On March 20, watch the ceremonial start to the Festival as performers from Japan and DC bring to your living room a celebration of the season with artistry and spectacle. Co-presented with The Japan Foundation.

Opening Ceremony Co-Host Kristi Yamaguchi

Athlete, artist, wife, mother, philanthropist—in each of these things Kristi Yamaguchi embodies the word champion. Her motto is “Always Dream,” and Kristi’s accomplishments prove that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication. Her achievements—on the ice, in her personal life and in the realm of community service—are many, all of which prove her consistent commitment to excellence.

Solo and group musical and dance acts from Japan and the U.S. include:

2.5-Dimensional Musical－2.5-Dimensional Musical casts of three popular works－Live Spectacle NARUTO, “MY HERO ACADEMIA” The “Ultra” Stage, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Musical－will perform special comments and digest of the stage. 2.5-Dimensional Musical is based on Japanese manga, animation and video games. The term not only refers to musicals, but can also be applied to plays, comedies and dramas as well.

TAIKO PROJECT – Founded in 2000 in Los Angeles by a group of young, emerging taiko drummers led by Bryan Yamami and Masato Baba, Taiko Project defines a modern American style of taiko. The group has performed on the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, NBC’s “The Voice,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and more.

Kazunori Kumagai – Kazunori Kumagai is a “True Tap Artist” (The New York Times), always searching for expression through sound and rhythm. He trained in the New York Shakespeare Festival Institute of Tap (“Funk University”), the training workshop for the hit Broadway musical, “Bring in da’ Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.” Since then, he has been performing and teaching all over the world, and opened his first tap dance studio, KAZ TAP STUDIO, in Japan to pass his knowledge and passion to the next generation.

Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta – The Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta (FYS), a dynamic group of 50 young Japanese musicians set up by UK charity Keys of Change, in partnership with schools in Fukushima, has made rapid musical strides and performed in the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Tokyo Opera City, Boston Symphony Hall, Bangkok Siam Pic Ganesha Theatre and Tokyo Suntory Hall.

Matsumoto Arigasaki Senior High School Japanese Calligraphy Club – The Matsumoto Arigasaki Senior High School Japanese Calligraphy Club was the first-prize winner in the 12th “Shodo Performance Koshien”, a competition to determine the top high school Shodo performance team in Japan. The club will appear with members of Alexandria, VA’s Hayfield Secondary School to convey a special message of friendship.