Japan Parade Returns to Celebrate NYC’s Friendship with Japan
Join thousands on the Upper West Side for the 4th annual Japan Parade and Street Fair on Saturday, May 10! Celebrate Japanese culture with taiko drumming, traditional dance, cosplay, Hello Kitty, and an appearance by Grand Marshal Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. With more than 110 groups marching and JAPAN Fes hosting a Japanese food and culture fair, this free event is one of NYC’s most vibrant celebrations of Japan.
Japan Parade
Saturday, May 10 from1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Parade Route: Central Park West from 81st to 67th Street
Street Fair: 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
Admission: Free
New York City’s celebration of Japanese culture takes over the Upper West Side this Saturday with the fourth annual Japan Parade and Street Fair. This vibrant event showcases the richness and diversity of Japanese culture and serves as a heartfelt "thank you" from the Japanese community to NYC.
Leading the Parade as Grand Marshal is none other than Chef Masaharu Morimoto, the Iron Chef whose culinary empire spans the globe. “I am deeply honored,” says Morimoto. “This role gives me a unique opportunity to celebrate and share the rich, dynamic culture of Japan with the heart of one of the world's most vibrant cities.”
Joining him is this year’s Community Leader, Koji Sato, President of The Japanese American Association of New York. News correspondent Sandra Endo, a former reporter and anchor at NY1, is serving as emcee once again.
Highlights
A major highlight this year is the live appearance by the cast of Attack on Titan: The Musical, the 2.5D stage adaptation of Hajime Isayama’s internationally beloved manga. Paradegoers can catch performers portraying fan favorites such as Levi, Hange Zoë, and Erwin Smith.
Pop culture fans can also look out for Sayaka Yamamoto, former captain of NMB48 turned solo singer-songwriter, and the always-adorable Hello Kitty, joined by My Melody and Kuromi, celebrating milestone anniversaries.
The Parade lineup features more than 110 groups and floats with more than 2,700 participants—the largest in the Parade’s four-year history. Expect lively performances from taiko drummers (Soh Daiko, COBU, Taiko Masala Dojo), yosakoi and folk dancers, gospel singers, and martial artists. Students from Japanese schools in New York and New Jersey will also march, along with Anime NYC cosplayers and a delegation from Toyama City, led by Mayor Hirohisa Fujii.
STREET FAIR
Before the Parade, explore the Japan Street Fair starting at 11:00 a.m. on 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Produced in collaboration with JAPAN Fes, the Street Fair will feature hands-on cultural activities like calligraphy and origami, tourist info booths, giveaways, and nearly 20 food stalls offering authentic Japanese eats.
ABOUT JAPAN DAY
Organized by Japan Day Inc., the nonprofit behind Japan Day @ Central Park, the Japan Parade and Street Fair continue to grow as one of NYC’s most spirited celebrations of Japanese culture.
Don't miss this joyful fusion of tradition, community, and creativity—right in the heart of Manhattan.
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Local Hero to Be Featured in NHK Documentary
Takeshi “Tak” Furumoto is the subject of the NHK documentary RAISED IN HIROSHIMA, FOUGHT IN VIETNAM
Takeshi “Tak” Furumoto is a Japanese American who was born in an incarceration camp, raised in Hiroshima, and fought in the Vietnam War. In the NHK documentary Raised in Hiroshima, Fought in Vietnam, Furumoto travels in search of closure to his complicated past.
About Tak Furumoto
Born in 1944 in Tule Lake War Relocation Center, one of the ten Japanese American incarceration camps established for the mass incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals living on the West Coast, during World War II, Tak Furumoto is the youngest of Sam Kiyoto and Yoshi Furumoto’s five children. Raised in his father’s war-torn hometown in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing, Furumoto’s family returned to the U.S. in 1956, settling in Los Angeles. After Furumoto graduated from UCLA in 1967, he volunteered to enter the Army. Despite the injustices his family endured in the U.S. during WWII, Furumoto valiantly served our country in the Vietnam War, earning a Bronze Star.
A New Jersey resident since 1971, Furumoto and his wife, Carolyn, have run Furumoto Realty in New Jersey, New York City, and Westchester for more than 50 years. They have dedicated their lives to the betterment of the Japanese American community in both New Jersey and New York. They were instrumental in New Jersey’s adoption of Fred T. Korematsu Day in 2023, relentlessly advocating for the state of New Jersey to recognize January 30 as the Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, a day that honors civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, a California native who refused to enter the incarceration camps in 1942.
