By Gus Saltonstall
The Japan Parade is returning to the Upper West Side at the beginning of next month for its third rendition in the neighborhood.
The parade will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, and travel down Central Park West from West 81st to 67th streets.
There will also be a Japanese Day Festival going on the same day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on West 72nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.
“The purpose of the parade is to celebrate, express, and bring awareness to the friendship between NYC and Japan with a thank you from the Japanese community,” organizers of the event wrote on its website.
Between the parade and street fair, there will be dozens of food vendors, cultural performances, origami stands, educational activities, and more.
Shingo Kunieda, a wheelchair tennis star and four-time Paralympic gold medalist, will serve as this year’s parade Grand Marshall.
“I am very honored to serve as Grand Marshal of the Japan Parade, and I’m delighted to be involved in this opportunity to promote Japanese culture,” Kunieda said in a press release.
The cast of “Demon Slayer,” a popular Japanese show, will also be in attendance.
The Japan Day Festival took place annually in Central Park starting in 2007, before switching locations to 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, and last year to West 72nd Street, where it will be for this year’s rendition.
The first parade did not take place until 2022, when “Star Trek” actor George Takei served as the Grand Marshall.
Here’s a preview for this year’s parade and street fair, and you can find out more — HERE.
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Too many parades ; too many actual residents dealing with so much inconvenience always in same areas . Enough !!! Enough street closings & street fairs !! And why this neighborhood ?? Do we have a Japanese population ,
Another actual resident who isn’t crazy about the bus re-routing caused by Open Streets and parades. But the Japan Parade is such a wonderful combination of homespun and exotic that I’ll gladly walk a couple of extra blocks to get to my bus on that day. To me, the best part of last year’s parade was on the side streets off CPW, where school and club groups gathered to adjust their costumes and practice their routines before joining the parade. Fabulous outfits and makeup.
Parades are better than traffic jams.
The Japan Day Parade is beautiful and joyful. That the UWS doesn’t have a huge Japanese population makes the sharing of their culture all the more wonderful and welcome. I for one have marked this on my calendar! And yes, I’m an actual resident. 🕊️
I think this is wonderful! My heart lifted when I saw the announcement. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m very happy it will be right in my neighborhood. Welcome!
Of all the events on the upper west side, no one ever comes to this….Why?
Enough already!
Go somewhere on the east side or way uptown, but not in our neighborhood.
This parade is too thin.
A small marching band will pass by,
then 200 feet of nothing, (1 block)
20 “Karate Kids in gi’s walking,
another 200 feet of nothing,
a float full of costumed Taiko drummers,
200 feet of nothing,
some local politico waving from a rag top car,
200 feet of nothing,
a dozen HS girls dressed as Geishas,
200 feet of nothing,
On and on for several hours.
THIS PARADE IS TOO THIN.
Go back to Having “Japan Day” in Central Park.
W/ all the booths of activity ,
The dozen+ tables of promoting Japanese art, travel and history,
The opportunity to sample different Japanese dishes and drinks.
And, the bandshell was a great venue for all the performers and various demonstrations.