About

JapanCulture•NYC strives to be the leading English-language resource for Japanese culture in New York City, highlighting the people and activities of New York’s Japanese and Japanese American community.
From the arts to food to everything in between, JapanCulture•NYC looks for the best of Japanese culture the city has to offer.

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Susan Miyagi McCormac  Founder, Editor-in-Chief of Japan Culture NYC

SUSAN MIYAGI McCORMAC

Founder, Editor-in-Chief

With a white American father and an Okinawan mother, Susan Miyagi McCormac gave little regard to her Japanese heritage while growing up in a small town in North Carolina. She began studying Japanese at the age of thirty, finding it one of the most difficult and most fascinating things she’s ever done.

Now completely obsessed with Japan, Susan visits the country as often as she can and tries to find the language and culture wherever she goes. She’s fortunate to live in New York City, where there is no shortage of restaurants, shops, art exhibits, concerts, events, and people related to her favorite place. Susan continues to study the language and looks for the intersection between traditional and contemporary Japanese culture.

JapanCulture-NYC.com is an important vehicle through which Susan introduces New Yorkers to Japanese culture and Japanese-related events. Her work has received a mention in The New York Times, and the Japanese Embassy in DC recognized her on International Women’s Day. She has been the interview subject of Japan Society’s Tea Time, JapanBall’s JapanBaller Spotlight, and Activ8’s TSUNAGU: Bridge-Builders Interview Series. She is the recipient of the 2020 JAA Community Leadership Award for her part in coordinating Project Bento, a service that provided bento to Japanese and Japanese American seniors in New York after the pandemic began.

In addition to writing for JapanCulture-NYC.com, Susan has served as the emcee and moderator for various events in New York. She has emceed several kimono shows, including one at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Sakura Matsuri and at the Queens Library. Susan gave a 30-minute presentation about Okinawa prior to the Okinawan duo SAKISHIMA MEETING’s performance at Japan Society in 2014 and moderated several events and panel discussions at Japan Society that focused on the prefectures of Okinawa, Gifu, Nagano, and Kanagawa. As the committee chair of The Japanese American Association of New York‘s annual Sakura Matsuri, Susan helps to coordinate the event and serves as emcee. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Susan hosted and provided technical support for several “Sake Social Sunday” online events for the American Sake Association.

An active member of the Japanese American community in New York City, Susan serves on the boards of The Japanese American Association of New York and the JET Alumni Association of New York, the advisory board of OIST Foundation, and the New York Region committee of the U.S.-Japan Council.

Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @japanculturenyc.

JEN GREEN

Fashion Editor

As a kindergartener, Jen Green appeared in the Japanese play Momotaro, which sparked her love of all things Japanese. An accessories designer who has worked in the fashion industry for more than 15 years, Jen travels to Tokyo twice a year in search of inspiration.

She started studying fashion when she was young, taking college classes while she was still in high school. In 2001 she discovered the book FRUiTS at a salon. It put Japanese street fashion on the map for her, and now she runs into Lolitas on the streets of Harajuku during her trips to Tokyo.

For JC•NYC Jen covers Japanese fashion stories from traditional kimono to contemporary kawaii looks. Follow her adventures in New York and Japan on Instagram at @jenpanese.

YVONNE BURTON

Business Editor

As the president and principal consultant of Burton Consulting International, Yvonne delivers a range of services including technology consulting, business communications courses, and cross-cultural training. Her clients include companies operating in the Japanese market and Japanese firms operating internationally.

Yvonne lived in Japan for almost ten years, first as an exchange student at Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku University in Osaka, then as a cross-cultural trainer and business consultant to several Japanese firms in the fields of importing/exporting, finance, retail, and manufacturing. She uses her cross-cultural background to facilitate projects effectively and to serve as a bridge between the US and Japan.

As a technology consultant, Yvonne has worked from her home office and with remote teams worldwide for more than 15 years and has learned a lot of tips and tricks along the way. For JC•NYC, she will offer tips on working from home, effective meeting management, and conducting business cross-culturally.

Learn more about Yvonne and Burton Consulting International at www.burtonconsulting.biz.