Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan has travelled to Tokyo to lead a high-level delegation aimed at strengthening Ireland’s cultural and sporting connections with Japan.
Building on the recent Government Decision on Ireland-Japan 2025 (April 2025), the delegation will seek to advance implementation of the Joint Statement between Japan and Ireland, as well as deepening cultural and sports partnerships between the countries.
The visit coincides with the Ireland Japan 2025 programme – a yearlong series of activities designed to increase Ireland’s presence and visibility in Japan, including Ireland’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka and through the opening later this year of a new Ireland House, with the overall aim of strengthening our existing political, economic and people-to-people links.
Beginning in Tokyo, the programme will include meetings to develop Ireland’s cultural, sporting and economic ties with Japanese parliamentarians, policy-makers and culture sector stakeholders. The Minister will also meet with the Irish cultural and sporting diaspora in Japan to discuss developing our ties with the country.
Following this, Minister O’Donovan will travel to Osaka to lead the ribbon-cutting at the Ireland Pavilion at Expo 2025.
Attending the ‘Co-Creating Cultures for the Future’ Themed Week, Minister O’Donovan will host key Irish and Japanese Cultural Stakeholders at the Ireland Pavilion to discuss how we can strengthen collaborations between the two countries. Irish cultural presenters at Expo 2025 will include the National Museum of Ireland, National Concert Hall, the Irish Museum of Modern Arts, Harp Ireland, Animation Ireland and many more.
Speaking ahead of the mission, Minister O’Donovan said:
“In an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, Japan continues to emerge as a like-minded and important strategic partner for Ireland on the global stage. The Government’s commitments to significant investments in Japan and an increased focus through the Ireland Japan 2025 programme are a clear demonstration of our intent to strengthen this key relationship in the years ahead.
“I am looking forward to working with both our Japanese counterparts in the culture and sports sectors, as well as the highly impressive Irish sporting and cultural diaspora in Japan, to develop the working relationships between our two islands. Our work in Tokyo and Osaka over the next week will be essential in increasing Ireland’s visibility in Japan and developing new vibrant cultural partnerships and exchanges.”
