Paint the Town Red During Japan Week - Beginning March 1, 2012

NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning on March 1, 2012, join the celebration of Japanese food and culture during Japan Week, a multi-part festival to be held in various locations in NYC. The key events of Japan Week -- the Kickoff Event and Japan Pavilion -- will specifically focus on the unique world of Japanese cuisine. Sponsored by the Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO), these events aim to promote a deeper understanding of Japan through a positive image of its food. Additional support is provided by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and Japan Tourism Agency (JTA).

Japan Week's Kickoff Event will be held in Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal from March 1 - 3, 2012. Hosting a diverse array of vendors featuring distinct Japanese food and merchandise, the Kickoff Event will welcome the public to cultural performances as well as cooking demonstrations of Japanese dishes by renowned chefs. During the evening of March 1st, an Opening Gala at Vanderbilt Hall will invite New York's restaurant industry connoisseurs and major media to experience the latest in Japanese cuisine.

The second event, the Japan Pavilion at the 2012 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY at the Javits Convention Center, is open to professionals in the food trade only. For the sixth consecutive year from March 4 - 6, 2012, the Japan Pavilion will provide an exclusive opportunity to encounter enticing gourmet Japanese foods and products from various companies in one place. The Japan Pavilion's highlights include the Soul Food of Japan Section, the Japanese Bar, and numerous seminars on Japanese food and restaurant business trends. An additional feature is the JRO Umami Culinary Challenge Recipe Contest, in which the grand prize winner will receive a round-trip ticket to Japan for a special culinary tour.

Japan Week will also be celebrated throughout the city in other related events. Taking place concurrently with the Kickoff Event on March 1st will be a Japan tourism-focused event in Times Square commemorating the National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial. An additional related event includes one that encourages restaurants and patrons to voluntarily raise money for Japan's recovery from the Great Tohoku Earthquake.

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

Japan Week Schedule

March 1 - 3, 2012: Japan Week Kickoff Event  (Grand Central Terminal)
March 4 - 6, 2012: Japan Pavilion at the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of NY  (Javits Center)

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. www.jronet.org/eng_index.html

SOURCE Organization to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO)