Join the New York Public Library for their manga book club, in partnership with Kodansha USA! They’ll be discussing Yoshitoki Oima’s supernatural drama, To Your Eternity with special guest Haruko Hashimoto, one of the book’s editors.

The book club will be covering the first volume of To Your Eternity, which is available to all cardholders through the Comics Plus database. If you have questions, please email josephpascullo@nypl.org.

To attend, please use the Register Now link at NYPL’s website.

About To Your Eternity

A new manga from the creator of the acclaimed A Silent Voice, To Your Eternity features intimate, emotional drama and an epic story spanning time and space.

A lonely boy wandering the desolate tundra meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well. To Your Eternity is a totally unique and moving manga about death, life, reincarnation, and the nature of love.

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 3/14/25 Susan McCormac 3/14/25

Celebrating the Music of James Nyoraku Schlefer

Kammerraku Encore: music for shakuhachi, koto, shamisen, and string quartet at Tenri Cultural Institute in NYC

Kammerraku Encore

Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Tenri Cultural Institute – 43A W. 13th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

Admission: $25 in Advance | $30 at the Door

Kyo-Shin-An Arts and Arts at TCI present Kammerraku Encore, KSA's first celebration of the music of shakuhachi Grand Master James Nyoraku Schlefer.

This program of audience favorites features the always extraordinary Arianna Quartet and the world premiere of Schlefer’s delightfully irreverent Bamboo Dances for shakuhachi and string quartet. To purchase tickets, please visit Schlefer’s website.

Performers

Sumie Kaneko – Shamisen and voice
Yoko Reikano Kimura – Koto and voice
James Nyoraku Schlefer – Shakuhachi
Arianna String Quartet
John McGrosso and Jane Price, violins; Joanna Mendoza, viola; Kurt Baldwin, cello

PROGRAM

Moon through the Pines by James Nyoraku Schlefer
koto, shamisen, shakuhachi
Bamboo Dances by James Nyoraku Schlefer – World Premiere
shakuhachi and string quartet
Moveoverture
Jubislidy (aka Slickback)
Valse Macabre
Chacachacarera
Bogakuraku
Jiggy Gigue
Galoopy
Interludy
Racherachenitsa
Tommy – a musical fantasy based on a true story by James Nyoraku Schlefer
shakuhachi, koto, shamisen and string quartet

Susan McCormac 3/14/25 Susan McCormac 3/14/25

Catch Totto-Chan at NYICFF!

Totto-Chan screens at NYICFF! Go to the festival website at https://nyicff.org/tickets/ and enter promo code JapanCultureNYC2025 to claim your 10% discount.

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

Saturday, March 15 at 5:45 p.m.

SVA Theatre – 333 W. 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)

Admission: $20

As the New York International Children’s Film Festival draws to a close, we have a special opportunity for JapanCulture•NYC readers! Together Films, an innovative marketing and sales company based in London and NYC serving the international film community, is offering a 10% discount to the screening of Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window on Saturday, March 15 at 5:45 p.m.

Go to the festival website at https://nyicff.org/tickets/ and enter promo code JapanCultureNYC2025 to claim your 10% discount.

Selected as one of NYIFF’s spotlight films, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window is making its North American Premiere. It tells the powerful story of an imaginative girl learning to be herself even as the world around her changes. Anime NYC and Kinokuniya USA are presenting partners, and Koji Yakusho, who won Best Actor at Cannes for his role in Perfect Days, voices one of the characters!

About Totto-Chan

Director: Shinnosuke Yakuwa
Animation | 2023 | 114 min.
Recommended ages: 8+
Japanese with English subtitles

“Sit down! Stop talking. Pay attention!” School is hard enough, but little Totto-Chan just can’t seem to be still. Inquisitive by nature, she’s constantly inspired by the world around her—and in 1940s Japan, the wonders of Western modernization bring new and exciting ways to traditional Japanese life.

When her behavior proves to be too distracting to the rest of the class (according to her teachers, at least), her parents make it their mission to find the right place for her. Totto-Chan is no ordinary child, and her new school takes place in no ordinary classroom but in an old streetcar. Her classmates are equally extraordinary, each with their own abilities and ways of thinking.

With a schoolmaster who affirms rather than tamps down their joyous curiosity, Totto-Chan and her classmates flourish in an environment filled with acceptance and freedom of expression. The coming changes to Japan will make adjusting to new life even more challenging, but Totto-Chan, charming, chaotic, sometimes troublemaking, and often irrepressible, will be just fine as long as she can be herself.

Based on the best-selling memoir of famous Japanese television personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Totto-Chan is a tender reminder the things that make us different are the very things that make us special.

Susan McCormac 3/13/25 Susan McCormac 3/13/25

Celebrate Sake at NYC’s Largest Tasting Event

Join the world’s largest sake tasting in NYC on April 10, 2024! Sample 587 premium sakes & enjoy bites from top restaurants. Get tickets now!

The Joy of Sake

Thursday, April 10 from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Metropolitan Pavilion – 125 W. 18th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)

Admission: $130

The Joy of Sake, the world’s largest sake tasting outside Japan, returns to New York on Thursday, April 10 with a record 587 competition-level sakes available to taste alongside sake-inspired appetizers from top restaurants, including Sushi by Bou, BondST, Sakagura, Rule of Thirds, Sake No Hana, Sen Sakana, Towa, Yopparai, Zuma, and more.

The Joy of Sake, which originated in Hawaii, is the biggest sake celebration in New York’s history. 2025 marks its 25th global and 21st NYC event. Celebrating the ancient art of sake-brewing, The Joy of Sake is a walkaround tasting where attendees are able to experience the full spectrum of sake styles in the premium daiginjo, ginjo, and junmai categories from every sake-brewing region in Japan, including more than 350 sakes not available in the U.S. Sakes are grouped by style so attendees can explore each in depth, including recipients of silver and gold awards from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a rigorous blind tasting prior to the public event conducted by ten judges from the U.S. and Japan. This is an opportunity to sample bottles of the actual competition entries in excellent condition, both Japanese and U.S.-made sakes from local breweries like Brooklyn Kura and Dassai Blue in Hudson Valley.

In the belief that sake tastes best in good company with great food, sixteen of New York’s top restaurants are preparing original sake appetizers for the event. Heartier dishes, such as Marinated Snapper Bamboo Rice from Sakagura and Towa’s Umami Duck, go well with Junmai sakes, while seafood dishes such as Mishik’s Hokkaido Scallop and Pear and BondST’s Seared Cherry Salmon in Spring Pea Soup are delicious with many daiginjo labels.

Secure your spot for this one-night-only sake celebration by visiting The Joy of Sake’s website at www.joyofsake.com/newyork/. Which sake are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments.

The Joy of Sake NYC bottles_Photo by KK Chote MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake NYC Couple enjoying sake_Photo by KK Chote MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake NYC Overhead MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake NYC Kimono MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake NYC Chizuko Niikawa Helton_Photo by KK Chote MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake NYC Atago no Matsu_ Photo by KK Chote MST Creative PR.jpg

The Joy of Sake Displays for Tasting Photo by Michael Tulipan.JPG

Participating Restaurants

BondSt
Cha-An
Juban
Mishik
Rule of Thirds
Sakagura
Sake no Hana
Sen Sag Harbor
Sen Sakana
Towa
Yopparai
Zuma

About The Joy of Sake

The Joy of Sake launched in Honolulu in 2001 in conjunction with the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a professional-level blind tasting and judging held under the auspices of Japan’s National Research Institute of Brewing. The 2024 Appraisal brought together seven expert sake judges from Japan and four from the U.S. in Honolulu for three days. The judges blind-tasted and rated each entry, with gold and silver awards going to those with the highest marks. The Joy of Sake is the public sampling and enjoyment of these sakes.

A non-profit organization dedicated to fostering appreciation for the ancient craft of sake making, its annual event is now the largest sake tasting outside Japan. More than half are ultra-premium daiginjo sakes, made from the innermost core of the rice grain. Every year, The Joy of Sake stages events in major cities, presenting hundreds of sakes, many not otherwise available outside Japan, along with sake-themed appetizers from top local restaurants in a lively festival setting.

Susan McCormac 3/11/25 Susan McCormac 3/11/25

Explore The Sacred World of Sumo

Explore the sacred world of sumo at The Public Theater

SUMO

Now through Sunday, March 30

The Public Theater – 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place)

Admission: $93* | $65* Side seats | $73 Public Supporters and Partners

The New York premiere of SUMO by Lisa Sanaye Dring is running now through March 30. A co-production of Ma-Yi Theater Company and La Jolla Playhouse, SUMO is directed by Obie Award winner Ralph B. Peña.

About the Play

Step into the sacred world of sumo wrestling with Dring’s mesmerizing new drama. Entrenched in an elite sumo training facility in Tokyo, six men practice, eat, love, play, and ultimately fight. Akio arrives as an angry, ambitious 18-year-old with a lot to learn. Expecting validation, dominance, and fame, and desperate to move up the ranks, he slams headlong into his fellow wrestlers. With sponsorship money at stake, their bodies on the line, and their futures at risk, the wrestlers struggle to carve themselves—and one another—into the men they dream of being. SUMO is a thrilling new play set in an elite and rarely explored world. This powerhouse drama features live taiko drumming by Shih-Wei Wu.

For performance times and to purchase tickets, please visit The Public Theater’s website. The listed ticket prices include a $10 per ticket service fee. The fee is waived for Public Theater Supporters & Partners and when purchasing at the Taub Box Office.

Susan McCormac 3/11/25 Susan McCormac 3/11/25

Unique Wellness Experience

Kokoro Gathering – Japanese Principles of Intentional Living

Saturday, March 15 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Japan Village – 934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn

Admission: $55

Join Peatix in celebrating International Women’s Day at a unique wellness experience at Kokoro Gathering, an afternoon dedicated to nurturing your mind, heart, and spirit.

Led by four renowned Japanese wellness practitioners, this thoughtfully designed event offers more than inspiration; it provides practical techniques that integrate seamlessly into your daily routine. Each workshop focuses on actionable strategies that create meaningful change in your life, work, and home environment. In addition to the workshops, there will be light refreshments, community connection opportunities, and access to post-event resources.

To purchase tickets, please visit Peatix’s website.

Four Transformative Workshops

ZEN PRACTICES FOR MODERN LIFE with Yoko Ohashi (Brooklyn Zen Center)
Learn practical meditation techniques and experience a guided practice designed to help you incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine with simple rituals that create calm during challenging situations.

THE ART OF MINDFUL SPACE ORGANIZATION with Junko Matsushita
Unlock new strategies to reduce stress, declutter your mind, and maximize your day with valuable tips for boosting your productivity and well-being through organized spaces.

HARMONIOUS SPACE DESIGN PRINCIPLES with Ai Matsui Johnson
Understand how Feng Shui can help create harmonious environments and pick up practical tips on arrangement and placement techniques to channel optimal energy flow in your living spaces.

JAPAN'S SECRET TO A HEALTHY LIFE with Dr. Michiko Yoshifuji
In this session, Dr. Yoshifuji will delve into traditional Japanese self-care rituals, unveiling time-honored practices designed to foster a deeper connection between your body and mind.

Meet the Experts

YOKO OHASHI
A dedicated meditation advocate from Osaka, Japan, Ohashi serves as a community leader at Brooklyn Zen Center. With her background in fine arts and current studies in divinity, she offers a unique perspective on integrating mindfulness into modern life.

JUNKO MATSUSHITA
Based in New York since 2010, Matsushita specializes in organization coaching for career-driven women. Her approach blends life coaching principles with customized strategies that create harmony, efficiency, and balance by integrating Japanese mindfulness practices.

AI MATSUI JOHNSON
Founder of Ai Feng Shui Interior Consulting and author of A Little Bit of Feng Shui, Matsui Johnson combines her expertise in Feng Shui, interior design, and decluttering to create personalized, harmonious spaces that reflect and empower her clients' lives.

