Fifth Japan Parade cultural promotion event held in Manhattan
Around fifty thousand people gathered in New York on Saturday to enjoy taiko drumming, martial arts, and authentic Japanese street food, ignoring the severe weather.
- The fifth Japan Parade, a cultural promotion event, was held in Manhattan, attracting an estimated 50,000 people despite heavy rain.
- The parade featured about 100 different groups showcasing Japanese culture through traditional performances like taiko drumming and karate, as well as modern pop culture with the cast of a "Jujutsu Kaisen" play.
- Beyond the procession, the event included festival booths that offered authentic Japanese street food, such as takoyaki, yakitori, and taiyaki, to large crowds.
- Japan's Nagasaki prefecture used the parade as a platform to promote regional tourism, highlighting its local geisha entertainers and encouraging visits to cities beyond Tokyo.
Even with severe downpours, a massive crowd estimated at 50,000 by organisers flocked to New York's Manhattan on Saturday (May 9).
They gathered to celebrate the fifth instalment of the Japan Parade, an initiative dedicated to highlighting the Asian nation's rich cultural heritage.
The vibrant street procession featured roughly 100 different contingents, encompassing corporate sponsors, educational institutions, and various prefectural groups.
These participants marched down the avenues, entertaining onlookers with traditional dances, rhythmic "taiko" drum beats, and impressive combat skills.
The audience enthusiastically cheered on performers as they executed a board-breaking karate display despite the bad weather.
Concluding the march were cast members from the theatrical adaptation of the smash-hit manga and anime franchise, "Jujutsu Kaisen."
Showing her devotion to the medium, one local female resident, who was decked out in Japanese anime merchandise, expressed her sheer delight at spotting the actors because of her deep love for anime.
Beyond the procession, the celebration offered numerous festival-style vending booths serving authentic cuisine, which quickly drew massive queues.
Attendees lined up eagerly for popular street eats like sweet bean-filled "taiyaki" (fish-shaped pancakes) and "yakitori" (barbequed chicken skewers).
Meanwhile, one male attendee who purchased "takoyaki", pancake spheres filled with octopus pieces, mentioned he was tasting the dish for the very first time and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Looking ahead to global travel, the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki utilised the occasion to highlight its native "geikoshi" or "geisha" (local traditional female entertainers).
This promotional effort aligns seamlessly with the city of Nagasaki recently being named on The New York Times' prestigious "52 places to go" list for 2026.
Highlighting this regional tourism push, Yoshihiro Date, a cultural and tourism official for the prefecture, stated: "We hope many tourists will visit regional cities," explicitly encouraging travellers to explore beyond major metropolises like Tokyo.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
