The ceremony of awarding the chairmanship of the EU-Japan Fest Committee to Makoto Takashima was opened with the speech of Her Excellency, Ambassador Petra Sigmunt, who emphasized the strength and importance of a united and open Europe. The function officially inaugurated the 33rd anniversary of the organization.
Representatives of Japanese diplomacy, culture, and business, delegates of selected European Capitals of Culture, and Selection Panel assembled at the German Embassy in Tokyo. What is more, the participation of Lublin 2029 officially commenced the cooperation with the EU-Japan Fest.
During the ceremony, the very first outcomes of the collaboration between EU-Japan Fest, Chemnitz 2025 (Germany), and Nova Gorica 2025 (Slovenia) were presented. The representatives of Bad Ischl (Austria), Bodø (Norway), and Tartu (Estonia), which held the titles of European Capitals of Culture in 2024, provided comprehensive reports on the cooperation with the organization. Then Jiro Kogi, Deputy Secretary General of the EU-Japan Fest Committee, unveiled the plans for the foreseeable future.
The whole ceremony was highlighted by the performance of Alexander Gadjiev, the winner of the second place in the 18th edition of International Chopin Piano Competition. We also paid a visit to the partners from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, and Yarakucho Art Urbanism. After that, we commemorated the casualties of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that occurred on 12th March, 2001.
For 30 years, the EU-Japan Fest has been cooperating with European Capitals of Culture, conducting hundreds of projects that have connected Europe and Asia.
Translated by Zofia Świerszcz
Proofread by Aleksandra Górecka