DR. MICHIKO YOSHIFUJI
As a Doctor of Acupuncture and owner of ROOTS Mindful Acupuncture in Midtown NYC, Dr. Yoshifuji is dedicated to providing holistic, patient-centered care that improves overall health and quality of life through traditional Japanese wellness practices.

About the Organizer

Kokoro Gathering is an exclusive event series organized by Peatix. Since 2011, Peatix has effectively connected more than 130,000 organizers worldwide through shared experiences via its user-friendly event platform. Learn more about their global community of event creators at https://peatix.com/us/about-us

Susan McCormac 3/11/25 Susan McCormac 3/11/25

NYC-Based Jazz Composer to Present Suite Honoring 3.11 Survivors

UNBREAKABLE HOPE AND RESILIENCE: A Special Concert from Japan Celebrating Stories of Humanity and Resilience

Monday, March 17 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Dizzy’s Club – 10 Columbus Circle | Global Live Stream – jazzlive.com

Admission: $45 Table Seating | $35 Bar Seating | $20 Students | $9.99 Live Stream

Experience a groundbreaking fusion of jazz and theater in UNBREAKABLE HOPE AND RESILIENCE, a deeply moving suite based on real-life interviews with survivors and volunteers of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Created by Migiwa "Miggy" Miyajima, a New York-based award-winning composer and six-time Grammy-nominated producer, this work captures what hope and resilience look like in our real lives through the power of music and performance.

This suite brings together world-class jazz musicians from New York and accomplished actors from the city's vibrant theater scene, seamlessly connected under the Miyajima’s direction.

Selected as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Women’s Month, this concert is one of only three performances this March to be streamed live globally.

How to Watch

Join in person on Monday, March 17 at Dizzy’s Club in Columbus Circle or watch from anywhere in the world via the online broadcast. This is a rare opportunity to witness a performance that redefines the boundaries of jazz storytelling.

To purchase tickets, please visit jazz.org/dizzys, or to watch the global live stream, subscribe and watch at jazzlive.com.

Miggy Augmented Orchestra presents UNBREAKABLE HOPE & RESILIENCE SUITE

Composer, Conductor: Migiwa “Miggy” Miyajima
Actors: Megan Masako Haley, Ashton Muñiz, Arielle Gonzalez
Trumpets: Dan Urness, David Smith, Stuart Mack, Rachel Therrien
Trombones: Ryan Keberle, Jason Jackson, Evan Amoroso, Gina Benalcazar-Lopez
Sax/Flute/Clarinet: Ben Kono, Todd Bashore, Sam Dillon, Quinsin Nachoff, Carl Maraghi
Rhythm Section: Pete McCann, Martha Kato, Jared Beckstead-Craan, Tim Horner
Production Assistant: Joseph Herbst

To learn more about Miyajima, please visit her website.

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

Monday Michiru Returns to Joe’s Pub

Japanese American songstress (and the daughter of legendary jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi) returns to Joe’s Pub this week for a performance. Photo by Takashi Matsuzaki

Monday Michiru

Thursday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:00 p.m.)

Joe’s Pub – 425 Lafayette Place (at Astor Place)

Admission: $36

Japanese American songstress Monday Michiru returns to Joe's Pub presenting her unique style of original music inspired by soul, jazz, Brazilian, and other urban flavors supported by some of New York's top musicians. Joining her on stage are Misha Tsiganov, Sean Harkness, Fima Ephron, Adrian Harpham, and Sumie Kaneko.

There is a two-drink or one-food item minimum per person. To purchase tickets, please go to publictheater.org.

About Monday Michiru

Named to reflect both her Japanese and American Italian heritages, Monday Michiru started her musical endeavors with studying classical flute then expanded to singing and songwriting. The daughter of famed jazz musicians Toshiko Akiyoshi and Charlie Mariano and stepdaughter of venerable flautist Lew Tabackin, Michiru easily adapted the language of jazz heard at home into her other musical influences, which range from soul to urban club to Brazilian and more.

Her 1987 debut in Japan was not in music but as an actress, which garnered her Best New Actress awards that allowed her to expand her career by acting in movies, theater, and television, as well as hosting her own video programs and modeling for major commercial ads.

Since her solo record debut in 1991, Michiru has consistently released albums as a solo artist as well as a featured guest on international projects. Her musical style runs the gamut from house to jazz to Latin to soul, an indefinable hybrid that is undeniably hers. To learn more, please visit her website.

Susan McCormac 2/17/25 Susan McCormac 2/17/25

“Biri Gal” at Japan Society

Sayaka Kobayashi, the inspiration behind the Japanese film Flying Colors (Biri Gal / ビリギャル), will give an author talk and book signing at Japan Society on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Author Talk & Signing: Meet Real-Life Biri Gal Sayaka Kobayashi

Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.

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

Admission: $25 | $23 Seniors, Students, and Persons with Disabilities | $20 Japan Society Members

Sayaka Kobayashi is the real-life inspiration behind the 2015 Japanese movie Flying Colors (Biri Gal / ビリギャル), which is based on her journey from a troubled middle school student on the verge of expulsion to passing one of Japan’s most difficult university entrance exams. Now, on the 10th anniversary of this beloved film, Japan Society presents Kobayashi for a talk about her life, career, writing and motivation.

About Sayaka Kobayashi

Struggling with poor academic performance throughout high school, Kobayashi dedicated herself to an intense study regimen for a year and a half, and after tremendous effort, she succeeded in securing admission to the prestigious Keio University. Her story became the best-selling book The Story of a Gal at the Bottom of her School Year who Raised her Standard Score by 40 Points in One Year and Got Accepted into Keio University, written by her dedicated tutor, Nobutaka Tsubota. This book, which has sold more than one million copies, led to Flying Colors (Biri Gal / ビリギャル).

Since her Keio success, Kobayashi earned a master’s degree in cognitive science from Columbia University in 2024, and she has recently written the book How I Fell in Love with Learning, a guide that explores the essential elements for effective learning.

