Tokyo: Embassy of Serbia organised an exhibition and a concert on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of friendship between Serbia and Japan

Welcoming the guests, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Japan Aleksandra Kovač pointed out that the relations between Serbia and Japan in the previous 140 years have been marked by two motives: mutual sense of solidarity and cultural and artistic exchange, which led to the approximation of the two peoples through the language of universal feelings and values that the humanity has nurtured since its origins.

Ambassador Kovač especially thanked the artists who justified the name of the event with their great performances and works and inspired everyone present to achieve an even stronger connection and mutual understanding.

Members of the Silangan Dance Troupe from the Tokyo University for Foreign Studies performed a mix of Serbian folk dances from Šumadija, and famous flautist Yuki Saito, cellist Shinsuke Usui and pianist Kenji Kanemasu performed works by Serbian composers and traditional songs, as well as several popular Japanese melodies.

Over two hundred visitors had the opportunity to enjoy contemporary compositions by Aleksandar Vujić “Valcer” and “Srpsko kolo” and songs “April u Beogradu”, “Tamo daleko”, “Što se bore misli moje”, “Pod gorom se šetalo devojče”, “Ševa” and “Marš na Drinu”, and the performance of Japanese song “Bamboo Leaves are Rustling”, which the cellist sang in Serbian and in Japanese, attracted particular attention.

Before the concert, visitors had the opportunity to see the exhibition of photographer Takafumi Khan, member of the Photographic Society of Japan, of the photos taken during his visit to Serbia in 2019, under the auspices of the “Artists in Residence” Programme as part of the project “Novi Sad - European Capital of Culture 2021/2022”.

The Embassy of Serbia was greatly supported by the Municipality of Minato, the Association for the Promotion of Music Exchanges Between Japan and Serbia, the Japan-Serbia Association, the Japan Photographers Association and the Tokyo University for Foreign Studies. Students of Toyo Eiwa University and Aojama Gakuin University and other friends of the Embassy of Serbia also supported the organisation of the concert.