Japan Day Sweeps into Central Park in a Whirlwind of Sakura Petals and Pop Music Acts

| Culture | Posted by TokyoGirls'Update on May.13.2015

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Central Park saw a Japan Day like no other this weekend as the annual event welcomed the real guests of honor… Mothers.

This years Japan Day at Central Park fell on Mothers Day giving families in attendance an unforgettable Sunday filled with activities for the kids and a lineup of performances and musical acts that would rival some of the best variety shows in Tokyo. The event, entering its ninth year, celebrates Japanese culture with New Yorkers by sharing both traditional and contemporary stage performances and a variety of activities found in traditional Japanese summer festivals.

The gorgeous weather and clear blue skies offered event goers their share of photo opportunities to remember the annual event which kicked off with with the Japan Run, followed by the Kids’ Race. Food stalls lined the park offering a host of authentic Japanese street fair food including Okonomiyaki(grilled eggy pancake filled with meats and vegetables), Onigiri(riceball filled with a variety of ingredients), Yakisoba(fried buckwheat noodle sauteed with pork and veggies), and Gyoza, along with ice cold drinks imported directly from Japan.

Children of all ages were treated to traditional Japanese games and recreational activities such as yo-yo fishing, yukata fitting, kabuki face-painting, calligraphy and origami workshops, and gave fans the unique opportunity to take photos with NHK mascot Domo and the world renowned Hello Kitty.
The Central Park Naumburg Bandshell gave the over 50,000 attendees a look into Japanese entertainment culture with acts ranging from the high flying beats of the COBU taiko drum crew, the comedic stylings of Rio Koike, the live painted art of Takeshi Sato, fresh moves from fledgling hip hop dance crew EXPG Boyz, and dared to top it all off with Japan’s hottest pop music act AKB48.

The day ended with master of ceremonies Sandra Endo, of Fox News Los Angeles, thanking the crowd gathered for visiting and wishing all the families in attendance a wonderful Mother’s Day. How next years Japan Day looks to top this remains to be seen, but if this weekend was any indication the tenth annual event will be sure to knock you off your geta(Japanese traditional footwear).

Learn more about Japan Day @ Central Park at their official website: http://www.japandaynyc.org/

■Details of Performers
SANDRA ENDO (Master of Ceremonies)
Sandra Endo is a television news correspondent on KTTV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News. Endo covers breaking news and feature reports for Good Day LA. She moved back to her hometown of Los Angeles after spending most of her career on the East Coast. Before making the move last summer, she worked for CNN based in Washington DC. Her stories have appeared on prime time shows such as AC360 with Anderson Cooper. She also reported on the devastating tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan in 2011, as well as the international conflicts in Egypt and the U.S involvement in Libya. Prior to joining CNN, Endo was a political reporter, host and anchor for NY1, covering a wide array of campaigns, the transit strike of 2005 and reporting around the clock after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A California native, Endo is a second generation Japanese American and is an active member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

SOH DAIKO (Japanese Taiko Drumming)
Soh Daiko was established as the first taiko drumming group on the East Coast in 1979 under the guidance of the New York Buddhist Church. Reverend Hozen Seki gave the name “Soh Daiko” which means “peace, harmony, working together.” The group gained early instruction from taiko players who taught basic techniques and philosophy as well as drum building; and later, the group received advanced instruction from Sensei Seiichi Tanaka of San Francisco Taiko Dojo. Soh Daiko’s current members come from diverse backgrounds and professions. The group’s repertoire includes traditional compositions from Shinto music, adaptations of existing taiko compositions, and original arrangements by its own members. Soh Daiko’s presentation also features movement and choreography, requiring strength, endurance, and energy, making for an exciting performance experience. Soh Daiko has performed at celebrated venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Radio City Music Hall, receiving critical acclaim from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Dance Magazine.
folk dance

JAPANESE FOLK DANCE INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK (Japanese Folk Dance)
Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY, Inc was founded in 1992 by Momo Suzuki (teacher and director). The group celebrates and performs in myriad festivals. The group was created to give all the opportunity to enjoy Japanese Dance. Today they will be performing Bonodori, the raucous dance of the summer Bon Festival. New York Ondo led by Momo Suzuki made its World Premiere at Japan Day 2010 and was a great success. It uses the traditional spirit and movements of the Bon Odori dance to celebrate the four seasons in a way that is uniquely New York. New York Ondo features an English verse in the end!

