By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Tucked between Oscar and cherry blossom season, March offers an unmissable array of concerts, performances and exhibitions, along with a special gathering to mark the five-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

This month’s highlights include:

Tuesday, March 1, 8:00 p.m.

An Evening of Japanese Traditional Theatre

Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage), 881 Seventh Avenue

$50-$500, student discount tickets available at the box office

Starring kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa, this performance highlights traditional Japanese music by showcasing three different traditional Japanese theatrical art forms: kabuki, noh, and kyogen. It is rare, even in Japan, to see these performed in the same evening and on the same stage. Artistic Director of the Grand Japan Theater Denjiro Tanaka is the son of Tadao Kamei, a noh musician, and Sataro Tanaka, the daughter of kabuki musicians. His shared lineage made this collaboration possible.

Opens Friday, March 4

The Boy and the Beast

AMC Empire 25; Angelika Film Center; Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea

$14.50-$15.75

The latest feature film from award-winning Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children)! When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son. But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely pair will be put to the ultimate test—a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage. This limited theatrical engagement is presented in English dub and the original Japanese audio with English subtitles—check your local theater for availability and showtimes.

March 4-9

Of Ghosts, Samurai and War: A Series of Classic Japanese Film

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$12, $10 students/seniors, $8 members

In its history spanning more than 100 years, Japanese cinema has produced some of the most admired films that continue to enrich the world cinema discourse. Masterpieces by such greats as Akira Kurosawa (Rashomon), Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu), and Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba) have proved their enduring influence on filmmaking and film appreciation.

The six films included in the series are set during Japan’s Middle Ages (12th to 17th century) and produced during the Japanese golden age of cinema in the 1950s and 1960s—a time when Japan’s memory of war was still vivid. Using a variety of narrative and visual techniques, these filmmakers present a humanist approach to understanding life during war: from the struggle for power, to the quest for justice, or even the mere fight for survival. These rarely screened 35mm film prints also represent the best of Japanese cinema for their visual designs, color schemes, music, narrative strategies and performance styles, offering a pristine and essential viewing experience.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from an exhibition that will transport you to another time, some cool late night jazz celebrating the best of two different cultures, and a fashion show and traditional performances you won’t want to miss.

This month’s highlights include:

Feb. 5-6, 11:15 p.m.

Patrick Bartley—Parallel Worlds: Japanese and American Music in the 20th Century

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway and 60th Street, 5th floor

$10, $5 students (Friday); $20, $10 students (Saturday)

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Late Night Session performances feature some of jazz’s most talented up-and-comers. Following his three nights of Bix and Tram: A Retrospective held earlier in the week, Parallel Worlds offers a brief, yet insightful look at the musical relationship between Japan and America, all performed by talented young musicians. The leader of New York’s own J-MUSIC Ensemble, Bartley (who performed with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in January) will examine the important periods between the earliest recorded music (1920s-30s) and the turning point for all popular music around the world in the 1960s—a story told with jazz as its orator.

Feb. 9-May 8

Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$12, $10 seniors, $7 students, free for members and on Fridays 6:00-9:00 p.m.

With over thirty masterpieces from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) from private and museum collections in North America and Europe, Kamakura is the first exhibition to look beyond the aesthetics and technical achievements of these remarkable sculptures, and specifically examine the relationship between realism and the sacred empowerment of these objects. The exhibition explores how sculptures are “brought to life” or “enlivened” by the spiritual connection between exterior form, interior contents, and devotional practice, reflecting the complexity and pluralism of the period. Kamakura marks the first major loan show of Kamakura sculpture in the United States in more than thirty years.

Feb. 11-14

TAO Drumheart

NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place

$45-$75

Direct from TAO’s successful, sold-out world premiere run of at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, TAO comes to tour North America. Their new show, Drumheart—making its world premiere in New York—is their newest show bringing you athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. directed by Amon Miyamoto (Pacific Overtures) and featuring costumes by Junko Koshino and stage design by Rumi Matsui (both Tony nominees), TAO has critics raving about their extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than six million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming, entertains international audiences again and again.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Shukan NY Seikatsu. Visit his Examiner.com Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Those who have attended intimate Japanese arts performances in the city—such as last November’s sold-out shows of “IN THE BOX” at the Martha Graham Dance Company featuring Bessie Award winner Miki Orihara—might be familiar with the name Mar Creation, Inc.

