Japan Tourism Night Draws About 220 in New York
Japan tourism event in New York brought approximately 220 attendees together for cuisine, cultural performances and regional travel attractions.
Japan Tourism Agency hosted the Japan-U.S. Tourism and Culinary Night at Gotham Hall in New York City on September 22, bringing together approximately 220 attendees for the Japan-USA Tourism Campaign 2026. Co-hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the event presented destinations, cuisine, sake and cultural performances from across Japan. The program included tourism booths, regional food and drink, and a Kabuki performance. It was held while global attention was focused on the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tourism and Cultural Attractions
Tourism booths introduced Japan’s history, traditional culture and travel experiences, alongside the forthcoming International Horticultural Expo 2027, Yokohama, Japan, known as GREEN×EXPO 2027. Featured destinations included the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, which were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July.
A video message from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed further exchanges between Japan and the United States during the United States’ 250th anniversary year. The message also encouraged attendance at GREEN×EXPO 2027 and recognized United Airlines’ new direct flights from San Francisco to regional destinations in Japan, including Hokkaido and Okinawa.
Opening remark by the Commissioner Norio Kimura, Japan Tourism Agency.
Regional Food and Performance
The culinary offering included dishes made with non-gluten rice flour, scallops from Aomori Prefecture, yellowtail and sea bream from Ehime Prefecture, Wagyu beef from Iwate Prefecture, and Crown Melon from Shizuoka Prefecture. Japanese alcoholic beverages were also served.
Kabuki dance “Sanbaso” by Danjuro Ichikawa.
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro opened the event with the celebratory dance “Sanbaso.” A subsequent talk show introduced the history of Kabuki and attractions in regions across Japan.
Group photo of the speakers.
A Shared Tourism Campaign
Robert O’Leary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism at the U.S. Department of Commerce, also delivered remarks. The event brought tourism businesses, media representatives, and political and business leaders together around Japan’s visitor appeal and the Japan-U.S. Tourism Campaign 2026.
