WAs of the 2000 Census, over half of the 37,279 people of Japanese ancestry in the U.S. state of New York lived in New York City. As of 2012, the New York City metropolitan area was home to the largest Japanese community on the East Coast of the United States.
WBrooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is a botanical garden in the borough of Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded in 1910 and is in Mount Prospect Park in central Brooklyn, adjacent to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum. The 52-acre (21 ha) garden holds over 14,000 taxa of plants and has nearly a million visitors each year. It includes a number of specialty "gardens within the Garden", plant collections, the Steinhardt Conservatory that houses the C. V. Starr Bonsai Museum, three climate-themed plant pavilions, a white cast-iron-and-glass aquatic plant house, and an art gallery.
WThe First Zen Institute of America is a Rinzai institution for laypeople established by Sokei-an in New York, New York in 1930 as the Buddhist Society of America. The emphasis on lay practice has its roots in the history of the organization. In 1875, the Japanese Rinzai Zen master Imakita Kosen founded a Zen institute, Ryomokyo-kai, dedicated to reviving Zen in Japan by recruiting talented and educated lay people. Kosen's most celebrated disciple, Soyen Shaku, visited America in 1893 to attend the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago. In 1902 he returned to America where he lectured and taught briefly. Soyen Shaku assigned responsibility for this lay Zen institute to his heir, Sokatsu Shaku. The First Zen Institute's founder, Sokei-an, was Sokatsu's student and came to America with him in 1906 to establish a Zen community. When Sokatsu returned to Japan in 1910, Sokei-an remained to season his Zen and familiarize himself with the American character. After wandering across America and perfecting his English, Sokei-an made several trips back to Japan and in 1924 received credentials from Sokatsu as a Zen master.
WIvan Ramen is a ramen restaurant in New York City which is run by chef Ivan Orkin.
WJAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film is an annual festival of modern Japanese cinema held at New York City's Japan Society. The festival was first held in 2007, growing out of the Japan Society's popular bi-annual series, New Films from Japan. But where New Films from Japan was a series that showed, on average, ten films over the course of several months, the JAPAN CUTS festival has scheduled an average of 25-30 films, many of them premieres, over two weeks during the month of July. Screenings are held in Japan Society's 260-seat Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium.
WJapan Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1907 to promote friendly relations between the United States and Japan. Its headquarters was designed by Junzo Yoshimura and opened in 1971 at 333 East 47th Street near the United Nations. With a focus on promoting "arts and culture, public policy, business, language, and education", the organization has regularly held events in its many facilities, including a library, art gallery, and theater, since its opening. After suspending all activities during World War II, Japan Society expanded under the leadership of John D. Rockefeller III.
WKoneko is a cat cafe located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The cafe's format is based on Japanese cat cafes, and positions itself as "America's first Japanese-inspired Cat Cafe." Koneko is partnered with Anjellicle Cats Rescue, a non-profit rescue organization based in New York City that specializes in pulling cats from the city's euthanasia shelters. All of the felines at Koneko are adoptable.
WMatsugen is the name of several Japanese restaurants owned by the Matsushita brothers located in Tokyo, Hawaii, and New York City). The New York Matsugen is co-owned by the Matsushita brothers and Jean-Georges, and received three stars from the New York Times.
WNew York Zendo Shobo-Ji, or Temple of True Dharma, is a Rinzai zen practice facility located in the upper East Side of Manhattan, New York, in the United States. It is operated by the Zen Studies Society. Founded on September 15, 1968, by Zen master Soen Nakagawa Roshi and Eido Tai Shimano Roshi, the building was converted from a garage, formerly a carriage house. Eido Tai Shimano Roshi, now deceased, was the founding abbot. He was succeeded on January 1, 2011, by the current abbot Roko Sherry Chayat Roshi.
WSushi Nakazawa is an upscale Japanese sushi restaurant located on Commerce Street in Manhattan. The restaurant has been praised for its quality and preparation.
WSushi of Gari is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 402 East 78th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in New York City. It is considered to be a hallmark destination for sushi enthusiasts and is also known as the restaurant frequented by characters Max and Sean in the 2019 comedy, "The Car Crash".
WSushi Seki is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 1143 First Avenue, on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City. It was established in 2002. Seki, who uses only one name and who spent five years at Sushi of Gari, is the chef and owner.
WSushi Yasuda is a Japanese sushi restaurant located at 204 East 43rd Street in the Midtown East area of Manhattan, New York City.