NYC and Japan go way back: The deep ties between America’s island city and East Asia’s island nation

The breathtaking final moments of the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship game saw Japan’s two-way star player, Shohei Ohtani, face off against 10-time MLB All-Star Mike Trout. Though the pair are friends and Los Angeles Angels teammates, Ohtani and Trout’s showdown looked as if it were plucked straight from the pages of a manga epic. Staring each other down between the pitcher’s mound and home plate in the top of the ninth, Ohtani kicked up his leg and unleashed his signature slider to strike out Trout and clinch a narrow win for Japan. Despite rooting for opposing teams, my American friends and I all agreed that this was an unforgettable game and a welcome reminder of the many cultural aspects we share.

Sports have long been a bridge between Japan and the U.S., particularly here in New York. The boroughs have long hosted legendary Japanese sports figures, like Yankees superstar Hideki Matsui in the Bronx, ace Mets pitcher Kodai Senga in Queens, Nets sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe in Brooklyn, and Knicks assistant coach Daisuke Yoshimoto in Manhattan.

Connections between the U.S. and Japan abound in New York — and not just on the field. Anime is a deep abiding passion of thousands of New Yorkers who annually flock to Anime NYC, one of the country’s largest Japanese animation conventions. City blocks are punctuated with countless ramen shops of such high quality that they rival those in Japan. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is home to one of the finest Japanese gardens in the world. Even the subway carries passengers in Japanese-made railcars.

Historically, New York has always held an important place in the Japan-U.S. relationship. The first U.S. envoy to Japan, Townsend Harris, was a New York merchant who opened the first U.S. diplomatic mission in Shimoda in 1856. More than a century later, today’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, spent second and third grade at Clement C. Moore elementary school in Elmhurst, Queens. Today, that spirit of cooperation persists, with Japan being the top foreign investor in the U.S. and a key creator of high-quality jobs.

At a time of grave uncertainty in global affairs, let us not forget that Japan is, above all, the U.S.’s most dependable ally with respect to security, economics, democratic values, and a shared vision of the future. Last year, Japan updated its security posture to a position of increased responsibility in the Indo-Pacific, where it has strengthened its already close alliance with the U.S. Japan has also bolstered its economic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, including in strategic sectors like semiconductor chips and critical minerals, where Japan and the U.S. have a shared deep interest in maintaining resilient supply chains with trusted partners.

These bilateral connections are so naturally integrated into our lives that they are sometimes taken for granted or escape notice entirely. No news is good news, as the saying goes, but good news is also good news and should be recognized in the context of this close and consequential relationship. It is time that we actively celebrate the Japan-U.S. relationship as the triumph it is.

Fortunately, there will be several opportunities this May to showcase the depth and breadth of the Japan-U.S. relationship. On the global stage, Japan is chairing the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima next week. Prime Minister Kishida will host President Biden and other G-7 leaders to discuss pressing matters like the situation in Ukraine and the rule of law, as well as global economic issues like energy and food security. Here in New York, the second annual Japan Day Parade will be held this Saturday along Central Park West, where all are welcome to come and enjoy Japanese culture, traditions, and food. The parade will feature figure skating legend Kristi Yamaguchi as grand marshal, appearances by beloved anime characters from Naruto, a street fair hosting more than 20 Japanese food vendors, and so much more.

There is much to celebrate as relations between Japan and the U.S. grow each year to mutual benefit. If you stop and look, you will see that Japan is already part of your daily life. So, the next time you see a Japanese sports player, sit down for a bowl of ramen, step onto the subway, or crack open your favorite graphic novel, please take a moment to remember how interwoven our daily lives, and futures, truly are. Better yet, consider enrolling in Japanese classes, taking up a Japanese hobby, making Japanese friends, or even traveling to Japan for an unforgettable trip — our doors are open.

Mori is the ambassador and consul general of Japan in New York.