Where New York Meets Japan — And Something New Is Born
Founded in 2011, RESOBOX is a Japanese cultural center, a community hub, and a bridge between Japan's finest makers and the people of New York City.
15+
Years connecting Japan and US
10,000+
Students welcomed
100+
Japanese companies supported
10+
Japanese culture classes
OUR CONCEPT
Resonate. Mix. Create.
RESOBOX is a mashup of "Resonate" and "Box." It's a space where your culture meets Japanese culture — and something entirely new resonates outward into the world. Japanese culture doesn't only come from Japan. In New York, where the world collides, it evolves.
We don't just present Japanese culture. We believe in deep, genuine mutual understanding between Japan and America — going far beyond the surface, into the craft, the philosophy, and the people behind it.
CULTURAL PROGRAMS
Hands-on Japanese Culture, for Everyone
From Ikebana to Bonsai, Tea ceremony to Sushi-making — our 10+ weekly classes are designed for curious New Yorkers who want to experience Japan, not just read about it.
For Individuals
Open weekly classes for anyone curious about Japanese arts and culture. 1,000+ new students every year.
For Companies
Team-building and cultural workshops for 100+ NYC companies per year — at our space or yours.
For Educators
Working with teachers to bring authentic Japanese cultural programs into schools and educational institutions across the US.
JAPAN-US BRIDGE
New York's First Stop for Japan's Rarest Products
As an advisor to Japan's government-backed trade agency and Japanese municipalities, RESOBOX works directly with Japanese SMEs — food producers, craftspeople, and artisans — who are entering the US market for the very first time. These aren't mass-market products. They're rare, authentic, and extraordinary.
Because thousands of Japan-curious New Yorkers pass through our doors — chefs, designers, artists, retailers, museum shop buyers — we're uniquely positioned to connect Japanese makers with exactly the right people in New York.
HOW IT ALL CONNECTS
The RESOBOX Flywheel
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3
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Cultural classes
Attract Japan-curious
New Yorkers every day
A trusted community
Chefs, designers, buyers -
anyone people who love Japan
Japan's best products
Rare Japanese makers
entering the US for
the first time
New Japanese culture
by collaborating with other
cultures in New York
FOUNDER
Takashi Ikezawa
President, RESOBOX
A native of Japan with 20+ years of experience in New York, Takashi advises Japan's government-backed trade agency and Japanese local governments, supporting Japanese SMEs, regional producers, cultural ambassadors, and artists in their first steps into the US market.
He currently serves as a partner of JETRO — Japan's official trade and investment promotion organization — and a US specialist in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's export project.
Born in Tokyo in 1980, Takashi studied Commerce at Keio University, where he also worked as a licensed Mount Fuji climbing guide. He backpacked through nearly 20 countries — an experience that sparked his deep interest in Japanese culture and cross-cultural exchange.In 2005, he relocated to New York, where he joined a Japanese bank and worked in lending. After leaving the banking sector, he earned an MBA from the City University of New York. In 2011, he founded RESOBOX with a mission to share Japanese culture with the world from New York — not just as a gallery or classroom, but as a living space where Japanese and American cultures genuinely meet, influence each other, and evolve together. The organization produces more than 100 projects, classes and events annually while supporting Japanese companies entering the US market.