JAPAN FES TO HOST RAMEN CONTEST
JAPAN Fes x New York Ramen Contest
Saturday, October 7 from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
East Village – 4th Avenue from 9th to 11th Streets
Sunday, October 8 from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Upper West Side – Broadway between 75th to 77th Streets
Admission: Free
The street fair season is winding down, and this weekend brings the two of the final three JAPAN Fes events, which will feature a ramen contest. Six ramen chefs, including last year’s champion, have created special dishes for this contest and will battle it out for votes from the crowd to see who will be crowned the World Ramen King.
Participating Ramen Chefs
Of the chefs, five are from Japan, and one is from New York.
Menya Tyson – Hakata-style Aburi Niku Tyson Ramen
Menya Ultra – Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen
Naruto Ramen – The lone participant from New York offers reMix Ramen, a fusion of Southern American Creole cuisine with Japan's perfect comfort food
Onisoba Fujiya – Last year’s champion is returning with their Premium Lobster Miso Ramen
Ramen Chicken Yaro – Chicken in Thick Broth and Japanese Dashi
Shibasakitei – Shio-Soba with Japanese Pepper
Ramen will be the star this weekend, but there will be plenty of vendors offering a full range of the best Japanese street food, from okonomiyaki to yakitori to karaage and more.
For full details on each vendor, please visit JAPAN Fes’s website and Facebook page.
Remaining JAPAN Fes Schedule
October 7 in East Village – Ramen Contest
October 8 in Upper West Side – Ramen Contest
October 28 in East Village
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!
NIJI-JAPANESE ARTIST POP UP SHOP TO HOLD MARKET AT RESOBOX
Autumn Japanese Maker’s Market
Sunday, October 22 from 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m.
RESOBOX – 91 3rd Street (at 1st Avenue)
Admission: Free
Discover Japanese-inspired accessories and art at niji-Japanese Artist Pop Up Shop’s craft show at RESOBOX in the East Village.
Accessories such as earrings, necklaces, and more Japanese-inspired products will be on sale, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet the artists in person, hear their stories, and learn about the intricate details behind each item. Discover truly unique and creative works for yourself, or find the perfect gift for your loved ones.
To learn more about the vendors and reserve your spot, please visit niji-Japanese Artist Pop Up Shop’s Eventbrite page.
Participating Vendors
Chocolateclayyy – Polymer clay and resin jewelry and sculptures
Kazaria3 – Handmade hats made of used Japanese kimono fabric
Usagiduck – Stationery, apparel, and art prints of original character Usagiduck and their animal friends
Pucci Ropa Jewelry – Handmade sterling silver/brass jewelry in organic and abstract shapes
satokomatsu – “Word picture” jewelry
Hooks and Luxe – Accessories made from eco-friendly materials
Unipaca Studio – Handmade stationery items such as vinyl stickers, sticker sheets, and acrylic keychains
Karepango – Whimsical art that celebrates the satirical side of everyday life
TeaLoveCrochet – Knit and crocheted accessories inspired by food, Harajuku, and the artist’s Asian American culture
Poiful Rugs – Handcrafted rugs inspired by Japanese culture and nature
Fragrant Olive – Handmade soaps with Japanese koi fish and makeup bags using Japanese fabrics
Riverside Wrapping Co. – Mizuhiki (Japanese paper cords) accessories
Nappel – “Pop Up Sox” baby socks that are made of organic cotton and have 3D animal ears that “pop up”
Crafting Workshops
Before the event begins, there will be two crafting workshops from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Soap Making Workshop by Tamami
Cost: $30 (includes materials for two soaps)
Accomplished instructor Tamami, the founder of the esteemed handmade brand Fragrant Olive, will guide participants as they craft two unique handmade soaps: a rabbit soap with natural exfoliant and a teddy bear sandwich soap. To register, please visit niji-Japanese Artist Pop Up Shop’s website.
Let’s Make Teru Teru Bozu Ghost Amigurumi with Petrina/TeaLoveCrochet
Cost: $35 (includes yarn, crochet hook, and accessories)
“Amigurumi” is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting small stuffed animals or toys using yarn and a hook or needles, often resulting in cute and charming creatures. A “teru teru bozu” is a Japanese talisman made to stop the rain and bring good weather. Petrina of TeaLoveCrochet will teach participants simple crochet stitches and how to read a pattern to make a cute teru teru bozu ghost, perfect for this spooky season! To register, please visit niji-Japanese Artist Pop Up Shop’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!
Tech Fluency
by Yvonne Burton, Business Editor
Technological Fluency
That is a mouthful. I call it Tech Fluency.
What is Tech Fluency?
Let me define it by looking at its components.
Technology: Techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives.
Fluency: The quality or condition of being fluent. In addition, it is also defined as the ability to express oneself easily and articulately. It is usually applied to languages.
In this article, I am taking creative license and applying fluency to the language of technology to describe the level of proficiency and/or comfort in using the technological tools and applications that are needed to perform work responsibilities.
Pain Points
Over the course of the past year, I have witnessed the major challenges facing some Japanese companies and their employees when they use existing tools such as MS Teams, WebEx, Slack, and the pandemic-created juggernaut that is Zoom.
The pandemic exposed the seriousness of many Japanese companies’ inadequate technological infrastructure. Not just from hardware and software perspectives, but also proficiency and usage. Part of infrastructure includes people skilled in relevant applications’ functionality and using them to perform job responsibilities and tasks.
Japan has dominated in consumer electronic goods and the auto industry, to name just two, and is “cutting edge in areas such as robotics, supercomputing, and artificial Intelligence. Where there is a need for more widespread growth is in areas that are driven by information technology.”*
A comment I hear from several Japanese managers is, “We need to train Japanese (business) people how to use modern IT tools.” The ability to use modern IT tools to perform at higher levels and efficiency in the course of your work was important pre-pandemic; now it is essential.
Lack of Tech Fluency in workers translates into lost time, ineffective use of resources, lost opportunities, bloated workflows, redundancies, and at the bottom line, loss of money. It can also lead to frustration with oneself (if you’re not “getting” it) or between employees who have varying skill levels.
Tech Fluency is a major part of global business skills.
Why should you pay attention to your Tech Fluency, or the lack thereof?
As the saying goes, technology drives business. Yes, and I think people effectively using technologies drives personal and business success.
In case anyone is wondering, remote/virtual work on a large scale is here to stay.
More and more applications are being created to address business needs. If you are not familiar (or at ease) with working with the current mainstream applications, it will only get more difficult.