Established by Nagoya-born Hiroshi Kono in 2003 as an independent record company with him doubling as label artist, Mar Creation expanded its focus to live events in 2008, and in recent years has been involved with various charitable causes. Some of its popular series include j-Summit NY (which hosted its 27th edition last month at The Bowery Electric featuring Alan Merrill, the original singer and composer of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”), and the annual New York Japan CineFest at Asia Society, which Mar Creation aims to expand this year as part of a national tour that includes Tokyo and several U.S. cities.

A music writer and journalist, Kono says that his other ambitions as a producer include a collaboration with Japanese calligrapher Setsuhi Shiraishi on her upcoming solo exhibition in New York and Washington, D.C. featuring workshop/performance shows with live musicians in multiple cities this summer and fall; Fukushima-related lectures and film screening events; Brazilian music festivals to celebrate the Rio 2016 Olympics; Japanese cherry blossom festivals in springtime; and anime/comic book conventions nationwide and abroad.

For more information, visit www.marcreation.com.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

With Thanksgiving (and the hopes of sensible eating) now just a memory, we turn to colder weather, falling snow, and the new year to come. Fortunately for Japanese culture fans, December is just as busy as the holiday season itself. Whether you’re hosting guests from out of town or looking to squeeze in an event or two in between parties, we’ve got you covered.

This month’s highlights include:

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10:00 p.m.

Gene Ess & Fractal Attraction

Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd Street

$15

Fresh off the heels of their 2015 SESAC Award-winning album Eternal Monomyth, Gene Ess and Fractal Attraction have been solidifying themselves as one of New York’s premiere collectives featuring original material that explores the use of the voice as an instrument in a chamber group setting. Eternal Monomyth is the riveting companion piece to Fractal Attraction, which was the winner of the SESAC Outstanding Jazz Award in 2010 and peaked at number 3 on the jazz radio charts. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Ess grew up on a United States Air Force Base on Okinawa. He has performed with Carlos Santana, Archie Shepp, Matt Garrison, Reggie Workman, Ravi Coltrane, and Dave Liebman.

Dec. 10-12, 7:30 p.m.

A Night of Kyogen with Mansaku Nomura and Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$55-$85, $45-$75 Japan Society members

Living National Treasure Mansaku Nomura, together with illustrious members of the Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company, including Mansaku’s son star of stage/film/TV Mansai Nomura and practiced performer Yukio Ishida, return to Japan Society to offers a special evening of kyogen, Japan’s traditional comedic theater that satirizes and embraces human imperfection. Centering around Mansaku’s virtuosic performance of the vigorous solo piece Nasu no Yoichi, based on a serious episode from The Tale of the Heike, the program also includes the dynamic Akutaro, starring Mansai, about a troublemakers unexpected journey to repentance and the popular play Bonsan, which follows a foolish thief with a penchant for bonsai trees. With English supertitles. The Thursday, November 10 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception for ticket holders.

Friday, Dec. 11, 11:00 p.m.

Racha Fora

Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd Street

$10

Racha Fora was formed in 2010 originally as a quartet by two Japanese and two Brazilians in Boston. Racha Fora issued its debut album in 2012, which was focused on group flutist Hiroaki Honshuku’s compositions, and embarked on a tour of Japan, which became an annual affair. They just released their second album from the JazzTokyo label, Racha S’Miles: Racha Fora’s Tribute to Miles, in which Miles Davis standards from the 1950s and 1960s are reborn in the 21st century featuring NEA Jazz Master (and key saxophonist for Davis in the 1970s), Dave Liebman. This intimate late night set features special guest Donny McCaslin on sax.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

From Broadway to anime to J-pop, November is just as colorful as the leaves gliding through the air. Add to that a cutting-edge Noh-inspired stage spectacle, a classical collegium performance and the return of the undisputed ukulele master, and you’ve got an irresistibly epic rundown.

