Experience Anime-Inspired Cuisine
Anime Food Festival
Friday, October 25 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
26 Bridge – 26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn
Admission: $25 VIP (1:00 p.m. entry) | $20 General Admission
Upstairs NYC hosts a one-of-a-kind event featuring anime-inspired cuisine and the best of Japanese pop culture.
Highlights
Mouthwatering, anime-inspired Japanese and Asian food menu (price range: $5 to $15)
Special shochu and sake menu as well as special cocktails
Opportunity to meet three anime voice actors
Popular anime goods vendors and artists
Amazing Japanese taiko drum performance by Cobu
Free manga workshop
Photo booth where you and your friends can snap unforgettable memories in your costumes
VIP ticket holders will be entered into a raffle to win an anime goods.
Go in your best cosplay and enjoy! To purchase tickets, please visit Anime Food Festival’s website. Check out @animefoodnyc on Instagram to meet all the vendors.
Special Guests: Voice Actors Emily Cramer, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, and Laurie Hymes
Emily Cramer
1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Available to chat and for autographs, photos, and special goods
Emily Cramer is a voice actor and singer whose work can be heard internationally in commercials, animated television shows, movies, video games, dark rides, and audio dramas. Her most notable titles are currently Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS, The Winx Club, Bread Barbershop, Battle Game in 5 Seconds, EDF World Brothers, many Yu-Gi-Oh video games, and Genshin Impact. Before falling in love with voiceover, Cramer performed for many years in Broadway and national touring productions of Shrek the Musical, Mary Poppins, Les Misérables, and School of Rock. To learn more, visit her website.
Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld
1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Available to chat and for autographs, photos, and special goods
Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld is a American actress best known for voicing Bonnie, Nurse Joy, Sophocles (and many others) on Pokémon; Rio Kastle, Riley, Grace and Gloria Tyler (and many others) on Yu-Gi-Oh!; Aina Ardebit in the anime film Promare; Polly Pocket in Polly Pocket; Fraw Bow and LunaMaria Hawke in the Gundam anime universe; and many other notable roles. Please visit Rosenfeld’s website for more information.
Laurie Hymes
1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Laurie Hymes is a voice actor known for voicing Lillie in Pokémon Sun and Moon, nine other characters in Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions, Liz and the Blue Bird, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, Regal Academy and Lupin III: The First, Transformers, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, and many more. For more information, please visit her website.
Japanese Traditional Taiko Drum Performance
Based in New York City, Cobu was created as a live rhythm performing arts group in 2000. Cobu’s founder, Yako Miyamoto, is a member of the off-Broadway hit STOMP.
Cobu combines elements of the Japanese traditional taiko drumming with rhythmic tap dancing. The extremely positive impact of the group’s performances has received rave reviews from The New York Times and The Chicago Sun Times and has touched audiences at major festivals in Boston and Chicago. Please visit Cobu’s website to learn more.
About Upstairs NYC
Formed in 2022, Upstairs NYC is a non-profit organization based in New York City dedicated to promoting friendly relations between New York and other countries. The organization focuses on fostering learning and community engagement across four pillars: arts and culture, lifestyle, technology, and food. Upstairs NYC regularly hosts panel discussions, experiential events, cultural celebrations, and socials. Their events also provide a forum for local creators to connect with future collaborators and engage with their audience.
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!
Kensuke Shoji at Barbès
Kensuke Shoji
Monday, October 21 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Barbès – 376 9th Street (at 6th Avenue), Brooklyn
Suggested Donation: $20
South Slope, Brooklyn, bar and performance space Barbès presents Gifu native Kensuke Shoji. Shoji is a jazz violinist and bluegrass fiddler who joined his father's bluegrass band as a teenager. As a young adult he moved to the U.S. to study jazz violin with Matt Glaser and Christian Howes.
Kensuke Shoji
Dedicated to improvisation, Shoji moved to New York City in 2013 to play with Alex Hargreaves, Barry Harris, Jacob Jolliff, Maria Muldaur, and more. He leads a band every Sunday evening at Sunny's Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and works as a sideman on the road with groups such as Deadgrass and others. Visit Shoji’s website to learn more.
Barbès suggests a donation of $20. Donations are accepted in person on the day of the show or on Barbès’s website.
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!
NowHere Gallery’s Final Exhibition of the Year
Maiko Kikuchi: Pink Bunny
Thursday, October 24 - November 24, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 24 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
NowHere – 40 Wooster Street (between Grand and Broome Streets)
Admission: Free
NowHere Gallery hosts Pink Bunny, the upcoming solo exhibition by artist Maiko Kikuchi. The gallery’s final exhibition of the year, it runs from October 24 through November 24, 2024.
