On June 13, in Angra do Heroísmo, the Vice-President of the Regional Government presided over the opening ceremony of the exhibition “From Namban to Japonism: The Arts of Japan in the Azorean Collections,” which is part of the Azores’ participation in the 2025 World Expo in Osaka. The exhibition offers a historical overview from the first Portuguese-Japanese contacts in the 16th century to the influence of Japonism in the 19th century, through a collection of pieces from public and private collections in the region.

The Azores and Japan meet here today, just as they have met over the last few centuries,“ said the Vice-President of the Government. ”Based on the pieces on display here, it is possible to tell that story,“ he said. For the Vice-President of the executive, the Azores’ participation in Expo Osaka 2025 ”highlights the direction of development” that the region is following. This presence is part of the ongoing strategy to “attract foreign investment, promote the Azores internationally, and everything that truly distinguishes” the Azores, he stressed.

“The region will share unique regional products, our priceless natural heritage, the science of the future, the projection of our endogenous potential, and the unique culture of the Azores,” said Artur Lima. We will thus take the Azorean identity to Osaka,“ he continued. Participation in the Universal Exhibition ”is part of a new chapter in the international positioning of the Azores, precisely at the center of the debate and development of solutions to the main contemporary challenges,” stressed the Vice President. The Azores will be on “the world’s biggest stage, where more than 150 countries showcase their cultures, and which has already been visited by more than five million people.”

This is “the first time that the Autonomous Region of the Azores will have its own space for four days at a world exhibition, in the Portuguese pavilion,” recalled Artur Lima. This is the level where we want to be and where we should always be,“ he concluded. The Autonomous Region of the Azores is participating in the Osaka 2025 World Expo, from August 14 to 17, under the theme ”Between Hearts.“ The exhibition ”From Namban to Japonism: The Arts of Japan in the Azorean Collections” is promoted by the Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores, in partnership with the Regional Directorate for Culture. It is open to the public at the Palácio dos Capitães-Generais until August 15.

From Press Release

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.