Many companies are suffering with issues of security, implementation, training, and general know-how and usage of these tools. IT departments implement tools that are meant to service business needs and streamline workflows, but workers are either not using them at all or lack minimum levels of proficiency. This applies to offices in Japan and their overseas branches. Yes, it takes time to become proficient in these tools, and it should be regarded as an investment that is well worth the ROI. The only way to become proficient is through training and usage.
Companies must implement a strategy to build tech infrastructure that includes training and USAGE.
This is an issue for large Japanese companies as well as medium and small firms. Technology usage can lead to efficient and cost-effective ways of fulfilling workflows. Platforms such as MS Teams can help large companies eliminate redundancies in business operations as well as to communicate across and within branches, departments, and teams. That same technology can help smaller companies automate many functions so that resources’ time can be spent on tasks that are more critical to business success.
The excerpt below is from a blog article I wrote more than ten years ago in relation to Japanese companies and technology, and it still applies today:
Companies need to proactively identify opportunities for system and business process improvement by assessing current and emerging systems/applications for their ability to meet business requirements, saving themselves time and money.”
At the end of last year [2020], I collaborated on a team working with a major Japanese corporation that, at first, was unsure of how virtualized workshops could be as engaging and impactful as past in-person ones. With training and practice to gain familiarity with the applications to be used and redesigning activities using the features of the apps, the workshops were so successful that a large percentage of the feedback we received was “the virtual sessions surpassed the in-person sessions in many ways.”
Still, many Japanese companies are behind in harnessing the power of technology in daily work in comparison to companies in Europe and the United States. One of the contributing factors for this gap is the risk-avoidance policies practiced at many large companies, which impede access and usage of some mainstream applications.
At the employee level, in addition to the anxiety caused by using English (Global English) in business, the discomfort and lack of “articulation” with technological tools will continue to hinder professional development and productivity. This deficit causes many Japanese professionals to lag behind their foreign counterparts, business partners, and clients.
On a larger scale, Japan is facing issues in terms of an aging population, decreasing workforce, and the increasing reliance on revenue growth from outside the country. Effectively using technology is one of the best ways to manage these risks.
It is important to note that there can be issues with just having tech for tech’s sake. The market is flooded with applications, so part of building a good tech infrastructure is to make sure you are selecting the correct tools to address your business’s needs.
One of my workshop participants complained that he was trained in a new application, but he did not know why he should use it when his manual process worked fine. This “usage” component is often missed.
My software development lifecycle analysis experience has taught me the criticality of the define phase in everything. Without understanding of the problem to be solved, the solution reached will not wholly address the problem/need. It is the same when implementing tech tools in your business.
There are often overall best practices given for an application but not RIGHT practices to meet specific needs. There should be clarity around for what the application is needed and the desired impact of using it.
In summary, Tech Fluency is a critical component in doing business and doing business globally. Companies that do not develop proactive plans to improve Tech Fluency overall and within their employee ranks will continue to experience reductions in efficiency, productivity, competitive ability, and ultimately revenue.
Integration with and interaction within the global business community will only continue to rise. The need to increase Tech Fluency levels for both employees and companies is paramount for a company to maintain competitive advantage.
Contact Burton Consulting International to learn more about our Tech Fluency offerings.
* David “Chet” Chetwynd of JMNC Solutions zoominar on “How Japanese Companies Compete Globally.”
Yvonne Burton provides services to Japanese firms operating internationally and companies operating in the Japanese market.
To learn more, please visit burtonconsulting.biz.
EXPERIENTIAL PERFORMANCE FROM SALON SéANCE
The End of Time
Wednesday, October 4 and Thursday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Blue Gallery – 222 E. 46th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
Admission: $79 VIP | $49 General | $25 Students (use code STUDENT25 with valid .edu email)
What do you turn to in moments of darkness? For composer Olivier Messiaen, he turned to composing Quartet for The End of Time, which he wrote while in a German prison camp during World War II. Salon Séance invites you to a reflective experience, channeling stories of hope. Immerse yourself in the story through live music and your very own origami crane.
About the Production
Through Messiaen’s music, storytelling, and origami cranes, The End of Time channels the spirits of four prisoners who transformed the end into a new beginning. This production will deliver the prisoners’ messages and guide the audience to them through the music they created together.
Performers
Nile Assata Harris – Actor
Yoonah Kim – Clarinet
Sahun Sam Hong – Piano
Mari Lee – Violin
Mihai Marica – Cello
Created by Mari Lee
Directed by Jay Stull
Sound Design by John Gasper
Lighting Design by Guillermo Laporta
Research by Simon Angseop Lee
Schedule
7:00 p.m. Arrival and origami workshop
7:30 p.m. Performance
9:00 p.m. Reception
Please click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
VIP Experience
Exclusive pre-performance talk and Q&A with historian Simon Angseop Lee for further insight into the musical work (Please arrive promptly for the best experience)
Group origami workshop with Lee
Complimentary pre-performance drink
Premium seating
Admission to post-performance reception
General and Student Admission
Pre-performance group origami workshop with an instructor
General admission seating
Admission to post-performance reception
About Salon Séance
Salon Séance creates experiential concerts based on the idea that performing is an act of channeling. Born in Kyoto, CEO and Artistic Director Mari Lee cultivates a tight community of pre-professionals and professionals to create experiences inspired by Japanese traditional ceremonies and rituals. Through experiential performances combining classical music, live storytelling, and interactive ritual, Salon Séance invites each audience member into a sacred space of reflection and belonging. For more information, please visit their website.
HIROMI AT SONY HALL
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder
Friday, October 13 and Saturday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m. (Doors at 5:30 p.m.) and 9:30 p.m. (Doors at 9:00 p.m.)
Sony Hall – 235 W. 46th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
General Admission: $45 Advance | $50 Day of Show
VIP Reserved Seating: $65 | $70 Day of Show
Blue Note presents Japanese jazz composer and pianist Hiromi for her Sonicwonderland album release shows at Sony Hall. The new album, which will be released on October 6, features a new quartet, known as Hiromi’s Sonicwonder. Her twelfth album, Sonicwonderland is heavy on synthesizers, and the music video for the title track is inspired by ‘80s video games such as Super Mario Bros.
Tickets
To purchase tickets, please visit Sony Hall’s website. General Admission seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. VIP reservations include guaranteed seating in a designated section. This all-ages show will have a full dinner menu available.
