Source: Keith Sherman and Associates press release
Special Thanks to Scott Klein
Photo courtesy of Keith Sherman and Associates. ©I・K/AMPC
ATTACK ON TITAN: THE MUSICAL, the 2.5D Musical sensation, will be featured at the 4th Annual Japan Parade & Street Fair on Saturday, May 10, it was announced today. The show recently performed a sold out engagement at New York City Center with fans traveling from all over the country and the world to see the musical. The appearance at the Parade will feature Takuro Ohno (Erwin Smith), Ryo Matsuda (Levi), Riona Tatemichi (Hange Zoë), and Blade Attackers: Hiroaki Shimoo, Ryuma Hashido, Yukiko Matsumoto, and Takahiko Kato.
The Attack on Titan manga by Hajime Isayama was serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine by Kodansha from 2009-2021, winning numerous awards across Japan and the US including the Kodansha Manga Award and Harvey Award. The manga is comprised of 34 volumes, and there have been many adaptations including anime television series, video games, novels & more. Attack on Titan has sold 140 million copies and has been translated into 18 languages and published in over 180 countries.
It was also announced today that Japan Night Reception & Concert, a new event this year, will take place the night before the Japan Parade on Friday, May 9 at the Edison Ballroom (240 W. 47th Street). The creation of Japan Night allows more artists, creatives, performers, organizations, and companies to showcase their expressions of modern and traditional Japanese culture. The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30pm followed by the concert at 7:00pm.
The Concert will open with a performance from the cast of the stage version of the popular manga, ATTACK ON TITAN: THE MUSICAL. Following this, MIYABI Koto and Shamisen Ensemble, led by a renowned Japanese koto player, Masayo Ishigure, will perform with this traditional instrument. There will also be a visual presentation of traditional Japanese crafts presented by the title sponsor of the event ASP Group. The event will close with a live performance by Sayaka Yamamoto, former captain of the popular group NMB48, and now a singer-songwriter.
Prior to the concert, guests will first enjoy traditional Japanese sake brewing and craftsmanship including MIO Sparkling Sake by Takara Sake USA Inc. and passed hors d’oeuvres at a tasting event. Beer and wine will also be served.
Presented by ASP Group, Japan Night aims to provide New Yorkers with a brand new, uniquely Japanese experience.
Tickets for Japan Night, which start at $75 (plus fees), can be purchased HERE.
The 4th Annual Japan Parade & Street Fair begins at 1:00PM on May 10, with Chef Masaharu Morimoto, restauranteur and star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, as Grand Marshal and Koji Sato as this year’s Japan Parade Community Leader.
Sandra Endo, news correspondent on KTVV Los Angeles, Fox 11 News, and a feature reporter for GOOD DAY LA, will serve, once again, as Emcee of the parade.
Concurrently with the Japan Parade, the Japan Street Fair will be held on West 72nd Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.
Japan Night Reception & Concert and the Japan Parade & Street Fair are affiliated with Japan Day @ Central Park, an annual event that has taken place in Central Park from 2007 until 2019.
About Japan Parade & Street Fair
Japan Parade & Street Fair is one of the largest Japanese American parades in the United States, organized by the non-profit Japan Day Inc. (Honorary Chairman: Mikio Mori, Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York; President and Chairman: Shinichi Okamoto, Managing Executive Officer and Deputy Head of Global Business at Nippon Life Insurance). For two consecutive years, in 2023 and 2024, the event has attracted approximately 50,000 New Yorkers and is becoming a staple of early summer in Manhattan. Last year's 3rd Japan Parade & Street Fair was a great success as approximately 100 units and 2,500 people marched in a spectacular procession through Central Park West and was covered by over 150 media outlets in both the U.S. and Japan. The 2024 parade celebrated the “U.S.-Japan Tourism Year,” and the Japan National Tourism Organization's float attracted much attention. Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which was ranked third on the The New York Times’s list of “52 Places to Go in 2024,” was the first Japanese local government to participate. The Grand Marshal was the legendary wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kunieda, a Paralympic Gold Medalist and People’s Honor Award recipient, and special guests from Japan was the cast of the stage production of Demon Slayer. On the same day, Japan Street Fair was also held on 72nd Street, adjacent to the parade route. Twenty-four food tents were set up to promote Japanese foods, one of Japan’s major attractions, and they drew many visitors. In addition, booths promoting tourism in Japan, a photo booth with the popular mascot Hello Kitty, and activity tents for origami, calligraphy, yo-yo fishing, and other activities provided New Yorkers with opportunities to enjoy and learn about Japanese culture. As for charity activities, we raised $7,000 to Noto Peninsula Earthquake relief.
About Japan Day
Japan Day Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the primary organizer of the Japan Day @ Central Park festivals since 2007, and of Japan Parade and the Japan Street Fair since 2022. Japan Day Inc.’s activities are made possible by the support of the local leading Japanese American companies that compose Japan Day Inc.’s Board of Directors, the Consulate General of Japan in New York, and all the individuals, organizations, and companies that sponsor, donate, or volunteer and be a part of this great celebration.