EUNIC Japan
Directors and representatives of 10 cultural institutes and centers in Tokyo set up the EUNIC Japan Cluster in January 2008. The new network operates within the umbrella organization EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and aims to create a cohesive group committed to sharing knowledge and resources and developing joint projects which enhance the visibility in Japan of the European arts, culture and linguistic diversity. The EUNIC Japan Cluster is supported in its work by the European Commission Delegation to Japan.The ambitious idea of EUNIC is to prove that culture matters for European integration. EUNIC wants to communicate how valuable and fascinating European cultural diversity is and to communicate the benefit of a common cultural space. EUNIC will facilitate cultural exchange by making use of the potential of national cultural institutes as assets and foster cultural exchange and cooperation with Japan.
With the Swedish Embassy joining in January 2009, EUNIC Japan has 11 members:
- Austrian Cultural Forum
- The British Council
- Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria
- Instituto Camões (Portugal)
- The Finnish Institute in Japan
- Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo
- Goethe-Institut Japan (Germany)
- Istituto Italiano di Cultura
- Embassy of the Republic of Poland
- Embassy of Romania
- Embassy of Sweden
EUNIC Japan is open to work collaboratively with other interested organizations, based on the experience and partnership spirit shared by many cultural institutes in Japan through previous partnership projects.
From 1 April 2008 until the end of March 2009, the rotating EUNIC presidency is being held by Germany, and Director Schmelter of the Goethe Institute in Tokyo is President of EUNIC Japan.