Hiromi from Blue Note
About Hiromi
Ever since the 2003 release of her debut, Another Mind, Hiromi has electrified audiences with a creative energy that encompasses and eclipses the boundaries of jazz, classical, and pop, taking improvisation and composition to new heights of complexity and sophistication. On her album Silver Lining Suite, Hiromi exemplifies her virtuosic hybridity and emotional range, finding strength and hope amidst the turmoil of the pandemic.
Born in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1979, Hiromi’s first piano teacher, Noriko Hikida, exposed Hiromi to jazz and introduced her to the great pianists Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson. She enrolled in the Yamaha School of Music and started writing music.
Hiromi moved to the United States in 1999 and studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Among her mentors was jazz bassist/arranger Richard Evans, who took Hiromi’s demo to his friend, the legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal Evans and Jamal co-produced Another Mind. The album was a critical success in North America and Japan, where it shipped gold and received the Recording Industry Association of Japan’s Jazz Album of the Year Award. Hiromi’s astonishing debut was but a forecast of the shape of jazz to come.
In 2009, she recorded with pianist Chick Corea on Duet, a live recording of their concert in Tokyo. She also appeared on bassist Stanley Clarke’s Grammy-winning release, Jazz in the Garden. Hiromi performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with famed kabuki star Ebizo Ichikawa.
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!
NIGHT MARKET & KARAOKE CONTEST AT JAPAN VILLAGE
Japan Village’s [Karaoke] Night Market
Friday, October 20 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue (Courtyard), Brooklyn
Admission: Free
Celebrate the fall season at Japan Village's [Karaoke] Night Market for a night of fun, food, and festivities.
Head to Japan Village in Industry City, Brooklyn! There will be a mouthwatering lineup of food, including yakitori, grilled squid, and yaki unagi onigiri. 🍢🦑🍙
Mutual Trading and Takara will offer an incredible selection of drinks, featuring Suntory Premium Malts and Orion beer, Takara Chu-Hais, and two sparkling sakes: Mio and Smooth Sail. 🍻🍶
For all you shoppers, there will also be vendors selling cards, trinkets, toys, and something special for everyone, young and old. 🛍️🎁 For the gamers, test your skills with games and win awesome prizes! 🎮🎉
Karaoke Contest
The main event will be the karaoke contest, starting at 5:00 p.m.
They have space for only 12 contestants, so register now. Each contestant will have 10 minutes to shine on stage and sing a song of their choice. Participation is free! 🎵
To register, send an email to info@japanvillage.com and submit the YouTube link of the song you want to sing. 🎥✨ Please note: Find a karaoke version or a lyric music video of your chosen song. The best singer of the night will receive a $100 Sunrise Mart gift card!🏆
The music doesn’t stop after karaoke. DJ Weapon from Hiroshima will drop the beats starting from 7:00 p.m.
Japan Village's [Karaoke] Night Market is made possible by Kuraichi in conjunction with Mutual Trading and Suntory Premium Malt’s.
For more information and to reserve your spot, please visit Japan Village’s Eventbrite page.
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!
TEA CEREMONY DEMOS AT THE MET
Tea Ceremony Demonstrations
Tuesday, September 26 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – 1000 Fifth Avenue
Free with Museum Admission
Instructors from the Urasenke Chanoyu Center will demonstrate a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. There will be two sessions, one at 11:30 a.m. and one at 1:30 p.m. Each session will last one hour.
The demonstrations will take place in Gallery 209, The Astor Forecourt. For more information, please visit The Met’s website.
Set of Utensils for the Tea Ceremony, Kubo Shunman 窪俊満 (Japanese, 1757–1820)
Image: Kubo Shunman (1757–1820), Set of Utensils for the Tea Ceremony, Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), 1810s. Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper. H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (JP1974)
“Surimono” is a style of woodblock print that were produced in small quantities and particularly for private commissions. In this elegant still-life surimono by writer and artist Kubo Shunman, New Year’s tea ceremony utensils are arrayed with a branch of camellia, a flower associated with the end of winter and beginning of spring according to the lunar calendar.
Translation of the Poem on the Woodblock Print
At a tea gathering
on the day spring arrives:
Sipping auspicious tea
made with New Year’s water,
the tea ceremony begins—
as spring arrives before
the official start of the year.
— Kokin no Nakanari
(translated by John T. Carpenter, Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese Art in the Department of Asian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
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!
EXPLORE THE UNIVERSAL CONCEPTS OF CREATIONS & BEGINNINGS WITH “ONOKORO”
ONOKORO – creations/beginnings
Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Martha Graham Studio One – 55 Bethune Street (between Washington and West Streets), 11th Floor
Admission: $30 | $15 Seniors and Students
Tokyo to New York, in collaboration with Random Access Music, presents the upcoming production of ONOKORO – creations/beginnings. The show is a unique fusion of music and dance that explores the universal themes of creation and beginnings.
The one-hour, non-stop show will feature a captivating blend of contemporary compositions combining traditional Japanese instruments with Western classical instruments, performed by a stellar ensemble of musicians and dancers. The show will include modern dance, traditional Japanese Bugaku dance, a clarinet concerto with Gagaku ensemble, a hichiriki concerto with strings, and trios combining Western classical instruments with traditional Japanese instruments.
To purchase tickets, please visit Tonada Productions’s website.
Inspired by universal creation myths, ONOKORO – creations/beginnings immerses audiences in a flow of music, dance, and ritual that evokes timeless traditions through contemporary artistry. From “Ryoanji” (summoning the beginnings of sounds) to “Netori, Netori” (evoking the beginnings of organized sound and music), through to “Onokoro” (combining the Eastern and Western worlds of music and movement), modern dancer Miki Orihara, clarinetist and hichiriki player Thomas Piercy, Bugaku dancer Maki Yamamae, and their fellow performers will awaken the magic and majesty of the creations and beginnings that connect us all.
Under the artistic direction of Thomas Piercy and the choreography of Miki Orihara, ONOKORO – creations/beginnings features an exceptional lineup of composers, instrumentalists, and dancers. The program includes compositions by renowned composers John Cage, Gilbert Galindo, Masatora Goya, Bin Li, and Miho Sasaki. The performances will showcase the dance and choreography of Martha Graham protégé Orihara and Yamamae, as well as multi-instrumentalist Piercy on clarinet, hichiriki, and ohichiriki. Joining Orihara, Yamamae and Piercy are dancer Ghislaine van den Heuvel, ryuteki player Lish Lindsey, hichiriki player Joseph Jordan, sho player Harrison Hsu, koto player Masayo Ishigure, violinists Sabina Torosjan and Lara Lewison, violist Laura Thompson, cellist Daniel Hass, bassist Pablo Aslan, and pianist Marina Iwao.
