Known for his bestselling series Fairy Tail, award-winning manga artist Hiro Mashima will lead a talk in conjunction with New York Comic Con. With over 60 million copies sold worldwide, Fairy Tail follows a group of wizards in the fantasy world of Earth-land.
Atlanta's annual JapanFest is the largest Japanese festival in the Southeast United States. This two-day event offers plentiful attractions, including Bunraku puppet theater, sushi-making workshops and an Anime Village for fans of animation. Festival-goers can also learn how to play a taiko drum and enjoy Japanese ghost stories. Food highlights include Japanese shaved ice, bubble tea, ramen and teppan yaki.
Visit one of the largest Japanese gardens in North American for this Labor Day weekend tradition. Missouri Botanical Garden's Japanese Festival celebrates the history, culture and people of Japan through music, art, dance, food, exhibits and more. Origami displays, Bonsai and Ikebana demonstrations, ice sculpture, Gaku music, Kendo and Judo workshops, Dashi processions, Bon Odori dance and Japanese storytelling are among this festival's many attractions.
Since 1982, the Okinawan Festival in Honolulu has celebrated culture from Okinawa, the southernmost district of Japan. On September 2nd and 3rd, festival-goers can enjoy Okinawan cuisine (including andagi doughnuts, the stir-fry dish champuru, Okinawa soba and pigs feet soup) while taking in live taiko drum and sanshin performances. Celebrated Okinawan singer Rimi Natsukawa will perform on Sunday at 3 P.M. There will also be demonstrations of flower arranging, classes in the traditional kachashii dance, and booths that showcase Okinawan and Hawaiian culture.
Obon is a Japanese holiday that honors the spirits of ancestors. This free festival at Philadelphia's Shofuso Japanese House and Garden welcomes visitors to celebrate the holiday with live music, food, Japanese arts and crafts, a flea market, and Bon Odori, a traditional dance that celebrates the memory of ancestors.
On August 19th and 20th, Rockford, Illinois’ Anderson Japanese Gardens hosts its annual Japanese Summer Festival, which features a tea ceremony, traditional dance performances, martial arts presentations, Japanese sword performance, hands-on origami demonstration and children’s games.
Nisei Week is an annual festival that celebrates Japanese and Japanese-American culture in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood. This year, Nisei Week will happen between August 19-27th. Highlights include the Grand Parade, on August 21s; the World Gyoza Eating Championship (in which competitors attempt to break the existing record - 384 Gyoza eaten in 10 minutes); exhibits of bonsai, calligraphy and Ikebana; Ondo street dancing; and martial arts demonstrations.
Held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, the Liberty City Anime Con is the largest anime convention in New York City. It is run by fans for fans and includes cosplay contests, nightly dances, anime screenings and musical performances. Over 100 events and panel discussions will be offered. Attendees can browse the dealer room and artist alley for anime merchandise.