Maiko Kikuchi Pink Bunny
Waking Dreams
The unconscious is the wellspring of art. Ideas, some fully formed and some tantalizingly amorphous, bubble up from the dark ocean in our minds, all the time. It takes the artistic temperament to recognize, hone, and express the ones that cry out for it the most.
Dreams, perhaps the purest utterances of unconscious thought, have long been gifts to artists. From Renaissance stalwarts such as Raphael to 19th-century visionaries such as William Blake; surrealist mainstays such as Magritte to contemporary masters such as James Turrell, the fertile ground of the dreamscape has been a constant renewable resource for the creative act.
But what about daydreams? That sunlight cousin to the nightly dream, the daydream is equally capable of offering us jolts of inspiration, staggering us with unexpected juxtapositions, and equipping us with the tools to say what our unconscious is compelling us to say. The filmmaker David Lynch has long been proselytizing about the enormous potential daydreaming has for informing art. He has described it as a place where “all the thoughts just flow.”
But there is an essential difference between the daydream and the sleeping dream: One can be controlled and directed, at least to some degree, by the conscious mind, while the other holds us in its thrall and takes us wherever the id wishes to go. We can get lost inside a reverie, but we always have the power to change its course, adjust its focus, or hasten its pace. In this hybrid space between wakefulness and sleep, the artist might find incredible opportunities to enhance their work.
Maiko Kikuchi is an artist who has made harnessing her daydreams a central element of her practice. Her unique upbringing as the daughter of a practicing psychoanalyst in Japan gave her a deep and embedded understanding of the value of daydreaming, and her work—from paintings to collages to puppet-making to performance—relies on her ability to navigate and interpret the riddles offered to her by daydreams. By embracing dream logic and the twists of representation and narrative gifted to the artist by her subconscious, Kikuchi presents her audience with heavily personal art that’s riddled with archetypal imagery and moments. To briefly live inside her daydreams doesn’t only give us insight into her mind—it also invites us to look more closely at our own.
In addition to the exhibition, NowHere is hosting a series of live performances by Kikuchi on weekends throughout November. Register for the opening reception and choose a performance date at NowHere’s Eventbrite page. For more information about the exhibition, please visit the gallery’s website.
Maiko Kikuchi
About Maiko Kikuchi
Maiko Kikuchi was influenced by her psychoanalyst father, becoming interested in the boundary between dreams and reality at a young age. When she was still little, she started creating art based on the idea of making “visible daydreams.” She received her B.A. in Theater Arts and Fashion Design from Musashino Art University in 2008, and she moved to the United States soon after to study fine art, receiving an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Pratt Institute in 2012. Her desire to broaden the expression of her daydreams led her to expand her practice to the theatre field in 2013.
As a visual artist, her work has been shown in an online solo exhibition entitled Daydreaming Monologist and the online group exhibition Finding Sanctuary, which was presented by Visionary Art Collective. Kikuchi’s other group exhibitions include shows at Ca’d’Oro Gallery (New York), Parasol Project (New York), HERE Art Center (New York), Jamestown Art Center (Rhode Island), J-Collabo (New York), and more.
Kikuchi also works in creative collaborations with various partners, making animations for musicians, theatre companies, and cultural organizations nationwide. She is currently a board member of The Jim Henson Foundation.
About NowHere
NowHere is a multipurpose hub for New York City-based Japanese creators from across all disciplines. The gallery exists to help emerging talent explore their maximum potential by providing them with the means to showcase their practice and expand their network. Just like the artists they serve, they emigrated to New York because this city is endlessly inspiring. By facilitating new art from a Japanese perspective, NowHere hopes to offer inspiration to New York in turn. Their mission is accomplished anew each time they are able to excite New York audiences with fresh energy and points of view.
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!
Beer Garden at Japan Village
Japan Village Beer Garden
Friday, October 18 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Japan Village Courtyard – 934 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: Free
Japan Village is hosting an evening of Japanese beer, delicious food, and live music performances!
Guests can enjoy a wide selection of authentic Japanese beers and the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and experience the vibrant culture of Japan in a lively, welcoming atmosphere.
Miyabi Uta Project: The Western Influence on Japanese Music
There will be a special performance of Japanese songs accompanied by acoustic guitar and violin. Discover the cultural crossover that led to the vibrant genres we know today.
For more information about these events, please visit Japan Village’s 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!
WIN TICKETS TO SEE DIGIMON ADVENTURE AT JAPAN SOCIETY
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
Admission: $25 Nonmembers | $20 Japan Society Members | $23 Seniors, Students, and Persons with a Disability
Join Japan Society for a one-night-only screening of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna featuring a special in-person introduction by Hiromi Seki, Toei Animation producer and the film’s supervisor.
