Join JCNYC at Japan Society to Discover the Yokai of GHOST TRAIN
Author Talk and Signing: Natalie Anna Jacobsen, author of Yokai Fantasy Ghost Train
Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
Admission: $25 | $20 Japan Society Members | $23 Seniors, Students, and Persons with Disabilities
Japan Society welcomes debut author Natalie Anna Jacobsen for a special talk and signing in celebration of the release of her first book, Ghost Train, a Young Adult historical fantasy set in 1877 Kyoto during the early years of the Meiji Restoration. I am excited to say that JapanCulture•NYC will have a presence at this event, as I’ll be the moderator in conversation with the author! Join us for what promises to be a rich discussion about Japanese cultural influences, the writing process, the Meiji Restoration (maybe just a little), and, of course, yokai. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Japan Society, JapanCulture•NYC readers can attend for FREE! Please visit Japan Society’s website and enter comp code YOKAIFRIEND at checkout for free tickets.
About Ghost Train
Ghost Train tells the story of Maru Hosokawa, a samurai daughter now thrust into a difficult new era. With the Meiji Restoration, foreign inventions—trains, electricity, and telephones—are introduced, but with them come plagues and demons. Maru’s father, a retired samurai, has laid down his sword and ventures far from home to be a merchant, leaving Maru alone to find work and help rebuild her family.
And then ghosts start to visit Maru.
They ask her for help to find their murderer: a demon on the loose. Although she flees at first, she can’t outrun her grief over missing her father, the anxiety over her future, nor her destiny. Against a backdrop of summer festivals and rainstorms, Maru must confront authority and her fears, before she becomes the next ghost.
Inspired by true historical events and based on yokai myths, this story was built with guidance by historians and subject-matter experts both in Japan and the U.S. and looks to reflect 19th-century life during the tumultuous, society-altering leadership of Emperor Meiji…with just a few more ghosts.
Autographs and Book Sales
Attendees of Japan Society’s Natalie Anna Jacobsen talk and signing will be able to purchase copies of Ghost Train at the event or bring books from home for a signing session following the author’s talk.
“A haunting and immersive read.”
– Eva Wong Nava, author of The House of Little Sisters“With lyrical prose that evokes the mystique of 19th-century Kyoto, this meticulously researched narrative weaves together historical authenticity with the ethereal allure of yokai folklore.”
– Jake Adelstein, journalist and author of Tokyo Vice and The Last Yakuza
Author Natalie Anna Jacobsen
About Natalie Anna Jacobsen
Natalie Jacobsen began writing fiction in high school, and after publishing her first newspaper article at age 13, she was invited to hone her craft in creative writing programs locally and overseas. In college, she turned her interest in storytelling into journalistic endeavors. After graduating, she wrote and photographed for magazines, television, and music studios in Japan for years.
Jacobsen’s educational background includes creative writing at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Georgetown University’s political science program, New York Film Academy in Kyoto, NGen’s Leaderosity and the Self Aware Leader program and the University of Oregon Honors College. For more about her, visit najacobsen.com or follow her at @natalieannaj on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Ghost Train is her debut novel. At its heart is a ghost story that analyzes how legends are born.
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Fitts to Give Virtual Talk about the 1934 Baseball Tour of Japan
Rob Fitts: Banzai Babe Ruth and Baseball in Japan
Wednesday, November 13 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Virtual Event on Zoom
Admission: Suggested donation: $15 | Free for Museum and SABR Members
The Babe Ruth Baseball Museum hosts this talk with noted author and Japanese baseball expert Rob Fitts. Fitts will speak about the 1934 All-American tour of Japan.
This is a virtual event, free to members of the Babe Ruth Baseball Museum and SABR. To register and to make a suggested donation of $15, please visit the Babe Ruth Baseball Museum’s website.
About Rob Fitts
A former archaeologist with a Ph.D. from Brown University, Robert K. Fitts left academics behind to follow his passion — Japanese baseball. An award-winning author and speaker, his articles have appeared numerous journals, magazines, and websites. He is also the author of ten books on Japanese baseball and Japanese baseball cards. Fitts is the founder of SABR’s Asian Baseball Committee and a recipient of the society’s 2013 Seymour Medal for the Best Baseball Book of 2012 (Banzai Babe Ruth); the 2019 and 2023 McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Awards; the 2012 Doug Pappas Award for the best oral research presentation at the annual convention; and the 2006, 2021, 2023 and 2024 SABR Research Awards. He has twice been a finalist for the Casey Award and has received two silver medals at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. While living in Tokyo from 1993 until 1994, Fitts began collecting Japanese baseball cards and now runs Robs Japanese Cards LLC. For more information and to purchase Fitts’s books, please visit his website.
About Banzai Babe Ruth
In November 1934 as the United States and Japan drifted toward war, a team of American League all-stars that included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, future secret agent Moe Berg, and Connie Mack barnstormed across the Land of the Rising Sun. Hundreds of thousands of fans, many waving Japanese and American flags, welcomed the team with shouts of “Banzai! Banzai Babe Ruth!” The all-stars stayed for a month, playing 18 games, spawning professional baseball in Japan, and spreading goodwill. Politicians on both sides of the Pacific hoped that the amity generated by the tour—and the two nations’ shared love of the game—could help heal their growing political differences. But the Babe and baseball could not overcome Japan’s growing nationalism, as a bloody coup d’état by young army officers and an assassination attempt by the ultranationalist War Gods Society jeopardized the tour’s success. A tale of international intrigue, espionage, attempted murder, and—of course—baseball, Banzai Babe Ruth is the first detailed account of the doomed attempt to reconcile the United States and Japan through the 1934 All-American baseball tour.
