A personal reflection on community, culture, and a very large American flag.
A Rain?Free Start to an Unforgettable Day
On May 9, 2026 at 1 PM, our group stepped off as the third contingent in the Japan Parade, proudly carrying a giant U.S. flag. The weather was surprisingly kind — just a light mist here and there — as we made our way down Central Park West from 81st Street to 68th Street. For a spring afternoon in New York, that felt like a small blessing.
My Connection to Japan
Japan has been woven into my life for years. I lived in Tokyo for three years as a software engineer, at an Architectural consulting firm called BUS Inc, a division of Kozo Systems. When returning to America, started working for Panasonic Wireless Design Research Center in Suwanee, GA as a Webmaster, for Casio America Inc. as a Marketing Manager and Salesforce Database Administrator and for NBC Stationary, a division of Kinokuniya Books which is a nationwide Book seller in Japan. Those experiences shaped my career and my worldview, and I hope to visit Japan again soon.
My first involvement with the Japan Parade goes back to 2008, when I worked at Casio Computer Inc., one of that year’s major sponsors. Since then, the parade has been a recurring thread in my life — a celebration of culture, community, and connection.
Marching With CAPA
For the past two years, I’ve had the joy of marching with Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA), and each time has been meaningful and fun. CAPA and friends have walked the familiar route from 81st to 68th Street for several years now. One year, we even had the honor of carrying the American flag — an unforgettable moment.
For the 2026 parade, CAPA applied to carry the flag again. While the final decision wasn’t confirmed at the time, we were told the chances were high. Regardless of the outcome, the experience of marching together is always something special.
A heartfelt thank you to CAPA for organizing and executing this one-of-a-kind experience year after year.
This year, approximately 100 groups and a total of about 2,700 participants joined us, beautifully coloring Central Park West. Although it started to rain
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), approximately 50,000 visitors attended the combined Parade and Street Fair.
This 5th edition of the event was made possible thanks to the cooperation of each and every one who participated.
The event was also covered by numerous media outlets in both Japan and the United States.
View the Event Photos
Want to see what the parade looked like from the ground?
Click button below to view the event photos button.
The images displayed on this website are straight out of the DSLR and have not been retouched. Full editing (exposure correction, contrast adjustments, white balance refinement, and other enhancements) is typically part of a professional workflow, but it is not applied to the preview images shown here.
For high-quality, watermark-free, fully edited photos, please contact me directly to request access or licensing.