Hungarian culture in Japan

The Liszt Institute Tokyo can look back on eventful weeks, as they welcomed visitors in Yokohama with Hungarian folk dance and mini Hungarian language classes, and organized a country image event in Tokyo. Additionally, at the renowned Fuji Art Museum in Tokyo, thanks to the institute, Japanese visitors had the opportunity to explore Herend porcelain as part of the Capa exhibition. They also gave a lecture on a Hungarian Himalayan expedition and organized a Hungarian wine tasting for the second time this year.

On 30 March, 2024, a V4 Festival was organized in Yokohama, near Tokyo. The event specifically showcased the musical cultures of the V4 countries, featuring folk dancers, musicians, and artists, as well as a flea market for interested attendees. Hungary was represented at the event by the Odoribe folk dance group from Tokyo and Takaku Keijiro, a hurdy-gurdy player. They also screened a video for a mini Hungarian language class. Hungary presented itself at the event with roll-up banners, children's books, and brochures introducing the country.

Two representatives of Veszprém-Balaton 2023 - European Capital of Culture (VEB2023-EKF), Orsolya Surguta, the financial director, and Szabolcs Zugschwert, the project coordination leader, traveled to Tokyo upon the invitation of the EU-Japan Fest. After participating in the annual event of the ECoC, a tourism promotion event took place on 4 April at the Liszt Institute Tokyo as part of an international travel exhibition. The event was opened by Krisztina Merényi, the director of the institute, followed by a short tourism lecture by Kacatu Motodzsi, a tourism advisor, about the Veszprém-Balaton region, targeting professionals from major European travel agencies. Subsequently, Izumi Hajasi, the curator of the Gifu Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, presented the collaboration between Júlia Néma and Japanese ceramic artists in the "Ways of Earth" project. The leader of the Japanese Tokorozawa FÉNY choir also gave a brief account of their visit to Veszprém. This was followed by a presentation by Szabolcs Zugschwert, the project coordination leader, which showcased the main attractions of Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region, as well as the programs and major investments realized during the ECoC. The presentation was followed by a reception where wines from the region could be tasted. The event was conducted in English and Japanese and was complemented by a temporary exhibition of photographs by Csaba Toroczkai, a photo artist.

On 5 April, Balázs Irimiás gave a lecture at the Liszt Institute about a Hungarian mission in the Himalayas. The volunteers saved a palace, which included Sándor Csoma Kőrösi's room, from ruin, built three Solar Schools, organized education, and carried out numerous activities to preserve culture. Balázs Irimiás, the speaker, presented a bronze plaque depicting Csoma's room as a gift to the Hungarian Embassy.

On 9 April, Ambassador Anna Aulner-Bálint, along with Krisztina Merényi, the director of the institute, and Emese Kovács, the cultural attaché, visited the renowned Fuji Art Museum in Tokyo, where the extensive exhibition entitled "A Century-Long War Captured with a Camera - Tribute to Robert Capa on the 70th Anniversary of His Death" is on display from 9 April to 23 June. On this occasion, the Hungarian Embassy in Tokyo introduced itself with its own promotional exhibition, featuring Herend porcelain in a separate room of the museum. The Liszt Institute played a significant role in the preparatory work and organization, and during the two-month exhibition, the director of the institute and the cultural attaché will also give lectures at the museum. The Herend exhibition is complemented by panels showcasing Hungary and Budapest. Simultaneously, visitors will be able to purchase Hungarian sweets and tea at the museum's restaurant and enjoy them using Herend porcelain sets. The exhibition is expected to attract nearly 20,000 visitors.

In connection with the Hungarian gastronomic exhibition at the institute, the Liszt Institute will focus heavily on presenting Hungarian food and drinks in spring 2024. As part of this, several wine tasting and food tasting events are being organized. On 11 April, 2024, in cooperation with Hokuto Corporation, a Tokaj wine tasting was held at the institute. In the first part of the event, Krisztina Merényi, the director of the institute, gave a lecture about Hungary and Hungarian culture, followed by a presentation by Toshio Terada, the CEO of Hokuto Corporation, about Hungarian wines and their uniqueness. During the presentation, the wines were already available for tasting, and they were analyzed and evaluated by Hashimoto Hidekazu, a member of the Japan Sommelier Association. Hokuto Corporation fully sponsored the event, providing premium wines and Karuizawa cheeses for tasting. The event was attended by numerous influencers, restaurant and wine bar owners, who shared news about the wine tasting of the Liszt Institute and Hungarian wines on their own platforms.