The original Digimon Adventure TV series premiered in 1999 and introduced the world to a group of young, hopeful heroes who were brought together to save both the real and digital worlds. The series earned acclaim for its blending of deep narrative arcs and human drama against a backdrop of warring fantastical monsters. Twenty-five years later, the Digimon franchise is more popular than ever. Toei Animation and Japan Society are presenting this special anniversary event with original producer Hiromi Seki. Produced as a special 20th anniversary feature film, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna was originally slated for U.S. release in March 2020, but due to the pandemic, the movie never made it to North American theaters. Until now.
Ticket Giveaway!
Japan Society is generously giving away three pairs of tickets to the screening of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna to JapanCulture•NYC followers! To enter for your chance to win, please follow @JapanCultureNYC on Instagram, like the post about the giveaway, and tag your +1! Three lucky winners will be drawn at random from the entries and notified on the morning of Tuesday, October 15. Good luck!
If you aren’t one of the lucky winners, you can still purchase tickets at Japan Society’s website. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait.
The Digimon 25th Anniversary Celebration
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Screening with honored guest Hiromi Seki
Special Giveaways:
Digimon Comic Volume #1 copy for all attendees
Digimon Card Game card for all attendeesInteractive Experiences:
Digimon Photo Op
Digimon Display from Bandai Tamashii Nations
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the Digimon Photo Op, Digimon Display, and Giveaways. Screening begins at 7:00 p.m.
About Hiromi Seki
Known as the “Mother of Sunday Morning Anime,” Hiromi Seki has been associated with Digimon since its very beginning, when she served in the planning and production of the original Digimon Adventure series. Over the last 25 years, Seki has been involved in 13 different Digimon films and series, including supervision of the franchise’s most recent movie, Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning. In addition to Digimon, as a Toei Animation producer, Seki was the series producer who created Magical DoReMi and has worked on such productions as Marmalade Boy, Boys over Flowers, and Zatch Bell.
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JAPANESE MANGA ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR ACKY BRIGHT FEATURED AT JAPAN SOCIETY
Acky Bright: Studio Infinity
Friday, October 4 through Sunday, January 19, 2025
Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
Admission: $12 nonmembers | $10 students and seniors | Free First Fridays from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Japan Society presents Acky Bright: Studio Infinity, a showcase of the rising star’s unique kawakakkoii (cute and cool) style of illustration and product design. A distinguished Japanese manga artist and illustrator, Acky Bright is known for his unique worldbuilding.
Conceived as Acky Bright’s design studio, the exhibition offers visitors an exceptional opportunity to meet the artist, witness his freestyle “live drawing,” and participate in making a series of manga-style murals. Performative and interactive, the exhibition, which previewed during the weekend of Anime NYC in August, will evolve as Acky Bright makes intermittent appearances in the gallery.
The exhibition will feature two new painting series by Acky Bright, KBK-18, and Ah-Un, that each draw inspiration from traditional Japanese art and theater. Underscoring the impressive range of his contemporary art practice, the show will also highlight Acky Bright’s promotional campaigns designed for major companies, including his multimedia designs for the nationwide “WcDonald’s” campaign, YOASOBI x Vaundy’s FRIES BEAT 2024 music video, and Squid Game coloring book illustrated for Netflix.
Gallery Information
Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Closed on major holidays
Tickets include entry to both of Japan Society’s fall exhibitions, Acky Bright: Studio Infinity and Bunraku Backstage. To purchase tickets, please visit Japan Society’s website.
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ALL-DAY JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL
FUN FEST JAPAN
Sunday, October 6 from noon until 4:00 p.m.
Corlears Hook Park – 479 Cherry Street
Admission: Free
Presented by The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York (JFDINY), FUN FEST JAPAN celebrates Japan and New York with an all-day Japanese cultural festival, featuring traditional performing arts and cultural activities for the entire family. Head to Corlears Hook Park in the Lower East Side to enjoy performances by JFDINY’s own Minbuza (Japanese Folk Dance), Samurai Sword Soul (Traditional Sword Fighting), and Taiko Masala (Taiko Drumming). In the activities area, experienced teachers will lead children in a variety of engaging Japanese arts and crafts such as origami, calligraphy, kendama, and kimono dressing. The finale of the day will be the Bon Odori, a traditional Japanese summer event where everyone joins in and dances together!
For more information about FUN FEST JAPAN and The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York, please visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
FUN FEST JAPAN is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Private support is provided by City Parks Foundation and Partnerships for Parks through the NYC Green Fund.
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CELEBRATE SAKE DAY AT KATO SAKE WORKS
World Sake Day Party
Saturday, October 5 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Kato Sake Works – 379 Troutman Street, Brooklyn
Kato Sake Works, Brooklyn’s second sake brewery, is celebrating World Sake Day with an exclusive tasting, snacks, live music, and a limited-edition World Sake Day Junmai.
