Newsletter of theJapanese-German Center Berlin(Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin)
No. 137, December 2021

echo
The Current State and Prospects for the
EU-Japan Strategic Partnership

Dr Patricia Flor, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan
Japan, East Asia’s oldest democracy,
has always been for the European
Union a like-minded partner thatshares common values and interests
including democracy, an open market
economy, human rights, human dignity, freedom, equality, and the rule oflaw. In recent years, the EU and Japan
have embarked on an unambiguous
path toward further broadening andelevating that relationship to a newand strategic level that now goes far
beyond the earlier trade-focused ties.
Since my arrival as the EU’s ambassador to Japan in the autumn of
2018, I have seen this trend first hand.
Notable milestones include the entry
into force of the EU-Japan Economic
Partnership Agreement and provisional
application of the EU-Japan StrategicPartnership Agreement in February
2019, and the bilateral Partnership on
Sustainable Connectivity and Quality
Infrastructure of September that same
year. At the 2021 EU-Japan Summit, EU
leaders and then Prime Minister Suga
Yoshihide agreed on a Green Allianceto jointly combat climate change andenvironmental degradation.
To buttress these key pacts, the EU andJapan hold regular dialogue meetings
on a variety of policy areas such as
climate and the environment, information society, cyberspace, science andtechnology, trade, financial services
and industrial policy. In addition to ourbilateral ties, we cooperate closely ininternational and multilateral fora suchas the United Nations, the World Trade
Organisation and the G7 and G20.
This multi-layered cooperation acrossa variety of policy fields is of strategic
value because it not only helps thetwo sides identify and act on areas ofinterest and potential challenges intheir bilateral relations, but also contributes to establishing global norms
and standards that could benefit theinternational community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought
havoc on societies and economies
around the world; Europe and Japan
have certainly not been immune. Our
citizens and businesses suffered as
medical and social systems came understrain, various economic restrictions
were imposed and limits on international travel were introduced.
However, the EU sprung back from theinitial shock and initiated an efficient
COVID-19 response, most notably inthe area of supporting the rapid development of vaccines through generous
investment and spearheading efforts
to ensure their equitable access anddistribution through such international
schemes as the COVAX Facility. Japan
has been a key beneficiary of European
efforts on this front, being the destination of more than 30% of all vaccine
doses authorised for export from the
EU. Japan is also a major contributor
to COVAX, and donates domestically
produced doses to countries in Asia.

© EU Delegation to Japan

Notwithstanding the pandemic andthe impediments it has created, the EU
and Japan have continued their efforts
to expand our collaboration into newfields of strategic importance amid
rising geopolitical tensions centredaround the Indo-Pacific region. Of
particular note in this regard is theincreasing focus on security cooperation. While bilateral consultations on
security policy issues began after the2009 Lisbon Treaty, exchanges in thisCONTENTThe Current State and Prospects...
Dr Patricia Flor

1-2

Interview
Beyond 5G/6G

3

Conference Report
Postpandemic Democracy

4

Exchange Programs

5

Other Events

6

Preview of Events 2022

7

JDZB Open Week

8

2

C O N T I N U E D EF D
R IOTMO RP IAAGL E 1

EDITORIAL
Dear Readers!

policy area have accelerated over the
past few years in particular.
Both the EU and Japan have dispatchednaval vessels to engage in anti-piracy
missions in the Gulf of Aden from 2008
and 2009, respectively, and repeatedly
joined forces. Of particular note was
the joint exercise conducted in October
2020, which for the first time included
a joint port call to Djibouti in the Hornof Africa.
In September 2021, the EU released
its ‘Joint Communication on the EU
strategy for cooperation in the IndoPacific’. Japan’s then Foreign Minister
Motegi Toshimitsu issued a statement
welcoming ‘the EU’s announcementof their specific measures, together
with their strong will, for their engagement in the Indo-Pacific’. The strategic
importance of the Indo-Pacific region– which in the context of this strategy
is defined as the vast region spanningfrom the east coast of Africa to the Pacific Island States – for the EU is increasing because of its growing economic,
demographic, and political weight
and the strong economic and politicalinterdependence between Europe andIndo-Pacific nations, especially Japan.
Europe and the Indo-Pacific have deep
historical ties. Today, the EU is the top
investor, the leading development cooperation partner and one of the biggest trading partners in the Indo-Pacificregion. Together, the Indo-Pacific andEurope hold over 70% of the global
trade in goods and services, as well asover 60% of foreign direct investment
flows.
Because current dynamics in the region
have given rise to intense geopoliticalcompetition, adding to increasing tensions on trade and supply chains aswell as in technological, political andsecurity areas, the EU and its Member
States are united in their determination
to step up EU strategic engagement.

