Annual tourism event features Japanese cultural panoply.
NEW YORK – Japan Week, New York’s premier Japan travel and tourism event, celebrates its fifth year at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall on March 10th – 12th, 2016. Organized by Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Japan Week’s sponsors include Delta Air Lines, NHK World, AEON, JR-EAST, City of Tokyo, Kubara Honke, and other additional companies from both Japan and New York.
Japan Week 2016 Main Points:
– Combining Japan’s technological innovation with its traditional cuisine uniquely, Japan Week 2016 features a real Kaiten Sushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurant serving up delicious offerings from Hokkaido and Tohoku, regions renowned for their seafood.
– A traditional symbol of beauty and renewal in Japanese culture, cherry blossoms bloom every spring all over the country. Japan Week will incorporate a design of the characteristic swathes of pink petals across the event site and exhibitor booths, bringing the Japanese “Sakura-Viewing” experience to Vanderbilt Hall.
– Japan Week 2016 spotlights the regions of Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku as exciting opportunities for travel while covering the entire Japan. About 40 exhibitors, including businesses, travel agencies, and local Japanese governments, will be in attendance.
Travel and Cultural Highlights:
– The JNTO Tourism Booth offers information on castles, hot springs, popular festivals, cherry blossom-viewings, and other destinations across Japan. Attendees can meet with tourism experts and take home free maps and brochures.
– The Tohoku (Northern Japan) Booth welcomes you with a treasure trove of unique cultural heritage and pristine nature. Discover spectacular festivals, cool summers, and much more at their booth.
– Visitors can participate in a variety of contests, including three opportunities to win a trip to Japan. (1) Fill out a survey at the JNTO Booth, (2) guess the cherry blossom blooming date in Hirosaki, Aomori at the Tohoku Booth, and (3) enter a Trip to Japan sweepstakes on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JapanWeekNY).
– In the Vanderbilt Hall, visitors can join the Miku Expo Stamp Rally to win collectible goods or even a Hatsune Miku Concert Ticket to see Japan’s favorite virtual idol.
– The Hokkaido Booth offers valuable information on tourism to the region. Learn why Hokkaido is a skier’s dream, try on traditional clothing from the Ainu (Japan’s indigenous people), and find out about Hokkaido’s natural wonders throughout the year.
– Learning about travel to Japan has never been easier. Amnet, H.I.S. International Tours, Iace Travel, and Kintetsu International Express will be providing exclusive discounts and expert advice on tourism.
– Delta Air Lines is New York’s largest and fastest-growing carrier, offering non-stop daily service to Tokyo. At Japan Week, visitors can experience their Delta Business Elite Seat and receive a coupon for $50 off their next flight.
– Find out why JR-EAST is Japan’s largest railway company. Their new high-speed rail extension to Hokkaido on March 26th will serve to connect Tokyo, Tohoku and Hokkaido at a max speed of 200mph.
– International television network NHK World will spotlight the revival of the Tohoku region. Showcasing the resurgence of Tohoku’s nature and culture, visitors will see what a difference five years can make. NHK World’s beloved mascot Domo will also be in attendance, eager to take photos with visitors.
Art and Performance Highlights:
– The JNTO Tourism Booth will feature performances and workshops from Ishikawa. Visitors can make Kyoto Koma spinning tops, participate in Kimono fitting and Kabuki makeup demonstrations in the Takafuji ryu style, create Japanese crafts such as Kinchaku hand purses, Kutani hariyama pincushions, and Kaga yuzen handkerchiefs, and watch Tennyo no Hagoromo, an origami cloth performance.
– The Tokyo Booth at Japan Week features Keizaburo Matsuzaki, an UKIYO-E artist whose skills have made him a national treasure in Japan. He will be creating exquisite woodblock prints by hand for all to see.
Food Highlights:
– Mitsuwa marketplace will be selling goods from all over Japan, including Hokkaido “ikameshi” rice-stuffed squid, “corn potage” soup, and “dried gobo” (Tohoku’s local root vegetable) such as healthful gobo tea.
– Taste delicious Hokkaido foods ranging from traditional to cosmopolitan. Between handmade seafood croquettes and seafood rice bowls, award-winning chocolates and cheesecakes, and even the area’s signature miso ramen noodles, visitors will find out why Hokkaido is one of Japan’s major agricultural and culinary centers.
– Kubara Honke, a 120-year-old company dedicated to Japanese seasonings, will be showcasing their locally sourced natural products such as “dashi” cooking broth, dressings, and tea.
To see Japan Week’s full exhibitor list, stage schedule, and travel deals, please visit www.japanweek.us.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