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The Story of the Woman Who Created Kabuki
OKUNI: The Woman Who Created Kabuki
Now through Saturday, November 23
Theatre Row – 410 W. 42nd Street
Admission: Starting at $40
Amaterasu Za presents OKUNI: The Woman Who Created Kabuki, written, directed, and choreographed by Ako Dachs. This show will be performed in Japanese with subtitles and thematic narrations in English. Preview performances of OKUNI began on November 2, in advance of its opening night on November 14, and the show will run through November 23 at Theatre Row.
Combining authentic dance, live music, dialogue, and narration, OKUNI tells the real-life story of a young woman who, in 1603, defied societal norms and gender roles to create Kabuki, one of Japan’s most iconic art forms. Performing on the riverbanks of Kyoto, Okuni and her all-female troupe captivated audiences by portraying both men and women with flamboyant costumes and swaggering style. Her bold, satirical performances quickly gained popularity, earning her the title “Best in the World” from the government. However, as imitators and concerns about morality grew, women were banned from performing Kabuki, and the tradition became an all-male domain—a practice that continues today. Presented by the bilingual Japanese-English theater company Amaterasu Za, OKUNI brings to life the extraordinary journey of the woman who broke barriers and founded a theatrical tradition that has endured for more than 400 years.
“OKUNI is a story of defiance, creativity, and the power of female empowerment, says Ako Dachs. “I was inspired to write this play because, even today, women are often marginalized in spaces they have helped to build. Okuni’s journey is a reminder that women’s contributions to culture, art, and society aren’t new. Through this production, we celebrate not only Okuni’s legacy but the strength of women everywhere who continue to push boundaries and redefine what is possible."
OKUNI cast (l to r): Ako, Yasushi Kimura, Fumi Tanakadate
Conceived by and starring Japanese-born, NY-based actress Ako*, who was recently seen in FX/Hulu's Emmy Award-winning series Shogun, OKUNI also features well-known Tokyo-based actor Yasushi Kimura and musician Fumi Tanakadate. The design team includes lighting design by Aaron Bowersox, set design by Josh Dachs, projection design by Cinthia Chen, sound design by Chad Raines, costume design by Ako Dachs, and wig design by Mitsuteru Okuyama. Original music composition is by Fumi Tanakadate and Ako Dachs. Production stage manager is Madeleine Blossom*, assistant stage manager is Sabrina Morabito*, and Kanako Morita is the assistant producer.
OKUNI runs 90 minutes with no intermission and will play Tuesday through Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. For more information, please visit AmaterasuZa’s website; to purchase tickets, please visit www.bfany.org.
Full Schedule
Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m. (Opening Night – SOLD OUT)
Friday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
*Actors Equity Association
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Experience Anime-Inspired Cuisine
Anime Food Festival
Friday, October 25 from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
26 Bridge – 26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn
Admission: $25 VIP (1:00 p.m. entry) | $20 General Admission
Upstairs NYC hosts a one-of-a-kind event featuring anime-inspired cuisine and the best of Japanese pop culture.
Highlights
Mouthwatering, anime-inspired Japanese and Asian food menu (price range: $5 to $15)
Special shochu and sake menu as well as special cocktails
Opportunity to meet three anime voice actors
Popular anime goods vendors and artists
Amazing Japanese taiko drum performance by Cobu
Free manga workshop
Photo booth where you and your friends can snap unforgettable memories in your costumes
VIP ticket holders will be entered into a raffle to win an anime goods.
Go in your best cosplay and enjoy! To purchase tickets, please visit Anime Food Festival’s website. Check out @animefoodnyc on Instagram to meet all the vendors.
Special Guests: Voice Actors Emily Cramer, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, and Laurie Hymes
Emily Cramer
1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Available to chat and for autographs, photos, and special goods
Emily Cramer is a voice actor and singer whose work can be heard internationally in commercials, animated television shows, movies, video games, dark rides, and audio dramas. Her most notable titles are currently Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS, The Winx Club, Bread Barbershop, Battle Game in 5 Seconds, EDF World Brothers, many Yu-Gi-Oh video games, and Genshin Impact. Before falling in love with voiceover, Cramer performed for many years in Broadway and national touring productions of Shrek the Musical, Mary Poppins, Les Misérables, and School of Rock. To learn more, visit her website.
Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld
1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Available to chat and for autographs, photos, and special goods
Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld is a American actress best known for voicing Bonnie, Nurse Joy, Sophocles (and many others) on Pokémon; Rio Kastle, Riley, Grace and Gloria Tyler (and many others) on Yu-Gi-Oh!; Aina Ardebit in the anime film Promare; Polly Pocket in Polly Pocket; Fraw Bow and LunaMaria Hawke in the Gundam anime universe; and many other notable roles. Please visit Rosenfeld’s website for more information.
