About Japan Day 

Since Japan Day @ Central Park first started in 2007, we have been delighted at how quickly this new tradition has captured the interest of New Yorkers with the official support of the Consulate-General of Japan in New York, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, The Nippon Club and many corporations.

Japan Day 2012 also gave us an opportunity to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the US with special activities and the “Japan Day – Cherry Blossom Art Contest,” which for the first time allowed the public to submit artwork for our official posters, flyers and programs. The Contest was such a success, resulting in so many splendid entries, and yielding such a wonderful, winning illustration, that we intend to make the Contest a regular annual event for years to come.

Now in its 7^th year, we are proud of the praise Japan Day has garnered – New Yorkers from every walk of life, former Park Commissioner Adrian Benepe, and even Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said Japan Day has become an eagerly anticipated cultural event on the city’s calendar. For the 2013 event, we are planning once again to have both the Japan Run and the Japan Day Festival together. We are in the process of working out the details of the event, placing the emphasis on enjoyable activities that will deepen participants’ understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture.