Japan Society

Japan Society and Japan. Activities at Japan Society are set against a stunning backdrop of indoor gardens, a reflecting pool and a waterfall.
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Founded in 1907, Japan Society in New York City presents sophisticated, topical and accessible experiences of Japanese art and culture, and facilitates the exchange of ideas, knowledge and innovation between the U.S. Today, Japan Society has evolved into a world-class, multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Societ

y, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. Facilities include a 262-seat theater, art gallery, language center, library and conference rooms. Japan Society's landmark building—located near the United Nations on 47th Street and First Avenue—was designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura and opened in 1971 as the first building in New York City by a leading Japanese architect. The classic elegance and simplicity of Yoshimura's original vision has been preserved even as the building has been enhanced by a substantial renovation. Japan Society was founded on May 19, 1907 by a group of prominent New York business people and philanthropists, many of whom shaped the policies of exchange and collaboration that guided the Society until the outbreak of World War II. After the war, activities slowly resumed, and the stewardship of John D. Rockefeller 3rd from 1952 to 1978 led to a unified vision, a firm financial foundation, and a revitalized mission that continues to inspire and sustain the organization today.

This fall, Japan Society presents the New York museum debut of Berlin-based contemporary artist Chiharu Shiota. Known fo...
08/20/2025

This fall, Japan Society presents the New York museum debut of Berlin-based contemporary artist Chiharu Shiota. Known for her immersive installations of red thread that explore emotions, memory, and human connection, her work has been celebrated internationally, from the Venice Biennale to major museums across Europe and Asia.

Opening September 12, “Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries” offers a rare chance for New York audiences to experience the full breadth of her practice. At the heart of the exhibition is “Diary” (2025), a new site-specific commission commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II, alongside seminal works from Shiota’s oeuvre exploring identity and her life between Japan and Germany.

✨ Japan Society members see it first at our exclusive opening reception on September 11. RSVP: https://japansoc.org/4mrWD2Y

🎟️ Plan your visit: https://japansoc.org/4fHR1Ps

🎫 Alongside the exhibition, audiences can experience Shiota’s U.S. stage design debut in KINKAKUJI, a bold theatrical adaptation of Yukio Mishima’s postwar masterpiece, running September 11–20 at Japan Society. More info: https://japansoc.org/41b9Rs2


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📸 Banner Image: Chiharu Shiota, Inner Home, 2024. Photo Sunhi Mang. © ARS, New York, 2025 and the artist.

📸 Artist Headshot: Photograph by Sunhi Mang, 2024.

📸 A selection of diaries for Diary (forthcoming installation, 2025) at Japan Society. Berlin, 2025. Photograph by Sunhi Mang.

🏆 The 2025 Powered by GU Audience Award goes to Junichi Yasuda’s breakout hit, A SAMURAI IN TIME! ⚡️Presented to New Y...
08/15/2025

🏆 The 2025 Powered by GU Audience Award goes to Junichi Yasuda’s breakout hit, A SAMURAI IN TIME! ⚡️

Presented to New York audiences for the first time at this year’s JAPAN CUTS film festival, this low-budget sensation has become the biggest Japanese indie phenomenon since ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, taking home Best Film at the 2025 Japan Academy Film Prize.

Set at the end of the Edo period, a sudden bolt of lightning sends a samurai into the present day, where he lands an unlikely job as an actor in jidaigeki (period drama) movies. A hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy, A SAMURAI IN TIME is a love letter to moviemaking and Japan’s storied jidaigeki industry.

🍿 Missed the premiere? A SAMURAI IN TIME is now streaming on .

#侍タイムスリッバー

International J-pop & R&B icon Crystal Kay is coming to New York as part of her CK25 North American Tour! 🎤 Catch her li...
08/13/2025

International J-pop & R&B icon Crystal Kay is coming to New York as part of her CK25 North American Tour! 🎤

Catch her live at Racket NYC on Aug 21 as she performs classics, new tracks and special arrangements from her All Time Best 25th Anniversary release.

🎟️ Tickets & info: www.ck25thetour.com

Scary or cute? 🙀 These Japanese words may sound alike, but their meanings couldn’t be more different. Swipe through to t...
08/11/2025

Scary or cute? 🙀 These Japanese words may sound alike, but their meanings couldn’t be more different. Swipe through to test your knowledge!

📚 Starting soon at Japan Society’s Language Center: 10-week Fall Japanese courses, offered online and in-person for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

🏷️ Use code EARLY for $10 off now through August 20!

See all upcoming courses & workshops: https://japansoc.org/40HUzeh

Design & illustration by .art.w ✨

Don’t miss the final weekend of “Susumu Shingu: Elated!”—closing this Sunday! ⚠️⚠️From kinetic sculptures that dance wit...
08/07/2025

Don’t miss the final weekend of “Susumu Shingu: Elated!”—closing this Sunday! ⚠️⚠️

From kinetic sculptures that dance with the wind to playful architectural maquettes, this career-spanning exhibition celebrates an artist whose work “elucidates the latently invisible, boundless properties of nature while seeking to heighten an awareness of them” ().

Plan your visit 👇

🕒 Thurs–Fri: 11 am–7 pm | Sat–Sun: 12 pm–7 pm
📍Japan Society | 333 E 47th St, NYC

80 years ago today, the building now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome was nearly destroyed when the United States dropped t...
08/06/2025

80 years ago today, the building now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome was nearly destroyed when the United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II.