Laurie Hymes
1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Laurie Hymes is a voice actor known for voicing Lillie in Pokémon Sun and Moon, nine other characters in Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions, Liz and the Blue Bird, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, Regal Academy and Lupin III: The First, Transformers, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, and many more. For more information, please visit her website.
Japanese Traditional Taiko Drum Performance
Based in New York City, Cobu was created as a live rhythm performing arts group in 2000. Cobu’s founder, Yako Miyamoto, is a member of the off-Broadway hit STOMP.
Cobu combines elements of the Japanese traditional taiko drumming with rhythmic tap dancing. The extremely positive impact of the group’s performances has received rave reviews from The New York Times and The Chicago Sun Times and has touched audiences at major festivals in Boston and Chicago. Please visit Cobu’s website to learn more.
About Upstairs NYC
Formed in 2022, Upstairs NYC is a non-profit organization based in New York City dedicated to promoting friendly relations between New York and other countries. The organization focuses on fostering learning and community engagement across four pillars: arts and culture, lifestyle, technology, and food. Upstairs NYC regularly hosts panel discussions, experiential events, cultural celebrations, and socials. Their events also provide a forum for local creators to connect with future collaborators and engage with their audience.
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Kensuke Shoji at Barbès
Kensuke Shoji
Monday, October 21 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Barbès – 376 9th Street (at 6th Avenue), Brooklyn
Suggested Donation: $20
South Slope, Brooklyn, bar and performance space Barbès presents Gifu native Kensuke Shoji. Shoji is a jazz violinist and bluegrass fiddler who joined his father's bluegrass band as a teenager. As a young adult he moved to the U.S. to study jazz violin with Matt Glaser and Christian Howes.
Kensuke Shoji
Dedicated to improvisation, Shoji moved to New York City in 2013 to play with Alex Hargreaves, Barry Harris, Jacob Jolliff, Maria Muldaur, and more. He leads a band every Sunday evening at Sunny's Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and works as a sideman on the road with groups such as Deadgrass and others. Visit Shoji’s website to learn more.
Barbès suggests a donation of $20. Donations are accepted in person on the day of the show or on Barbès’s website.
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NowHere Gallery’s Final Exhibition of the Year
Maiko Kikuchi: Pink Bunny
Thursday, October 24 - November 24, 2024
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 24 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
NowHere – 40 Wooster Street (between Grand and Broome Streets)
Admission: Free
NowHere Gallery hosts Pink Bunny, the upcoming solo exhibition by artist Maiko Kikuchi. The gallery’s final exhibition of the year, it runs from October 24 through November 24, 2024.
Maiko Kikuchi Pink Bunny
Waking Dreams
The unconscious is the wellspring of art. Ideas, some fully formed and some tantalizingly amorphous, bubble up from the dark ocean in our minds, all the time. It takes the artistic temperament to recognize, hone, and express the ones that cry out for it the most.
Dreams, perhaps the purest utterances of unconscious thought, have long been gifts to artists. From Renaissance stalwarts such as Raphael to 19th-century visionaries such as William Blake; surrealist mainstays such as Magritte to contemporary masters such as James Turrell, the fertile ground of the dreamscape has been a constant renewable resource for the creative act.
But what about daydreams? That sunlight cousin to the nightly dream, the daydream is equally capable of offering us jolts of inspiration, staggering us with unexpected juxtapositions, and equipping us with the tools to say what our unconscious is compelling us to say. The filmmaker David Lynch has long been proselytizing about the enormous potential daydreaming has for informing art. He has described it as a place where “all the thoughts just flow.”
But there is an essential difference between the daydream and the sleeping dream: One can be controlled and directed, at least to some degree, by the conscious mind, while the other holds us in its thrall and takes us wherever the id wishes to go. We can get lost inside a reverie, but we always have the power to change its course, adjust its focus, or hasten its pace. In this hybrid space between wakefulness and sleep, the artist might find incredible opportunities to enhance their work.
Maiko Kikuchi is an artist who has made harnessing her daydreams a central element of her practice. Her unique upbringing as the daughter of a practicing psychoanalyst in Japan gave her a deep and embedded understanding of the value of daydreaming, and her work—from paintings to collages to puppet-making to performance—relies on her ability to navigate and interpret the riddles offered to her by daydreams. By embracing dream logic and the twists of representation and narrative gifted to the artist by her subconscious, Kikuchi presents her audience with heavily personal art that’s riddled with archetypal imagery and moments. To briefly live inside her daydreams doesn’t only give us insight into her mind—it also invites us to look more closely at our own.
In addition to the exhibition, NowHere is hosting a series of live performances by Kikuchi on weekends throughout November. Register for the opening reception and choose a performance date at NowHere’s Eventbrite page. For more information about the exhibition, please visit the gallery’s website.
Maiko Kikuchi
About Maiko Kikuchi
Maiko Kikuchi was influenced by her psychoanalyst father, becoming interested in the boundary between dreams and reality at a young age. When she was still little, she started creating art based on the idea of making “visible daydreams.” She received her B.A. in Theater Arts and Fashion Design from Musashino Art University in 2008, and she moved to the United States soon after to study fine art, receiving an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Pratt Institute in 2012. Her desire to broaden the expression of her daydreams led her to expand her practice to the theatre field in 2013.
