Japan Week 2014 Commemorates 100 Years of Japan's Vibrant Cultural Heritage at Grand Central Terminal on March 6 - 8, 2014

NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Japan Week, a public-private partnership that promotes Japanese culture, cuisine, and tourism, announces that its 2014 program will spotlight unique features of Japanese culture from the last 100 years to the present. Delectable regional foods, technology exhibits, traditional arts and performances will aim to inspire greater understanding of Japan and travel to the country. The multi-day festival will take place at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall from March 6 – 8, 2014.

Japan Week has something for everyone, from the fresh aroma of Kyoto green tea and the latest Seiko watch collection, to a virtual reality tour of an ancient Sakai City tomb to a new NTT DOCOMO smartphone app that translates spoken Japanese and English and an introduction to Japanese artistry, including hand-blown glass house wares, wooden keyboards and USB's, gold lacquered iPhone cases, and more showcased by TAKUMI JAPAN. Then, head to the Visit Japan booth where travel information for various regions of Japan is available to help plan your next trip to Japan.

Highlights include:

• Celebration of the Old and the New: Half of Vanderbilt Hall will transform into early 20^th-century Japan, transporting visitors in a time of rapid industrial growth and modernization. The other half of the hall brings visitors to the present and future, showcasing Japan's ultramodern technologies and dynamic innovations.
• 100-Year-Old Taisho-themed Bar: Visitors will be entertained in a replica of an early 20^th-century Japanese café complete with mahogany accents with a touch of Western influence. Servers dressed in traditional garb will serve guests exclusive sake from different regions of Japan.
• Virtual Reality Theater Providing Immersive Experience of Japan's History: A virtual reality theater supplied by Toppan Printing will immerse visitors in the cultural heritage of Japan through high-definition digitalization of the nation's historical treasures. Take a virtual tour through the Sakai City tomb of Emperor Nintoku, the interior of which the public has never seen.
• Amezaiku Candy Artist: An artist of amezaiku, the traditional Japanese folk art of sculpting candy into a variety of shapes, will fascinate all as he skillfully sculpts rabbits, turtles, birds, and more out of sugar.  It is said that even in Japan, there are only a handful of people still practicing this hundred-year-old art form.

Delta Air Lines will offer free round-trip tickets to Japan from JFK to Narita Airport through a sweepstake and will be exhibiting new first class seats for guests to try out. Other attractions include exhibits by Azuma Foods, Ito En, JR East, Minamoto Kitchoan, Nikka Whisky, NTT DOCOMO, Sakai City, Seiko, Sharp, and TAKUMI JAPAN.

Additional events related to Japan Week 2014:

• Japanese Restaurant Week, February 17 – March 16, 2014: Japanese Restaurant Week will feature NYC-based Japanese restaurants serving special dishes that reflect the 100-year theme as well as local Japanese specialties.
• New York Times Travel Show, February 28 – March 2, 2014: Japan Week 2014 will be promoted in the Japan Booth at the New York Times Travel Show, which features 500 exhibitors representing more than 150 countries in the Javits Center. Stop by the booth for more information about Japan tourism.
• International Restaurant & Foodservice Show, March 2 – 4, 2014: The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is a leading food and beverage trade show, open to the industry only. Information about Japanese Restaurant Week will be available at this event.

About Japan Week
Founded in 2012, Japan Week is a promotional tourism event aiming to encourage travel to Japan. It is a cooperative effort between the Japan Tourism Agency, diverse businesses, local Japanese governments, and supported by the Consulate General of Japan in New York. The multi-dimensional event is open to the general public and promotes Japanese tourism through culture, food and beverages. For more information about Japan Week, please visit our website, www.japanweek.us, "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JapanWeekNY and follow us on Twitter at @JapanWeekNY. For more information about travel to Japan, please visit www.japantravelinfo.com.

Media Contacts:
Keika Jones, PR | [email protected]
Chikako Ichihara, CEO | [email protected]

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SOURCE Japan Week