ONOKORO – creations/beginnings is not only a celebration of artistic collaboration which combines the traditional with the contemporary, but it also unites diverse musical genres and dance forms to create a truly immersive experience. This event seamlessly blends and celebrates a harmonious convergence of cultures and is a testament to the diversity of musical expressions and cultures, underscoring the richness of human creativity when artistic worlds collide. It is a celebration of our shared human experience through the lens of dance and music.
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!
DISCUSS IDENTITIES AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN ARTS ALLIANCE
IDENTITIES: Get Together
Thursday, September 14 from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Asian American Arts Alliance – 29 W. 38th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 9th Floor
Admission: Free
The Asian American Arts Alliance will host IDENTITIES: Get Together, a casual conversation about Hidemi Takagi's photography project with Klaudia Ofwona Draber, Executive Director at KODA, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to mid-career artists from diverse backgrounds, and project participants.
Enjoy snacks and drinks, watch a slideshow of artwork, and listen to a discussion about identity of mixed race/multiracial/multicultural people.
This event is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required to attend. To register, please visit The Asian American Arts Alliance’s Eventbrite page.
About the Project
IDENTITIES is a photography and interview project started during pandemic with Takagi’s family, a blend of Japanese and Haitian, and it portrays other biracial/multiracial subjects as well. Takagi, who seeks to envision deep roots and explore issues of mixed-race identities, has been working with biracial/multiracial teenagers for this project with their parents’ consent. She takes their portraits and interviews them, asking questions about their experiences, their dreams, how they feel about being mixed-race or multicultural. Takagi chose to work with this age group because teens today are more politically engaged than ever.
So far, she has worked with teens who have lived in New York; New Jersey; Miami, Florida; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Tokyo; and Yokohama. Takagi has been creating complex and whimsically self-consuming images of mixed-race life, its public and private faces, using her art as a tool to explore racial identity, race relations, public presentation of the self, and cultural norms.
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!
MEET THE BREWERS
Soul of Sake "Meet the Brewers" x Accidental Bar
Sunday, September 17 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Accidental Bar – 98 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C between 6th and 7th Avenues)
Admission: $68.96 (includes fees)
Join Miss Sake USA Jessica Joly-Crane and Accidental Bar owner Austin Power in celebrating some of their favorite sake brewers, breweries, and prefectures.
Joly-Crane brings her Soul of Sake series to Accidental Bar with brands represented by Sake Discoveries. Guests will have the opportunity to taste more than eleven different kinds of sake from different breweries all over Japan.
Chat with and learn from your favorite sake producers! Light bites will be served. Organizers are partnering with Tippsy Sake to provide a discount code to guests who want to purchase bottles of sake. To purchase tickets, please visit Sake Discoveries’s Eventbrite page.
Featured Producers
Nanbu Bijin "Southern Beauty" – Iwate
President: Kosuke Kuji
Niwa No Uguisu "Nightingale's Garden" – Fukuoka
President: Tetsuo Yamaguchi
Saga Sake Series – Saga
Koimari "Tropical"
Representative: Satoru Maeda
Mitsutake "Crisp"
President: Kunihiro Mitsutake
Amabuki – Saga
Representative: Wataru Hosokawa
Tengumai "Dancing Goblin" – Ishikawa
Representative: Ryosuke Kawamichi
Austin Power at Accidental Bar
About Sake Discoveries
Sake Discoveries is a New York-based PR company with more than twenty years of experience in the sake industry. Featuring one of the few female Sake Samurais, Chizuko Niikawa-Helton, and Jessica Joly-Crane, Sake Discoveries represents artisanal sake breweries from all over Japan. Having created a strong team of experts in promotion and influencer outreach, the organization spreads awareness about their clients through events, branding, and education. For more information, 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!
SHUNZO OHNO AT JOE’S PUB
Shunzo Ohno: Incite/Insight
Sunday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m.
Joe's Pub at The Public Theater – 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place)
Admission: $30 (exclusive of service fees)
Join Shunzo Ohno's Ensemble and the Lotus Chamber Music Collective for an energetic night of soulful music, delicious food, drinks, and great company. The invigorating set list will feature crowd-pleasing hits and new compositions. Enjoy a night of jazz in NYC with Grammy Award winner Shunzo Ohno together with your friends and family!
The Musicians
Shunzo Ohno – Trumpet
Clifford Carter – Piano and Keys
French Jacob – Guitar
Thierry Arpino – Drums
Leo Traversa – Bass
Emily Garrison – Violin
Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim – Violin
Jay Julio – Viola
Sasha Ono – Cello
There is a two-drink or one-food minimum per person. To purchase tickets, please visit Joe’s Pub’s website.
ABOUT SHUNZO OHO
Shunzo Ohno's live performances are known for their uplifting, joyful energy. His euphoric mastery creates a captivating celebration of the power of music.
He has collaborated with legendary musicians such as Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell, Machito, and the master arranger/composer Gil Evans, as well as international musicians across South Africa, France, Italy, and Japan.
Throughout the pandemic, Ohno remained committed to his mission of sharing a global perspective. He will present his new works of riveting Jazz and Classical String Chamber instrumentation with his distinguished Metamorphosis Ensemble.
Ohno’s story has been the subject of biographies and documentaries. The documentary short Never Defeated: The Shunzo Ohno Story highlights his remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges of an auto accident, which permanently damaged his mouth, Ohno created a unique approach to his performances and trumpet skills. Diagnosed with life-threatening throat cancer, he fought relentlessly and emerged victorious. This became a turning point for Ohno, leading to the production of award-winning albums and garnering global recognition for his works.
His twelve annual visits to the communities affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in the northeast region of Japan continues in the Fall of 2023, creating transformative healing and bonds of friendship.
Commissioned by Ushio Publishers, Shunzo continues to inspire younger generations with his book and video, You Can Do It, available on YouTube.
Through his music, Shunzo Ohno's legacy extends far beyond the boundaries of the music scene. He serves as an inspiration to people around the world. Learn more at his 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!
TOKYO GEIDAI JAPAN ART WEEK
THE BRICKS NYC: 漸 – zén – TOKYO GEIDAI JAPAN ART WEEK
Friday, September 8 through Saturday, September 16
Opening Reception and Live Performance: Friday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m.