To purchase tickets to this event, please visit Japan Society’s website. Our friends at Japan Society are offering JapanCultureNYC members a discount to this event! Members will receive a separate email with the code for $10 tickets. Not member of JapanCultureNYC? Join now by going to https://www.japanculture-nyc.com/membership.

*How I Fell in Love with Learning* by Sayaka Kobayashi

About the Book

How I Fell in Love with Learning (私はこうして勉強にハマった) was published by Sanctuary Publishing in Japan in July 2024. Sayaka Kobayashi unpacks her success story through the lens of cognitive science, drawing on insights gained at Columbia University. The book explores three essential elements for effective learning: strong motivation, the right strategies and study methods and a supportive environment that sustains the learner’s enthusiasm. By focusing on these key factors, How I Fell in Love with Learning offers a practical guide to study techniques for anyone. The book is accessible to everyone from middle school students to parents and educators, providing tools to improve academic performance alongside guidance on fostering a love of learning and confidence-building.

Autographs and Book Sales

Attendees of Japan Society’s Sayaka Kobayashi talk and signing will be able to purchase copies of How I Fell in Love with Learning at the event or bring books from home for a signing session following the author’s talk. Please note How I Fell in Love with Learning is available only in Japanese.

Susan McCormac 2/17/25 Susan McCormac 2/17/25

Charlie Chaplin’s Confidante in spotlight off-broadway

Off-Broadway play about Toraichi Kono, Charlie Chaplin’s majordomo and confidante who was arrested for espionage during World War II

My Man Kono

Now through Sunday, March 9

A.R.T./New York Mezzanine Theatre – 502 W. 53rd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)

Admission: $77 | $66 Seniors | $39 Students (prices include fees)

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere of My Man Kono, a play by LA-based writer and producer Philip W. Chung directed by Jeff Liu, an Artistic Producer for the Ojai Playwrights Conference.

In the heyday of silent films, Japanese émigré Toraichi Kono, in pursuit of the American Dream, becomes a loyal confidante of film star Charlie Chaplin. But at the dawn of WWII, he is swept up in anti-Japanese hysteria and accused of espionage. Conlan Ledwith portrays the silent screen star with Brian Lee Huynh as his man Kono.

“It’s a fascinating and distinctively American story about a figure from our cultural history we should know better,” writes Zachary Stewart in his review of the biographical off-Broadway production on theatermania.com.

Remembering Executive Order 9066

This Wednesday, February 19 Pan Asian Rep is celebrating the AANHPI community on AANHPI Affinity Night/Day of Remembrance. The evening is in recognition of the 83rd anniversary of Executive Order 9066, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s directive issued February 19, 1942, authorizing the forced relocation and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, in remote internment camps. Pan Asian Rep is offering a special discount to theatergoers on February 19. Enter code AANHPI at checkout for $55 tickets.

To purchase tickets, please visit panasianrep.org.

Conlan Ledwith (left) as Charlie Chaplin and Brian Lee Huynh as Toraichi Kono in *My Man Kono*. Photo: ©Russ Rowland

Performance Schedule

Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

The run time is approximately two hours including an intermission.

Susan McCormac 2/14/25 Susan McCormac 2/14/25

NYC-Based J-pop Cover Band to Perform

Akari Village, a J-pop cover band based in the East Village of New York City

Akari Village | Amber Balleras | Owen Chen Trio

Sunday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. (Doors: 7:00 p.m.)

Berlin – 25 Avenue A (at E. 2nd Street)

Admission: $13.61 (including fees)

Akari Village is a J-pop cover band based in the East Village. With a playlist ranging from old ‘80s City Pop to anime theme songs to today’s hits, Akari Village will bring their energy to Berlin, NYC’s premier small music venue. They’ll be joined by Amber Balleras and Owen Chen Trio.

To purchase tickets, please visit Berlin’s website.

Akari Village

Will Okada – Vocals/Violin
Nozomi Yoshinaka – Guitar
Shiharu Yamashita – Vocals
Winston Yang – Piano
Marwan Ramen – Bass
Jacob Byrd – Drums

Follow Akari Village on Instagram.

Akari Village: J-Pop + Anime Live

Thursday, March 6 from 8:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

The Red Pavilion – 1241 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn

Admission: $17.28 – $64.29

Akari Village also has an upcoming performance at The Red Pavilion, an Asian neo-noir cabaret and nightclub in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in early March. Walk-ins welcome. There is a one-drink minimum per person for table service. To purchase tickets, please visit The Red Pavilion’s website.

Susan McCormac 2/13/25 Susan McCormac 2/13/25

Rakugo at Japan Village

Rakugo, a traditional Japanese storytelling art, comes to Japan Village

Discover the Art of Rakugo!

Sunday, February 16 from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue (2nd Floor), Brooklyn

Admission: Free

Japan Village and the English Rakugo Association present rakugo this Sunday in The Loft on the second floor.

What Is Rakugo?

Rakugo, a traditional art of Japanese storytelling with a 400-year-old history, features a lone rakugoka (storyteller) performing on a koza, a small, slightly elevated platform on a stage. Seated on a zabuton (cushion), the storyteller uses only a sensu (folding fan) and tenugui (hand towel) as props. This minimalist staging emphasizes the performer's storytelling skills.

Through quick voice changes, expressive facial expressions, and slight head turns, the rakugoka brings multiple characters to life—whether it's a hilarious comedy, a heartwarming tale, or a dramatic story. The punchline, or ochi, gives rakugo its name: “Rakugo” literally means “fallen words,” with the “fall” being the comedic twist at the end of the story that is characterized by clever wordplay.

Rakugo in English

In the 1980s, Katsura Shijaku wowed audiences in the U.S. and Canada by performing rakugo in English, gaining international recognition and helping to introduce this traditional Japanese art form to global audiences. At Japan Village, Kanariya Eisho will perform, showcasing how the English Rakugo Association uses the art form not only to share Japanese culture but also as an entertaining and creative way to help storytellers sharpen their English communication skills.

For more information about the English Rakugo Association, please visit their website.