Schedule of Festivities
1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Enjoy a free sake tasting on the taproom floor
2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Build-A Bottle: Design your own custom Kato Sake Works label and take home an exclusive bottle of Jikagumi filled straight from the tank
2:00 p.m.
Food Pop-Up w/ Kemushi featuring onigiri all afternoon while supplies last
6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Live music with Uncle Brother
For more information, please visit KSW’s website.
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OMNY TAIKO TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
RISE: OMNY Taiko 10th Annual Concert
Saturday, October 5 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Music School – 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn
Admission: $25 | $20 seniors and students
Be a part of OMNY Taiko’s RISE to new heights as they reach more communities and contribute to the cultural diversity of New York City.
Their annual concert this Saturday, October 5 promises to be an unforgettable evening of drumming that blends traditional Japanese rhythms with their New York roots. This in-person event will start at 5:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit OMNY Taiko’s Eventbrite page. Tickets may be available at the door, depending on availability.
About OMNY Taiko
OMNY Taiko is a vibrant, tight-knit community drumming group striving to share the art of taiko drumming with people and communities across the New York City area through inclusive, accessible performances, classes, and workshops.
As a form of rhythmic and artistic expression, taiko allows individuals to convey emotion and energy and to connect with others through music. OMNY Taiko emphasizes the communal aspect of ensemble drumming:
bringing people together to create music as a group
fostering a sense of community and belonging
providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork
One of OMNY Taiko’s primary goals is to become emblematic of the energy of New York City, reflecting the story of a seed born on the concrete streets and blossoming into a vibrant community with the strength and tenacity of a city that never sleeps.
For more information about the organization, please visit their website.
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!
SAKE DAY CELEBRATION CONTINUES
World Sake Day 2024
Friday, October 4 from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
The W Loft Rooftop – 240 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: $65 to $80
Sake Lovers, Rejoice!
Get ready to raise your glasses and celebrate the rich traditions of Japanese sake! Upstairs NYC is teaming up with MIKA and Niji as World Sake Day by MIKA returns for its third year, offering an unforgettable sake-tasting experience. Taking place at the W Loft, this event will feature more than 50 premium sake selections from 25+ renowned brands. Immerse yourself in the intricate flavors of Japan’s finest craft sake and discover why this iconic beverage is beloved worldwide.
In addition to the tasting, enjoy a vibrant pop-up market showcasing the unique creations of talented Asian artists. This is more than just a tasting—it’s a sensory journey into the world of sake and Asian craftsmanship.
What Your Admission Includes
Tasting of 15 kinds of sake and sake cocktails
Original sake glass
Free sake and food sampling while supplies last
Explore Asian shop and food marketplace
Event Highlights
Ultimate sake selections: more than 70 premium sakes by 35 breweries, including many award-winners
Matcha sake cocktails by WESAKE X SENBIRD
Special sake cocktails designed by L'Americana and Midnight Blue owner and bartender Takuma Watanabe (from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.)
Offerings from Kochi and Ishikawa Prefectures
Mouthwatering sushi and Japanese cuisine delights
Asian Artisan Marketplace
Complimentary portrait drawing by UTGP2020 + MoMA contest award-winning artist Hiroshi Masuda
A premier rooftop space with elegant waterfront views of the Manhattan skyline
A dedicated photo booth where you and your crew can snap unforgettable memories
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Upstairs NYC’s website.
SAKE WEEK 2024 AT BROOKLYN KURA
Happy Nihonshu no Hi! The first day of October is celebrated as Nihonshu no Hi, or World Sake Day, officially designated by the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association in 1978. Why October 1? October marks the beginning of the sake brewing season in Japan, perfectly sandwiched between the rice harvest in September and the beginning of winter, which is the ideal time for fermentation, the essential process in brewing the beverage.
To celebrate, Brooklyn Kura, New York’s first sake brewery, is hosting events not just today but the entire week! Visit the taproom at 34 34th Street near the Japan Village complex in Industry City, Brooklyn, to enjoy tastings and educational sessions.
Sake Week 2024 at Brooklyn Kura
Sake Revolution Podcast LIVE!
Today, October 1
6:00 p.m. – Taproom opens
7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. – LIVE Sake Revolution recording
9:00 p.m. – Taproom closes
Admission: $15 (includes admission for one, plus two tasting pours of sake)
Snacks and additional sake will be available for purchase.