SAMURAI SWORD SOUL (Japanese Sword Fighting)
Samurai Sword Soul (SSS) is a theater company based in New York. Since the founding of the company by Yoshi Amao in 2003, its members have been seeking to embody the SPIRIT of SAMURAI and to stage the ULTIMATE SWORD FIGHTING PERFORMANCE. Their technique is based on a centuries-old traditional sword fighting style from Japan called Waki ryu. It also draws on the essence of kendo, iaido, karate, and kabuki dance. By blending these traditional influences with contemporary elements and their own artistry, they have established their unique “SAMURAI SWORD SOUL STYLE.” With their combination of various entertaining elements, touching themes, and dazzling sword fighting scenes, their performances have thrilled audiences of all ages in NYC and other cities in the US. SSS started to perform for the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 2003. Since then, it has performed all over the US, Canada and Europe. SSS performers are currently offering sword fighting classes at Peridance Capezio Center and Battery Dance Studio.
http://samuraiswordsoul.com/

INTERNATIONAL KARATE ORGANIZATION KYOKUSHINKAIKAN (Karate)
International Karate Organization (IKO) Kyokushinkaikan is the worldwide governing body for KYOKUSHIN™ Karate, with schools in 120 countries and over 10 million members. Kyokushin Karate NY is an IKO-Direct Branch with 3 locations in the Tri-State area. With programs for all ages and abilities, KYOKUSHIN stresses the basics of practical training in order to prepare students to avoid conflict, as in the Way of Budo, the honor code of the Samurai. The philosophy of the IKO Kyokushinkaikan is to contribute to society through international exchange and education of youth, to impart an appreciation for life and humanity. The ultimate goal of the IKO Kyokushinkaikan is to advance World Peace.

FIGHTING IN THE STREETS (Band)
“Fighting in the Streets” was created by Alex Lopez and Norman Edwards in the fall of 2009.
It is a fiery band of musicians who utilize jazz, funky grooves, and smooth showmanship through video game music. We play songs from Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter 2, Mega Man, Castlevania, and more. The band consists of five members including, reeds, guitar, keys, bass, and drums. The goal of the band is to play music we have listened to subconsciously as kids and bring to life with new arrangements and pure RAW energy.

NOBUYA NAGAHAMA (Dance Performance)
Nobuya Nagahama has participated and appeared in numerous dance showcases, as well as TV shows such as: “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE”, “Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon”, and “THE MOVEMENT-A THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE-” at Joyce Soho Theater. In 2008, in New York City, at the “SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE” Season 5 audition, he was selected to travel to Las Vegas and made it to the Top-60. There, he received favorable comments in regard to his amusing dancing style and funny character. Additionally, he has won a rave review from The New York Times stating, “Nobuya Nagahama is a scene stealer with his sinuous blend of popping and voguing.” Nagahama also teaches Hip Hop at Peridance Capezio Center and T.M.H. Dance Studio. One of his students, Haruto Maeda, won the 1st prize at Amateur Night twice with his choreography and advanced to the semi-final, “Top Dog”, to be held on June 3rd, 2015. He has just started a new project with Toshihiko Nakazawa, Takushi “Huu Rock” Minami, and Atsunori “Umihei” Hayamizu. He is showcasing a part of it at Japan Day 2015.
http://www.nobuyan.com/