Blue Gallery – 222 E. 46th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
In collaboration with the Tokyo University of the Arts (known as Tokyo GEIDAI), THE BRICKS NYC will be presenting TOKYO GEIDAI JAPAN ART WEEK at the Blue Gallery. The week-long exhibition is the third for THE BRICKS NYC. Each year, organizers choose one kanji that represents the concept of the event. This year, they have selected 漸 (zen), which means “evolutionary” or “progressive.”
Along with New York-based artists, professors and postgraduates will represent the Crafts, Japanese Art, and Design departments from the diverse fields of study at Tokyo GEIDAI. They will showcase their modern Japanese works, which enhance traditional Japanese art techniques. Workshops, Japanese tea ceremony experience events, concerts, and a panel discussion will also be held during the exhibition period.
Related Events
Duo YUMENO ©Robert Essel
Opening Night
Friday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
To kick off the exhibition, participating artists will be on hand at the opening reception. Duo YUMENO will perform live at 7:00 p.m.
Japanese Tea Ceremony Experience
Saturday, September 9
1:00 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. (Limited to 15 guests per session)
Admission:＄30 per person for each session
Tokyo GEIDAI with Morin Soma and Kino Maho from the Urasenke New York School will serve matcha in an elegant, modern setting inspired by the traditional Chakai style. They will use the finest unique utensils from the Japanese traditional culture of matcha drinking. Tea will be served with a small seasonal wagashi (confectionery) from Japan.
To register, please visit THE BRICKS NYC’s Eventbrite page and select your desired session.
Harvest Moon Melodies Art Song Concert
Sunday, September 10 at 2:00 p.m.
Admission: $20 Adults | $50 Families (Two adults and children) | $20 Students
"Otsukimi" is a Japanese tradition in September to appreciate the full moon and to express gratitude for this year’s harvest and hope for the year to come. GEIDAI graduates Soprano Naoko Nakagawa and pianist Junko Ichikawa present art songs and piano music with the themes of the moon and autumn. The program includes Japanese traditional folk songs and art songs as well as selections from famous operas. All ages are welcome.
Designer Nana Yamasaki (YAMMA) will provide costumes, and jewelry artist Keiko Kubota-Miura will provide jewelry and accessories.
To purchase tickets, please visit THE BRICKS NYC’s Eventbrite page.
JAA Maui Relief Fund Panel Q&A
Monday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m.
JAA Hall – 49 W. 45th Street, 5th Floor (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Admission: $30 (Profits will be donated to the JAA Maui Relief Fund)
Special guest Yasunori Tanioka, a professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts, will lead a panel discussion based on the theme “Potential Roles of Japanese Art for Society.” Participating panelists include jewelry artist Keiko Kubota-Miura, Nihonga artist Takashi Harada, and composer Satoshi Kanazawa. The discussion will be in Japanese.
To register, please visit THE BRICKS NYC’s Eventbrite page.
Silver Leaf Workshop
Friday, September 15 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 16 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Admission: $250 for both days | $150 for September 15 only
Norihiko Saito, a professor in the Tokyo University of the Arts Department of Japanese Painting, will lead a two-day workshop focusing on basic application and advanced techniques using silver leaf. The workshop covers how to apply super-thin Japanese silver leaf on a painting. Saito will lecture about the decorativeness and understanding of "Ma” (space) in Japanese paintings. Participants can attend Day 1 only but must attend both days to complete their own hands-on work. Attending Day 2 only is not offered. Limited to 12 participants.
To register, please visit THE BRICKS NYC’s Eventbrite page.
Closing Event: Live Jazz and Sake Tasting
Saturday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Admission: $30
The Yoshiki Miura Jazz Quartet will perform with special guest Asako Tamura (soprano). A sake tasting will be led by SAKE GENERATION Inc.
To purchase tickets, please visit THE BRICKS NYC’s Eventbrite page.
New York-Based Artists
Ushio Shinohara
Mizue Sawano
Keiko Kubota-Miura
Atsushi Ohashi
Takashi Harada
Rica Takashima
Mayumi Ohashi
Professors and Postgraduates from the Tokyo University of the Arts
Department of Crafts
Hiroki Iwata
Tomomi Maruyama
Hikaru Kamata
Yasunori Tanioka
Norihiko Ogura
Ryo Mikami
Nobuyuki Fujiwara
Nanako Yamada
Miyuki Imai
Mariko Saji
Ayumi Kubo
Heesoo Kim
Kie Imai
Shinnosuke Kameoka
Minako Nakai
Itsuki Hayano
Luwei Shan
Hiromu Noda
Department of Japanese Painting
Norihiko Saito
Killi Okaji
Naho Uno
Tianyi Chin
Kohei Sakamoto
Daisuke Takamori
Akane Yamamoto
Kumpei Yoshikawa
Department of Design
Kazuyuki Hashimoto
Manami Washino
Midori Takai
Yamamoto Hikaru
Shuri Tsuruta
TOKYO GEIDAI JAPAN ART WEEK is hosted by the Tokyo University of the Arts and THE BRICKS NYC with support from Tokyo University of the Arts Alumni Association of New York; Yoshino Gypsum Co., Ltd; Blue Building; WAON NY; het Lab Music & Arts; and SAKE GENERATION, Inc.
About THE BRICKS NYC
THE BRICKS is a nexus for arts and music comprised of Tokyo University of the Arts (GEIDAI) alumni. The alumni have been individually active in and around New York but decided to come together to launch THE BRICKS in the Fall of 2021. GEIDAI is the only national university in Japan that offers solely fine arts and music education, allowing the group to focus on celebrating the interdisciplinary mesh of different art styles.
The name "BRICKS” was inspired by red buildings on the grounds of Tokyo University of the Arts in Ueno, Tokyo. Commonly known as "Aka-renga,” the buildings have stood since the early Meiji era.
Generations of talented artists entered the history-filled bricks of the Blue Building, reminding alumni of a time when their community was filled with diverse musicians and artists.
For more information, please visit the group’s website.
Gallery Hours
Daily from noon until 7:30 p.m.
Except Friday, September 8 (open at 6:00 p.m.) and Monday, September 11 (closes at 5:30 p.m.)
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!
ALFA EVENINGS AT HONEYCOMB HI-FI
ALFA Evening Vol. 16
Every other Sunday from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Honeycomb Hi-Fi Audio Lounge – 74 5th Avenue, Brooklyn
No Cover Charge
This Sunday, September 3, ALFA Music, a subsidiary of Sony Music Publishing (Japan), Inc., hosts vinyl listening sessions Honeycomb Hi-Fi Audio Lounge in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
This Sunday, September 3, experience Japanese pop music standards on vinyl and in hi-fi while enjoying cocktails. Honeycomb, which opened in November 2022, is modeled after Tokyo’s jazz lounges. Jon Carlson, Honeycomb’s owner, served in Japan for a year while in the Marines. When he found a long-forgotten vintage Japanese stereo in his storage locker, he did research into listening bars in Japan and came up with the concept for Honeycomb.