This month’s highlights include:

Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 12:00 p.m.

We Are Perfume: World Tour 3rd Document

Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue

$18

This new documentary follows the veteran all-girl pop trio on a two-month international live tour (which made a stop at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom last November). While traveling around the globe to cities across Asia, Europe, and the United States, audiences will see Perfume’s powerful live performances and catch never before seen behind-the-scenes footage. Witness the group’s single-minded approach to their performances – the joy, anguish, and struggles, not only in the music, but also in fashion and pop culture.

Nov. 2 & 8

The Anthem of the Heart

Village East Cinema, 181-189 Second Avenue

$14

From the creative team behind Anohana, The Anthem of the Heart tells the story of Jun, once a happy young lady with a tenacious personality. Jun has torn her family apart by saying something hurtful, and her ability to speak has been sealed away by the Egg Fairy in order to stop her from hurting others. Now, Jun lives in the shadows and avoids the limelight. But when she is nominated to become the executive member of the Community Outreach Council and appointed as the main lead in the council’s musical, Jun will have to find her voice and the wisdom to temper her words. Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Nov. 3, 5-8

Hagoromo

BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton Street (Brooklyn)

$25-$70

An angel’s garment, possessed of mysterious powers, falls to a remote island on Earth, where it is found by a poor fisherman. To get it back, the angel offers up her greatest celestial gift: a dance of incomparable beauty. Dance icons and former New York City Ballet principals Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto, contralto Katalin Károlyi and tenor Peter Tantsits, and puppets by Chris Green come together in this inspired reimagining of a Japanese Noh theater classic. With choreography by David Neumann, costumes by Belgian fashion icon Dries Van Noten, and an original score by Nathan Davis—performed live by the International Contemporary Ensemble and Brooklyn Youth Chorus—Hagoromo merges genres to send a stranded spirit back to heaven.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

The Japan-centric events of the month ahead promise to be as rich and full as autumn itself—brisk and colorful, with a dash of unpredictability.

This month’s highlights include:

Oct. 8-11

New York Comic Con

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street

Limited tickets available

The East Coast’s biggest gathering for fans of comics, film, anime and manga, New York Comic Con returns with its biggest roster of Hollywood talent to date, including the first-ever appearance outside of Japan of Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, on hand for an exclusive Q&A panel (Oct. 8, 5:30 p.m.) as well as the North American theatrical debut (Oct. 10, 11:30 a.m. at Hammerstein Ballroom) of Boruto: Naruto the Movie! In addition, Kishimoto will also make live appearances at Apple Store SoHo (Oct. 7, 7:00 p.m.), Kinokuniya Book Store (Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m.) and Barnes and Noble Tribeca (Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m.). Don’t miss this chance to meet one of Japan’s most popular contemporary manga artists!

Oct. 9-Jan. 10

For a New World to Come: Experiments in Japanese Art and Photography, 1968-1979 Japan Society Gallery, 333 East 47th Street

$12 students and seniors, $10, Japan Society members. Free on Friday nights, 6:00-9:00 p.m. 

In the wake of the social and political upheaval of the late 1960s, Japanese artists and photographers began crafting a new visual language for an age of uncertainty. Their embrace of camera-based experiments would alter the cultural landscape and lay the foundations for contemporary art in Japan. For a New World to Come is the first comprehensive exhibition to spotlight this radical break with the past. With some 200 works by such luminaries as Ishiuchi Miyako, Daidō Moriyama, Jirō Takamatsu, and Shōmei Tōmatsu, the exhibition charts the stunning diversity of photographic practices during this pivotal era, from conceptual series situated squarely within global artistic currents, to visually arresting meditations on time, place, and self.

Oct. 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 21

Boruto: Naruto the Movie

Village East Cinema, 181-189 2nd Ave.

