The 2005 EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges was a year which further advanced the momentum for cultural exchanges which actively took place during the "Cultural Olympiad," an international cultural exchange event held in Greece in 2004 on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Athens.

A wide array of events was carried out during the Year of People-to-People Exchanges in almost 30 areas. They ranged from events highlighting traditional Japanese culture including an ikebana exhibition, a calligraphy lecture/seminar, a biwa (Japanese lute) concert, a performance of an Okinawan performance art, and a Japanese drum performance, to contemporary culture such as a demonstration of manga (comics) making, an animation film show, a dance performance, and a contemporary art exhibition. The events were held in a wide variety of formats, including theatrical performances, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations. At the same time, theatrical performances, for example, included anything from a stage adaptation of Modern Noh Plays by Yukio Mishima to a creative dance drama portraying both Apollo from Greek mythology and Japan’s Amaterasu Omikami (Sun Goddess) as the same Sun god. Such differences in expression brought richness to the tone of the Year of People-to-People Exchanges in Greece. Furthermore, significant events took place in the areas of academia, education, and science such as "The EU-Japan Relations in the 21st Century," a debate held by the Student Association for International Affairs (SAFIA), "EU Hitachi Science and Technology Forum," and the "Japan Cultural Symposium."

In December, JAPAN EXTRAVAGANZA was held to wind up the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Japanese culture was introduced in multiple events, which included an exhibition by Japan’s new-generation artists, an animation film show featuring the leading films of Japan including AKIRA and Howl’s Moving Castle, a demonstration of manga making by Japanese manga artists, and exhibitions of calligraphy, origami, and kimono. The EXTRAVAGANZA was widely covered by the media. At a meeting between Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis of Greece and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held in Tokyo in November, both leaders expressed their intention to promote cultural and academic exchanges. Through the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Greece and Japan are paving the way for the further enhancement of exchanges between the two countries.