“The idea of building a bar around the enjoyment of vinyl records and high-fidelity audio gear is a staple of Tokyo nightlife culture, but still relatively new here.”
—Max Kalnitz, Brooklyn Magazine
About Alfa Music
Founded in Tokyo by composer and producer Kuni Murai in 1969, Alfa Music raised the level of Japanese pop music and laid the foundation of Japan’s current music scene. Alfa Music served as a remarkable conduit for creativity during the 1970s and ‘80s, releasing the debut album of the multi-talented singer-songwriter Yumi Arai, then a budding composer and igniting the global phenomenon that was Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Follow Alfa Music on Instagram and immerse yourself in the songs of the past and present through their YouTube channel.
“JOHN CAGE’S JAPAN” TO BEGIN AT JAPAN SOCIETY
© Photo by Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Courtesy of Sogetsu Foundation
Cage Shuffle
Created and Performed by Paul Lazar; Choreographed by Annie-B Parson
An Original Performance Series Celebrating the Composer's Relationship with Japanese Culture
Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. – Followed by a Private Gathering for Artists and Members
Friday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. – Followed by an Artist Q&A
Admission: $35 | $28 Japan Society members
Discover Cage Shuffle, the critically acclaimed 50-minute spoken-word solo work comprising a randomly determined set of texts taken from John Cage's 1963 "score," Indeterminacy. In this captivating performance, the beloved New York performer Paul Lazar brings dozens of Cage’s personal anecdotes to life, following the composer's notated instructions to present each aloud in exactly one minute. Through a mesmerizing blend of spoken word and meticulously choreographed movement by Tony Award-winner Annie-B Parson, audiences are treated to a thrilling experience where text and motion intertwine, creating connections that amuse and provoke contemplation. This production has wowed audiences worldwide since its 2017 premiere in New York, but for this one-of-a-kind John Cage's Japan performance, Lazar has packed the overall deck of roughly 200 pieces with handpicked Cage commentary on Japanese themes, Zen philosophy, and reminiscences as well as quotes from Cage's noteworthy friends and contemporaries, including D.T. Suzuki, Isamu Noguchi, and Hidekazu Yoshida.
© Photo by Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Courtesy of Sogetsu Foundation
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAGE AND JAPAN
Cage Shuffle is the opening performance in Japan Society's multi-month celebration of the special relationship between the iconoclastic American composer John Cage and the country of Japan. When Cage first toured Japan in 1962, the resulting series of concerts served to draw attention to the rhymes between his works and the sounds of avant-garde and classical Japanese music, cementing him as a pivotal artistic figure in the East and reinforcing many of Cage's creative impulses. Cage would continue to visit and perform in Japan multiple times throughout his life. Indeed, as Japan Society's Artistic Director Yoko Shioya boldly posits, "If John Cage had not encountered Japanese culture, there would have been no John Cage!" In support of this assertion, Japan Society presents John Cage's Japan, an original series of Cage-centric programming scheduled to take place this fall and winter at Japan Society’s auditorium.
© Photo by Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Courtesy of Sogetsu Foundation
JOHN CAGE’S JAPAN
Following Cage Shuffle, John Cage's Japan continues with innovative concerts curated by the composer, musician, and internationally recognized Cage expert Tomomi Adachi, in collaboration with New York's own International Contemporary Ensemble, America's leading ensemble for new instrumental work.
Events on October 21, November 16, and December 7 will each feature unique programming and acclaimed international guest performers, including Broadway vocalist and avant-garde composer Gelsey Bell, Noh actor Wakako Matsuda, and experimental sound artists Tania Caroline Chen and Victoria Shen. (Note: Program details and lineup are subject to change.)
Tickets for Cage Shuffle and all John Cage's Japan performances are on sale now. For more information and to make a purchase, please visit Japan Society’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!
THE FIRST SHOWCASE OF A.T. DANCE COMPANY
A.T. Dance Company
Sunday, September 3 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios – 440 Lafayette Street, #3 (between Astor Place and E. 4th Street)
Admission: $34.12 (includes fees)
Led by artistic director Aya Takeno, A.T. Dance Company presents its first showcase. The stunning production is described as “a fusion of cultures and styles that will leave you breathless!” The show is a unique and special opportunity to experience the beauty of dance from two different countries, Japan and the US, and to explore the themes of culture, identity, and the human spirit.
Act I is a fusion of Japanese traditional music and dance. Be transported to another world as you watch the dancers move to the sound of taiko. In the second act, the audience will witness the collaboration of singers and dancers as they create a seamless blend of music and movement that will leave you wanting more.
To purchase tickets, please visit Aya Takeno’s Eventbrite page.
Performers
Artistic Director
Aya Takeno
Dancers
Aya Takeno
Maiko Harada
Mayu Yamashita
Tsubasa Nishioka
Kisara Nonaka
Yuliya Chitose
Sara Horiuchi
Singers
Aya Nakamura
Showji Kumamoto
About A.T. Dance Company
Aya Takeno established A.T. Dance Company with the goal of creating a supportive environment for dancers of all levels. As a professional dancer herself, she struggled with finding where and how to express her joy, passion, and love of dance. In the future, Takeno wants her dance company to be both artistic and sustainable, providing dancers with the opportunity to pursue their passion for dance while also supporting themselves financially. To Takeno, dance can be a powerful tool for personal transformation. For more information, please visit A.T. Dance Company’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!
POKEFEST NYC
Monday, September 4 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (Early admission at 9:00 a.m.)
Sour Mouse – 110 Delancey Street (between Essex and Ludlow Streets)
Admission: $12.71 Early Bird — 9:00 a.m. Entry | $7.37 General Admission — 10:00 a.m. Entry (includes fees)
This Labor Day, Japanese Pokémon vendor Tenshi & Zilla and Lower East Side social club and pool hall Sour Mouse present POKEFEST NYC!
A wide variety of vendors will be there with goods ranging from cards, funko pops, plushies, and more. Pokémon Unite players, bring your teams for GTT-Unova. The NYC Pokémon Unite Guild hosting a meet-up group for networking and casual play.