As a visual artist, her work has been shown in an online solo exhibition entitled Daydreaming Monologist and the online group exhibition Finding Sanctuary, which was presented by Visionary Art Collective. Kikuchi’s other group exhibitions include shows at Ca’d’Oro Gallery (New York), Parasol Project (New York), HERE Art Center (New York), Jamestown Art Center (Rhode Island), J-Collabo (New York), and more.
Kikuchi also works in creative collaborations with various partners, making animations for musicians, theatre companies, and cultural organizations nationwide. She is currently a board member of The Jim Henson Foundation.
About NowHere
NowHere is a multipurpose hub for New York City-based Japanese creators from across all disciplines. The gallery exists to help emerging talent explore their maximum potential by providing them with the means to showcase their practice and expand their network. Just like the artists they serve, they emigrated to New York because this city is endlessly inspiring. By facilitating new art from a Japanese perspective, NowHere hopes to offer inspiration to New York in turn. Their mission is accomplished anew each time they are able to excite New York audiences with fresh energy and points of view.
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Beer Garden at Japan Village
Japan Village Beer Garden
Friday, October 18 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Japan Village Courtyard – 934 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: Free
Japan Village is hosting an evening of Japanese beer, delicious food, and live music performances!
Guests can enjoy a wide selection of authentic Japanese beers and the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and experience the vibrant culture of Japan in a lively, welcoming atmosphere.
Miyabi Uta Project: The Western Influence on Japanese Music
There will be a special performance of Japanese songs accompanied by acoustic guitar and violin. Discover the cultural crossover that led to the vibrant genres we know today.
For more information about these events, please visit Japan Village’s website and follow them on Instagram.
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WIN TICKETS TO SEE DIGIMON ADVENTURE AT JAPAN SOCIETY
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
Admission: $25 Nonmembers | $20 Japan Society Members | $23 Seniors, Students, and Persons with a Disability
Join Japan Society for a one-night-only screening of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna featuring a special in-person introduction by Hiromi Seki, Toei Animation producer and the film’s supervisor.
The original Digimon Adventure TV series premiered in 1999 and introduced the world to a group of young, hopeful heroes who were brought together to save both the real and digital worlds. The series earned acclaim for its blending of deep narrative arcs and human drama against a backdrop of warring fantastical monsters. Twenty-five years later, the Digimon franchise is more popular than ever. Toei Animation and Japan Society are presenting this special anniversary event with original producer Hiromi Seki. Produced as a special 20th anniversary feature film, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna was originally slated for U.S. release in March 2020, but due to the pandemic, the movie never made it to North American theaters. Until now.
Ticket Giveaway!
Japan Society is generously giving away three pairs of tickets to the screening of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna to JapanCulture•NYC followers! To enter for your chance to win, please follow @JapanCultureNYC on Instagram, like the post about the giveaway, and tag your +1! Three lucky winners will be drawn at random from the entries and notified on the morning of Tuesday, October 15. Good luck!
If you aren’t one of the lucky winners, you can still purchase tickets at Japan Society’s website. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait.
The Digimon 25th Anniversary Celebration
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Screening with honored guest Hiromi Seki
Special Giveaways:
Digimon Comic Volume #1 copy for all attendees
Digimon Card Game card for all attendeesInteractive Experiences:
Digimon Photo Op
Digimon Display from Bandai Tamashii Nations
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for the Digimon Photo Op, Digimon Display, and Giveaways. Screening begins at 7:00 p.m.
About Hiromi Seki
Known as the “Mother of Sunday Morning Anime,” Hiromi Seki has been associated with Digimon since its very beginning, when she served in the planning and production of the original Digimon Adventure series. Over the last 25 years, Seki has been involved in 13 different Digimon films and series, including supervision of the franchise’s most recent movie, Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning. In addition to Digimon, as a Toei Animation producer, Seki was the series producer who created Magical DoReMi and has worked on such productions as Marmalade Boy, Boys over Flowers, and Zatch Bell.
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JAPANESE MANGA ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR ACKY BRIGHT FEATURED AT JAPAN SOCIETY
Acky Bright: Studio Infinity
Friday, October 4 through Sunday, January 19, 2025
Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
Admission: $12 nonmembers | $10 students and seniors | Free First Fridays from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Japan Society presents Acky Bright: Studio Infinity, a showcase of the rising star’s unique kawakakkoii (cute and cool) style of illustration and product design. A distinguished Japanese manga artist and illustrator, Acky Bright is known for his unique worldbuilding.
Conceived as Acky Bright’s design studio, the exhibition offers visitors an exceptional opportunity to meet the artist, witness his freestyle “live drawing,” and participate in making a series of manga-style murals. Performative and interactive, the exhibition, which previewed during the weekend of Anime NYC in August, will evolve as Acky Bright makes intermittent appearances in the gallery.
The exhibition will feature two new painting series by Acky Bright, KBK-18, and Ah-Un, that each draw inspiration from traditional Japanese art and theater. Underscoring the impressive range of his contemporary art practice, the show will also highlight Acky Bright’s promotional campaigns designed for major companies, including his multimedia designs for the nationwide “WcDonald’s” campaign, YOASOBI x Vaundy’s FRIES BEAT 2024 music video, and Squid Game coloring book illustrated for Netflix.
Gallery Information
Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Closed on major holidays
Tickets include entry to both of Japan Society’s fall exhibitions, Acky Bright: Studio Infinity and Bunraku Backstage. To purchase tickets, please visit Japan Society’s website.
