Justin's Japan: Nippon in New York – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Sakura Matsuri and More

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his Japanese culture page here for related stories.Spring has sprung in the Big Apple, and that means one thing: a new season of sounds, colors, and spectacular performing arts to match the blossoming sakura trees throughout the city.This month’s highlights include:April 5-6HikobaeBMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center Theatre 2, 199 Chambers Street$50 general admission, $15 students (use discount code STU at Smarttix page)A story of courage and personal sacrifice of an American doctor and the Japanese medical staff who risked their lives following the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, Hikobae is a fictionalized story based on recorded interviews with physicians and nurses from Soma City Hospital, a medical center in the Fukushima evacuation zone. Supported by the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, proceeds from the production will benefit the Momo-Kaki Orphan Fund, which supports children who lost their parents in the disaster. The theater piece will be performed in English and Japanese, with subtitles projected behind the actors.April 5-14MiyazakiBAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue$13 adults, $9 children and matinees, $8 membersPart of BAMcinématek. For nearly three decades, the films of Hayao Miyazaki and the company he founded, Studio Ghibli, have revolutionized the art of animation. Miyazaki’s indelible style—which weds the uncanniness of Lewis Carroll and the epic grandeur of Akira Kurosawa—stands as a testament to the beauty and imaginative power of hand-drawn animation, conjuring richly realized worlds replete with mystical spirits and shot through with an abiding concern for the relationship between humans and nature. All films directed by Hayao Miyazaki and in 35mm.Sunday, April 14, 7:00 p.m.Kyary Pamyu PamyuBest Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway$25, $100 VIP meet and greetBorn in 1993 in Tokyo, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu attracted attention with her individual blog, and has been active as a model in Japan. A charismatic personality that represents the youth fashion of Harajuku, her smash single "PONPONPON"—released on her debut album shortly after she finished high school—became a big hit around the world, racking up over 46 million views on YouTube to date. Receiving plenty of attention as the symbol of kawaii (or "cuteness" in Japanese), Kyary Pamyu Pamyu makes her New York concert debut as part of her ambitious 10-country "100%KPP" tour.For the complete story, click here.