Japan Parade Grand Marshal: George Takei
George Takei is a social justice activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, and he has used his success as a platform to fight for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States internment camps along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans.
He now serves as Chairman Emeritus and a member of the Japanese American National Museum’s Board of Trustees. Takei served on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission under President Bill Clinton, and, in 2004, was conferred with the Gold Rays with Rosette of the Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan for his contribution to US-Japan relations.
JAPAN PARADE (SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022)
Opening Ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
Location: Central Park West between 70th and 71st street (Grand Stand area VIP only)
Japan Parade starts at 1:00 p.m.
Route: Central Park West from 81st street heading south towards 68th street
JAPAN STREET FAIR (SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022)
Japan Street Fair is open from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: 69th street between Central Park West and Columbus Ave.
*There will NOT be a festival of any sort at Central Park
Top Left/Right, Bottom Left: Photo by Tom Burnett Collection
Bottom Right: Photo by Kaoru Ishiguro
The purpose and significance
Every year our festival Japan Day @ Central Park celebrates Japanese culture, art, tradition, and food at Central Park. Our event is designed to introduce our culture to New Yorkers and to connect with the local Japanese community. In 2022, Japan Day is organizing the first-ever Japan Parade in New York City on Saturday, May 14.
The year 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the visit of the Japanese mission led by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Iwakura Tomomi in 1872, which resulted in the remarkable development of Japan-U.S. relations, including the establishment of the consulate in New York. This year also celebrates the 150th anniversary of the introduction of baseball to Japan from the U.S., which remains very popular to this day.
In New York, ethnic groups from around the world have long held parades to showcase the rich culture and lifestyles of their communities. The Japan Parade will be the first parade in New York to honor the Japanese people and their heritage.
Initially, a parade was planned for 2020 to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the first Japanese delegates’ visit to the U.S. in 1860, as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, but was sadly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are delighted to bring this two-year project to fruition. The purpose of the Japan Parade is to further promote friendship between the U.S. and Japan, to express gratitude to New York City, and to strengthen the solidarity of the Japanese-American community on this milestone anniversary.