$15

See the next generation of Naruto on the big screen! With Naruto as the Seventh Hokage, Hidden Leaf Village is planning to host the Chunin Exams to train new shinobi. Among the entrants are Sasuke’s daughter, Sarada, who adores Naruto, Mitsuki, an exceptionally talented yet mysterious shinobi, and Boruto, Naruto’s son who shows great potential, but despises his father. Sasuke, who’s been on a mission in another dimension, appears before Naruto to warn of a strange impending danger he has sensed. An inconceivable foe lies in wait as Sasuke, the Five Kage, and Boruto charge into another dimension!Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

As the summer winds fade into fall colors, the weeks ahead are shaping up with these exciting events, ready to be enjoyed after Labor Day.

This month’s highlights include:

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m.

Japanese Design Today: Unique, Evolving, Borderless

UL105, University Center, The New School, 63 Fifth Ave.

Free (click here to register)

Japanese design has been proven capable of transcending language barriers and fostering communication and understanding between cultures, enthusiastically embracing elements of other cultures while developing and retaining its own unique sense of design aesthetic, which today is recognized and appreciated throughout the world. But as Japanese society has transformed socially, geopolitically, and economically, so has Japanese design transformed to accommodate these changes which has given way to a new era. Hiroshi Kashiwagi, professor at Musashino Art University, and architect/ furniture designer Yoshifumi Nakamura will each discuss the evolution, distinguishing characteristics, and current state of Japanese design today. A Q&A session will follow the presentations.

Friday, Sept. 11, 7:00 p.m.

The Circle Wind Concert

The Concert Hall — New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street

$20

Celebrating its eighth annual concert, this year Circle Wind will give tribute to Taylor Anderson, an American victim of the the Great East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami on March 11, 2011. Anderson was dispatched to Ishinomaki under The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in 2008 and was teaching English to schoolchildren there. The newly formed “Never Give Up Taylor’s Choir” from the Ishinomaki/Higashi-Matsushima area will perform an original piece symbolizing their appreciation for the American people’s support to recover from the devastation in 2011. Maestro Gregory Singer and his Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra also returns to perform some tribute songs for Taylor together with koto soloist Masayo Ishigure and other prominent artists. Hosted by New York’s choral harmony group Tomo.

Saturday, Sept. 12

Double feature: Live Your Dream and Dream Beyond 400 Years

Nippon Club of New York, Rose Room, 145 West 57th Street

$10 per film (at 5:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.)

Live Your Dream is a story about the courage and sacrifice of Taylor Anderson and for all the young people who travel the world trying to make a difference. Taylor was an extraordinary American who on the JET Program dedicated herself to teaching Japanese children, living her dream right up to the disaster of March 11, 2011. In the New York premiere of Dream Beyond 400 Years, local choir Tomo took a journey to Coria Del Rio in Spain, representing a journey going beyond 400 years. In this town, they met “Japón-san,” the descendants of Japanese travelers to Spain 400 years ago. The members of Tomo and Japón-san form a lifelong friendship in this touching real-life story. An after-screening reception featuring Circle Wind Concert participants and members of Taylor Anderson’s family will be held at 7:30 p.m. ($40).

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

In the dog days of summer, it’s best to escape the heat in a place that’s cozy and cool. For those into Japanese cultural events, this month offers a diverse selection of film premieres and live music—all in the comfort of indoor air conditioning.

This month’s highlights include:

Aug. 4, 5, 7, 8 & 11

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’

AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street

Chelsea Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street

Village East Cinema 7, 181-189 2nd Avenue

$15

Hot on the heels of last year’s summer blockbuster, Battle of Gods, Resurrection ‘F’ is the second film personally supervised byDBZ creator himself, Akira Toriyama. The new movie showcases the return of Frieza, the galaxy’s most evil overlord. After years in spiritual purgatory, Frieza has been resurrected and plans to take his revenge on the Z-Fighters of Earth. Facing off against Frieza’s powerful new form and his army of 1,000 soldiers, Goku and Vegeta must reach new levels of strength in order to protect Earth from their vengeful nemesis. English dub version.

Friday, Aug. 28, 6:00 p.m.