The EU’s main objective is to contributeto maintaining a free and open IndoPacific, building strong and lasting
partnerships. Its inclusive approachis designed to foster a rules-based
international order, including respect
for the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a levelplaying field, an open and fair environment for trade and investment andsupporting connectivity regionally andwith the EU.
The strategy’s potential in the area of
security and defence has drawn themost attention. In this regard, the EU
is seeking to promote a stable andrules-based regional security architecture, including secure sea lines ofcommunication, capacity-building
and enhanced naval presence by EU
Member States.
The EU strategy, released amid the
COVID-19 pandemic, also presents
Europe’s vision for a green, resilientand digital recovery. While we all strive
to ‘Build Back Better’, the pure scale ofthe pandemic’s socioeconomic impact
means that partnerships among thelike-minded are crucial if we are to
make such designs a reality, and Japan
plays a key role as the EU’s closest allyin the region. Both sides acknowledge
this, and the next logical step in buttressing our bilateral relations should
be in the digital sphere. Discussions
about a future Digital Partnership are
ongoing.
The EU and Japan entered into theirstrategic partnership in 2019. It is now
time to see it bear fruit in jointly facing and mastering the daunting tasksof our time: safeguarding peace andstability, maintaining an open and fairworld economy, protecting our planet
from global warming and environmental degradation and achieving the UN
Sustainable Development Goals so thatno one is left behind.

The year is drawing to a close, and unfortunately there is still no end in sightto the pandemic. Even though travel andin-person contact restrictions are quite achallenge for exchange platforms suchas the JDZB, new virtual formats in many
areas are a good alternative (or supplement) to traditional analog events and areeven expanding our sphere of influence.
Please visit our YouTube channel to get
an impression of the diversity and varietyof our projects!
In addition, we are using the time toprepare our house as best as possible
for the “New Normal”. For example, ourlibrary is undergoing a transformation
into a contemporary information loungewith space for encounters and meetings,
and in the meantime, we have created apermanent stage for events as well as comfortable seat cushions – not least thanks
to donations from the Metzler Bank andthe MUJI Company. We also welcome theGerman branch of Mitsubishi Electric as
a new sponsor. In October, the company
opened a representative office in the JDZB
and is visibly investing in the future of thecenter as part of its corporate citizenship.
Synergies are expected from both sides.
This time we would like to thank Dr.
Patricia Flor, Ambassador of the European Union in Japan, for the interesting
editorial.
We wish you happy holidays! Please stay
in touch with us in the New Year as well.
With warm regards
Dr. Julia Münch
JDZB Secretary Generaljdzb echo
Published quarterly in March – June – Sept. – Dec.
Publisher:
Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB)
Editor: Michael Niemann
Tel.: +49-30-839 07 186, E-Mail: niemann@jdzb.de
Opinions expressed reflect the author‘s
opinion and not necessarily the opinionof the publisher.
JDZB, Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49-30-839 07 0 Fax: +49-30-839 07 220
E-Mail: jdzb@jdzb.de
URL: https://jdzb.de
Library open with 2G rule (vaccinated or
recovered)!
Open: Tuesday + Thursday 10 am until 5 pm

