All things Japan!

A massive celebration of all things Japan took place earlier this month along Central Park West (CPW). The Japan Parade, an event intended to “celebrate, express, and bring awareness to the friendship between New York City and Japan” brought together cultural performances, food, and so much more.

The day began by taking the train to Columbus Circle and walking up CPW. As the blocks brought me further uptown, it was hard to miss the Japan Street Fair and Japan Fes set up along 72nd Street.

Obviously, we will be revisiting this later in the blog.

I continued walking up the street, which, at this point, was closed off to traffic, and spotted the parade preparations from afar. I realized I should have been on the side closer to the park as there were less people waiting and a lot of the benches were unoccupied.

After settling on a spot to watch the event, it was also apparent that the parade was on the move and getting closer.

One of the first sights was four-time Paralympic gold medalist Shingo Kunieda, this year’s grand marshal.

Considered to be “the greatest wheelchair player of all time,” he has won four Paralympic gold medals and 42 Grand Slam titles.

A spinal tumor left Kunieda in a wheelchair at the age of nine. In an interview last year, he told the International Paralympic Committee that it was his mother that introduced him to tennis.

“My mother forced me to go to the tennis club,” he said. “When I went to the place for wheelchair tennis, I saw that the rallies were more intense than I thought and my first impression of wheelchair tennis was that I wanted to try it.”

Another feature that caught my eye was the Japan Village portable shrine, or mikoshi.

Japan Village, a “premier destination for Japanese culture and gastronomy” located within Brooklyn’s Industry City, is a place I visit often and it was exciting to see them represented. Reading up about the traditions of these mini shrines, they are said to contain a deity and used as transport between temples. When presented to the community, such as during festivals, the mikoshi are believed to ward off evil spirit and misfortune.

There were also a wide variety of performers along the parade route.

Meanwhile, there was a VIP that I was looking forward to and soon enough, I saw them rolling up in a their pink convertible…

Hello Kitty!

After the parade, it was time to tackle the street fair!

One of the first items to catch my eye was a Japanese delicacy that I have been curious about for a long time: dango. These are so iconic, they even have their own emoji.

Oh! DanGo serves these skewered mochi dumplings three different ways and I had to try each one.

The balls were soft with with an addictive chewy texture.

The dango with savory soy sauce and seaweed was, as the name suggests, deliciously savory; and the sweet soy sauce and caramel made for a delicious confectionary treat. Despite enjoying all of them, the brown sugar syrup and soy flour was my personal favorite. The soy flour added a welcome texture to the soft and sweet mochi balls.

Next was a stop by Tsukiji Gindaco for takoyaki.

These were a little different from the typical octopus balls as they had more of a firm exterior, which offered a pleasant crunch.

Additionally, the sauce on top, which was a little sweet and tangy, was fantastic!

There was no way of avoiding the green signage for Matcha n’ More and got an iced matcha latte.

Made with oat milk and agave, this was one of the best matcha lattes. That distinct grassy bitterness from the matcha is still there but, once all mixed together, balances perfectly with the agave.

Next time, I’m trying their soft serve!

My time at the fair came to a close with the grilled scallops by Hotate Master.

The line was long but moved quickly. After paying, you wait for your number to be called while gazing at a flat top griddle covered with tons of sizable scallops. You could have shoveled it all on one plate and I would devour them so quickly!

Served in pairs, each one was very tender and the tasty marinade only elevated the flavor.

The Japan Parade and street fair is a fun and delicious event worth going to every year, and is definitely worth a trek up to the Upper West Side.

General William Tecumseh Sherman

General William Tecumseh Sherman served under General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. After leading the capture of Atlanta and the march through the Carolinas, he helped lead the Union Army over the Confederacy.

He later served as Commanding General of the Army during the Grant administration.

The Central Park sculpture was created by Augustus St. Gaudens and was completed in 1903.

The statue can be found at the main entrance of Central Park, on 5th Avenue between 59th and 60th streets.

Sunset Across The Park

A view from the roof of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art catches glimpses of the city from a unique perspective. Especially during sunset, Central Park offers a great foreground from any angle.