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“KOI Nippon” is a non-profit organization, working on the crossroads of international culture initiatives and creative production. Established in 2017 in Tokyo, Japan, KOI Nippon is a branch of KOI Lithuania (Lithuanian title “Kulturines ir organizacines idejos, VSI”). KOI Nippon is a pioneering grass-root organization in Japan to start spread Lithuanian and Baltic culture. KOI Nippon serves as an international platform for cultural collaborations between Baltic States and Japan.

While aiming to enrich the outlook of society with qualitative content and encouraging taking a step towards the joy of discovery of the world of culture, at the same time KOI Nippon enables artists and creative professionals worldwide to meet up at a one place for unique collaborations, valuable knowledge and contact exchange, to generate groundbreaking ideas for the present and for the future.

Main projects of KOI Nippon are: annual festival of Lithuanian culture in Japan “Creative リトアニア”, annual festival of Japanese culture in Lithuania “nowJapan”, and publishing interactive online book about the deeds of Chiune Sugihara and Jan Zwartendijk “Noble Rogues”.

Japanese cultural festival nowJapan is a beacon of Japanese culture in the Baltic States. Held annually since 2009, festival offers to experience a fusion of Japanese deep traditions, contemporary cutting-edge creativity and dazzling popular culture. When You cannot go to Japan, we bring Japan to You: Cosplay show, concerts, art performances, creative workshops, talks and lectures, booths, signings, exhibitions, food stalls, movies and much more - everything You can imagine about today’s Japan is at the festival!

In 2017 KOI Nippon established the festival of Lithuanian culture “Creative リトアニア”. It is the only independent annual celebration of Lithuanian culture in Japan. The festival comprises of annual conference, networking sessions, exhibitions and performing arts. It aims to present Lithuanian creativity, artists and creative industries, foster knowledge exchange and networking possibilities. First implemented 2017, Lithuanian design Pop-Up, Creative Industries Conference themed around Lithuania‘s image in Japan, Networking events with a spice of Lithuanian cuisine and meetings with business and culture representatives.

Via series of events, project aims to facilitate a cross-cultural bridge between Lithuania in Japan in a creative business field, to connect the dots, bringing top Lithuanian designers to meet Japanese business sector and creative professionals, to exchange knowledge and valuable contacts, network for future business cooperation.

Lithuanian creative business representatives, designers and artists visited never-sleeping Tokyo and had a chance to meet the fellow designers and artists, distributors, culture operators, gallery and boutique owners, creative professionals and industry leaders and establish valuable connections, receive business proposals, exchange unique ideas and foster plans for future co-operations. And many many business cards, but of course!

Noble Rogues - an interactive online digital book about great deeds of Chiune Sugihara and Jan Zwartendijk, who saved thousands of Jews during World War II by issuing transit visas from Lithuania. It is well-known story among intellectuals, diplomats, cultural activists, historians. However such heavy topics as holocaust or World War often are difficult and forgotten by general society and youth. We aim to solve this.

Heroic deeds of Sugihara and Zwartendijk connect four countries and the whole world as a message to find a way to fight for the right deed. And this initiative, in a form of online interactive book, brings it to the young audiences.

Vytautas Magnus University Asian Studies Center, Vilnius Art Academy, Europe for Festivals-Festivals for Europe (EFFE), National Association of Creative Industries in Lithuania, Europe-Asia Roundtabe Sessions (EARS), Embassy of Lithuania in Japan, Embassy of Japan in Lithuania.