33

INTERVIEW

In cooperation with the Embassy of Japan in Germany, the Japanese-German Center
Berlin will hold a symposium on the topic “Future Communication Technologies:
Beyond 5G and 6G – Opportunities for Japanese-German Collaboration”on 17
February 2022. Below is an interview with the keynote speaker at the symposium
Mr. Tokuda Hideyuki, President of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).
Can you please explain briefly what researchis being conducted into next-generation ICT
and how this technology is progressing?
With a view to being able to respond flexibly to global social issues such as natural
disasters, global warming, pandemics,
and adapt to the “new normal” society inthe post-corona era, as well as transform
Japan into a sustainable and resilient
society, we aim to accelerate digital transformation (DX) and implement a humancentered Society 5.0 through the fusion of
the physical and cyberspace.
In line with the 5th mid-to-long term planthat began in April 2021 and aiming at
early implementation, we are strongly promoting the acceleration of R&D and open
innovation in five priority areas (advanced
electromagnetic wave technology, innovative networks, cybersecurity, universal
communication, frontier science) and infour strategic research areas: Beyond 5G,AI, quantum ICT and cybersecurity.
We are also accelerating the social evolution of R&D results through the improvement of testbed environments aimed atopen utilization of data from researchand the activities of corporations that
employ advanced technologies developed
by NICT.
The corona crisis has accelerated digitaltransformation. What innovative technologies are Japan and Germany planning andhow long before they are launched? Pleasetell us about any new technology that has
already been put into practical use.
NICT is actively applying cutting-edge ICT
as new coronavirus countermeasures. For
example, we are using the high-output
DUV-LED technology under development
to build a light-sterilization system that isclean, portable, and can instantly inactivate a wide range of viruses. In hospitals,
we are aiding the autonomous operationof robots through highly secure HD video
and UWB technology, allowing ER/ICU
specialists to help seriously ill patients
remotely.

NICT’s thin client type VPN telework system, based on a comprehensive testbed, isaiding SMEs and organizations in urgently
setting up work-at-home environments.
Multilingual translation technology is being used to improve translation efficiency
in clinical trials and drug approval application procedures in the pharmaceuticaland medical fields. We are also testing thepractical application of dialogue technology to prevent decline in the health andcognitive function of elderly people living
alone. In the future (around 2030), we
expect remote work and customer service
to be easy and secure using cybernetic
avatars (alter-ego robots) by employing
neural communication engineering and
BMI technology. We believe various fields
of industry will benefit from solutions to
the distancing restrictions caused by thecorona crisis.
What does the introduction of core technologies and innovations, including the 6G
standard, mean in terms of achieving sustainability and climate policy goals? Also, how is
the resilience of the communications network
infrastructure, and the protection of personal
information protection in it, safeguarded?

B5G/6G is expected to be more than ten
times as fast as 5G, have ultra-low latency,
and be capable of ten times as many simultaneous connections. Two aspects speak
to sustainability and counteracting global
warming: the greening of industry by ICT
and the greening of ICT itself. B5G and 6G
is hotly anticipated in these two respects,
because it will also allow ultra-low power
consumption, ultra-security and reliability,
autonomy, scalability, and other features,
thus contributing to the greening of allindustries. Moreover, green ICT will contribute significantly through technology
for ultra-low power consumption andphotoelectric fusion.
It is hoped that, with B5G/6G, a communication environment for drones, ships,
aircraft, etc. can be provided – both in normal times and in times of natural disaster© NICT– based on the seamless coordination ofsatellite communication systems throughboth terrestrial mobile communications
and non-terrestrial networks.
As far as protecting personal information
goes, secure computing technology using homomorphic encryption alone isinsufficient, and it is essential to establish
legal regulations such as the Amended
Personal Information Protection Act inJapan and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Please tell us about existing R&D cooperation between Japan and Germany in the fieldof ICT. In which fields do you think the twocountries should cooperate in the future?
We have the Hannover Declaration ofMarch 2017, and a community of ICT researchers has been established. At NICT,the Flexible Factory Project (FFPJ) for realizing smart factories that use Industry 4.0
and IoT technology was implemented
based on the 2017 MoU between DFKI
and NICT, and social implementation andinternational standardization activities
based on public-private partnerships put
into practice.
Also important is the acceleration of Japan/
EU R&D collaboration in the coordinationof HAPS/satellite non-terrestrial and terrestrial systems for the implementationof an air-space-ground communications
infrastructure made possible by next generation B5G/6G.
AI (multilingual speech translation, simultaneous interpretation, interactive
technology, neural communications),
cybersecurity, cybernetic avatars, XR/
MR, etc. are also pivotal fields. Moreover,R&D into bilateral quantum cryptography
networks is a key issue since it is closely
related to the security of countries sharing
the same value system. I also believe thatR&D and proof-of-concept for quantum
internet will be crucial in the long term.

