Yasuhiro Kawana, 52, exchanged high fives with American pop icon Cyndi Lauper when "Kinky Boots," a Broadway show he co-produced, was declared the winner of this year's Tony Award for Best Musical.
"It was like a blue sky appeared on the ceiling" of Radio City Music Hall in New York when the announcement was made in June, Kawana said.
"Kinky Boots" is a story about a man who strives to rebuild a shoe business he inherited from his father. Cyndi Lauper composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the show, which is based on a book by actor Harvey Fierstein.