In addition, voice actors Emily Cramer and Nicholas Corda will join as special guests. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
After the show, enjoy the PokefestNYC After Party. Don’t miss out on the biggest Pokémon event in NYC at PokeFestNYC! To purchase tickets, please visit Sour Mouse’s Eventbrite page.
About Emily Cramer
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. For more information about Cramer, please visit her website.
About Nicholas Corda
Nicholas Corda is an actor, writer, singer, musician, and producer. He can be heard in Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pokémon Journeys, Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, One Piece, Adult Swim and Crunchyroll's hit series Fena: Pirate Princess, Square Enix's critically-acclaimed Live A Live, Netflix's Original Movie Secret Magic Control Agency, as well as Genshin Impact, Prince of Tennis, and other anime, cartoons, commercials, video games, podcasts, and audiobooks. Corda is also the Audio Description Narrator for the beloved Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix. Please visit his website for more information.
Tenshi & Zilla
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!
Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field
Japanese Heritage Night
Friday, August 25 – Pregame activities at 5:00 p.m. (First pitch at 7:10 p.m.)
Citi Field – 41 Seaver Way, Flushing, Queens
Admission: $35.50 to $127.50
Kodai Senga and the New York Mets host Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels in this celebration of Japanese heritage! The Japanese American Association of New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Society, the U.S.-Japan Council, the Consul-General of Japan in New York, and the Japanese American National Museum are collectively organizing what promises to be an Amazin’ night at Citi Field.
Senga, a five-time Japan Series champion with the SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets last December and has been dazzling fans with his “ghost forkball.” Shohei Ohtani, the über-talented two-way star who won the American League MVP in 2021 and led Samurai Japan to the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship, is having another MVP-caliber season and is currently leading the American League with 43 home runs.
But this will be more than just a game. On August 25, with two Japanese All-Stars opposing each other at Citi Field, the Japanese and Japanese American community in New York will come together to celebrate our rich culture and the important contributions we make in this city each day. Before the game begins, sensational all-female taiko drumming group Cobu will give their trademark energetic performance in the Mets Plaza (between the Mets/Willets Point 7 train station and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda) at 5:30 p.m. Inside the park on Citi Field’s massive centerfield scoreboard, the Mets will show a video about our vibrant community and the MLB team’s connection to Japanese baseball players. Afterward, six community leaders representing each of the Japanese Heritage Night organizations will receive Mets Spirit Awards at a ceremony at home plate, followed by musical theater actress Rina Maejima singing the national anthem. Finally, Ambassador Mikio Mori, Consul General of Japan in New York, will throw the honorary first pitch to JAA President Koji Sato. Disclosure: As a Vice President of JAA and a member of USJC, I am part of the committee that is organizing Japanese Heritage Night.
Pregame Activities
Cobu performs in Mets Plaza
Dedicated Japanese and Japanese American community video played on the big scoreboard
Presentation of the Mets Spirit Awards to six community leaders:
Ambassador Mikio Mori – Consul General of Japan in New York
Koji Sato – President, The Japanese American Association of New York
Tomonori Wada – President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Terry Suzuki – New York Regional Chair, U.S.-Japan Council
Gary Moriwaki – Member of the Board of Directors, Japan Society
Kathryn Bannai – Member of the Board of Trustees, Japanese American National MuseumThe national anthem sung by Rina Maejima
Honorary first pitch thrown by Ambassador Mikio Mori to Koji Sato
Purchase Discounted Tickets
The Mets have designated seating sections throughout Citi Field specifically for the Japanese and Japanese American community at a discounted rate. Purchase through this online offer and receive a Limited Edition 2023 Japanese Night Mets Hat while supplies last! To redeem your hat, go to the Group Sales Redemption Booth behind Section 130 before the end of the fifth inning, and an attendant will scan your digital ticket. Limit one hat per ticket. Please note: You MUST purchase your ticket through this special link to receive your hat!
Let’s show the Mets, Senga, and Ohtani that our New York community loves baseball. Once again, to purchase tickets at the special discounted rate, please click here.
To purchase group tickets of 15 or more, please contact Young Choi at 718-559-3027 or YChoi@nymets.com.
The Mets are also having a special giveaway on August 25. The first 15,000 fans who enter the stadium will receive a Kodai Senga Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Fork Ball. This giveaway is open to all fans at Citi Field and not exclusive to the Japanese and Japanese American community.
Ghost Fork T-shirt by Athlete Logos
Four Seasons in New York with Yoko Reikano Kimura
Four Seasons in New York: Gems of Japanese Music—Vol.28
Saturday, August 5 at 4:00 p.m.
Center for Remembering and Sharing (CRS) – 123 4th Avenue (between 12th and 13th Streets)
Admission: $30
Four Seasons in New York: Gems of Japanese Music continues with a summer installment. The event will take place in the award-winning White Room.
About the Event
Acclaimed vocalist and koto and shamisen player Yoko Reikano Kimura and CRS began this concert series in the fall of 2015. As a Japanese instrumentalist, she hopes to introduce the brilliance of traditional Japanese music, which is still being passed on to future generations after many centuries. Since the first concert, Kimura has introduced more than 50 works from the classical repertoire. To see summaries of past performances, please visit Kimura’s website.
On Saturday, Kimura invites visual artist Hiroko Ohno as her special guest. Ohno’s work Galaxy: Dedicated to Endeavor will be exhibited especially for this concert.
Program
Performer: Yoko Reikano Kimura (koto, shamisen, voice)
Special guest: Hiroko Ohno (visual artist)
“Sarahi” – Composed by Kitazawa Koto; arranged by Fukakusa Kengyo
“Niijio” (“New Wave”) – Composed by Kin’ichi Nakanoshima
And more
Seating is limited, so please RSVP in advance. To make a reservation, email info@yokoreikanokimura.com and include your name and the number of tickets you would like to purchase.
Galaxy: Dedicated to Endeavor by Hiroko Ohno
About Yoko Reikano Kimura
Yoko Reikano Kimura has concertized in about 20 countries and is based in New York and Japan. The New York Times described her playing and singing as “superb.”
Her awards include the First Prize at the prestigious 10th Kenjun Memorial National Koto Competition, the First Prize at the 4th Great Wall International Music Competition, and a scholarship from the Agency of Cultural Affairs of Japan. Following her studies at the Tokyo University of the Arts, she studied at Institute of Traditional Japanese Music, an affiliate of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Japan, where she was a faculty member until 2010. Her teachers include Kono Kameyama, Akiko Nishigata, and Senko Yamabiko, a Living National Treasure.