Susan McCormac 2/11/25 Susan McCormac 2/11/25

Valentine’s Shakuhachi with Piano & Cello

Valentine’s Shakuhachi with Piano and Cello

Saturday, February 15 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Saint John’s in the Village – 218 W. 11th Street

Admission: $20

Show your love for music at this post-Valentine’s Day concert. Shakuhachi Grand Master James Nyoraku Schlefer will perform with cellist Sahara von Hattenberger and Joanne Kang on piano with music by Miki Minoru, Marty Regan, Justin Jay Hines, Randall Woolf, and Schlefer himself. The one-hour concert with its distinctive combination of instruments features a wonderful variety of contemporary musical styles including minimalist, romantic, jazzy, and impressionistic.

Program

Forest Whispers by Marty Regan
Bow Down by Randall Woolf
Aki no Kyoku by Miki Minoru
Sidewalk Dances by James Nyoraku Schlefer
Original Sound by Justin Jay Hines

Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets. For more information about Schlefer, please visit his website.

Susan McCormac 2/5/25 Susan McCormac 2/5/25

Japan Society Pays Tribute to Legendary Filmmaker

Japan Society pays tribute to legendary filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi with a series featuring his “seishun eiga”

Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years

Friday, February 7 through Friday, February 14, 2025

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

Admission: $16 | $12 Japan Society Members

Japan Society presents a tribute to Japanese director and screenwriter Nobuhiko Obayashi, whose career spanned 60 years and multiple genres. Curated by Japan Society Film Programmer Alexander Fee, Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years comprises six films screened across five days.

About the Film Series

The teenage symphonies of Nobuhiko Obayashi (1938-2020) are wound in a melancholy nostalgia for a period indelibly lost to time—that inexpressible gap between adolescence and adulthood. Braiding visually expressive fantasias with striking formal experimentation and pop-art boldness, Obayashi’s idiosyncratic cinematic language produced some of Japan’s most beloved seishun eiga (youth films) in the 1980s. Captivating generations of filmgoers with his earnest portraits of young love and vanished worldviews, Obayashi’s films were further bolstered by film studio Kadokawa’s innovative tactics of popularizing dreamy pop idols such as Hiroko Yakushimaru and Tomoyo Harada.

With a career overshadowed abroad by the oddball eccentricity of his electric 1977 debut House, the 1980s would prove to be the high-water mark of Obayashi’s popularity, epitomized by his endearing Onomichi trilogy—set in the filmmaker’s hometown of Onomichi, the site of Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story. Framed in 35mm viewfinders, against wildly ingenious chroma-key composites and characterized by his unflagging optimism for the youth of Japan, Obayashi’s youth passages are caught up in the ages of transition, demonstrably attuned to the extraordinary nature of ordinary adolescence.

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

Schedule

Friday, February 7

I Are You, You Am Me (Exchange Students)
7:00 p.m. | 112 min.
A playful mélange of amateur small-gauge, black-and-white, and color photography, Obayashi’s first entry in his hometown trilogy spins into a gender-swap youth film when two classmates switch bodies after a steep fall.
School in the Crosshairs
9:15 p.m. | 90 min.
A psychotronic fantasy forged into a young girl’s destiny to defend the planet, School in the Crosshairs is a cosmic overload of extraterrestrial fascists, preternatural powers, and Obayashi’s uniquely adroit filmmaking abilities.

Saturday, February 8

The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
5:00 p.m. | 104 min.
Schoolgirl Kazuko begins to experience time leaps backwards and forward in time, disorienting her as she yearns to stay in the present. Obayashi’s second Onomichi film is a genuine expression of the transcendence of love—one cast across the stars for a young girl who lives in tomorrow.
Lonely Heart (Miss Lonely)
8:00 p.m. | 112 min.
The final installment in Obayashi’s Onomichi trilogy is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It is a virtuosic ode to first love and the intrinsic emotions that arise with it as a young boy falls in love and encounters a mysterious girl in the viewfinder of his analog camera.

Sunday, February 9

The Island Closest to Heaven
5:00 p.m. | 103 min.
Fulfilling her late father’s dream to take her to “the island closest to heaven,” bookish teen Mari ventures solo to a paradise-laden archipelago in search of the mythic locale.
School in the Crosshairs
7:15 p.m.

Thursday, February 13

His Motorbike, Her Island
7:00 p.m. | 96 min.
A nostalgia-filled reminiscence, Obayashi’s monochromatic dream playfully worships the biker culture of yesteryear, delivering a sentimental and liberating take on young love.
I Are You, You Am Me (Exchange Students)
9:15 p.m. | 112 min.

Friday, February 14

The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
7:00 p.m. | 104 min.
His Motorbike, Her Island
9:15 p.m. | 96 min.

About Nobuhiko Obayashi

Born in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, in 1938, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 60-year film career began with avant-garde experimental shorts in the 1960s. Throughout the 1970, he directed highly stylized and whimsical television commercials, which allowed him to experiment with different techniques and to develop his creative flair. His mainstream films, as featured in Japan Society’s series, focused on the innocence of youth, young love, loss, and nostalgia. In his later works, Obayashi weaved social commentary, such as anti-war themes, into his storytelling.

Obayashi died of lung cancer in April 2020 at the age of 82.

Susan McCormac 1/29/25 Susan McCormac 1/29/25

Webinar to Explore the founding of I-House

The founding of the International House of Japan

Reflections on the Founding of the International House of Japan: Insights from Rockefeller & Matsumoto for the Future

Thursday, February 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Live Webinar

Admission: Free

As the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII approaches, the International House of Japan and American Friends of the International House of Japan present a live virtual discussion focused on the documentary film John and Shige: The Quiet Builders about the founding of the International House of Japan in the aftermath of such devastating global conflict. The event explores the friendship between John D. Rockefeller III and Shigeharu Matsumoto and the context of the time in which they built the International House of Japan. Panelists will consider how such an institution was developed and the ways in which it helped rebuild positive relations between the U.S. and Japan and its aim to prevent future conflict.