John Puma (left) and Timothy Sullivan, hosts of the Sake Revolution podcast
Sake Revolution, America's first sake podcast will do a studio audience recording to mark the occasion of Sake Day. Your hosts, John Puma and Timothy Sullivan, invite you to join in the studio audience to laugh and sip along with them and experience Sake Revolution LIVE! On this very special Sake Day episode, they’ll be interviewing the master sake brewers of New York City: Brandon Doughan of Brooklyn Kura and Shinobu Kato of Kato Sake Works. They’ll explore their trailblazing journeys to producing premium sake in NYC. Both Doughan and Kato will each bring a sake for the audience to taste as they are recording, which is included in the ticket price.
In addition, audience members will be able to submit written questions to the tojis. This will be an engaging, interactive, and delicious podcast experience! The Brooklyn Kura taproom will be open before and after the recording to hang out, enjoy, and purchase additional sake and snacks to make your Sake Day complete!
Chizuko Niikawa Helton (center) of Sake Discoveries
Sake Caliente Warm Sake Night
Wednesday, October 2 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Admission: $70.77
Join this special evening of exploring all aspects of warm sake with Sake Samurai Chizuko Niikawa Helton! Niikawa Helton is a leading expert in preparing "okan" (warm sake), and you'll be amazed with the flavors, textures, and aromas that premium warm sake can produce.
All together you'll taste five premium expressions of warm sake, prepared with a delicious twist by Niikawa Helton. Each sake tasting is paired with a delicious small bite prepared by the Brooklyn Kura chefs as they launch our new fall menu. Go at your own pace and enjoy each course to the fullest.
The event starts at 6:00 p.m., but guests can arrive at any time before 8:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Kura's offerings
Exclusive Event for Kura Kin Members
Thursday, October 3
Brooklyn Kura will have a special evening of brewery tours and tastings offered for free, exclusively to their active Kura Kin members! Kura Kin is Brooklyn Kura’s subscription program for limited-release bottles.
At the special brewery tour, Kura Kin members can sip and taste steamed sake rice, Koji rice, Moromi fermentation mash, and even sake kasu along the way as the brewers dive deep into their brewing process. Members will also learn about “shizuku drip,” a special way to drip-press super premium sake.
Current Kura Kin Sake subscription members received invitations. Not a Kura Kin member? Join here!
The Birth of Sake Documentary Screening
Friday, October 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Admission: $16.33
Join Brooklyn Kura's first movie night as they screen the acclaimed 2015 sake documentary The Birth of Sake, directed by Erik Shirai and staring the staff and family of the Yoshida family, makers of Tedorigawa sake.
Your ticket includes entrance to the screening and a glass of Tedorigawa sake that is featured in the film! Special gourmet popcorn and additional sake will be available for purchase from the bar throughout the film.
Winner of Best Documentary Director Special Jury Mention at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and Best Documentary Film at the 2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival, The Birth of Sake is a cinematic documentary that reveals the story of passionate sake-makers and what it takes to make world-class sake at Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture. In a world where most mass-produced goods are heavily automated, a small group of artisans must brave unusual working conditions to preserve a 2000-year-old tradition. The workers at Yoshida Brewery are an eclectic cast of characters, ranging from 20 to 70 years old. As a vital part of this cast that must live and work for a six-month period through the brutal winter, charismatic veteran brewmaster Yamamoto (65) and the brewery’s sixth-generation heir, Yasuyuki Yoshida (27), are keepers of this tradition and are the main characters who bring the narrative forward. Currently, stiff competition and the eventual retirement of experienced workers intensify the pressure of preserving quality of taste, tradition, and brand reputation for Yoshida Brewery. As craftsmen who must dedicate their whole lives to the making of this world-class sake, their private sacrifices are often sizable and unseen.
To purchase tickets to any of the above Sake Week events, please visit Brooklyn Kura’s website.
American Sake Association’s Sake Day USA Sake Tasting Event
Saturday, October 5 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Admission: $75
The American Sake Association, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is hosting a sake tasting event at Brooklyn Kura to support their ongoing sake education efforts throughout the U.S.
Premium Sake Tasting
Taste sake from dozens of breweries from all over Japan. The sake will be flowing, and featured brands and varieties being poured will change every hour. Confirmed importers and brands include Mutual Trading, Niigata Sake Selections, Joto Sake, Hakkaisan, Kubota, HEAVENSAKE, Kato Sake Works, Brooklyn Kura, World Sake Imports, Kome Collective and MORE!
Culinary Delights
The tasting will also feature a great selection of food to pair with the sake along with the ever popular onigiri bar from SEN restaurant.
To purchase tickets for Saturday’s event, please visit the American Sake Association’s website.
BOOK TALK AT DONALD KEENE CENTER
Navigating Narratives: Tsurayuki's Tosa Diary as History and Fiction
Friday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m.