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ALL-DAY JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL
FUN FEST JAPAN
Sunday, October 6 from noon until 4:00 p.m.
Corlears Hook Park – 479 Cherry Street
Admission: Free
Presented by The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York (JFDINY), FUN FEST JAPAN celebrates Japan and New York with an all-day Japanese cultural festival, featuring traditional performing arts and cultural activities for the entire family. Head to Corlears Hook Park in the Lower East Side to enjoy performances by JFDINY’s own Minbuza (Japanese Folk Dance), Samurai Sword Soul (Traditional Sword Fighting), and Taiko Masala (Taiko Drumming). In the activities area, experienced teachers will lead children in a variety of engaging Japanese arts and crafts such as origami, calligraphy, kendama, and kimono dressing. The finale of the day will be the Bon Odori, a traditional Japanese summer event where everyone joins in and dances together!
For more information about FUN FEST JAPAN and The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York, please visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
FUN FEST JAPAN is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Private support is provided by City Parks Foundation and Partnerships for Parks through the NYC Green Fund.
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OMNY TAIKO TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
RISE: OMNY Taiko 10th Annual Concert
Saturday, October 5 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Music School – 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn
Admission: $25 | $20 seniors and students
Be a part of OMNY Taiko’s RISE to new heights as they reach more communities and contribute to the cultural diversity of New York City.
Their annual concert this Saturday, October 5 promises to be an unforgettable evening of drumming that blends traditional Japanese rhythms with their New York roots. This in-person event will start at 5:30 p.m.; doors open at 5:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit OMNY Taiko’s Eventbrite page. Tickets may be available at the door, depending on availability.
About OMNY Taiko
OMNY Taiko is a vibrant, tight-knit community drumming group striving to share the art of taiko drumming with people and communities across the New York City area through inclusive, accessible performances, classes, and workshops.
As a form of rhythmic and artistic expression, taiko allows individuals to convey emotion and energy and to connect with others through music. OMNY Taiko emphasizes the communal aspect of ensemble drumming:
bringing people together to create music as a group
fostering a sense of community and belonging
providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork
One of OMNY Taiko’s primary goals is to become emblematic of the energy of New York City, reflecting the story of a seed born on the concrete streets and blossoming into a vibrant community with the strength and tenacity of a city that never sleeps.
For more information about the organization, please visit their website.
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BOOK TALK AT DONALD KEENE CENTER
Navigating Narratives: Tsurayuki's Tosa Diary as History and Fiction
Friday, September 27 at 6:00 p.m.
Columbia University – Kent Hall, Room 403
Admission: Free
The Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture at Columbia University kicks off the 2024–2025 academic year with a book talk by Gustav Heldt, professor of Japanese literature at the University of Virginia.
This talk will outline several unique insights into Heian Japan provided by Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa nikki (Tosa Diary), which is ostensibly the record of an ex-governor's voyage back to the capital kept by an anonymous woman in his entourage. The resulting split between fictional female narrator and historical male author has usually led Tosa nikki to be viewed as either the first Heian woman's memoir or the last aesthetic manifesto of one of the Japanese poetic tradition's foremost figures. In lieu of these narratives, it will be argued that the diary merits attention for the discursive practices, representational conventions, and non-elite social contexts it illuminates.
Preregistration is required by noon on Thursday, September 26. Click here for the Google Form.
About Gustav Heldt
Gustav Heldt specializes in the language, literature, and cultural history of Japan prior to contact with the West, with related interests in gender, poetics, narratology, ritual practices, comparative historiography, and myth. At the University of Virginia, he regularly teaches courses such as Survey of Japanese Literature and Introduction to Literary Japanese, as well as seminars on more specialized topics such as Japanese myth, the Tale of Genji, Japanese court women's literature, and medieval warrior tales.
Copyright © 2024 Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture. All rights reserved.
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SACHIYO ITO & COMPANY OFFERING FREE LESSON IN JAPANESE DANCE
Free Trial Japanese Dance Lesson with Sachiyo Ito and Company
Saturday, September 28 from Noon until 1:00 p.m.
Sachiyo Ito and Company Studio – 405 W. 23rd Street at 9th Avenue
Admission: Free
Sachiyo Ito and Company at the 2024 Japan Parade. Photo by Jon Jung.
Japanese traditional dancer, instructor, and choreographer Sachiyo Ito is opening her Chelsea studio for a free trial lesson on Saturday, September 28!
What You’ll Learn
Basic movements and gestures of Japanese dance
How to use the dance fan (fan will be provided)
Kabuki dance repertory
What To Bring
Cotton socks
Yukata and obi (if you have them)
To register, please send an email to sachiyoitoandcompany@gmail.com. The deadline to register is Thursday, September 26.
Come dressed in your yukata or allow yourself enough time to get dressed at the studio before the lesson is scheduled to begin. If you need a yukata and/or an obi, please inform Sachiyo Ito and Company when you register.
To those experienced in stage performances, you will have an opportunity to join Sachiyo Ito and Company for 2025 spring performances such as cherry blossom festivals. Learn more about Sachiyo Ito and Company at dancejapan.com.
Enjoy the beauty and grace of Japanese dance!
