Consulate-General of Japan in New York
在ニューヨーク日本国総領事館

Japan Day @ Central Park, which was held on Sunday, June 3rd in Central Park, was a great success. 5,000 runners enrolled and competed in the 4-mile “Japan Run,” and there were about 14,000 people present for the “Japan Day Festival” on Rumsey Playfield.

The event was organized by the Japan Day @ Central Park Executive Committee with assistance from the Consulate General of Japan. This one-day event was loaded with activities and entertainment for adults and children alike. Here are the details of the day.

Japan Run

The Japan Run was held with the help of the New York Road Runners (NYRR) which organizes the New York City Marathon. The start of the festival and the race was celebrated by way of a ritual dance with a lion's mask, in front of the runners who gathered early in the morning for the run. They endured a 4-mile course, which started at 68th Street going north along the East-side of the park and back down the West-side, ending at 72nd Street. Following the Japan Run, children between the age of 2 and 12 years old participated in the Kid’s Run. Many kids wearing T-shirts with Japanese islands and cherry blossoms ran with all their might while they listened to cheers from the adult spectators.

Japan Day Festival

Following the Japan Run and the Kid’s Run, Japan Day Festival activities on Rumsey Playfield started at 10am.

New York City has the largest Japanese community in the world. The goal of this event was for Japanese and Japanese-Americans to introduce Japan and Japanese culture to New Yorkers, and also to show appreciation to New York City, where so many Japanese and Japanese-Americans are given the opportunity to showcase their culture. To make this event a reality, the Executive Committee was created and planning meetings were held every month. Also, many Japanese, Japanese-American and non-Japanese volunteers were instrumental in making the event a success.

Under the concept of introducing both traditional and contemporary Japanese culture to New York, 15 tents, which included Japanese food, activities and electronics, were set-up on the playfield. In addition, a variety of performances were held on Summer Stage where various performances are presented every summer.

Japanese Food Tents

There were separate tents for curry, gyudon, fried dumplings, vegetable hand roll sushi, soba noodles, Japanese tea, and Japanese candies. Volunteers served the food to the visitors. Every tent had a long waiting line, but the hand rolled sushi tent, where the sushi chefs worked right in front of visitors, was the most popular from the start, and the line extended all the way to the entrance of the field.

Activity Tents

At every tent, visitors were able to experience traditional Japanese culture such as calligraphy, origami, Japanese toys (ken-dama, be-goma, ohajiki), and yo-yo scooping. At the First Aid tent, visitors enjoyed free blood pressure and other wellness checks. Every tent on the field was filled with smiles and laughter.

Stage Performance

A political reporter for NY1, Sandra Endo, who is a second-generation Japanese-American, presided over the event as the emcee, introducing various stage performances. In the morning, traditional Japanese programs, including taiko drums, swordplay, karate, folk dance, and omikoshi portable shrine, took place as well as contests and concerts, which introduced Japanese contemporary culture for the entertainment of the audience.

Many people visited Rumsey Playfield to see karaoke and anime costumes. Although it began to rain during the musical performances, (jazz piano, taiko drums, gospel), many people stayed until the end to enjoy the music.

Finally, Ms. Riyo Mori, who recently won the 2007 Miss Universe pageant, made a surprise visit to the Festival. Her presence and smile onstage drew the visitors’ attention and cameras.

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