The panel intends to examine how the International House of Japan collaborated with U.S. institutions such as Japan Society. Through a close reflection on the origins of the I-House, AFIHJ hopes to generate a discussion about lessons for the future as the International House of Japan continues to work with partners to prevent future conflicts and enhance cross-cultural understanding.

To register, please visit afijh.org. Registrants will receive a link to watch the film John and Shige: The Quiet Builders.

Speakers

Victoria Bestor
Victoria Lyon Bestor has been fascinated by Japan since growing up in Seattle, Kobe’s sister city; her interest in the Rockefeller Family began when she was a program officer at Japan Society of New York in the early 1980s. As a Fulbright scholar she combined those interests to study the role of Rockefeller Philanthropy in Japan, making use of archives internationally including the Rockefeller Archive Center and International House of Japan. She has published several articles and chapters related to that research.

From 1999 to 2017 she was the executive director of the NCC (North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources), an international nonprofit, and has served on the board of the American Friends of International House of Japan.

Dr. Kent Calder
The Chair of AFIHJ, Dr. Kent E. Calder is an Edwin O. Reischauer Professor and Director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). A specialist in East Asian political economy, Calder lived and researched in Japan for eleven years and across East Asia for four years. His recent publications include Global Political Cities: Actors and Arenas of Influence in International Affairs (2021), Super Continent: The Logic of Eurasian Integration (2019), and Circles of Compensation: Economic Growth and the Globalization of Japan (2018), among others.

In 2014, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.

Dr. Carol Gluck
The George Sansom Professor of History Emerita at Columbia University, Dr. Carol Gluck is a historian of modern Japan specializing in international relations, World War II, and history-writing and public memory in Asia and the West. Publications include Japan’s Modern Myths, Showa: The Japan of Hirohito, Asia in Western and World History, Words in Motion, Thinking with the Past: Japan and Modern History, and Past Obsessions: World War Two in History and Memory.

A past President of the Association for Asian Studies, Gluck is the founding member and chair of Columbia's Committee on Global Thought, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. She is a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon from the government of Japan and an awardee of the International Japanese Studies Prize from the National Institute of the Humanities.

Susan McCormac 1/28/25 Susan McCormac 1/28/25

Fred Korematsu Day in Fort Lee, NJ

Honoring the civil rights activist Fred T. Korematsu

Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution

Thursday, January 30 at 5:00 p.m.

Fort Lee Municipal Building – 309 Main Street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024

Admission: Free

The Borough of Fort Lee and New Jersey AAPI Commissioner Tak Furumoto celebrate Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. The event honors the legacy of Fred Korematsu, a U.S. civil rights hero who had the courage to stand up for what is right during World War II. January 30 would have been Korematsu’s 106th birthday.

About Fred Korematsu

In 1942, 23-year-old California native Fred Korematsu refused to enter the concentration camps established for the mass incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals living on the West Coast, citing the directive as unconstitutional. After his arrest for defying government orders, he took his case all the way to the Supreme Court – and lost. In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Korematsu, claiming that the incarceration was justified by “military necessity.” However, nearly forty years later, researchers uncovered evidence revealing there were no acts of treason by Japanese Americans to justify their internment. This discovery of government misconduct led to the reopening of Korematsu’s case. On November 10, 1983, a federal court in San Francisco overturned Korematsu’s conviction, marking a significant moment in the fight for civil rights.

Korematsu dedicated his life to activism, becoming a symbol of resilience and justice. In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, recognizing his tireless efforts to defend the civil liberties of all Americans. Learn more about him at the Korematsu Institute’s website.

Establishing Fred T. Korematsu Day

In 2010, when then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the legislative bill recognizing January 30 as the Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, it became the first statewide day in U.S. history named after an Asian American. Following California’s lead, seven other states officially recognize the observance in perpetuity: Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. Other states, including Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Utah recognize Fred T. Korematsu Day by proclamation.

Tak Furumoto, who was born in Tule Lake War Relocation Center, one of the Japanese American incarceration camps, was instrumental in New Jersey’s adoption of Fred T. Korematsu Day in 2023. Raised in his parents' native Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, Furumoto returned to the U.S. to attend college and eventually served our country in Vietnam War. Furumoto and his wife, Carolyn, have run Furumoto Realty for more than 50 years and have dedicated their lives to the betterment of the Japanese American community in both New Jersey and New York.

Fred T. Korematsu Day in New York City

New York State, under the guidance of State Senator Shelley Mayer, passed a bill recognizing Fred T. Korematsu Day last year, but New York City first observed this day in 2018 after City Council unanimously passing Resolution 792, proposed by then Councilmember Daniel Dromm, on December 19, 2017. The day serves not only to honor Korematsu’s brave act to fight injustice, but also to educate the public in the hopes that the history of mass incarceration, prompted by wartime hysteria, will never be repeated.

Susan McCormac 1/23/25 Susan McCormac 1/23/25

Discover Okinawan Cuisine in NYC

Taste of Okinawa in NY Food Festival

Taste of Okinawa NY Food Festival

Enjoy the bounty of fresh foods from Okinawa during the Taste of Okinawa NY Food Festival, running from Friday, January 24 through Saturday, February 8. Ten member restaurants of the New York Japanese Restaurant Association (NYJRA) will feature various ingredients from Japan’s southernmost prefecture, including mozuku, a brown seaweed; shikuwasa, a lime-like citrus; and kokuto, an unrefined black sugar. Visit one or all the participating restaurants to introduce the delicious taste of Okinawa to your taste buds.

