Japan Week comes to NYC
You can buy mouth-watering Japanese goodies for just 10 bucks
Do you like Japanese culture? Does the opportunity to try King Crab Croquette from Hokkaido, conveyor belt sushi, and witness a Ukiyo-e artist performing his crafts right in front of your eyes with only the hassle of a subway ride sound alluring?
Here’s your chance: the annual Japan Week is here again!
Hosted by the Japan National Tourism Organization, the three-day event (March 10-12) brings the perks and tastes of Japanese culture right to the heart of New York City. Neatly snuggled into a corner of Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station, this microcosm of Northern Japan hosts about 40 different stalls brought by varies cultural, technological, and culinary exhibitors
The Ambience
A lot of the exhibitors actually flew in from Japan, so expect to hear Japanese as the main language used at the venue. But don’t panic, the event staffs are there to assist with translating. FYI—A giant Domo is also walking around to take pictures with you.
The FOOD
The organizers of Japan Week somehow managed to install a mini-size conveyor belt sushi bar in the middle of the venue—the line could be long, (one of the security guard said it went up to Madison Avenue last year) but it definitely will be worth the wait.
Other than the conveyor belt sushi, there’s Royce Chocolate (yes, you heard right, and with free samples), dried noodle and seafood from Japan, sashimi bento box, Santouka Ramen in to-go package for $7, Croquette stand that sells deep fried King Crab from Hokkaido for $10, ready-to-eat Squid rice for $10, and an assortment of bottled Ito En green tea that’s $2 each.
The $7 Santouka Ramen
The Art
“Keizaburo Matsuzaki came all the way from Japan to show his skills and techniques,” said Miyuki Shimizu, who has worked as a translator for both this year and last year’s event.
The artist, a 79-year-old man stands shy of five feet, sat comfortably in front of a work station set up temporarily for him at the exhibits. Wearing a loose white cotton robe and a blue and white headscarf, he performed the three-step procedure of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints in front of a curious crowd that wowed as he went on.
Ukiyo-e woodblock prints is a genre of Japanese art originated in the 17th Century Edo Period Japan produced by carving paintings on wood blocks and color printing them on papers. Shimizu, his translator, said that every print is produced by layering 15-20 different colors. “It’s just amazing when you see him do it,” she said.
The Perks
Another major attraction of the event is the different types of contests that attendees could participate to win prize.
Miku Expo Stamp Rally gives you the chance to win tickets to Hatsune Miku Vocaloid concert in New York, which retails on Ticketmaster from $75 to $225, by collect stamps from all of the vendors.
Delta Airlines is hosting a photo lottery where participants enter by having their photo. The winners get a goodie bag from Delta containing a portable charger, a U-shape pillow neck, a USB drive and other travel essentials. The non-winners walk home with their photo, made into postcards. The ultimate Grand Prize winner, which will be unveiled this coming Monday, gets a round-trip ticket to Japan.
The Tips
The securities do not allow anyone who accidentally steps out of the stanchion belt to go back in. Exit with caution to avoid having to queue again.