Last week, the general meeting of the EU Japan Fest Foundation, which provides financial support for artist exchanges between European Capitals of Culture and Japan, officially concluded in Tokyo. At a ceremony held at the Embassy of Finland in Japan, the CEO of GO! 2025, Mija Lorbek, publicly presented a report on the collaboration. The event coincided with the appointment of the new committee chair, Masayuki Hyodo, who is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Japanese corporation Sumitomo, with a total market value of 43 billion euros.
On this occasion, the directors also met to discuss further financial support for artist exchanges during the post-2026 heritage period. The cities of Nova Gorica and Chemnitz also participated in discussions regarding the organization of a high-level visit in June by the outgoing chairman of the EU Japan Fest committee, Mr. Makoto Takashima. In addition to his support for culture, he is also the chairman of the board of one of Japan’s leading banks, SMBC.
In 2025, the EU Japan Fest Foundation provided financial support for a total of 12 projects in Nova Gorica and Gorizia. Among them, the projects that attracted the most attention included Borderless Body with Japanese dancer Eri Nishibara; the Piccolo Opera Festival with singer Ana Etsuko Tsuri; Kaki, Tree of Life with artist Tatsuo Miyajima; and Xcenter with renowned designer and illustrator Hiroyuki Mitsume Takahashi.
Mitsume embodies the pop-digital generation of Tokyo, and he channeled his creative energy into creative workshops for children, live painting, and the creation of manga illustrations featuring landmarks of Nova Gorica and Gorica.
These illustrations now adorn the walls of Xcenter, commemorative T-shirts, and even a piano. Inspired by this collaboration, local cross-border artists recreated them as so-called cosplay costumes during workshops held in honor of the visit.
