Chef Youko Yamamoto may be best known for her studied dedication to Japanese culinary tradition, which she has lovingly shared with the Hudson Valley community in the form of two restaurants—Tanma Ramen in Kingston and its beloved predecessor, Gomen Kudasai in New Paltz.
Yamamoto has always been a strong advocate for Japanese cultural exchange in the region. Since 2010, she has curated the Bon-odori Dance Festival for Peace, an annual summer event for peace activism and nuclear nonproliferation that pays homage to a 500-year-old Buddhist-Confucian custom.
This May, Yamamoto is collaborating with the Cornell Creative Arts Center in Kingston to host Japan In Kingston, a month-long cultural experience in Kingston featuring the dance, music, cuisine, films, and visual arts of Japan.
The programs will be spread over four weekends from May 5 through May 28, with an art exhibition that runs throughout the month featuring the work of painter Yoko Izu and photographers Keiko Yasuda, Naoyuki Ogino, Tomiko Shirakigawa, Baku Saito, and Mayuko Utanishi. The events lineup includes everything from folk dance and Taiko drumming performances to movie nights to public lectures that span topics from the Buddhist practice of peace walks to cultivating inner peace. The calendar kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, May 5 at 6pm followed by a big brush calligraphy performance by Asako Yamada at 7pm.
All performances and lectures are free to the public with a suggested donation. Saturday workshops on calligraphy, the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, zen meditation, folk dance, and Taiko drumming are priced at $20 for the general public and $10 for students and seniors.
On Fridays and Saturdays each weekend, local food vendors Gomen-Tanma, Sushi Yasuda, Three Guys Gyoza, and Oh, Mammy Curry Factory will be offering up classic Japanese dishes like sushi, gyoza, and Japanese curry rice.
“I hope this whole-month event gives the people in the community more opportunities and more experience for the mutual understanding toward peace building and a peaceful future,” Yamamoto says.
All events for Japan in Kingston will take place at the Cornell Creative Arts Center at 129 Cornell Street. Advanced registration for workshops is suggested.