As a koto soloist, Kimura has performed Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji with the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra, conducted by Mei-Ann Chen. As a shamisen soloist, she performed Kin’ichi Nakanoshima’s Shamisen Concerto at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center.
Her performances have been a part of renowned opera and theater works such as Michi Wiancko’s Murasaki’s Moon, Piestro Mascagni’s Iris by American Symphony Orchestra, Yokoshi Yasuko’s Bell, Basil Twist’s Dogugaeshi, and Heiner Goebbels’ Hashirigaki.
Kimura is the co-founder of Duo YUMENO with cellist Hikaru Tamaki. The duo received the Kyoto Aoyama Barock Saal Award in 2015 and were featured at Chamber Music America’s 2016 National Conference. The duo held its tenth anniversary recital at Carnegie Hall in 2019. For more information, please visit her website.
About CRS
CRS is a healing center established by president and founder Yasuko Kasaki and director and co-founder Christopher Pelham. The healing is based on A Course in Miracles (ACIM). CRS is also an event space and art center, offering support to those who bear witness to the truth, which is something that everyone is capable of doing and sharing. CRS is a safe space where you can know yourself, be yourself, and express yourself honestly without being judged. To learn more, please visit CRS’s website.
Sachiyo Ito & Company to Perform at Hudson River Museum
Hudson River Museum Presents: Japanese Dance by Sachiyo Ito & Company
Sunday, August 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Hudson River Museum – 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers
Admission: Free with general admission ($13 | $9 Seniors, Veterans, and Students | $8 Children ages 3-18 | Free to Museum members)
In this performance inspired by Kengo Kito: Unity on the Hudson, Sachiyo Ito & Company presents classical dances that express reverence for nature. Sachiyo Ito will demonstrate classical dance form and gestures and perform solo contemporary works, “To the Water” and “Memories,” which she choreographed to reflect water, nature, and humanity, accompanied by a poetry reading. Followed by Q&A with the performers.
Photo credit: Tony Sahara
About Sachiyo Ito & Company
Sachiyo Ito & Company is known for performing and teaching classical dance forms, including Kabuki, Noh, Okinawan Court, and Jiuta-mai, and for presenting contemporary works choreographed by Sachiyo Ito, which preserve the aesthetics of traditional Japanese dance. The Company has performed at Japan Society, Asia Society, and Lincoln Center, among other venues. For more information, please visit dancejapan.com.
Image from hrm.org
About Kengo Kito: Unity on the Hudson
Using more than 2,100 colorful hula hoops, Kengo Kito conceives a monumental, site-specific work symbolizing humanity’s interconnectedness and our relationship with the Hudson River. Unity on the Hudson is the inaugural exhibition of the Hudson River Museum’s transformational new West Wing galleries, which include a cantilevered glass overlook with dramatic, three-sided panoramic views of the Hudson River and the majestic Palisades.
Unity on the Hudson creates an uplifting and memorable space in which to reflect on community and collective action, particularly ongoing efforts to protect the Hudson River ecosystem. Kito notes, “The process of transformation of consciousness through connection is an element that is crucial in the effort to improve the condition surrounding the River . . . environmental issues are the responsibility of not just one singular person but of the community as a whole.”
The exhibition, offered in English, Japanese, and Spanish, includes an interactive area where visitors are invited to contribute their personal stories about interconnectedness and unity.
The artist envisions an immersive experience where visitors walk around and under the multicolored intersecting circles as a metaphor for our bonds with each other and with nature. Curving lines, created by deconstructing and reconnecting different hoops, flow throughout the galleries like water, heightening our awareness from one point, ourselves, to something larger—expansive, yet fluid and intertwined.
The exhibition runs through Sunday, September 24. To learn more, please visit Hudson River Museum’s website.
About Kengo Kito
Kengo Kito received a BFA from Nagoya University of Fine Arts and Music in 2001 and completed his postgraduate studies at Kyoto City University of Fine Arts and Music in 2003. In addition to his work as an artist, he is currently Associate Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
Unity on the Hudson is a triumphant return to New York for Kito, who had a residency and a dynamic show at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University in 2009. The artist first showed a hula hoop installation in 2021 at Japan House, Los Angeles; this is the first time one of his hula hoop environments has been exhibited on the East Coast.
NowHere Gallery to Exhibit Works by Yoichiro Yoda
Yoichiro Yoda: The Crossing
Thursday, July 27 through Sunday, August 27
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 27 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
NowHere – 40 Wooster Street (between Grand and Broome Streets)
Admission: Free
SoHo gallery NowHere will host the exhibition The Crossing with recent artworks by New York-based Japanese painter Yoichiro Yoda.
Artist Yoichiro Yoda
About the Artist
Born in Kagawa, Japan, and raised in New York City, Yoichiro Yoda is an artist who is driven by fixations and obsessions. Like a storyteller of mythic tales, he has created an entire cosmology from the topics, places, and people that prey on his mind. This pantheon includes everything from old movie palaces to the stately days of luxury sea travel to George Washington and his legendary deeds to a young woman Yoda met once at a theater years ago. By deploying these things across his paintings—by bringing them to life—Yoda shows us the topology of a world of his own creation.
The Long Room (Fraunces Tavern) by Yoichiro Yoda
Compressing History
In Yoda’s reality, history is compressed, manipulated, and adorned. The eras of silent films and the Revolutionary War live side-by-side here, connected at first by the tenuous fibers of simply being paintings by the same artist. But as we see the work all together, we find common thematic concerns. Nostalgia, for one thing, is prominent. But it’s an uncanny sort of nostalgia in which things feel slightly off, misremembered, or interpreted to the point of being just strange enough that mere sentimentality, a pitfall of much nostalgia, is left behind.
Unique Sense of Humor
Yoichiro Yoda, in some ways, lives in different times at once. His loving offerings to the memories of New York’s grand movie theaters of the past, crossed with his thoroughly contemporary comics work, in which we are treated to his quite unique sense of humor, are both of our era and not. For Yoichiro Yoda, the world is haunted by the ghosts of then and now. Learn more about Yoda at his website.
Space is limited at the opening reception, so please reserve your spot through NowHere’s Eventbrite page.
Eliza’s Birthday Party by Yoichiro Yoda
About NowHere
NowHere is a hub for emerging Japanese artists. The focus of the SoHo gallery is on creatives who come from Japan to New York City, whether for a visit or to stay. They feature work from a broad spectrum of media, from digital to fashion, culinary arts to photography, and everything in between. NowHere is dedicated to building community and expanding their artists’ networks.
NowHere is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. No appointment required.
For more information, please visit NowHere’s website.