JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — Collision: Brooklyn, ‘Four Nights of Dream,’ The Joy of Sake

By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.As the summer winds fade into fall colors, the weeks ahead are shaping up with these exciting events, ready to be enjoyed after Labor Day.This month’s highlights include:Friday, Sept. 8, 6:45 p.m.Sake Social 2017The Nippon Club, 145 West 57th Street$70, $60 membersThe Nippon Club will present “Sake Social 2017″, featuring a sake tasting with 14 different “Kuramoto” (sake brewers) from Japan, on 9/8 (Fri). From Fukui to Yamaguchi, each Kuramoto will bring 2 types of Sake to the event, so you can enjoy 28 types of Sake and Chef Yasuoka’s tasty appetizers. For RSVP and more info, call Mita-san at (212) 581-2223 or email info@nipponclub.org.Friday, Sept. 8, 8:00 p.m.Collision: BrooklynLot 45, 411 Troutman Street (Brooklyn)$20 advance, $30 at the doorCollision is a cross-cultural event that aims to expose Japan’s underground music and culture to cities across the globe by curating lineups of Japanese and local artists (seven acts in all). With the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics on the horizon, organizers hope to introduce Japan’s unique subcultures to the millennials of the U.S. and contribute to the attraction and brand of the country, while supporting local creatives and businesses.Sept. 13, 15-16, 7:30 p.m.Four Nights of DreamJapan Society, 333 East 47th Street$55, $45 Japan Society membersA frustrated samurai. An unwieldy herd of pigs. A mysterious murder. A woman’s dying wish. Four surreal stories from Japanese author Natsume Soseki’s (1867-1916) Ten Nights of Dream come to life in Four Nights of Dream (2008), a contemporary chamber opera that traverses the subconscious through colorful melodies and piercing emotions. For this new production, New York vocalists and Tokyo instrumentalists come together to perform within a spellbinding and ever-morphing set. Performed in English.Friday, Sept. 22, 8:00 p.m.LUCKYRICE New York FeastMandarin Oriental, 80 Columbus Circle$88 GA, $155 VIPFounded by Danielle Chang in 2010, this eagerly awaited event will once again showcase the city’s most enticing Asian food experiences, along with avant-garde spots, fine dining establishments and local superstar mom and pop shops. Indulge in cuisine prepared by a curated list of New York’s finest Asian restaurateurs and mixologists, but be sure to save room for its first ever dessert bar! Tradition becomes progressive in this mash-up of culinary cuisines, with drinks provided by Asahi Beer and Suntory Whisky, and restauranteur and culinary icon Anita Lo in the ballroom as she wines, dines and inspires the next generation of rising talent.Sept. 24-25, 27Nausicaä of the Valley of the WindVarious locations$12.50Part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2017! The debut film from Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is considered by many to be his masterwork. Set in a devastated future world decimated by poisons, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess whose love for all living things leads her into terrible danger and eventual triumph. The Sept. 25 screenings are presented in Japanese with English subtitles.Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m.The Joy of SakeMetropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street$110Over 400 premium sakes + 16 top restaurants = 1 amazing evening! Experience the largest and liveliest sake-tasting event in the U.S., with award-winning sakes from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal served in peak condition, plus sake-inspired appetizers to nibble while you sip. This year’s superb restaurant line-up features names like Sakagura, En Japanese Brasserie and SushiSamba. Good food, good friends, good sake—it all comes together at The Joy of Sake.Friday, Sept. 29, 7:00 p.m.Never-Ending Man: Hayao MiyazakiJapan Society, 333 East 47th StreetFreeEast Coast premiere! This intimate, revealing NHK documentary portrait of Hayao Miyazaki follows the tireless animator from his announced semi-retirement in 2013 through his decision to develop Boro the Caterpillar, an animated short originally intended for the Ghibli Museum, into his final feature film. An enthusiastic talker full of self-deprecating witticisms and strong opinions about nearly everything, Miyazaki proves himself to be an endlessly fascinating subject, offering generous access to his creative process and life philosophy as he struggles to work out ideas while using CGI for the first time. Due to overwhelming demand, a wait list for standby entry will be offered at the Box Office starting one hour prior to the screening on a first-come, first-served basis.Want to stay in the loop on future events? Follow Justin on