Anime NYC Honored by the Consulate General of Japan in New York
Event Organizers Receive Commendation from Japanese Ambassador Mikio Mori
New York, NY (February 2, 2024) — Anime NYC Powered By Crunchyroll, the second-largest Japanese popular culture festival in the United States, was proudly honored by the Consulate General of Japan in New York at a ceremony and reception at Ambassador Mikio Mori's residence. Anime NYC Event Director MK Goodwin and Anime NYC Founder Peter Tatara received a special commendation from Ambassador Mori in recognition of Anime NYC's work in bringing New York and Japan closer together by celebrating Japan's popular arts. The special event was attended by anime industry professionals, partners, and press across New York
City.
Anime NYC, last held November 17-19, 2023, attracted over 63,000 passionate attendees from across New York and all 50 states. The festival's special guests included voice actors Kana Ichinose, Kengo Kawanishi, and Moe Kahara; manga creators Kore Yamazaki and Yoshifumi Tozuka; and musicians Hiroyuki Sawano, SennaRin, and i☆Ris. Anime NYC featured Japanese popular culture companies including Aniplex, Bandai Namco, Crunchyroll, GKIDS, HIDIVE, Hololive, Kinokuniya, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Yen Press
as well as arts, culture, and governmental organizations including the Japanese Consulate, Japan Society, Japan Foundation, and the Japan National Tourism Organization. Ambassador Mikio Mori spoke at Anime NYC about the power of popular culture and sports in linking the US and Japan prior to a screening of the anime BLUE LOCK with voice actor Kazuki Ura.
Anime NYC's mission since its founding in 2017 has been to create a dedicated spotlight on Japan's popular arts in New York and offer its attendees next steps toward further discovery of Japan, including learning about its food, language, customs, and travel to Japan.
In recognition of this, Japanese Ambassador Mikio Mori presented Anime NYC Event Director MK Goodwin and Anime NYC Founder Peter Tatara a special commendation which reads…
Anime NYC, as the largest anime convention on the east coast of the United States of America, your convention contributes to the promotion of Japanese culture and friendship between Japan and the US in New York. It creates opportunities for creators and companies working on Japanese content to engage in activities. Therefore, with my utmost respect, I present you with this Certificate of
Commendation.
December 13th, 2023
Ambassador Mikio Mori Consul-General of Japan in New York
This recognition is further timed around Anime NYC's largest ever expansion, with the event moving to August 23-25, 2024 and growing for the first time to occupy the entire main building of New York's Javits Center. Bigger than ever before, Anime NYC 2024's additional space will be used to provide more exhibit and programming space for both popular culture content as well as traditional and cultural displays. Anime NYC further announced Japan Society as its first official non-profit partner, deepening this link between the popular arts and deeper discovery of Japan.
“This move not only brings us warmer weather, but the expanded space allows us to welcome more partners, more industry, and more of the vibrant community that defines Anime NYC. This will further strengthen the Japan to NYC connection that has always been at the heart of the event.” MK Goodwin, Anime NYC's current Event Director, said at the ceremony.
“Every inch of Anime NYC is covered in your fingerprints, and we are only here today because of all you've contributed,” Anime NYC founder Peter Tatara said at the event, addressing the anime publishers and partners at the ceremony. “It's been the supreme honor of my life to build it together with you.” Peter led Anime NYC from its launch in 2017 until the end of 2022, joining art and culture organization Japan Society at that time as its Director of Film. He is currently a Consultant for
Anime NYC, and said of Anime NYC's future, “I'm proud and thankful of the art, culture, and community that Anime NYC has fostered under my stewardship, and I'm honored my good friend MK Goodwin will be carrying the event forward into the next generation.”
Tickets for Anime NYC 2024 launched on January 17th. More details about this year's convention will be revealed across the spring and summer, and to learn the latest, sign up for the Anime NYC newsletter here and follow the event on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter).
ABOUT MK GOODWIN:
MK Goodwin is a VP at LeftField Media, and the current Event Director of Anime NYC. She has spent almost 15 years in the events industry that has included work in both content and event leadership on large scale events including New York Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, and Emerald City Comic Con. In addition to her work in orchestrating domestic events, MK also played a meaningful role in her previous company's global strategy group, propelling business and fostering
connections and experiences across four different continents. This background, along with her deep love and appreciation for Japanese pop culture and fan experience, makes her uniquely well suited, both professionally and passionately, for her role with Anime NYC.
ABOUT PETER TATARA:
Peter leads the film program at Japan Society, a century-old nonprofit organization in New York City focused on bringing Japan and the USA closer together. Japan Society's film calendar features over 60 events each year, spanning from classic and contemporary cinema to anime. Japan Society is home to JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese FIlm, the largest Japanese film festival in North America. Beyond Japan Society, Peter has 20 years of experience
working in live events and Japanese entertainment. Peter got his start at anime and manga publisher Central Park Media, the company responsible for the US release of titles including Studio Ghibli's Grave of the Fireflies. After CPM, Peter served as head of content for New York Comic Con at Reed Exhibitions and then in global business development at Reed where he worked on events in Australia, England, China, Germany, India, Singapore, and more. Most significantly, Peter was the Founder and Event Director of Anime NYC until 2022. In only a few short years, Peter grew Anime NYC into the second largest Japanese popular culture convention in the country - with over 60,000 attendees, world premieres, publishers from across the US and Japan, and special guests including Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of Mobile Suit Gundam) and Hajime Isayama (creator of Attack on Titan).
ABOUT ANIME NYC
Anime NYC is New York City's anime convention. A showcase of the best of Japanese pop culture in the biggest city in America, Anime NYC brings anime fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. Join us for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, and cosplay in the heart of NYC. Anime NYC is a creation of LeftField Media, an award-winning boutique event company made up of dedicated fans and experienced convention organizers. LeftField Media's other events include Anime Frontier, Awesome Con, and Rose City Comic Con. Recognized for its commitment to authenticity, diversity, and community engagement, Anime NYC plays a pivotal role in bridging cultures and celebrating the vibrant world of anime.
bookmark/share with:
