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:
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