In Lithuania, various events were held, including a Noh performance (July), a special concert in commemoration of Japan-EU People-to-People Exchanges (March), Japanese classic film festival (May), Ikebana demonstration (September), Japanese traditional dye demonstration (September), and a Japanese art exhibition (October). Among these events, the Wood-block prints exhibition “53 Stations of Tokaido,” for which the most steady efforts were made, was a project that symbolizes the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

On January 24, the opening ceremony of the Wood-block exhibition "53 Stations of Tokaido" was held at the Martynas Mazvydas National Library as an opening event of the EU-Japan Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In one year the exhibition traveled to public libraries in 16 cities around the country. The way in which exhibited items were transported is that the library to hold the next show went to the previous venue to pick them up. Through such cooperative efforts of all libraries, the exhibition was able to make a full circle around Lithuania, beginning in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, and ending in Ukmerge without any accidents. A total of 30,000 people throughout the country visited the exhibition, which is equal to approximately 1% of Lithuania’s population.

Staff members from the Embassy of Japan in Lithuania attended the opening ceremonies of the exhibition held in each city, and were able to interact directly with the local people by introducing to them the culture of Japan through demonstrations of the tea ceremony and calligraphy, etc. While events related to Japanese culture are held very seldom in local cities, there was a high level of interest in Japan. Even small-scale events such as this always gained the attention of the mass media and were regarded very highly. Each city had its own unique way of receiving this event. In small cities, for example, the Embassy personnel were welcomed not only by the libraries but also by the entire community including city halls, museums and schools. In this way, these cities offered opportunities for exchange that differed from the large-scale events which took place in the capital. Each city expressed a strong wish to expand beyond the latest exhibition and continue to hold local cultural programs.

The Embassy of Japan plans to continue to actively hold cultural events in local regions in order that the people of Lithuania may deepen their knowledge about Japan.