Japan in New York

April 19, 2026

Japanese culture outside of the archipelago

New York City: home of the world’s fourth largest Japanese diaspora after Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Shanghai. But it is perhaps the single biggest locus of Japanese culture outside of the archipelago.

Japan thrives in the Big Apple. There are now well over 1,000 Japanese restaurants across the city, plus the bustling stalls of lantern-decorated Japan Village and the world’s largest Japanese food festival. Cultural institutions including Japan Society and RESOBOX host film screenings, exhibitions and language classes, while anime conventions, cherry blossom festivals and a long-standing Japanese-American community continue to shape the city’s cultural landscape.

“You can go to a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu concert one night, participate in a traditional tea ceremony the next, view Yayoi Kusama’s exhibitions, savor a kaiseki meal, and see a film scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto,” says Susan McCormac, editor in chief at Japan Culture NYC.

Japanese cultural influence in New York continues to grow. But amid ongoing concerns around anti-Asian discrimination in the U.S. and the lack of a centralized Japanese community, it raises a question: is this cultural fascination a passing trend, or a deeper connection that strengthens the city’s Japanese community?

New York Street — Photo by Vlad Alexandru Popa

A Community With Deep Roots

The first Japanese diplomatic delegation arrived in New York in 1860, drawing a crowd of more than 500,000 spectators, as documented by the History of Japanese in New York Digital Museum. In the decades that followed, Japanese immigrants began settling in the city, with the community growing to around 3,000 people by the early 1900s.

These immigrants founded institutions that still serve as community pillars today, including the Nippon Club, Japan Society and the Japanese American Association (JAA). Their contributions helped shape the growth of New York’s Japanese community and laid the foundation for the city’s enduring cultural presence.

NYC’s Japanese population is notable for being far from uniform. Today there are around 41,000 Japanese living in New York, estimated at 18,000 expatriates and 23,000 Japanese-Americans.

This diversity is reflected in the community itself. “The community is vibrant and is a mix of those who have just arrived from Japan and second-, third- and fourth-generation Japanese Americans,” says Koji Sato, president of the Japanese American Association. “We have a diverse group of members, including families sent to New York by companies in Japan, students, and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and accountants, as well as restaurant owners, artists, hair stylists and retirees.”

Community, Identity and Challenges

In recent years, the community’s diversity has also come in the form of ethnic heritage. Speaking about the JAA Scholarship, Sato says that this year, a majority of applicants had one parent with Japanese heritage instead of the typical two. “[But] it was clear that these students took pride in their Japanese heritage and considered themselves to be Japanese-American,” Sato says.

This variety does, however, make the community less cohesive. “Japanese people (at least in New York) tend to be detached from each other,” adds Karin Yamamoto, program officer at the Japan Society. “So it’s harder to articulate what the ‘Japanese community’ is.”

“After the ‘bubble burst’ in Japan, I believe there were fewer and fewer Japanese people leaving Japan for America. It does reflect the current public sentiment where more and more people seem to not want to leave Japan,” Yamamoto continues. “Living in New York for the current generation may be more of an individual experience, with less reliance on a community support system.”

Community organizations continue to support and connect New York’s Japanese population, with groups like the Japanese American Association of New York hosting events and initiatives throughout the year. Larger celebrations such as the Japan Parade also draw crowds from across the city, highlighting the visibility of Japanese culture in New York.

Japanese Food and Cultural Influence

But while the local Japanese community was evolving and seeking cohesion, Japanese culture and pop culture hit New York like a thunderstorm. Led by Japanese cuisine and anime, New York became a city obsessed with, and in many ways, defined by Japanese culture.

An influx of new restaurants began opening in the late aughts, beginning Japanese food’s trendy moment in the city. Previously, New Yorkers loved sushi, but a 5-year span that jump-started with ramen chain Ippudo’s arrival saw izakayas, kaiseki restaurants, sake, shochu, ramen, tonkatsu, omurice and more begin to take hold as popular spots.

“Sushi used to mean California rolls, salmon and tempura, but people discovered there were things like ikura, uni and unagi,” says Yamamoto. “Ramen wasn’t just some noodles in soup anymore. People cared about what kind of broth was used and the thickness of the noodle.”

Somehow, the impact of anime and manga on the city matches even that of Japanese cuisine. “Just today, walking a few blocks from my apartment, I saw New Yorkers in Attack on Titan, Gudetama and Kingdom Hearts T-Shirts and another with One Piece charms on their backpack,” says Peter Tatara, founder of the anime convention Anime NYC and Director of Film at Japan Society.

Anime, Manga and Pop Culture

Anime NYC has grown significantly since its launch in 2017, drawing tens of thousands of fans in recent years. The pandemic further increased anime and manga consumption in the U.S., as they proved easy hobbies to engage with during periods of lockdown.

Expanding Spaces for Anime and Manga

The number of locations to interact with and consume manga and anime is also growing. In addition to NYC’s sizable Kinokuniya, Midtown Comics, the city’s largest comic store, has an impressive manga selection. “Anime billboards are pretty common in Times Square,” Tatara says. “One Piece Red took over billboards in Times Square during its release.”

From Entertainment to Cultural Gateway

Anime and manga have served as a gateway for New Yorkers into other aspects of Japanese culture. This has led to areas like music, live-action cinema and dance gaining traction, following food and anime’s lead. Japan Society notes that its programming has expanded into more complex and non-traditional topics as a result.

“[Anime] has enhanced the fans’ appreciation for Japanese culture in general,” explains McCormac. “Spy x Family may be a person’s entrée…but from there, they may branch out into studying the language, taking lessons on how to dress in kimono, or traveling to Japan.”

Commentators agree that increased awareness and acknowledgment is typically a good thing. “The rise of Japanese culture in the US is definitely a positive for our community,” says Sato. “I believe most of us in New York appreciate it if a non-Japanese knows something about Japan or can say something in Japanese.”

Nonetheless, there are some complicated nuances involved. “It’s important to note that many Japanese who’ve chosen to live in New York did so at least in part because they didn’t want to live in Japan,” says Roland Kelts, author of JAPANAMERICA and The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus. “Some of the harshest critics of Japan’s less-appealing characteristics, like xenophobia and patriarchal hierarchies, are young Japanese I’ve met in New York who ask me quite earnestly why I decided to live [in Japan].” Cultural appropriation is another concern that has rocked US headlines in recent years, especially with regards to the kimono.

Looming larger for New York’s Japanese community, however, is the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We can never have a repeat of the dark chapter in US history when over 100,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans on the west coast were sent to internment camps,” says Sato.

Looking Ahead

All critics agree that Japanese culture’s influence will only continue to expand in the coming years. Cultural trends like VTubers, pottery, whiskey and theater, as well as programs highlighting more specific experiences, such as Okinawan culture or Japanese Americans’ internment, stand to gain greater attention moving forward.

Cultural understanding between the U.S. and Japan may not always be nuanced, but more complex representations becoming part of the city’s landscape does reflect a growing degree of mutual respect and acceptance. No matter how you spin it, Japanese culture is in the middle of remaking New York City—and not for the first time.