Stelios Chourmouzidis, diplomat, Deputy Head of Mission, and Counselor at the Greek Embassy in Japan, joined via phone from Tokyo. He provided an overview of the embassy’s initiatives throughout 2024, marking the Greece-Japan Year of Tourism and Culture. These initiatives included:
- Concerts dedicated to the work of Iannis Xenakis.
- A performance by renowned violinist Leonidas Kavakos.
- A bilingual (Japanese-Greek) edition of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Traveling in Japan.
- A calligraphy exhibition featuring quotes from Greek authors.
- A lecture by director Michail Marmarinos on Noh theatre and its connection to ancient Greek theatre.
- A dance performance by Dimitris Papaioannou.
- A production of Euripides’ Hecuba by a Japanese troupe.
- A lecture on Cavafy and the translation of his works into Japanese.
In a few days, the Anthology of Greek State Poetry Awards will be presented in Japanese translation for the first time. The aim of this edition is to serve as a springboard for Japan to explore contemporary Greek poetry. As Mr. Chourmouzidis noted, Japan has a deep tradition of poetry, the foundation of its literature, and a great appreciation for books and paper.
Additionally, this year marks the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Greece and Japan. To celebrate, an exhibition of historical diplomatic archives was organized, first presented in Athens and soon to be showcased in Japan.
Finally, one of the highlights of the Greece-Japan Year of Tourism and Culture was the visit of Greece’s Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, to Japan and the reciprocal visit of Princess Kako, daughter of Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito, to Greece.