Wales. Japan. Two nations that cherish the past. Live well in the present. And play their part in constructing a better future – for people and planet. A friendship forged over centuries but focused on the future.
- Year of Wales and Japan 2025, Welsh Government
The Wales Japan 2025 Cultural Programme is a celebration of the connections between Wales and Japan through the arts, creativity and languages. A partnership between Wales Arts International, the British Council, and Welsh Government, it forms a core part of the Year of Wales and Japan 2025 to celebrate and strengthen connections between our nations.
The year-long programme spotlights the unique values and creativity of Wales in Japan and Japan in Wales and has enabled 21 collaborative projects with a particular focus on cultural wellbeing, sustainability, and Indigenous languages. Aligned with Wales’ pioneering Well-being of Future Generations Act, the programme includes creative collaborations rooted in equality, climate justice, community and language.
A showcase of arts and culture, Autumn 2025, Japan
The programme features a showcase of arts, culture, creativity and language from Wales in Japan in October 2025 at key events and locations which include:
Keltronika - a music and art showcase from Wales in Tokyo featuring Gwenno, Cian Ciaran, Dean Lligwy & Mark James.
- Only Boys Aloud travelling to Japan for the first time to continue their music exchange with young people in Oita and Kitakyushu and for a series of concerts.
- Wales Creative and Cultural Showcase event for Japan’s creative industries at the UK Embassy supported by Arts Council of Wales, Creative Wales and Media Cymru.
- Dawns y Ceirw - Theatr Cymru’s performance and a showcase of Welsh language theatre & technology platform Sibrwd with UPOPOY National Ainu Museum and Park, Hokkaido.
- Global Release by S4C of Pethau Bychain film. A multi-lingual showcase of Wales’ Wellbeing Culture commissioned by Wales Arts International to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. Featuring Wales based Japanese artists Junko Mori and seven other artists presented by poet Iestyn Tyne.
Aims of the programme:
- To nurture the existing cultural relations and creative economy connections between Wales and Japan and ignite new partnerships, framed by the wellbeing goals and instigating equalities and diversity in all we do.
- To increase local knowledge about Wales, our culture and values in Japan, building on the 2019 programme and to bring experience and knowledge of Japan back to Wales
- To put a spotlight on Wales’ unique cultural wellbeing model – with a particular focus on diversity, arts, health & wellbeing and language, and showing our commitment to climate justice and the inspiring Wellbeing of Future Generations Act
- To work with Welsh Government and partners from Japan to design a new way of working with the arts, culture and creative industries that creates new joint- investment and sponsorship opportunities
Pethau Bychain
The Patron Saint of Wales, Dewi Sant (St David)’s mantra calls on us all to make commitments to small things that we can do to instigate a much bigger change. In today’s world it means local action to meet global sustainable development goals.
Bro a Byd / Local action for global impact
Wales is not facing the challenges of climate change, inequality or the current pandemic alone. We exist and must understand ourselves and act as part of a global humanity. But if we are not already equal here in Wales,how can we treat others outside Wales as equal, let alone see unborn ‘future generations’ as having rights? And so the global does bring us back to the local; we must do the work at home as on the international stage, the two are not separate.
from the Watch Africa Cymru report, Smooth Seas do not make Skilful Sailors.
Projects supported by the Wales Japan Culture Fund 2025
- Only Boys Aloud Choir Tour of Japan: Aloud
Oita • Kitakyushu • Hiroshima • Tokyo | 08-15 October 2025
- Cardiff Animation Festival x New Chitose International Animation Festival: Cardiff Animation Festival
Hokkaido • 21-25 November 2025 | Online • 01-08 December 2025
- Japanese sustainable ceramics at ICF25: International Ceramics Festival
Aberystwyth • 27-29 June 2025
- A Tale of Two Dragons - Connecting Wales and Japan through stories for children: Literature Across Frontiers & Wales Literature Exchange
Osaka • Kobe • Kyoto | 23 October – 04 November
- Mari Wirth x Green Bird Himeji: Connect People with Nature on Our Planet: Mari Wirth
Himeji • 14-16 November 2025
- Coed/Coexist Wales Japan Residency Programme: Plas Glyn y Weddw x Junko Mori & John Egan
Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi • Llanbedrog | 01 September - 31 October 2025