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Japan Parade in New York Draws 50,000 Visitors

NEW YORK, May 10, 2026 (News On Japan) - The fifth annual "Japan Parade" was held in Manhattan on May 9th, drawing large crowds as around 100 groups and approximately 2,700 participants showcased Japanese culture through martial arts performances, traditional dance, and cosplay.

The event also marked the first appearance of the parade’s official mascot, Happi, designed by manga artist Acky Bright.

Sota Katada, Japan’s consul general in New York, said, "I hope this festival will continue to grow not only as an event for Japanese and Japanese Americans, but as a celebration for all New Yorkers."

Geisha performers from Nagasaki, which was selected by The New York Times as one of its "52 Places to Go" this year, also took part in the event to promote tourism to the region among overseas visitors.

According to the New York City Police Department, approximately 50,000 people attended the parade and the accompanying Japanese food and culture festival held alongside the event.

Source: TBS

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Japan’s World Cup campaign ended in the cruelest possible fashion on June 29, as Gabriel Martinelli scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Brazil a 2-1 victory over the Samurai Blue in their knockout match in Houston. Japan had led in the first half and were still level at 1-1 in the final moments, but Martinelli’s late strike sent Brazil into the Round of 16 and eliminated Japan from the tournament.

Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.

A Kintetsu Railway train derailed inside Kyoto Station on the morning of June 29, forcing partial suspensions on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line for the rest of the day and causing long delays that hit commuters, students and tourists.

A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.

Japan advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Sweden on June 25, finishing second in Group F and setting up a Round of 32 clash with Brazil in Houston.

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A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said at around 2 p.m. on June 29 that the rainy season appeared to have ended in Okinawa, marking a later-than-usual start to summer after an especially wet period.

Japan’s weather agency carried out field inspections in Yamanashi Prefecture on June 28 after a powerful earthquake struck the Fuji Five Lakes area late on June 26, registering a lower 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Fujikawaguchiko and injuring six people.

According to updates on June 28, the double-typhoon system that brought record rain, flooding, landslides and fallen trees to parts of Japan has moved away, but Kanto remains under cloudy rainy-season skies, with intermittent rain still possible and saturated ground keeping the risk of landslides high in areas hit by heavy rain.

The Kanto region is experiencing an unusual June, with three typhoons approaching the area during the month and rainfall totals already reaching record levels in some locations.

Damage was reported across the Kansai region after a stationary seasonal rain front and an approaching typhoon brought torrential rain on June 26, triggering landslides in Seika, Kyoto Prefecture, flooding homes in Nara, and disrupting roads and railway services in Osaka and surrounding areas.

A powerful earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 struck off Iwate Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. on June 25, shaking parts of Aomori Prefecture and leaving Hachinohe, which was hit by a similarly strong quake last December, facing fresh damage.

Rice field art depicting Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his dog Decoy is nearing its best viewing period in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, Ohtani’s hometown.