BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 22. On Friday, during
Acting Minister of Culture Šarūnas Birutis’s visit to Japan, a
cooperation agreement was signed between the Lithuanian National
Museum and the Nagoya City Museum, and this agreement marks a new
stage in strengthening the Lithuania–Japan cultural partnership,
Trend
reports.

“The agreement signed today is the second institutional document
between Lithuanian and Japanese cultural institutions. It
demonstrates the strength of our ties and mutual commitment. This
cooperation will continue the dialogue that strengthens our
partnership and helps us better understand each other,” Minister
Birutis said at the signing ceremony.

The event was attended by Dr. Rūta Kačkutė, Director General of
the Lithuanian National Museum, who officially confirmed the
long-term partnership together with Nagoya City Museum Director
Yoshinori Kondo. Local officials and distinguished guests also
joined the ceremony.

Kačkutė emphasized that the agreement opens new opportunities
for knowledge exchange and cultural projects:

“This partnership is a great opportunity not only to learn from
Japan’s museum professionals but also to share our own experience.
The 2026 exhibition at the Nagoya City Museum will introduce
Lithuanian history and culture to Japanese audiences, while the
creative process with foreign partners will enrich our museum’s
team. We will broaden our horizons, deepen our knowledge, think
about future projects, and strengthen cultural ties between our
countries,” she said.

The cooperation agreement focuses on strengthening museum
collaboration between Lithuania and Japan through knowledge
exchange in museum studies, exhibitions, academic research,
cultural heritage preservation, and professional training. These
activities aim to promote mutual growth and deepen understanding
between the two nations.

In accordance with the stipulations of the accord, Lithuanian
experts will engage in capacity-building initiatives in Nagoya,
operating under the auspices of Marta, a museum competency
framework orchestrated by the Lithuanian National Museum. The
initiative encompasses a comprehensive suite of training modules,
symposiums, experiential internships, and immersive residencies
orchestrated by global thought leaders, thereby facilitating a
robust knowledge transfer paradigm that underpins the sector’s
holistic advancement.

The document serves a pivotal function in the orchestration of the
2026 exhibition “Lithuania—Echo of Songs in the Baltic Forests,”
set to be showcased at the Nagoya City Museum post-reconstruction
phase. The exhibition aims to showcase the rich tapestry of
Lithuania’s historical narrative and cultural heritage to an
expansive demographic of Japanese stakeholders.

The synergy of cultural collaboration between Lithuania and Nagoya
has been on an upward trajectory since 2023, bolstered by a
consortium of Nagoya City Council members operating in an informal
capacity. Among the distinguished collaborative initiatives have
been a curated exhibition of archival imagery of Vilnius
commemorating the city’s septuagenarian milestone and a cultural
exposition of Lithuania in Nagoya.

During the rest of the visit, Minister Birutis’s delegation will
honor the memory of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara at his
memorial museum and monument in Yaotsu, Gifu Prefecture, and attend
the opening of the annual Lithuania Now festival in Gifu, featuring
performances by Vilnius University’s alumni folk ensemble Jievaras.
On Saturday, the delegation will participate in the official Baltic
Unity Day celebration at EXPO 2025 Osaka.

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