beth Davidson, and Harrison Bryan. Rounding out the crew are lighting designer Sasha Lysenko; graphic designer Brielle DeMirjian (The Daily Show); stage management by Mayah Lourdes Burke, Starr Wimber, and Hera Ford; with “Collectabuddy” art by Frankie Novick (“Frankiefurters”).

“While BALLS wears its fandom on its sleeve, it’s not just a spoof. At its core, the show is a love letter to anyone who grew up catching monsters and dreaming big—and a reminder that growing up doesn’t mean giving up adventure.”

— Artist Weekly

To purchase tickets for the livestream, please visit Caveat’s website. Make sure to follow @ballsmusical on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for updates, discount codes, merch, and prizes.

Yamazaki Home Open-Box Sale

About Yamazaki Home

Gardens for Peace

Related Activities

Details

Momoglobal Flowers 5th Annual Shinrinyoku Outdoor Concert and Market

Schedule and Activities

Musical Artists

Food and Beverage Vendors

Japanese Calligraphy Workshop with Rihaku Inoue

About Rihaku Inoue

AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience

Event Details

Presented By

Main Highlights

After Dark

Register

Expo 2025 Talk #5: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

At the Heart of Expo: Countries and Connections

🎥 Missed our earlier talks? Catch up here

THE FACE OF JIZO 父と暮せば Project

An Extraordinary Reading in NYC: “The Face of Jizo” by Hisashi Inoue—Performed by a Real Parent and Child from Hiroshima

Dassai Sake Series: Benihana and Beyond

About the Dassai Sake Series

A Conversation with Tak Furumoto and NHK World Japan’s Mayu Nakamura

24th New York Asian Film Festival

Saturday, July 19 at 9:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 20 at 3:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 20 at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 20 at 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Friday, July 25 at 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m.

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy”

BALLS Cast

Japanese and Japanese American Community Weekend

Game Information

JAPAN CUTS 2025 Powered by GU

Festival Highlights

Admission Information & Pricing

Waitlists for Sold-Out Screenings

Schedule

Expo 2025 Talk #4: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

What Expo Means for Osaka’s Global Business Future

Culmination Performance of Dance and Poetry of Japan Workshop

About the Dance and Poetry Workshop

Sachiyo Ito’s Memoir on JapanCulture-NYC.com

Free Sake Tasting – Meet the Fukushima Sake Brewers

Featured Sake

Expo 2025 Talk #3: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton

Previous Sessions

Prepare and Register

JCCI & JAA Young Professionals Networking and Baseball Watch Party

About the Event

Admission

Expo 2025 Talk: A Conversation with Cross-Cultural Consultant Yvonne Burton – Part 2

What to See

Register in advance

BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy”

LEARN MORE