About
Australia is a land of old and new, where more than 40,000 years of heritage and tradition blends with contemporary culture. This exciting blend of ancient and cutting-edge expression is what makes Australia the dynamic and innovative society it is today.
The Australian Embassy's 'Culture' page is dedicated to Australian arts in Japan, and Australia-Japan artistic collaboration.
The Public Diplomacy Section of the Australian Embassy Tokyo is part of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has a proactive cultural program designed to promote Australia's vibrant and diverse society in Japan.
Our key goals in Japan are to:
- promote positive perceptions and a greater understanding of contemporary Australia;
- create greater awareness of, and larger audiences for, contemporary Australian arts and culture; and
- cultivate a long-lasting deeper understanding of Australia as a country of sophistication, diversity, creativity and innovation.
We work with relevant Australian and Japanese Government agencies and arts organisations to increase opportunities for the Australian arts industry as a whole and to foster strong cultural links between our two countries.
Our approach is necessarily long-term - it can take many years to build close linkages, and it can take even longer for these linkages to bear fruit. We implement high quality projects aimed at making an impact and leaving a legacy.
Our major activities include:
- strengthening existing relationships and cultivating new networks between Australian and Japanese key cultural decision makers and arts professionals;
- consolidating Australia-Japan government-to-government partnerships that provide the foundation for bilateral cultural activities; and
- providing information on Australian arts and cultural projects mainly through the Culture page on the Embassy's website, but also other public diplomacy tools.
Some recent projects the Embassy has initiated/collaborated on are:
- the "Australia House" at Echigo-Tsumari;
- the "Setouchi Art Festival";
- the Australian Jazz Journey at Tokyo Jazz Festival 2012;
- Windmill Baby by Rakutendan in 2012;
- Sydney Symphony Japan Tour 2011; and
- the exhibition of Australia's leading indigenous artist, Emily Kame Kngwarreye in Osaka and Tokyo in 2008.
Other useful information (including grants information) is available from:
- The Australia-Japan Foundation
- Australia International Cultural Council
- The Australia Council
- The Japan Foundation
- The Japan Foundation, Sydney
- The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs