JAPAN WEEK to Bring Japan to Manhattan From Thursday, March 1st to Sunday, March 11th

NEW YORK, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't miss the first-time moments of Times Square, "the Crossroads of the World," in cherry blossom pink!  This dazzling digital display, featured on Times Square giant video screens, marks the centennial of the historic gift of cherry blossom trees from Japan to the United States. 

This also is the kickoff of JAPAN WEEK, a 10-day celebration of Japanese food and culture, proving Japan is a premiere tourism destination. New York City becomes the venue for a series of back-to-back Japan-related events, sponsored by Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), and organized by Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO).  JAPAN WEEK will continue to engender a deeper understanding of Japan and its people, particularly the resilience they have demonstrated as the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami approaches on March 11th.  

Here's a look at the JAPAN WEEK events:

• JAPAN WEEK starts on Thursday, March 1st: At 11:10AM, Times Square will be turned pink as "Cherry Blossom Square" as giant video screens feature digital blooming cherry trees in a dazzling, one of a kind display. Participating video screens include: Toshiba Vision, TDK, NASDAQ, ABC and Thomson Reuters. Although the digital display of cherry blossoms will repeat a few times every hour in March, this event is the largest and the longest moments of "pink" Times Square.
• Grand Central Station's historic Vanderbilt Hall will be transformed into a microcosm of Japan from Thursday, March 1st to Saturday, March 3rd. This will showcase Japan as a premier destination with a diverse array of distinct Japanese food and merchandise. On March 1st, performances of Japanese harp will complement cooking demonstrations and tastings by renowned chefs. Japan tourism information services will also be on-hand.
• From Friday, March 2nd through Sunday, March 4th, a special "Japan Booth" welcomes visitors to explore their dream vacations in Japan at the New York Times Travel Show at the Javits Convention Center.
• From Sunday, March 4th to Tuesday, March 6th, the Japan Pavilion at the 2012 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY at the Javits Convention Center (open to food trade professionals, only) will show why Japan is the place to be for those with cultivated gastronomic tastes.
• JAPAN WEEK's finale is Dine Out for Japan – Restaurant Week, created to raise money for Japan's recovery from the earthquake and tsunami. From Wednesday, March 7th to Sunday, March 11th, all are encouraged to dine out at participating tri-state area restaurants that will donate a portion of their Dine Out sales to the relief efforts. The proceeds will be donated to the JAA Japan Disaster Relief Fund.

For more information on JAPAN WEEK, please visit http://japanweek.us

Sponsors and Partners:
Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO), Japan National Tourism Association (JNTO), New York State Restaurant Association, NBC, Time Out New York, Uniqlo, Suntory, Nikkei, Delta, Marukome, The Japanese American Association of New York, Japanese Culinary Center, Azuma Foods, OZeki, Kirin Beer,  Central Japan Railway, East Japan Railway, IACE Travel.

About Japan Tourism Agency (JTA)
The Japan Tourism Agency was inaugurated on October 1, 2008. The Japanese government is currently working to enhance tourism-related measures, towards the ultimate goal of creating a tourism nation. The JTA was newly established as an organization to serve as the hub for these efforts, and drive their deployment. In addition to carrying out measures to expand international tourism exchange such as the Visit Japan Project, the JTA works to prepare a national environment friendly to tourist travel. This includes creating appealing tourist destinations in Japan, upgrading tourism industries to fit traveler needs, promoting training and utilization of talent in the tourism field, encouraging the Japanese people to take vacations, and preparing safety measures for Japanese travelers abroad.

About Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
The Japan National Tourism Organization or JNTO provides information about Japan to promote travel to and in the country. The JNTO disseminates information about transportation, lodging, food and beverage, and sight-seeing. JNTO is an Independent Administrative Institution of the government of Japan. Its publications and website assist in preparing travel itineraries within Japan, providing a wide range of travel information in English and other languages on transportation, accommodations, shopping and events.

About the Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO)
The mission of the Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO) is to convey to the world the appeal of Japanese food and contribute to the development of overseas markets for Japanese food and its ingredients with the overall goal of sharing Japan's food culture with the rest of the world. The Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO) has been established as a government-incorporated not-for-profit organization responsible for substantiating an effort to issue supports to Japanese restaurants overseas.

SOURCE Japan National Tourism Organization