New Yorkers experienced a taste of Japanese culture Sunday by taking part in traditional "Awa odori" and "Bon odori" dance performances and putting on kabuki makeup at an annual Japan Day event in Central Park.

Performers from the Home Island Project, a group from Shikoku, gave Awa odori lessons to visitors who were guided to dance in a big circle.

"New Yorkers are quick to absorb a different culture," said 21-year-old Reiko Bando, a member of the group who studies at a university in Tokushima, the birthplace of Awa odori.

Marking its seventh year, the event aims to foster a deeper cultural understanding between the people of both countries.