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JAPANESE JAZZ TRUMPETER TO PERFORM AT JOE’S PUB
Shunzo Ohno: EVOLUTION
Friday, September 20 at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Joe’s Pub – 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place)
Admission: $36
Celebrating 50 years in New York and his groundbreaking First Prize International Songwriting Competition Award for the iconic composition "Musashi," Shunzo Ohno brings Metamorphosis, the energetic ensemble and always riveting performance to Joe's Pub.
Making history as the first jazz composer to win this prestigious award and the first Japanese-born musician to achieve such recognition, Ohno’s celebration at Joe's Pub will be a multicultural experience, with his unique jazz and classical instrumentation. Hailing from Japan, Ohno made his mark in NYC over the last 50 years, touring with legendary masters Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Gil Evans, and more. His life story of overcoming challenges and his thrilling live performances have attracted fans of all ages.
Don't miss Grammy Award-winning artist Shunzo Ohno's fearless performance, inspiring compositions, and the Lotus Chamber Music Collective, part of his dynamic Metamorphosis Ensemble, as they return to Joe's Pub with a sonic experience evoking hope and resilience. There is a two-drink or one-food minimum per person. To purchase tickets, please visit Joe’s Pub’s website.
Featuring
Shunzo Ohno — Trumpet
Jerome Jennings — Drums
Quintin Zoto — Guitar
Noah Rott — Piano / Keys
Jeremiah Edwards — Bass
Sasha Ono — Cello
Emily Garrison — Violin
Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim — Violin
Molly Goldman — Viola
With cinematic rhythms and inspiring melodies, Ohno captivates audiences worldwide. In his pursuit of global harmony through music, Ohno declares, "We are all Dreamers, and together, we triumph."
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BBG TO HOST GARDENS FOR PEACE
Gardens for Peace
Sunday, September 8 from noon until 1:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: $22 Adults | $16 Seniors & Students | Free to members & children under 12
As part of the North American Japanese Garden Association’s annual Gardens for Peace project, which brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is presenting free public programming in and around its iconic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden.
Stop by for free tours of the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and a drop-in Japanese woodblock printing workshop with Sato Yamamoto.
The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Michael Stewart.
Japanese Garden Mini Tours
Tours run every five minutes between noon and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8.
Meet at Duck Landing, next to Viewing Pavilion.
Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 20-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.
Drop-in Japanese Woodblock Printing
Stop by from noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Japanese Garden Viewing Pavilion
Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose the Gardens for Peace pattern or other patterns by Sato and create your own print.
Gardens for Peace is free with admission to Brooklyn Botanic Garden. No registration is necessary to join the tour. To purchase tickets, please visit BBG’s website. Tours can be canceled due to inclement weather, so check BBG’s website for updates.
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ENCORE SCREENINGS OF “PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE”
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story
Saturday September 7 at 1:00 p.m. with Jennifer Takaki, George Hirose, and Cindy Hsu
Sunday September 8 at 2:00 p.m. with Jennifer Takaki, George Hirose, and Linda Lew Woo
Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime
DCTV Firehouse Cinema – 87 Lafayette Street
Admission: $16 | $8 Members and Group Sales (10 or more)
In celebration of what would have been Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s 77th birthday on September 5, DCTV is hosting encore screenings this weekend. The screening on Saturday, September 7 will have a special Q&A moderated by CBS News Anchor/Reporter Cindy Hsu with panelists Director Jennifer Takaki and Executive Producer George Hirose.
Click here to read JapanCulture•NYC’s interview with filmmaker Takaki.
For fifty years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles, and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus. Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the COVID pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
To purchase tickets, please visit DCTV’s website. Fees apply.
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TOMODACHI NIGHT AT CITI FIELD
Tomodachi Night – Boston Red Sox vs New York Mets
Tuesday, September 3
Pregame Events: 6:40 p.m. — Game: 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field — Flushing, Queens
Admission: $28 to $91.25
Enjoy a special Tomodachi Night as the New York Mets host Masataka Yoshida and the Boston Red Sox in an Interleague matchup. Extend your Labor Day Weekend with baseball!
Special pregame events include
Ceremonial First Pitch by Koji Sato, President of JAANY
Amazin’ Awards to be presented to leaders of Japanese American community organizations
Unforgettable opportunity for 500 members of our community to stand on the warning track at Citi Field to watch the national anthem.* Be sure to wear red and white!
Please purchase tickets through this link: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/tomodachi
A portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Japanese American Association of New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Nippon Club, Japan Society, U.S.-Japan Council, and the Japanese American National Museum.
*Please note that you MUST purchase tickets using the special online link that the Mets have created specifically for this game in order to be invited onto the field for the pregame festivities. Approximately one week before the game, you will receive an email with instructions about where and at what time to assemble. This privilege is first come, first served and limited to 500 fans, so please arrive early!
Warning Track Salute Timeline*
Meet up time: 6:00 p.m.
Meet up location: Left Field Ramp (right inside Left Field Gate)
Begin lining up at the ramp: 6:15 p.m.
Line closed: around 6:30 p.m. depending on the size
Arrive at the Warning Track: between approximately 6:45 to 7:00 p.m.
Exit by the staircase to Section 135 after the anthem
*weather permitting
Amazin’ Awards
JAA — Julie Azuma
JCCI — Maasaki Maeda
USJC — Susan McCormac (I’m honored to represent the New York region of the U.S.-Japan Council!)