Always: Sunset on Third Street 3

Japan Information Center Gallery, Consulate General of Japan in New York

299 Park Avenue, 18th floor

Free (email RSVP to kanako_shirasaki[at]jfny.org; photo ID required upon entry)

A special screening of the third film in the wildly popular series! In 1964, novelist Ryunosuke Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka) has married Hiromi (Koyuki), and the two now share a happy life with Junnosuke (Kenta Suga), the young boy he had taken in during the first film, who is now in high school. Hiromi is also pregnant, and the family prepares to welcome a new addition to their household. One day, Hiromi discovers a telegram that Chagawa had hidden. Who sent this telegram? What is the surprising identity of this new, rival writer? And what future awaits the people of Third Street? Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Aug. 28-30

Liberty City Anime Con

Crowne Plaza White Plains, 66 Hale Avenue

$50 for weekend pass

The best three-day anime convention (just north of) New York City, the inaugural Liberty City Anime Con features over 100 events and panels, a dozen guests and entertainers, three days of cosplay, game tournaments and anime screenings, and concerts, balls and dances. Guest performers include idol singer Reni Mimura, female J-pop group Starberry, and New Jersey-based anime, video game and J-pop cover band Moshi Moshi.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

After you’ve seen the outdoor fireworks, enjoy some summer events in the cool indoors, whether it’s catching one of 28 films premiering at Japan Society’s annual festival, enjoying the new sounds of electronic and jazz veterans, or witnessing an all-new retelling of the work of contemporary Japan’s most influential novelist.

This month’s highlights include:

July 9-19

JAPAN CUTS 2015

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$13, $10 Japan Society members, seniors and students (most screenings)

North America’s largest festival of new Japanese film, the ninth annual edition of JAPAN CUTS is proud to present actress Sakura Ando with the CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Performance in Film, presenting her latest great performances in two new films for the festival’s Centerpiece Presentation. Shingo Wakagi’s elegant Banana Yoshimoto adaptation Asleep makes its North American premiere, and Masaharu Take’s fantastic slacker-to-boxer pathos-drenched comedy 100 Yen Love is presented in its North American premiere, followed by the PUNCH LOVE Party. The festival’s Closing Film is perhaps one of the most memorable Japanese titles of the decade: Juichiro Yamasaki’s Sanchu Uprising: Voices at Dawn, being shown for the first time outside of Japan. Director Yamasaki appears at the festival to present this remarkable independent period film, which offers a valuable fable for the political consciousness of the contemporary moment.

Monday, July 20, 7:00 p.m.

Guster with Kishi Bashi

Central Park SummerStage

$40

Having collaborated and toured with of Montreal, Regina Spektor, and now Guster, singer, violinist, and composer K Ishibashi (aka Kishi Bashi) embarks on an epic orchestral solo project. His solo live show is a dazzling array of looping and vocal/violin gymnastics. Bright and soaring avant-pop songs are prevalent, as are Eastern-tinged arrangements, gentle ballads, Philip Glass-inspired improvisations, and more than a few moments that flirt with ‘70s prog (in the tradition of ELO or Yes). Jarringly kaleidoscopic, but it works.

July 21-23

Aki Sasamoto: Food Rental

High Line at the Rail Yards, West 30th Street and Eleventh Avenue

Free

Aki Sasamoto presents Food Rental, a new performance for which she will bring a custom-built food cart to the High Line’s newest section. From her perch inside the cart, the artist will offer visitors an à la carte selection of micro performances and playful narrative demonstrations. Like an off-kilter life hacking workshop, Food Rental will continue Sasamoto’s history of performances that engage visitors with sneakily shifting stage sets and unruly props.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

After an unusually chilly spring, it’s finally starting to feel like summer. Enjoy some seasonal events this month that celebrate the best of both fine art and pop art.

This month’s highlights include:

June 4-5, 6:30 p.m.

New York Japan CineFest 2015: Program 1 & Program 2

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$12, $10 students/seniors, $8 members

Co presented by Asia Society and Mar Creation, Inc., New York Japan CineFest highlights some of the most exciting new voices in cinema, presenting two nights of short films by emerging Japanese and Japanese American filmmakers. The first night features all-new works made within the last year, while the second night’s program spotlights female directors and is followed by a Q&A with Ema Ryan Yamazaki (Monk by Blood) and Hazuki Aikawa (Reflection). The first night’s program is followed by a reception.