Originally completed in 1915 as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the building was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel and served as a space for art exhibitions and product showcases that promoted local industry. On August 6, 1945, the bomb detonated almost directly overhead, killing tens of thousands of people instantly. Remarkably, parts of the structure—including its iconic steel-framed dome—remained standing.

Preserved as a ruin and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, the Dome endures as a stark reminder of nuclear devastation and a symbol of the ongoing call for peace. In the second image, taken during construction in 1914, you can see the stone steps leading from the flowing Motoyasu River, a feature that still exists today.

On this anniversary, we remember not only the victims of Hiroshima and of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki three days later on August 9, but also those impacted by nuclear testing around the world, including communities in the United States, whose lives and lands were irreversibly affected.

📸: [1] Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, 1910s, Japan. Public domain; [2] Under construction, December 1914. Public domain; [3] Photograph of Hiroshima devastation following the August 6, 1945 bombing. © M M via Flickr; [4] The Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima, May 24, 2014. © Richard Cassan via Flickr.

2 days away! 🥋👊 Olympic medalist and world champion Kiyou Shimizu is coming to Japan Society this Thursday at 7 pm. Sh...
08/05/2025

2 days away! 🥋👊 Olympic medalist and world champion Kiyou Shimizu is coming to Japan Society this Thursday at 7 pm. She’ll discuss her journey to the podium, offer insights for those learning karate in NYC & wrap up with a special onstage demo!

Learn more & get tix: https://japansoc.org/3UppyrX

Looking back at last month’s installment of our Dassai Sake Series, where Keiko Ono Aoki, CEO of of Tokyo, joined Ch...
08/05/2025

Looking back at last month’s installment of our Dassai Sake Series, where Keiko Ono Aoki, CEO of of Tokyo, joined Chairman Hiroshi Sakurai for a conversation on legacy and innovation. 🍶✨

After the lecture, attendees enjoyed a tasting of premium Dassai Blue sake brewed right here in New York State, paired beautifully with fresh sushi served at the reception. Thank you to everyone who joined! 💙

This was only the second event in Japan Society's newly launched Dassai Sake Series, which brings together thought and business leaders in the U.S.–Japan space for engaging conversations, followed by networking receptions featuring exceptional sake.

ICYMI: Join our newsletter to hear about future events! 📮👉 https://japansoc.org/subscribe

📸: Stefanie Candelario

🎨🎓 Now through August 21, stop by our A-level lobby to see the 2025 Japan Society School Partnership (JSSP) Student Exhi...
08/01/2025

🎨🎓 Now through August 21, stop by our A-level lobby to see the 2025 Japan Society School Partnership (JSSP) Student Exhibition!

Over the past three years, our JSSP program has worked to make quality arts and culture programming more accessible to underserved schools across NYC through a variety of education programs—including free gallery tours, family festivities, hands-on workshops and afterschool activities.

This free public display features artworks by students from our seven partner schools during the 2024-25 school year. Come check it out before the exhibition closes at the end of the month! ✨

PSA for theater, dance & music lovers: Tickets for Japan Society’s 2025–26 Performing Arts Season are now on sale to the...
07/31/2025

PSA for theater, dance & music lovers: Tickets for Japan Society’s 2025–26 Performing Arts Season are now on sale to the public! 🎫

Secure your seat for groundbreaking performances like the World Premiere of KINKAKUJI—a bold new stage adaptation of Yukio Mishima’s postwar masterpiece—stunning noh theater, electrifying dance and more.

Our season opens this fall with the Yukio Mishima Centennial Series, a special lineup of performances marking 100 years since the birth of one of Japan’s most provocative and influential postwar artists.

🔓 Japan Society members save 20% on all performances for you and a guest!

🎭 Explore the full season lineup: https://japansoc.org/46lWmtj

📸: Aya no Tsuzumi © Courtesy of Hosho-ryu School; Le Tambour de Soie (The Silk Drum) © Courtesy of the Maison de la Culture d’Amiens, original producer of the show Le Tambour de Soie (The Silk Drum); Sketches for KINKAKUJI by Chiharu Shiota © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2025 and Chiharu Shiota; assimilating © Sugawara Kota.

Our Late Summer Japanese courses are starting soon! 📚⌛Explore online and in-person 5-week courses for students at every ...
07/28/2025

Our Late Summer Japanese courses are starting soon! 📚⌛

Explore online and in-person 5-week courses for students at every level—including Level 1 for complete beginners, conversation-intensive classes to sharpen your speaking skills and more.

Plus, check out upcoming workshops like Fundamentals of Kanji and Japanese Onomatopoeia! ✏️

🔗 https://japansoc.org/3VsTKDo

"The times call for a little tenderness. While armies rage and the climate goes berserk, Susumu Shingu offers a balm in ...
07/25/2025

"The times call for a little tenderness. While armies rage and the climate goes berserk, Susumu Shingu offers a balm in the form of seemingly weightless sculptures that dance in the slightest breeze. The small exhibition Susumu Shingu: Elated! turns a white-walled gallery at the Japan Society in New York into an indoor oasis, where you can sense what Dylan Thomas called 'the force that through the green fuse drives the flower'. It’s a gentle but eloquent response to negativity.” (Financial Times)

This is your sign to visit “Susumu Shingu: Elated!”—the first solo U.S. museum exhibition of the acclaimed Japanese artist known as the "sculptor of the wind"—now on view at Japan Society through August 10. 🦋✨

The exhibition closes in just three weeks, so plan your visit today: https://japansoc.org/4ndlPLq

📰 Read Ariella Budick’s full review in the Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/7c69681e-1efa-4518-a7b2-3f901ecebe0c

📸: Go Sugimoto

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