NEW YORK (AP) — People of Japanese descent are gearing up for their first-ever parade in New York City, taking their place among the lineup of groups that celebrate their heritage with marches through the United States’ most populous city.

Set for May 14, the Japan Day parade comes amid activism following a wave of anti-Asian attacks during the coronavirus pandemic, and solidarity is part of the parade’s message. But planning began well before the emergence of COVID-19.

Organizers initially aimed to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but the virus postponed their plans.

“That creates big momentum to make it better, to celebrate the recovery from the pandemic, as well as appreciation from the Japanese community to the city of New York,” Ambassador Mikio Mori, the Japanese consul-general in New York, said at a press preview Wednesday.

COBU, a drum company that draws from Japanese tradition, performs after a news conference in New York, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Performers and Japanese officials were promoting the first ever Japan Parade, celebrating Japanese culture and tradition, which will take place in New York on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

© Provided by Associated PressCOBU, a drum company that draws from Japanese tradition, performs after a news conference in New York, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Performers and Japanese officials were promoting the first ever Japan Parade, celebrating Japanese culture and tradition, which will take place in New York on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The parade stands to boost visibility for the New York metropolitan area’s Japanese and Japanese American community. At roughly 56,000, the New York area has the nation’s fourth-largest Japanese population, behind those of Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.

There has been a Japan Day festival in Central Park for some years, but organizers felt they could reach more people by bringing it onto the streets.

NYC’s first-ever Japanese heritage parade set for next month (msn.com)