June 4-7, 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Hiromi Trio Project featuring Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips

Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West Third Street

$40, $55

Part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival! A native of Hamamatsu, Japan, Grammy-winning pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara is one of the world’s top young international performers in jazz. As part of the Trio Project with bassist Anthony Jackson (Paul Simon, the O’Jays, Steely Dan, Chick Corea) and drummer Simon Phillips (the Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour, Jack Bruce), her passionate and incendiary keyboard work has been a shining light on the jazz landscape since her 2003 debut. She takes up a four-night residency at the Blue Note in support of her latest album with the Trio Project, Alive, which was released in 2014.

June 5-6. 7:30 p.m.

Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug OQ

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$25, $20 Japan Society members

Global traditions flow together in this latest work by Bessie Award-winning choreographer Kota Yamazaki. Inspired by Japanese ritual poetry readings held at the Imperial Palace, Yamazaki’s OQ (ōkyu is the phonetic reading of the Japanese word for “palace”) features dancers from diverse cultural and dance backgrounds including Western contemporary, butoh and hip-hop. Within a space designed by award-winning New York architect collective SO-IL that complements the dancers’ fluid motions, Yamazaki’s palace, with its own rituals and customs, comes to life before your eyes. The Friday, June 5 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

As spring continues and the weather continues to warm, New Yorkers can enjoy activities all over the city both indoors and out.

This month’s highlights include:

Friday, May 1, 8:00 p.m.

VAMPS

Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway

$35

Japan’s most daring rock band, VAMPS is fronted by vocalist hyde of L’arc~en~Ciel and guitarist K.A.Z of Oblivion Dust. Now touring in support of their latest album, Bloodsuckers (available on iTunes), VAMPS returns to take another bite out of the Big Apple for their first area performance since 2013.

Monday, May 4, 6:30 p.m.

Monkey Business: Japan/America Writers’ Dialogue in Words and Pictures

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$15, $10 Asia Society members, $12 students/seniors

Join this annual conversation between contemporary Japanese and American authors in which Asia Society hosts an international dialogue, curated and moderated by the co-founders and editors of the Tokyo-based literary journal Monkey Business with writers who are featured in the latest edition of Monkey Business (#5), a unique, cutting-edge annual literary journal which showcases newly-translated Japanese as well as contributions from contemporary American and British writers.

Thursday, May 7, 6:30 p.m.

The Magical Art of Translation: From Haruki Murakami to Japan’s Latest Storytellers

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$12, $8 Japan Society members, students/seniors

Since 1989, Jay Rubin has translated many of Haruki Murakami’s most successful and prize-winning novels, including The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood and 1Q84. In this program, he is joined by Ted Goossen, translator of Murakami’s most recent U.S. publications, The Strange Library and Wind/Pinball: Two Early Novels, and co-editor of Monkey Business literary magazine, which showcases the best of contemporary Japanese literature for an international audience. They will discuss the unique challenges of translating modern Japanese literary works into American English, and vice versa. Rubin will also talk about his transition from translator to novelist vis-à-vis his debut novel The Sun Gods. Joining the discussion from Tokyo will be authors Aoko Matsuda and Satoshi Kitamura, and Motoyuki Shibata, friend and translating partner of Murakami. Author Roland Kelts, co-editor of Monkey Business, moderates the discussion. Followed by a reception.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Spring has sprung in the Big Apple, and that means one thing: a new season of sounds, colors, and spectacular performing arts to match the blossoming sakura trees throughout the city.

This month’s highlights include:

Now through April 26

Takahiro Iwasaki: In Focus

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$12/$10 seniors/$7 students; free on Fridays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Takahiro Iwasaki creates detailed miniature landscapes using towels, toothbrushes, used clothing, and other found and recycled materials. This exhibition is a part of Asia Society Museum’s ongoing In Focus series, which invites contemporary artists to create new works, often in conversation with the Asia Society Museum’s permanent collection of traditional Asian art.