Participating Restaurants

a-un Brooklyn
156 Knickerbocker Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-678-6628
Website: aunbrooklyn.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aunbrooklyn/
Menu items: Free Range Chicken Teriyaki, Acerola Chuhai

Bozu
296 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-384-7770
Website: bozubrooklyn.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bozubrooklyn/
Menu items: Mozuku and Carrot Kakiage Tempura with Okinawa Sea Salt, Kuzuyose Tofu with Sea Grapes

Cha-An Teahouse
230 E. 9th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10003
212-228-8030
Website: chaanteahouse.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaanteahouse/
Menu items: Kokuto Anmitsu, Matcha Shikuwasa Cocktail

Hasaki
210 E. 9th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-473-3327
Website: hasakinyc.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hasaki.nyc/
Menu items: Mozukusu, Okinawa Sour

Hi-Collar
231 E. 9th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-777-7018
Website: hi-collar.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hi_collar/
Menu items: Kokuto Crème Brulee, Okinawa Sour

Sakagura
211 E. 43rd Street, B1
New York, NY 10017
212-953-7253
Website: sakagura.squarespace.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakagurany/
Menu items: Mozukusu, Okinawa Sour

Samurai Mama
205 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-599-6161
Website: samuraimama.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuraimama_bk/
Menu items: Mozuku and Carrot Kakiage Tempura with Okinawa Sea Salt, Kuzuyose Tofu with Sea Grapes

Samurai Papa
594 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11216
718-398-8181
Website: samuraipapabk.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuraipapa_bedstuy/
Menu items: Mozuku and Carrot Kakiage Tempura with Okinawa Sea Salt, Kuzuyose Tofu with Sea Grapes

Sushi Ryusei
216 E. 29th Street
New York, NY 10016
212-983-8880
Website: sushiryusei.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sushiryusei/#
Menu items: Calamari Salad with Shikuwasa Dressing, Fluke Teriyaki

Wasan Brooklyn
440 Bergen Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-864-3549
Website: wasan-ny.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wasanbrooklyn/
Menu items: Mozuku Tempura with Deep Ocean Water Salt and Curry Salt, Mozuku Tempura Udon

Ingredients

Shikuwasa Citrus Juice
Acerola Syrup
Sea Grapes
Mozuku Seaweed
Teriyaki Sauce
Black Sugar
Deep Ocean Water Salt (Kumi no Shio)
Orion Beer

Health Properties of Okinawan Cuisine

Okinawa is a Blue Zone, an area with some of the longest living people in the world. Their longevity is attributed to the prefecture’s subtropical climate, communities’ supportive social networks, and a diet consisting of the items that are featured in a Taste of Okinawa. For example, mozuku is believed to be beneficial to digestive health and the immune system, while kokuto is rich in vitamins and minerals such as potassium and calcium. Including shikuwasa in your diet is said to enhance metabolism, and sea grapes (umibudo) contains fiber and antioxidants.

“For this fair, we have carefully selected a variety of ingredients nurtured in Okinawa’s rich natural environment. We hope many people will visit the participating restaurants and experience the charm of Okinawa firsthand. Don’t miss this opportunity to savor the authentic tastes of Okinawa in New York City!”
Satomi Watanabe
H.I.S International Tours (NY) Inc.

About New York Japanese Restaurant Association

NYJRA elevates Japanese cuisine in the U.S. by collaborating with Japanese restaurants and developing markets. The organization supports education programs for restaurants on topics such as the history of Japanese food, human resources tips, and culinary techniques, as well as assisting Japanese restaurants to address the major challenges they face today. To learn more about NYJRA, please visit their website.

Susan McCormac 1/22/25 Susan McCormac 1/22/25

Candlelight Concerts Feature Joe Hisaishi

The music of Joe Hisaishi, known for Studio Ghibli and “Beat” Takeshi film scores, is featured at two upcoming Candlelight Concerts in NYC

Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi

Thursday, February 13 at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 19 at 8:30 p.m.

St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church – 157 Montague Street, Brooklyn

Admission: $46.50 - $78.50 on February 13 | $35 - $65 on March 19

The music of Joe Hisaishi is the focus of two upcoming Candlelight Concerts. Tickets are available and can be purchased at the event site Fever. The Highline String Quartet will perform Hisaishi’s music at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church under the gentle glow of candlelight (or electric tealights). Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations in New York.

About Joe Hisaishi

Born Mamoru Fujisawa in Nagano, Joe Hisaishi is the beloved, award-winning composer renowned for collaborating with Hayao Miyazaki, writing the scores for all but one of the animator’s Studio Ghibli films. He has also composed the music for several films by “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, including Hanabi and Kikujiro. The recipient of seven Japanese Academy Awards, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for The Boy and the Heron. In 2023, Hisaishi was bestowed the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Japanese government.

Tentative Program

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – “Kaze no Tani” (Opening Theme)
Laputa: Castle in the Sky – “Kimi wo Nosete” (Carrying You”)
My Neighbour Totoro – “Kaze no Toori Michi” (“Path of the Wind”)
My Neighbour Totoro – “Tonari no Totoro” (Main Theme)
Kiki's Delivery Service – “Umi no Mieru Machi” (“A Town with an Ocean View”)
Kiki's Delivery Service – “Tabidachi” (“Journey”)
Princess Mononoke – “Main Theme”
Spirited Away – “Inochi no Namae” (“Name of Life”)
Spirited Away – “Chihiro's Waltz”
Ponyo – “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” (“Ponyo on the Cliff”)
The Wind Rises – “A Journey (A Dream of Flight)”
Kikujiro – “Summer”
The Tale of Princess Kaguya – “When I Remember This Life”
Howl's Moving Castle – “Merry Go Round of Life”

Concert approved by Wonder City, representing Joe Hisaishi. Guests must be eight years old or older. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Susan McCormac 1/17/25 Susan McCormac 1/17/25

JapanCulture•NYC Business Directory

The JapanCultureNYC Directory announcement

The Place for All Things Japanese in New York City

Since launching JapanCulture-NYC.com in May 2011, I have received daily emails and DMs asking for recommendations of the best sushi or ramen restaurants as well as the best places to find Japanese Oshogatsu decorations in New York City. This made me realize that a compilation of these businesses was beneficial as well as necessary for the community.

What is the Directory?

A listing of all Japanese and Japanese-related businesses in New York City on JapanCulture-NYC.com, the Directory will help people who are interested in Japanese products and services find the right business—all in one place. Think of it as an online phone book.

What kinds of businesses benefit from being listed in the Directory?