Columbia University – Kent Hall, Room 403
Admission: Free
The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University kicks off the 2024–2025 academic year with a book talk by Gustav Heldt, professor of Japanese literature at the University of Virginia.
This talk will outline several unique insights into Heian Japan provided by Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa nikki (Tosa Diary), which is ostensibly the record of an ex-governor's voyage back to the capital kept by an anonymous woman in his entourage. The resulting split between fictional female narrator and historical male author has usually led Tosa nikki to be viewed as either the first Heian woman's memoir or the last aesthetic manifesto of one of the Japanese poetic tradition's foremost figures. In lieu of these narratives, it will be argued that the diary merits attention for the discursive practices, representational conventions, and non-elite social contexts it illuminates.
Preregistration is required by noon on Thursday, September 26. Click here for the Google Form.
About Gustav Heldt
Gustav Heldt specializes in the language, literature, and cultural history of Japan prior to contact with the West, with related interests in gender, poetics, narratology, ritual practices, comparative historiography, and myth. At the University of Virginia, he regularly teaches courses such as Survey of Japanese Literature and Introduction to Literary Japanese, as well as seminars on more specialized topics such as Japanese myth, the Tale of Genji, Japanese court women's literature, and medieval warrior tales.
Copyright © 2024 Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture. All rights reserved.
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!
JAA & JACL-NY TO SCREEN “BASEBALL BEHIND BARBED WIRE”
Baseball Behind Barbed Wire
Sunday, September 22 from 1:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
The Japanese American Association of New York – 49 W. 45th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 5th Floor
The Japanese American Association of New York (JAA) and the Japanese American Citizens League – New York (JACL-NY) present a screening of Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, a short film by Yuriko Gamo Romer. The documentary tells the story of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans through the uncommon lens of baseball, America’s national pastime. Following the screening, author and historian Robert K. Fitts and yours truly, Susan Miyagi McCormac of JapanCulture•NYC, will lead a discussion about the film and the importance of baseball throughout Japanese American history and within the JA community. There will also be a book signing by Fitts.
Registration is required. To RSVP, please click here and fill out this Google doc.
About Robert K. Fitts
A former archaeologist with a Ph.D. from Brown University, Robert K. Fitts left academics behind to follow his passion — Japanese baseball. An award-winning author and speaker, his articles have appeared numerous journals, magazines, and websites. He is also the author of ten books on Japanese baseball and Japanese baseball cards. Fitts is the founder of SABR’s Asian Baseball Committee and a recipient of the society’s 2013 Seymour Medal for the Best Baseball Book of 2012 (Banzai Babe Ruth); the 2019 and 2023 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Awards; the 2012 Doug Pappas Award for the best oral research presentation at the annual convention; and the 2006, 2021, 2023 and 2024 SABR Research Awards. He has twice been a finalist for the Casey Award and has received two silver medals at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. While living in Tokyo in 1993-94, Fitts began collecting Japanese baseball cards and now runs Robs Japanese Cards LLC. https://www.robfitts.com/
About Susan Miyagi McCormac
Susan Miyagi McCormac is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of JapanCulture•NYC, an English-language website that introduces Japanese culture to New Yorkers and connects members of the Japanese and Japanese American community while promoting Japanese-related events. A 1990 graduate of North Carolina with a degree in communications, she has also had a long career in sports television, which has taken her to Tokyo to work Yankees games as well as the World Baseball Classic. Her career in baseball merged with her community involvement when the Japanese Consulate tapped her to moderate a panel discussion celebrating the 150th anniversary of baseball’s introduction to Japan, which featured Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees legend Hideki Matsui. Susan is a Vice President of The Japanese American Association of New York, serves on the Board of Directors of the JET Alumni Association of New York, and is the co-chair of the Communications Committee of the U.S.-Japan Council’s New York Region. https://www.japanculture-nyc.com/
About Yuriko Gamo Romer
Yuriko Gamo Romer is an award-winning director based in San Francisco. She holds a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University and is a Student Academy Award winner, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Scholar, and American Association of Japanese University Women Scholar. Her current documentary project, DIAMOND DIPLOMACY, explores the relationship between the United States and Japan through a shared love of baseball.
She directed and produced MRS JUDO: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be BeautifulI, the only biographical documentary about Keiko Fukuda (1913-2013), the first woman to attain the 10th degree black belt in judo. MRS JUDO has traveled to more than 25 film festivals internationally and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2013 International Festival of Sport Films in Moscow and broadcast on PBS nationally as part of CAAM’s Japanese American Lives in 2014. Additionally, her film Occidental Encounters won numerous awards, among them a Student Academy Award Gold Medal, Heartland FF’s Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award, and National Media Network’s Silver Apple. Romer’s short films include Reflection; Kids will be Kids; Sunnyside of the Slope; Fusion; and Friend Ships, a short historical animation about John Manjiro, the inadvertent Japanese immigrant rescued by an American whaling captain. https://www.flyingcarp.net/
Baseball Behind Barbed Wire is available through GOOD DOCS.