April 5-May 3 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

East Meets West Brunch

Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West Third Street

$35

Blue Note Jazz Club and the Japan Foundation present the East Meets West Brunch series to introduce Japanese jazz to New York audiences. This brunch series will take place on five consecutive Sundays this spring, and features food, music and a drink. Performers include Mika Mimura Group (April 5), Hiromi Suda (April 12), Martha Kato Trio (April 19), Sumie Kaneko (April 26), and the Takeshi Ohbayashi Trio (May 3).

Saturday, April 11, 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Escape from the Walled City

Richmond County Bank Ballpark, 75 Richmond Terrace (Staten Island)

$30, $35 at the door

The titans are coming, and they’re hungry. Based on the manga megahit Attack on Titan, the newest Real Escape Game (REG) takes players to a world inhabited by giant, humanoid creatures that live for no other purpose than to make a snack of all of us. The high walls of the stadium are the only thing keeping you safe…for now. Experience the latest edition of SCRAP’s interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving games on a scale never seen before. Join thousands of other players as you decode clues inside a real stadium! Be warned, though: survival isn’t easy, and teamwork will be essential if you hope to survive. After already hosting over 40,000 players in the U.S. to date, Escape requires participants to use their best detective skills as they race against the clock.

For the complete story, click here.

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from an unmissable North American anime premiere, a documentary on one of Japan’s hottest acts, and concerts featuring some of the biggest names in electronic music, taiko, and indie rock.

This month’s highlights include:

Friday, Feb. 27, 8:30 p.m.

When Marnie Was There

DGA Theatre, 110 West 57th Street

$16

North American premiere! The newest feature from Japan’s famed Studio Ghibli is a sweeping story of friendship, mystery, and discovery that delivers stirring emotions and breathtaking animation as only Ghibli can. When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh House again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend. Based on the novel by Joan G. Robinson, and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arriety), When Marnie Was There has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful dramatic portrayals that build to a stormy climax. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Sunday, March 1, 3:00 p.m.

Over the L’arc~en~Ciel: Documentary Films “World Tour 2012~”

Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue

$10

This new documentary follows a legendary rock band who never fear to take challenges on the international stage, when they have already reigned over the domestic music scene. L’Arc~en~Ciel, after celebrating their 20th anniversary, embarked on a massive world tour that no other Japanese rock band had ever done before. From March 3rd to May 31st, 2012, L’Arc~en~Ciel’s 14-city world tour hit Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, Taipei, New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, Yokohama, Osaka, Tokyo, and Honolulu with a total attendance of 450,000 people. The band became the first solo Japanese act ever to perform at Madison Square Garden. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Monday, March 9, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Chihiro Yamanaka Trio

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 10 Columbus Circle

$25, $15 students

Renowned Japanese pianist Chihiro Yamanaka is one of her native country’s most popular. Luckily for us, she recently moved to New York City. She’s especially well-known for leading trios, and with Jazz at Lincoln Center favorite Yasushi Nakamura on bass and rising star Kush Abadey on drums, this group stands up to those high expectations. On top of virtuosic, light-speed chops, Yamanaka has an irresistible bounce to her playing and writing.

For the complete story, click here.

 

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.

Stay warm this winter with some hot local events, from an exhibition for the whole family that’s perfect for introducing kids to Tokyo life, a big-screen anime farewell to a certain ninja you won’t want to miss, and an annual showcase that brings the sights (and tastes) of Japan to vivid life.

This month’s highlights include:

Now through May 17

Hello from Japan!

Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street

$11 children/adults, $7 seniors

Experience Tokyo’s vibrant culture in a new interactive exhibit! Children will have fun learning about life in present day Japan in this playful, highly immersive environment that transports families to two distinct areas of Tokyo that exist side by side: one serene and exquisite, the other, too cute for words. Kawaii Central is a streetscape inspired by Tokyo’s bustling Harajuku district, bursting with color, trendy shops and cuter than cute styles. Kids sing karaoke, smile for the photo booth camera, serve up a seasonal Japanese meal, and design adorable mascots for their families. Plus, learn more about contemporary Japan through special programs for the public, free with admission.

