Okinawa. In the far south of Japan. An independent archipelago until almost the end of the 19th century. Still with great aspirations for autonomy. Scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War. Occupied by the United States until 1972, with a massive American military presence that was not exactly well received by the local population.

Next Wednesday July 15th in Tokyo, "Meet Up ECoC! 2026 One-to-One Sessions," organized by the EU Japan Fest Committee, will take place. This is the second year that this important meeting has taken place between representatives of the European Capitals of Culture and artists, curators, producers, cultural professionals, and representatives of cultural organizations or institutions based in Japan.

During the last meeting in Tokyo with representatives from European capitals of culture, Christina Jaritsch , Christina Jaritsch Head of Climate Change and Gender Diversity in the Salzkammergut 2024 team, gave a presentation using slides to explain “The New Rural: What ECoC* shifts in European regions”.

The slides presented during the meeting can be downloaded from the attachment to this news item.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am Makoto Takashima, Chairman of Sumitomo  Mitsui Banking Corporation – called SMBC. This year, I have the honor of serving as  Chairman of the Operating Committee of EU-Japan Fest and working with the Ambassadors  of European countries, and representatives of European Capital Culture of cities, to promote  cultural exchange. It is my privilege to welcome everyone today to this event “Meet Up  ECoC – Face to Face.”  

In these challenging and unpredictable times, it is more important than ever that as like minded countries, Europe and Japan strengthen even further their precious relationship.  There are many dimensions to this relationship including diplomatic, business and trade,  education, and science and technological cooperation. But among these, culture stands out  because the personal interactions that develop through cultural activities transcend borders  and lead to friendship and mutual understanding.  

EU-Japan Fest takes the leading role in building bridges between Europe and Japan, by  offering a platform where creative individuals can interact and generate new value for a  brighter future.  

The events of today and tomorrow have been prepared to offer new insights into cultural  exchange, and to enable participants to engage in face-to-face communication and build  connections that develop into new cultural collaborations between Europe and Japan.  

Thank you for your attendance and I hope this event will be valuable for everyone. I wish  for everyone’s continued success.  

“Meet up Ecoc” by Eu Japan fest becomes “face to face”. This beautiful initiative devised to overcome distances during the Covid pandemic by the Japanese non-governmental organization that has been collaborating with the European capitals of culture since 1993, is transformed into two days of meetings between the Japanese artistic scene and the European capitals of culture for the next five years.