JANM — Kathryn Bannai
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10th Anniversary of Music from FINAL FANTASY at Town Hall
A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy
Saturday, August 24 at 8:00 p.m. (Doors open at 7:00 p.m.)
The Town Hall – 123 W. 43rd Street
Admission: $57-$90
A New World: Intimate Music from FINAL FANTASY celebrates its 10th anniversary in NYC! Join legendary composer Masashi Hamauzu, music director Eric Roth, and members of the Harlem Chamber Players for a program of exclusive and official arrangements, premieres, and favorites from throughout the FINAL FANTASY series! The video game concert anthology is marking ten years of spectacular concerts, recordings, and fellowship since its 2014 premiere and launching the next ten years of incredible live music experience.
Beloved musical selections from composers Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura, and Masayoshi Soken are performed in a transparent and engaging format, achieving an astounding variety of musical textures and moods. The experience is fresh every time, drawing audiences deeper into the musical worlds of FINAL FANTASY.
To purchase tickets, please visit the Town Hall’s website. The Town Hall is generously providing a 15% discount off tickets to members of New York’s Japanese and Japanese American community, including followers of JapanCulture•NYC. To take advantage of this offer, click the “Unlock” button on the right side of the screen when selecting seats and enter code ANWFF.
Support JapanCulture•NYC by becoming a member! For $5 a month, you’ll help maintain the high quality of our site while we continue to showcase and promote the activities of our vibrant community. Please click here to begin your membership today!
Akira Tana TO PERFORM AT DIZZY’S CLUB
Akira Tana’s Osaka Quartet with Atsuko Hashimoto
Thursday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Friday, August 16 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 17 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Dizzy’s Club at Frederick P. Rose Hall – Broadway at 60th Street
Admission: $25-$50
Jazz at Lincoln Center Japanese jazz drummer Akira Tana for six performances.
One of the most versatile drummers on the scene, West Coast legend Akira Tana has performed with Sonny Rollins, Hubert Laws, Lena Horne, Rufus Reid, The Manhattan Transfer, and countless other iconic artists and acts. His of-the-moment ability to summon what the music requires in any context drives his evolving expression.
Akira Tana
For this performance, Tana brings his Osaka Quartet featuring Hammond B3 master Atsuko Hashimoto from Osaka, Japan. The quartet’s performance will include music from the classic jazz organ repertoire, originals, and adaptations of material from the Great American Songbook and Japanese pop and folk traditions.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Akira Tana — drums
Atsuko Hashimoto — Hammond B3
Hideki Kawamura — tenor saxophone
Yutaka Hashimoto — guitar
To purchase tickets, please visit Jazz at Lincoln Center’s website. Dizzy's Club requires a minimum food and/or beverage purchase of $21 per person. Can’t make it to the venue? Watch both sets on August 15 live at JazzLive.com.
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Filmmaker Discusses the “Corky Factor” Behind “Photographic Justice”
The late photojournalist Corky Lee. Photo Credit: Jennifer Takaki, All Is Well Pictures.
Lee Young Kwok, better known by his childhood nickname, Corky, was a self-taught photojournalist who documented the everyday lives and struggles of members of the Asian American community in New York and beyond. Lee roamed the streets of Chinatown and practically every neighborhood in Manhattan, photographing everything from celebrations and festivals to protests and rallies in equal measure. Those who saw Lee’s work received a lesson in culture, history, and politics. There was Lunar New Year in Chinatown, a Yuri Kochiyama speech at a Japanese American Day of Remembrance program, a protest against police brutality that actually resulted in police brutality.
Photo Credit: Corky Lee
His photographs graced the pages of various publications, including The Village Voice, Downtown Express, The New York Post, and The New York Times. He had gallery exhibitions at institutions from New York to LA and places in between. Lee did this at a relentless pace for fifty years, until his death from COVID-19 in January 2021.
For almost twenty of those years, filmmaker Jennifer Takaki followed Lee with a camera of her own, documenting the documentarian. The result is the 2022 film Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story, which made the film festival circuit for more than a year and recently had a successful theatrical run at the DCTV Firehouse Cinema in New York as well as at theaters in LA. An edited version of the film premieres on PBS on Monday, May 13, presented by the Center for Asian American Media as part of the network’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Takaki named her documentary after a phrase that Lee often used to describe his work. He would say, “I’m practicing photographic justice,” or declare that taking a certain picture was “an act of photographic justice.”
“It's the whole reason that Corky started his trajectory of his documentation of the AAPI community,” Takaki explains.
Takaki says that Lee coined the phrase in 2002, when he was interviewed by The New York Times after he recreated the historic 1869 Transcontinental Railroad photograph taken to commemorate the railroad’s completion in Utah. The original photographer excluded the Chinese laborers who helped build the railroad. In Lee’s recreation, he photographed the descendants of those Chinese men.
“I knew that that was a very pivotal moment. I knew it was a very pivotal photograph that, at that time, would have been the defining photograph,” Takaki says. “For me, [the phrase “photographic justice”] is a really important message because it's everything [about] why Corky does what he does. Which is why I started filming him anyway—to figure out why Corky does what he does.”
Photo Credit: Corky Lee
A chance encounter with Lee at an event led to Takaki’s curiosity about why the photographer spent all his free time photographing the community.