Jan. 29-31, 7:30 p.m.

Miwa Yanagi Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose’s Last Tape

Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street

$35, $28 Japan Society members

Stranded in Japan during World War II, a young Japanese-American woman was forced to serve as a radio broadcaster for a propaganda program controlled by the Japanese Imperial Army, and was subsequently tried for treason. Seventy years later, this historic incident is brought to life through a visually stunning whodunit, conceived, written and directed by internationally renowned visual artist Miwa Yanagi. Brimming with iconic imagery from her rich body of photographic work, Zero Hour tells the multi-layered story of a woman caught between two nations during the war. This presentation marks Yanagi’s North American debut as a theater artist. Performed in English and Japanese with English subtitles.

Feb. 7-8

Music from Japan: East Asian Vibrancy and Highlights of MFJ Commissions III

Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue

$20-$40

Over two days, Music from Japan’s 40th anniversary will be commemorated with exciting cross-cultural collaborations between musicians from Japan and its neighboring countries, China and Korea. Three internationally acclaimed traditional instrumentalists from Japan, Korea, and China will perform contemporary and classical repertoire on their respective instruments. A series of solo works will be followed by a group improvisation and the world premiere of Unkai (Sea of Clouds), written by MFJ-commissioned composer Ned Rothenberg especially for the occasion. The following afternoon, to celebrate MFJ’s long history of commissioning Japanese and American composers to create new work, two new MFJ commissions will be presented alongside a retrospective of compositions from prior years.

For the complete story, click here.

 

By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer.

Sephiroth, meet Maestro Roth.

On Jan. 31, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center will hold a double performance marathon of Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, an official concert program of the beloved video game series, also coming to Boston (April 24) and St. Louis (May 15). Featuring special guest series composer Nobuo Uematsu and featured soloists RIKKI and Susan Calloway, the show will feature game clips playing to the performance of a symphony orchestra, choir and renowned vocal talent, all under the direction of Grammy Award-winning conductor (and Mannheim Steamroller member) Arnie Roth.

Roth’s resume includes a long list of music direction for television, film, and video games. A veteran collaborator on pop, classical, R&B, rock and musical theater, Roth has also worked with some of the world’s greatest ensembles like the Tokyo Philharmonic and with legendary video game composers including Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts), Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage), and Koji Kondo (Super Mario Bros.).

In this JQ exclusive, Roth shares the experience of bringing together 27 years (and counting) of Final Fantasy to the concert stage, working with Uematsu and others in the Japanese game industry, and his all-time favorite Japanese food.

How did you get involved with the Final Fantasy franchise?

In 2004, as music director of the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, I was researching various possibilities for new and exciting programming for our concerts. A colleague mentioned that concerts of video game music had been taking place in Japan on a very regular basis for many years, since 1999 or maybe even earlier. After checking into Final Fantasy concerts, we decided to try a concert in Chicago in February 2005. That concert was titled Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy, and our concert sold out completely. That was my first time meeting Nobuo Uematsu and conducting his music, and we immediately connected. Immediately after that concert, I was engaged to conduct several more of the Dear Friends concerts in North America, and then my relationship with [Final Fantasy publisher] Square Enix (SQEX) and Uematsu grew to be a very important factor, with concerts in Japan for SQEX, and ultimately the development of the Distant Worlds project.

Did you have any exposure to the Final Fantasy games before directing and conducting the Tokyo Philharmonic in 2006?

Yes. See above for my earlier involvement with the FF franchise and SQEX and Uematsu. Another little-known fact was that I worked on the original release of the Halo video game music score, both as a violinist and arranger.

What do you think about Final Fantasy and the musical choices for the games?

The music is stunning! Final Fantasy is a role-playing game, and the combination of this type of game, along with having individual themes or leitmotifs for every character, battle, quest, relationship, and environment, has made the music of this franchise extremely beloved for the players.

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