About Japan Day
History
In this paragraph, we will explain what Japan Day @ Central Park is all about and how it came together. This is a family-friendly annual event designed by the Japanese community of New York. It all started in 2007 to promote a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture and to say “Thank you, New York!”
Throughout the years, this cultural event received official support from the Office of the Mayor. And with the help from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Central Park Conservancy, we get to use the beautiful Central Park. Furthermore, the Consulate General of Japan in New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Nippon Club, and many other Japanese and American corporations have been supporting us since day one.
The event kicks off with the rousing Japan Run, a 4-mile mini-marathon, and Kids’ Races, hosted by New York Road Runners. The event continues with the Japan Day Festival featuring a wide range of Japanese traditional and family-friendly activities, free samplings of popular Japanese cuisine, and powerful stage performances throughout the day.
Our Mission
Showcase the Japanese community’s appreciation toward their home city, New York.
Build a bridge of cultural understanding between the people of Japan and the U.S.
Facilitate stronger grass-roots connections within the community
Cherry Tree Planning initiative
We have been collecting donations to plant new cherry trees in Central Park with the Central Park Conservancy. We supplemented and replaced the trees from Japan’s original gift over one hundred years ago.
Japan Day has planted a total of 24 cherry trees since 2009. Four of these were generously donated by Central Park Conservancy in 2011 to commemorate the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The latest one was just planted in April 2016. We gathered at the Reservoir and planted a new cherry tree from the donations collected at Japan Day 2015. We hope to continue the partnership with Central Park Conservancy for many years to come.