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SACHIYO ITO & COMPANY OFFERING FREE LESSON IN JAPANESE DANCE
Free Trial Japanese Dance Lesson with Sachiyo Ito and Company
Saturday, September 28 from Noon until 1:00 p.m.
Sachiyo Ito and Company Studio – 405 W. 23rd Street at 9th Avenue
Admission: Free
Sachiyo Ito and Company at the 2024 Japan Parade. Photo by Jon Jung.
Japanese traditional dancer, instructor, and choreographer Sachiyo Ito is opening her Chelsea studio for a free trial lesson on Saturday, September 28!
What You’ll Learn
Basic movements and gestures of Japanese dance
How to use the dance fan (fan will be provided)
Kabuki dance repertory
What To Bring
Cotton socks
Yukata and obi (if you have them)
To register, please send an email to sachiyoitoandcompany@gmail.com. The deadline to register is Thursday, September 26.
Come dressed in your yukata or allow yourself enough time to get dressed at the studio before the lesson is scheduled to begin. If you need a yukata and/or an obi, please inform Sachiyo Ito and Company when you register.
To those experienced in stage performances, you will have an opportunity to join Sachiyo Ito and Company for 2025 spring performances such as cherry blossom festivals. Learn more about Sachiyo Ito and Company at dancejapan.com.
Enjoy the beauty and grace of Japanese dance!
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JAPANESE JAZZ TRUMPETER TO PERFORM AT JOE’S PUB
Shunzo Ohno: EVOLUTION
Friday, September 20 at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Joe’s Pub – 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place)
Admission: $36
Celebrating 50 years in New York and his groundbreaking First Prize International Songwriting Competition Award for the iconic composition "Musashi," Shunzo Ohno brings Metamorphosis, the energetic ensemble and always riveting performance to Joe's Pub.
Making history as the first jazz composer to win this prestigious award and the first Japanese-born musician to achieve such recognition, Ohno’s celebration at Joe's Pub will be a multicultural experience, with his unique jazz and classical instrumentation. Hailing from Japan, Ohno made his mark in NYC over the last 50 years, touring with legendary masters Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Gil Evans, and more. His life story of overcoming challenges and his thrilling live performances have attracted fans of all ages.
Don't miss Grammy Award-winning artist Shunzo Ohno's fearless performance, inspiring compositions, and the Lotus Chamber Music Collective, part of his dynamic Metamorphosis Ensemble, as they return to Joe's Pub with a sonic experience evoking hope and resilience. There is a two-drink or one-food minimum per person. To purchase tickets, please visit Joe’s Pub’s website.
Featuring
Shunzo Ohno — Trumpet
Jerome Jennings — Drums
Quintin Zoto — Guitar
Noah Rott — Piano / Keys
Jeremiah Edwards — Bass
Sasha Ono — Cello
Emily Garrison — Violin
Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim — Violin
Molly Goldman — Viola
With cinematic rhythms and inspiring melodies, Ohno captivates audiences worldwide. In his pursuit of global harmony through music, Ohno declares, "We are all Dreamers, and together, we triumph."
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OKINAWA GOVERNOR DENNY TAMAKI TO SPEAK AT COLUMBIA
Interactive Talk with Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa
Thursday, September 12 from 4:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Faculty House, Columbia University – 64 Morningside Drive, Garden Room 2
Admission: Free
Engaging with contemporary Okinawa requires an understanding of fundamental themes such as human rights, democracy, diplomacy, and peace—issues that hold significance worldwide.
Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa will speak on regional security in East Asia amid a shifting international landscape. He will address critical issues such as rising tensions over the Taiwan Strait, Japan's pursuit of enhanced defense capabilities through its alliance with the United States, and ongoing debates over Japan's pacifist constitution. Governor Tamaki will share his perspective on what security means for the people of Okinawa, a region hosting the majority of the U.S. military presence in Japan, and he will discuss his efforts in sub-national diplomacy. He will also outline the role Okinawa is prepared to play in promoting peace and stability regionally and globally. Kenneth McElwain, Visiting Professor of Political Science, will moderate the discussion.
Registration is required, so to attend, please visit the Weatherhead East Asian Institute’s website.
This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and by the Okinawa Prefectural Government Washington D.C. Office and co-sponsored by the Columbia-Harvard China and the World program.
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BBG TO HOST GARDENS FOR PEACE
Gardens for Peace
Sunday, September 8 from noon until 1:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: $22 Adults | $16 Seniors & Students | Free to members & children under 12
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 its iconic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.
