As well as being the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, 2005 was a special year in historical terms for Belgium as it marks the 175th anniversary of the country’s independence and 25th anniversary of its adoption of the federal system. Thus, in conjunction with the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, a variety of commemorative events were held in Belgium. A four-party working group was set up in Belgium as a promotional base organization for the Year of Exchanges, comprised of the Embassy of Japan in Belgium, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the Association Japonaise de Belgique, and the Belgium-Japan Association and Chamber of Commerce (BJA). In particular, the Embassy of Japan took the lead in actively planning and seeking out events for the Year of Exchanges and promoted the use of its Cultural and Information Center facilities by other event organizers. As a result, ultimately more than 70 events were approved and carried out for the Year of Exchanges program.

With respect to the Year of Exchanges program, particularly worthy of mention is the publication of The History of Exchanges between Japan and Belgium at the initiative of Belgium, which took the opportunity of its official participation in the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan to publish this work with the support of the Japan Foundation. As for cultural events, the Year of Exchanges started off in January with an immensely successful Ondeko-za and Agatsuma Band Joint Concert as the opening event, followed by events organized by the Embassy of Japan which included the Natsuko Kishida Art Exhibition, Linx Flute Concert, and the Kitanodai Gagaku Orchestra Europe Tour, all of which were most favorably received. Furthermore, various events supported by the Japan Foundation were held across Belgium, including the Exhibition of Imari Porcelain, International Textile Art Triennial in Tournai, and as part of this the Exhibition of Textiles by Japanese Artists and the Kimono Fashion Show, as well as Japanese Traditional Storytelling by Ichiryusai Teisui and the Umewaka Kennokai Europe Tour; all were highly appreciated by local citizens. In addition, numerous events of all kinds including exhibitions, concerts, Ikebana exhibitions, tea ceremony demonstrations, independent film festivals, performances of modern dance, poetry readings and lectures were held in the meeting room and hall of the Cultural and Information Center of the Embassy of Japan.

Through the wide range of events held for this EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, it was increasingly recognized that the Cultural and Information Center of the Embassy of Japan serves as a close-at-hand source of information about Japan for the general Belgian public as well as a place where people can have valuable opportunities to experience the diversity of Japanese culture. As the interest of Belgian people in Japan grows further through the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, it is vital that we continue our efforts in this endeavor.