3/20/2025
Art brought Europe and Japan together.
The 33rd General Assembly of EU-Japan Fest, an NGO that has been promoting and strengthening cultural relations between European Capitals of Culture and Japan for 32 years, took place in Tokyo in March. Thousands of artists, cultural practitioners, politicians, diplomats, business leaders, teams and boards of the European Capitals of Culture took part, exchanging ideas and debating ways of working, co-producing and co-creating outstanding exhibitions, performances and works of art. Together, they built sustainable business, professional and personal relationships.
For the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia, this year's meeting is particularly important as it selects each year a new Honorary Leader—a businessman whose reputation and name encourages the Japanese business sector to support artists financially, thus contributing to intercontinental links through the culture and arts. This year it is Makoto Takashima, Chairman of the Board of Sumitomo Mitsui, the second largest banking group in Japan with franchises around the world.
The European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorica was represented by the artistic advisor Neda Rusjan Bric, who presented the programme with a focus on projects where either we will host Japanese artists or our artists will work in Japan. For example, dancer Eri Nishibara is a permanent member of the MN Dance Company for the third year, and established artists Tatsuo Miyajima and Masayuki Ebinuma will be working with the Academy of Arts of the University of Nova Gorica on the Kaki Tree Project, which uses the Japanese experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to speak meaningfully about the dangers of nuclear catastrophe and to call for peace. It was also supported by Alexander Gadjiev's piano masterclasses. As Alexander Gadjiev is currently on tour in Japan, where he is always a regular and highly sought-after guest on the great piano stages, he also joined us as an ambassador of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica - Gorizia and delighted those present with a short work by Chopin.
