Japan Day happened this past weekend and it was pretty different compared to last year. It was still located at Central Park, though 20+ streets down and at Rumsey Playfield.

The event had a good amount of people come, though not as large as the crowd was for last year. There were no food tents around as well. Nonetheless, we scoped the scene to check out Darryl McDaniels (aka DMC of the legendary hip-hop trio, RUN DMC) perform alongside half-Japanese/half-American R&B singer, AISHA.

AISHA truly wowed us with her voice. It was just that amazing. You can compare it to Christina Aguilera. That’s how good  it was. DMC got the crowd going as well when he came out to do the single he worked with AISHA on, “Fallin’ 4 U”. They were also joined by dancers of the Broadway Dance Center. The duo also did a rendition of “Walk This Way” as well. The future is very bright for AISHA as her soulful voice seems to know no bounds.

We also managed to catch the two of them after their performance and they discussed their collaboration, Japan, & the state of hip-hop music in general.

Another icon we caught was Senri Oe.  He is a beloved music icon in Japan who is known for his catchy songs and his eccentric personality. These days, Senri’s been living in New York and studying jazz music.  He performed alongside the musical troupe, Morning Musuko (no, not Morning Musume).  His performance was very lively thanks to his enthusiasm.

Overall, the event was fun, though I am wondering whether they will stay at Rumsey Playfield or move back up to the 96th St. area. I guess we’ll see next year!

(More pictures of Japan Day can be viewed here.)