To learn more about Furumoto and his contributions to our community, please read Karen Kawaguchi’s in-depth article in Discover Nikkei.
Tak Furumoto still from NHK World Japan
On-Air Schedule
NHK World will broadcast Raised in Hiroshima, Fought in Vietnam on the following days:
Friday, March 21 from 8:10 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 from 2:10 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. | 8:10 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. | 2:10 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.
NHK World is available in New York at these channels: Spectrum 1279, Optimum 142, FiOS 482, Xfinity 265 and 1157, and OTA channel 58.2 To find the full details of where you can watch the documentary in your area, please visit the NHK World Channel List on NHK’s website.
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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.
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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.
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Miné Okubo’s Portraits at SEIZAN Gallery NYC
Miné Okubo, Untitled, 1940s from SEIZAN Gallery
Miné Okubo: Portraits
Now through Saturday, March 1
SEIZAN Gallery – 525 W. 26th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues), Ground Floor
Admission: Free
SEIZAN Gallery is presenting Miné Okubo: Portraits, the gallery's first solo exhibition featuring work by one of the most influential Japanese American artists of the 20th Century. Until March 1, 2025, works by Okubo will be on public display, some for the first time, including eleven portraits completed in the late 1940s. Okubo achieved early success as an artist and continued to be extraordinarily prolific throughout her life until her death in 2001. She is most renowned for Citizen 13660, a groundbreaking memoir that combines visual art and narrative to record her experience living in Japanese American internment camps during World War II.
About Miné Okubo
Born in Riverside, California, in 1912, Miné Okubo was a nisei, or second-generation Japanese American. After earning an MFA in art and anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, she was awarded the prestigious Bertha Taussig Fellowship to study in Paris under Fernand Léger. When World War II broke out, Okubo returned to the United States in 1939 on the last ship from Europe. Back in California, she contributed to mural projects under the Federal Art Project and curated exhibitions.
From 1942 to 1944, Okubo was detained at the Tanforan Relocation Center in San Bruno, California, and at the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah. While in these camps, she created more than 2,000 drawings using charcoal, watercolor, pen, and ink. During this time she taught art to others in the incarcerated population, alongside Chiura Obata and other notable artists. Published in 1946, Citizen 13660 includes nearly 200 illustrations documenting daily life in the camps. It received the American Book Award in 1984.
Miné Okubo, Untitled, 1940s from SEIZAN Gallery
Life and Work in New York City
After her release from Topaz in 1944, Okubo relocated to New York City, where she went on to have a successful career as a commercial illustrator for prestigious publications such as The New York Times, LIFE, and Fortune while continuing her painting practice. Her debut assignment was illustrating the magazine's April 1944 "Japan" issue. Portraits—especially of women and children—remained a central focus of her work. In "Personal Statement" she wrote "From the beginning, my work has been rooted in a concern for the humanities."
The eleven portraits featured in this exhibition were created in the late 1940s, just a few years after Okubo’s release from the camps. These bold, powerful works share stylistic connections with her earlier charcoal drawings from the internment period, which are also displayed in the gallery. While her camp drawings often convey the despair and trauma of the incarcerated, the later portraits—rendered in colorful pastel—capture energy, strength, and compassion. The anonymous figures exude vitality and humanity, celebrating everyday life and signal an early transition to Okubo's iconic, color-rich style.
Recognition and Legacy
Her contributions have been recognized in numerous ways. In 1965, CBS-TV featured her in the documentary Nisei: The Pride and the Shame. In 1972, her first retrospective was held at the Oakland Museum. In 1981, Okubo testified before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), advocating for the inclusion of internment history in educational curricula.
Okubo’s works are now archived at the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties at Riverside Community College District and featured in prominent museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Oakland Museum. Her legacy endures in exhibitions like The View from Within curated by Karin Higa in 1992 at the Japanese American National Museum as well as on-going group exhibition Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo at the Smithsonian American Art Museum curated by ShiPu Wang through August 17, 2025.
SEIZAN Gallery
Located in Chelsea, SEIZAN’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Sunday and Monday by appointment. For more information, please visit SEIZAN Gallery’s website.
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