Stop by for free tours of the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and a drop-in Japanese woodblock printing workshop with Sato Yamamoto.
The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Michael Stewart.
Japanese Garden Mini Tours
Tours run every five minutes between noon and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8.
Meet at Duck Landing, next to Viewing Pavilion.
Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 20-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.
Drop-in Japanese Woodblock Printing
Stop by from noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Japanese Garden Viewing Pavilion
Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose the Gardens for Peace pattern or other patterns by Sato and create your own print.
Gardens for Peace is free with admission to Brooklyn Botanic Garden. No registration is necessary to join the tour. To purchase tickets, please visit BBG’s website. Tours can be canceled due to inclement weather, so check BBG’s website for updates.
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ENCORE SCREENINGS OF “PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE”
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story
Saturday September 7 at 1:00 p.m. with Jennifer Takaki, George Hirose, and Cindy Hsu
Sunday September 8 at 2:00 p.m. with Jennifer Takaki, George Hirose, and Linda Lew Woo
Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime
DCTV Firehouse Cinema – 87 Lafayette Street
Admission: $16 | $8 Members and Group Sales (10 or more)
In celebration of what would have been Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s 77th birthday on September 5, DCTV is hosting encore screenings this weekend. The screening on Saturday, September 7 will have a special Q&A moderated by CBS News Anchor/Reporter Cindy Hsu with panelists Director Jennifer Takaki and Executive Producer George Hirose.
Click here to read JapanCulture•NYC’s interview with filmmaker Takaki.
For fifty years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles, and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus. Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the COVID pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
To purchase tickets, please visit DCTV’s website. Fees apply.
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!
TOMODACHI NIGHT AT CITI FIELD
Tomodachi Night – Boston Red Sox vs New York Mets
Tuesday, September 3
Pregame Events: 6:40 p.m. — Game: 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field — Flushing, Queens
Admission: $28 to $91.25
Enjoy a special Tomodachi Night as the New York Mets host Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox in an Interleague matchup. Extend your Labor Day Weekend with baseball!
Special pregame events include
Ceremonial First Pitch by Koji Sato, President of JAANY
Amazin’ Awards to be presented to leaders of Japanese American community organizations
Unforgettable opportunity for 500 members of our community to stand on the warning track at Citi Field to watch the national anthem.* Be sure to wear red and white!
Please purchase tickets through this link: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/tomodachi
A portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Japanese American Association of New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Nippon Club, Japan Society, U.S.-Japan Council, and the Japanese American National Museum.
*Please note that you MUST purchase tickets using the special online link that the Mets have created specifically for this game in order to be invited onto the field for the pregame festivities. Approximately one week before the game, you will receive an email with instructions about where and at what time to assemble. This privilege is first come, first served and limited to 500 fans, so please arrive early!
Warning Track Salute Timeline*
Meet up time: 6:00 p.m.
Meet up location: Left Field Ramp (right inside Left Field Gate)
Begin lining up at the ramp: 6:15 p.m.
Line closed: around 6:30 p.m. depending on the size
Arrive at the Warning Track: between approximately 6:45 to 7:00 p.m.
Exit by the staircase to Section 135 after the anthem
*weather permitting
Amazin’ Awards
JAA — Julie Azuma
JCCI — Maasaki Maeda
USJC — Susan McCormac (I’m honored to represent the New York region of the U.S.-Japan Council!)
JANM — Kathryn Bannai
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10th Anniversary of Music from FINAL FANTASY at Town Hall
A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy
Saturday, August 24 at 8:00 p.m. (Doors open at 7:00 p.m.)
The Town Hall – 123 W. 43rd Street
Admission: $57-$90
A New World: Intimate Music from FINAL FANTASY celebrates its 10th anniversary in NYC! Join legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu, music director Eric Roth, and members of the Harlem Chamber Players for a program of exclusive and official arrangements, premieres, and favorites from throughout the FINAL FANTASY series! The video game concert anthology is marking ten years of spectacular concerts, recordings, and fellowship since its 2014 premiere and launching the next ten years of incredible live music experience.
Beloved musical selections from composers Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura, and Masayoshi Soken are performed in a transparent and engaging format, achieving an astounding variety of musical textures and moods. The experience is fresh every time, drawing audiences deeper into the musical worlds of FINAL FANTASY.
To purchase tickets, please visit the Town Hall’s website. The Town Hall is generously providing a 15% discount off tickets to members of New York’s Japanese and Japanese American community, including followers of JapanCulture•NYC. To take advantage of this offer, click the “Unlock” button on the right side of the screen when selecting seats and enter code ANWFF.
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!