“He just showed me where the bathroom was and talked about the history of the building. I was like, ‘Who are you?’ And then he started to talk about everything he did,” Takaki says. “I started to follow him. I was going to do five-minute vignettes on people who had a singular focus. That's kind of what started me on my trajectory.”
With a background in television production, Takaki is no stranger to the camera and storytelling. She worked in news in Denver, Hong Kong, and New York, adding entertainment and corporate videos to her portfolio along the way. Lee introduced Takaki, a Japanese American, to fellow filmmaker and Japanese American Stann Nakazono. Together, the two formed an important community group known as ZAJA, where Japanese Americans network and support each other at monthly meetings held in the home of JA leader Julie Azuma. Lee was an honorary member from day one.
Filmmaker Jennifer Takaki. Photo Credit: All Is Well Pictures
During the nineteen years that Takaki followed Lee, she refined and distilled how she would present his story. Originally, the film’s ending was going to be one of the recreations of the Transcontinental Railroad photographs in Utah that Lee organized. Sadly, his death forced Takaki to add his funeral scene to the end instead.
But that is not the end of Corky Lee’s story. To Takaki, nearly two decades after starting the film, her work is just beginning. Photographic Justice has given her the opportunity to introduce Lee to audiences across the country, giving him a well-deserved moment in the spotlight, even in places where she believed Lee should have been popular already.
“What I was surprised about the most was that a lot of the AAPI communities did not know who Corky was,” Takaki says of the screenings she’s attended for the film. “We were just in Oregon, and . . . it was a sold-out show. I asked, ‘Who knew Corky?’ Only two people raised their hand. One of them happened to be from New York and literally knew Corky. I think that that's what surprises me. And that was an Asian American community; that was an Asian American event. I think that just shows that we have so much work to do. But I think it's also great that people are getting out to these events and seeing the film.”
Despite Lee’s relative anonymity outside of New York, Takaki has been pleased with the reaction to her film.
“I do think that it resonates with people and that they will forward it to people,” she says. “I also love the community—generally the filmmaking community—because I think everyone is so supportive of each other's films, and everyone wants to help each other get the word out. I always say it's the Corky Factor. You know there's that Corky Factor that makes people want to help. It's the reason that I have such a great group of people supporting me now. It's the reason that the film got finished. It's the reason the film's getting out. It's that Corky Factor that is undeniable. There is a Corky Factor to everything I do.”
Image Credit: All Is Well Pictures
The late-April theatrical release at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema was particularly gratifying to Takaki. Ahead of the week of sold-out screenings with Q&A sessions, Takaki shared her excitement.
“There are so many things about it that are special. First of all, I have so much respect for [DCTV founders] Keiko and John Alpert. I love them. Also, they were comrades of Corky. They were so kind and generous to me during the whole time I worked on this film, showing so much support for it. Keiko watched the film, and she let me go through their archives. That’s just who they are as people, so that makes it special right there. But the fact that it's in Chinatown and that we will be having panelists who are part of Chinatown and part of the community and part of Corky’s story is so special.”
She wanted packed houses at DCTV, and New Yorkers delivered. But Takaki won’t be satisfied until Corky reaches superstar status. She has put pressure on herself and the community at large to “make sure we do Corky justice.”
“I want people to talk about Corky,” she says. “I want Corky to kind of become like Bruce Lee, you know? To be so synonymous, so outside of his own realm, that people know who he is, and he becomes a cultural figure, an icon in his own right. Because of what he means to so many. Because that whole pride, confidence, and sense of belonging that he brings such joy to anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Just his photos alone. If you know Corky, then you care about his photos. And then through that, you can learn the history of so many different peoples and communities.”
With Lee gone, the community lost not only a friend, but a large piece of coverage and advocacy is missing as well. Takaki thinks that people are continuing Lee’s legacy of photographic justice “in a diffused way,” but she places the onus on all of us to take up the mantle.
“When Corky was around, all you had to do was tell him that this was something important, and then he would show up,” Takaki says. “I don't know [everything that’s] going on in the AAPI community, but I do know that if you go to events and you don't see anyone taking photographs, then it becomes your responsibility to cover it.”
Takaki explains that the best place to start is to highlight and document community organizers and people who are doing good in the community. While there is no replacement for someone like Corky Lee, learning about his legacy and emulating his dedication can only help.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Takaki, All Is Well Pictures
If Lee were still alive, Takaki believes he would be documenting the meetings about and protests against the building of a new jail in Chinatown, something he had already started to do before his death. Of course, we would still see him at yearly community events, especially during May, AAPI Heritage Month.
Of the thousands of photographs Lee took, Takaki says her favorite is of a Sikh man who had wrapped the American flag around him at a candlelight vigil in Central Park following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
“Obviously, it's just such a beautiful image,” Takaki says. “I like Corky's explanation of people back on 9/11 who used the flag as protection [from discrimination]. It's such a beautiful and yet kind of sad but poignant photo.”
Indeed, the image is just one example of the many acts of photographic justice by Corky Lee.
Photo Credit: Corky Lee
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story is available to watch for FREE on PBS Passport until Monday, June 10. To learn how to host a screening, please visit the film’s website and follow @corkyleestory and @wherescorkylee on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
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