Restaurants
Retail
Wholesale
Super Markets
Liquor Stores
Fine Art Galleries
Stationery and Gift Items
Language Schools and Independent Teachers
Dance Studios
Martial Arts Dojos
Event Organizers
Musicians
Filmmakers
Translators and Interpreters
Societies and Nonprofit Organizations
Any kind of business!

How Will Being Listed in the Directory Help Me?

Tangible Benefits for Everyone Who is Listed

Increased visibility – JapanCulture•NYYC attracts thousands of visitors each month who are actively searching for businesses like yours, using high-ranking keyword searches such as “Japanese restaurants in NYC.” Plus, exposure to around 1K email subscribers and 10K social media followers of JapanCulture•NYC.
Proven traffic value – The organic traffic to our website is valued at $260/month, equivalent to what you’d spend on Google Ads for similar visibility, but we deliver this value at a fraction of the cost, making it ideal for small businesses with limited advertising budgets.
Increased traffic to your website as well as your physical store – Unlike generic directories, we specifically cater to NYC’s Japanese community, ensuring your advertising reaches the audience most likely to engage with your business.

How Much Does It Cost?

Tiers to Fit Your Budget

Hajime (Starter): Name of business, address, phone number – Cost: Free
Naka (Mid-Tier) Photo of business or related products, link to website – Cost: $50 yearly (less than a dollar a week!)
Takumi (Expert): All of the above + featured article about the business (or aspect of business that owner wants to highlight) + prominent position on JapanCulture•NYC + monthly blasts on social media. – Cost: $500 yearly

How Can I List My Business in the Directory?

For Free Hajime Listing: Fill out the Google Form below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenNRzzMmb0Nb3zSBBCXI7pC9-bqM-LFD714Sv9-bLBgoaGFg/viewform

For Paid Listings: Schedule a 30-minute consultation to get started with Susan Miyagi McCormac, JapanCulture•NYC Founder & Editor-Chief, through Calendly: https://calendly.com/jcnyc/30min

Be a part of JapanCulture-NYC.com, the English-language website dedicated to showcasing All Things Japanese in New York City.

Susan McCormac 1/16/25 Susan McCormac 1/16/25

Plan a Journey to Japan

Plan Your Journey to Japan: Meet Experts at the New York Adventure Show

2025 New York Travel & Adventure Show

Saturday, January 25 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 26 from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Javits Center – 429 11th Avenue

Admission: $19.29 for one day | $28.08 for both days

The New York Travel & Adventure Show returns to Javits Center with more than 550 travel experts to help you plan your next vacation to anywhere in the world. If Japan is one of your desired destinations in 2025, you’ll want to take advantage of the Japanese-related travel organizations that will be at your disposal. Discover cities other than Tokyo and Kyoto to explore and learn the best insider tips to make your adventure to Japan the best it can be.

Whether it’s your first time or your 20th time, head to the Japan booths at the Travel & Adventure Show! To purchase tickets, please visit the Travel & Adventure Show’s website.

Participating Japan-Related Travel Organizations

Booth 214 – Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Booth 216 – HIS / Experts of Travel to Japan
Booth 301 – Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
Booth 303 – Iwate, Japan
Booth 323 – Japan National Tourism Organization

Chindon-ya Performance

Saturday, January 25 from 10:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 26 from 11:30 a.m. until Noon

Presented by Tokyo Tourism

BENTENYA, a Japanese professional female Chindon-ya, will perform at the Global Beats Stage on each day. A Chindon-ya is a type of street advertisement through which colorfully clothed bands march in parades and perform at matsuri. The bands play instruments such as taiko drums, bells, accordions, saxophones, and trumpets while toting sandwich boards advertising store openings and the like. Hailing from Aichi Prefecture, BENTENYA formed in 2008 and turned pro three years later, claiming first prize in the National Chindon Tournament in 2015 and 2016. They have performed their special brand of music internationally, including the Japan Expo in Paris in 2016 as well as the 2024 Japan Festival Houston.

NYPL x Kodansha Manga Book Club (To Your Eternity)

About To Your Eternity

Kammerraku Encore: music for shakuhachi, koto, shamisen, and string quartet at Tenri Cultural Institute in NYC

Kammerraku Encore

Performers

PROGRAM

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

About Totto-Chan

The Joy of Sake

Participating Restaurants

About The Joy of Sake

SUMO

About the Play

Kokoro Gathering – Japanese Principles of Intentional Living

Four Transformative Workshops

Meet the Experts

About the Organizer

UNBREAKABLE HOPE AND RESILIENCE: A Special Concert from Japan Celebrating Stories of Humanity and Resilience

How to Watch

Miggy Augmented Orchestra presents UNBREAKABLE HOPE & RESILIENCE SUITE

Monday Michiru

About Monday Michiru

Author Talk & Signing: Meet Real-Life Biri Gal Sayaka Kobayashi

About Sayaka Kobayashi

About the Book

Autographs and Book Sales

My Man Kono

Remembering Executive Order 9066

Performance Schedule

Akari Village | Amber Balleras | Owen Chen Trio

Akari Village

Akari Village: J-Pop + Anime Live

Discover the Art of Rakugo!

What Is Rakugo?

Rakugo in English

Program

Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years

About the Film Series

Schedule

About Nobuhiko Obayashi

Reflections on the Founding of the International House of Japan: Insights from Rockefeller & Matsumoto for the Future

Speakers

Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution

About Fred Korematsu

Establishing Fred T. Korematsu Day

Fred T. Korematsu Day in New York City

Taste of Okinawa NY Food Festival

Participating Restaurants

Ingredients

Health Properties of Okinawan Cuisine

About New York Japanese Restaurant Association

Candlelight: The Best of Joe Hisaishi

About Joe Hisaishi

Tentative Program

The Place for All Things Japanese in New York City

What is the Directory?

What kinds of businesses benefit from being listed in the Directory?

How Will Being Listed in the Directory Help Me?

How Much Does It Cost?

How Can I List My Business in the Directory?

2025 New York Travel & Adventure Show

Participating Japan-Related Travel Organizations

Chindon-ya Performance

LEARN MORE