The Nippon Club on Fifth Avenue opened on June 1, and a total of approximately 260 guests attended the opening-related events.

06/01/26

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• The Nippon Club opened its new building on Fifth Avenue on Monday, June 1, 2026. To mark the occasion, an opening event was held that same day, attended by approximately 100 guests.

  

  At the ceremony, Mr. Tetsuo Kawate, President of The Nippon Club (Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)), delivered organizer’s remarks
  , followed by congratulatory speeches from Ambassador Satoshi Katahira, Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in New York
  ; Mr. Ed Pincar, President of the Fifth Avenue Association; and Deputy Inspector Noreen Lazarus, Commanding Officer, The 19th Precinct
  . The four individuals then performed the “Kagami-Biraki” (Sake Barrel Opening Ceremony), after which a tour of the facility was conducted.

  Kagami-biraki (literally “mirror opening”) refers to the ritual of breaking the lid of a large barrel of sake with a mallet. This ceremony marks new beginnings and transitions. The term is a combination of “kagami” (mirror), which refers to the round lid of a sake cask, and “hiraku” (open).

  

  To showcase the facility in actual use, we arranged a variety of demonstration for a tour and reception: a tea ceremony in the second-floor multi-purpose room presented by students in the Hunter College/CUNY Tea Ceremony course, with Mari Abe Kole, an Adjunct Lecturer in the Faculty of Japanese Studies at Hunter College; an exhibition by artist KOH and Mr. Shoichi Kamisuzuki in the fifth-floor Nippon Gallery; and a piano performance by Ms. Manami Matsushita in the sixth-floor Music Hall.

  

  In addition, we held an “Open House” exclusively for Nippon Club members over two days—Monday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 2—welcoming approximately 160 visitors. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the members who attended.

  

  The Nippon Club（604 5th Ave, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10020 MAP）

  In addition to a restaurant, a gallery, and an event hall, the new building features new facilities such as a café, a focus room, a multipurpose room, and a music hall. However, the restaurant and café are scheduled to open at a later date.

  2nd Floor
  Wagashi (Japanese Sweets) Café (Opening for business in the near future)
  A café space where you can enjoy coffee, green tea, and traditional Japanese sweets from “K. Minamoto” on the 1st floor. Currently, the view is obscured by scaffolding for cleaning work on the adjacent building; however, by the time the café opens, you will be able to enjoy the illuminated evening views of Fifth Avenue.
  Focus Room
  Available for use for remote work, Zoom meetings, and similar activities.
  Multipurpose Room
  A versatile space equipped with a sink area, suitable for meetings, seminars, workshops, and more. (Maximum Capacity: 15 people)

  3rd Floor
  Rose Hall
  An event hall suitable for a wide range of uses, including seminars, parties, and receptions. (Maximum Capacity: 74 people)

  4th Floor
  Restaurant & Private Dining Rooms (Opening for business in the near future)
  In addition to a restaurant featuring a distinct Japanese ambiance, this floor houses two private dining rooms: the “Sho-fu” Room (accommodating up to 8 guests) and the “Sakura” Room (accommodating up to 6 guests).

  5th Floor
  Nippon Gallery
  Available for use for exhibitions and opening receptions. (Maximum Capacity: 74 people)
  The rear area includes an employee locker room and a pantry.

  6th Floor
  Office/Music Hall
  Typically utilized as the offices for the Nippon Club and JCCI, this space is also highly versatile. It can serve as a music hall for concerts, or as an event hall for seminars, parties, receptions, and a wide variety of purposes. (Maximum Capacity: 74 people)
  The rear area includes storage and workspace for the offices and a pantry.