The 28th of February 2009 is the first annual Global Shinkai Day. Anime enthusiasts from all over the world are encouraged to take part in the event by watching the noted animation director Shinkai Makoto‘s films and joining the discussions at the fan forum Cherry Blossoms Falling.

To mark the event, Crunchyroll is currently streaming three of Shinkai’s major works: Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days and 5 Centimeters Per Second. A new dub of 5 Centimeters Per Second will be shown for the very first time today, featuring a different cast from that of the English dub commissioned by ADV for its now out-of-print R1 DVD release.