OMOTENASHI (Dance & Music)
Talented New York-based artists from Japan will get together to perform for Japan Day!! Our theme for this year is “O・MO・TE・NA・SHI”. Describing gracious hospitality in a traditional Japanese sense, “O・MO・TE・NA・SHI” emphasizes dedication and thoughtfulness in hosting a guest. In the manner of “O・MO・TE・NA・SHI,” we will treat our audience with original music and dance. Music Director/Composer/Keyboardist Noriko Sunamoto has composed original music that will be performed with traditional Japanese musical instruments. There will also be a collaboration with dance works choreographed by Chiho Yokoyama, Musa Hitomi, Sayuri Tanabe, and Mio Nakanishi that brings together Japanese traditional dance, jazz dance, ballet, and contemporary dance.

Intermission with Rio Koike (Comedian)
Within 6 months of launching his career as a magician, Rio Koike was awarded membership in the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the largest association of magicians in the world. He has performed his magic show that features elements of both traditional Japanese entertainment and American-style performance all over the U.S. and Japan. His solo shows are full of surprises and laughs. In 1999, Rio also started a career as stand-up comedian. When he appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2003, he made it to the top 32 contestants in the U.S. In the same year, he embarked on a U.S. comedy tour. In 2009, Comedy Central’s WebTV show “American English with JIMMY T” starring Rio was seen by an audience of over 100,000 people in the U.S. and chosen as the No. 1 comedy piece of the month.

COBU (Japanese Taiko Drumming & Hip-Hop)
COBU, based in New York City, was created as a Live Rhythm Performing Arts Group in 2000. Yako Miyamoto, the founder of Cobu, is a veteran member of the Off-Broadway musical STOMP. COBU combines elements of the Japanese traditional Taiko drumming with NY style street dancing. COBU’s motto is ‘Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing,’ inspired by the combined sounds of New York and traditional Japanese culture. Their signature sound is created organically through acoustic instruments rather than digital transcription. This juxtaposition of traditional modernity makes COBU a particularly unique and original performing arts group.COBU has been featured in major venues including Madison Square Garden in NYC. Hollywood movie director, Mr. Duane Adler, developed a 3D film based on Yako Miyamoto called “Make Your Move / COBU 3D” which was released in the USA in 2014.
http://www.cobu.us/top-e.html

TAKESHI SATO (Live Painting Exhibition)
Takeshi Sato was born in Miyagi,Japan, He traveled to America in his early adulthood where he taught himself mural painting. He went onto decorating walls of numerous theme parks, restaurants and other kinds of establishments. His innovative style has brought in the essence of craftsmanship into the art world, and his short but vigorous live performance shows have captured the attention of media worldwide.

EXPG BOYZ (Dance & Vocal)
EXPG Boyz is a performance group consisting of participants of a new development program for upcoming artists from Japan. We are currently based in NYC and advancing our skills at the EXPG Dance & Vocal Studio on 2nd Avenue. Members (age): Masafumi Okamoto (16), Shoji Katsumata (15), Taiki Iwamoto (15), Micks Fukahori (15), Ricky Okuda (15), Yuto Yoshida (15), Ayumu “Mars” Imazu (14), Masahiro Sunada (14), Kenya Fujita (13)
http://expg-ny.com/
http://project-taro.jp/

AKB48 (Dance & Vocal)
In December 2005, producer Yasushi Akimoto created the idol group “AKB48.” Based on the concept, “Idols you can meet every day,” AKB48 performs at the AKB48 Theater in Akihabara almost every day. AKB48 is now consisted of five teams (A, K, B, 4, 8) and trainees. Sister groups have expanded both in Japan (SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, and NGT48 scheduled to debut in 2015), and outside Japan (JKT48 and SNH48). In 2015, AKB48 has made a groundbreaking record of 20 consecutive million-selling CDs in a row for the first time in history. Along with their performances at the theater, appearances on TV, movies, magazines, and other media can be seen in Japan every day.
http://www.akb48.co.jp/

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