The third Japan Parade, aimed at promoting Japanese culture, was held Saturday in Manhattan in New York City.
About 100 groups, including a delegation from the city of Yamaguchi, which was selected for the New York Times list of “52 Places to Go in 2024,” participated in the event. Tens of thousands of people gathered along the street to enjoy traditional Japanese culture and food.
The previous Japan Parade was held last year.
Yamaguchi Mayor Kazuki Ito dressed up in a costume from the Yamaguchi Gion Festival, which has a history dating back about 600 years. Additionally, performances at the event included Hanagasa Ondo folk songs from Yamagata Prefecture, as well as performances from the stage adaptation of the popular manga series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.”
Former wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kunieda from Japan also took part in the event and acknowledged the cheers from those along the way.
Mayor Ito told reporters before the parade: “I want to convey the flavor of ‘the Kyoto of the West.’ Yamaguchi, located west of Kyoto, is said to be modeled on the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto and is often called the Kyoto of the West.
Event visitors could also enjoy Japanese food such as takoyaki (octopus dumplings) and grilled scallops from Hokkaido.