4

CONFERENCE REPORT

Panel Discussion “Postpandemic Democracy in Japan and Germany”, 29 September 2021
Dr. Momoyo Hüstebeck, Institute for East Asian Studies IN-EAST, University ofDuisburg-Essen.
To kick off the “Future of Democracy” series,
the JDZB hosted a virtual panel discussion. Following the German federal elections and theupcoming Japanese parliamentary elections,
German and Japanese political scientists came
together to discuss the impact of both governments’ Covid-related measures on democracy.
Dr. Martin Florack (University of DuisburgEssen), Prof. Kage Rieko (Tokyo University),Prof. Kawasaki Takeshi (Sophia University.)and Prof. Chris Winkler (Seinan Gakuin
University) participated in the expert panel,
which was innovatively moderated by Prof.
Axel Klein (University of Duisburg-Essen).

In the first wave, the German government
took a large leap of faith in its crisis management, but it squandered this trust as thecrisis progressed. The pandemic revealed,
as if through a burning glass, the problems
and social conflicts that had not been solvedby politicians. The crisis also highlighted thecomplexity of political decisions, which areincomprehensible to parts of the electorate
and thus foster distrust. Nevertheless, Covid
measures played only a minor role in thefederal election campaign. However, the clear
gains for the Liberals and Greens indicate adesire for political change.

Stocktake
Policy measures to curb COVID-19 varied
widely between Japan and Germany. The
German government restricted personal
liberties more extensively than the Japanese
government, which relied on voluntary selfdirected commitments. Despite the different
approaches to government crisis management, dissatisfaction among large segmentsof the population with the performance of
their executive branch grew in both countries
as the pandemic progressed.

Political participation
Free and equal elections are a minimum criterion for a representative democracy type ofgovernment. Accordingly, the panelists usedvoting behavior to diagnose the state of German and Japanese democracy. Young votersin particular support the FDP and the Greensin the Bundestag elections. Due to the aging
society, however, their share of the vote is
too small for a fundamental renewal of party
politics. Even though voter turnout is lowest
among Japanese male youth, Kawasaki andKage contradicted the impression that they
are politically disinterested. The lack of political education in secondary schools and theexperience with the violent student protests
in the 1960/70s explain, among other things,
the low level of party political interest andcommitment among many Japanese students.

Since the LDP-led government presented
the interests of the economy and those ofhealth protection as incompatible, it lost
trust, especially among the elderly, the liberal
democratic core voters. The rigid adherence
to the Olympic Games and insufficient hospital capacities also increased voter distrust
despite low rates of infection incidences byinternational standards.

The Green Party and the AFD emerged as
new parties from the crises in the history of
the Federal Republic. It is unlikely that the“Querdenker” (lateral thinkers) will establish
themselves as a new political party in the
Bundestag, given the heterogeneity of theprotest movement. However, the extraparliamentary radicalization of the violent rightwing extremist forces within the movement
endangers democracy. In Japan, no comparable protest movements have emerged
against the government’s Covid measures.
New parties are founded primarily throughintra-party splits from the LDP. The JapaneseGreens show how difficult it is to enter the
lower house as a grassroots movement.
Quo vadis democracy?
The nature of political science analysis makes
it difficult to look into a crystal ball andpredict the health of democracy after Covid.
It should be noted that the pandemic hastested democracies around the world. Flo-rack, however, refused to speak of a crisisof democracy. He considered the debate inGermany to be “partly overdone”. Especially
under the challenges of the crisis, democracymeans enduring conflicts and negotiating
decisions that are acceptable to the majority.
Winkler concluded by rightly pointing out
the resilience of representative democracies
compared to other forms of government intheir long-term view.
It was not possible to answer conclusively thequestion of who can contribute significantly
to the resilience of democracy: given the dissatisfaction with the performance of the established political elites, do civil society actors andnew forms of co-determination lead the way
to a more resilient post-covid democracy? As
this panel marked the start of the JDZB series of
events on the future of democracy, there will
be further opportunities to explore possible
answers - thanks to simultaneous translations.

55

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

Reflections on the digital German-Japanese Exchange Program for Young Volunteers 2021 on the topic of “Social Participation of Young people”.
Wencke Trumpold, Program Partner and Managing Director of Kinder- und Jugendring Sachsen e. V.
Normally, once we’ve finished a JapaneseGerman exchange program, preparations forthe coming year are well under way. Dates
are arranged, hotels selected, host families
requested or project partners are approached
who can provide the upcoming Japanesedelegation of the German-Japanese Exchange
Program for Young Volunteers insights into thevoluntary work of young people in Germany.
This was the plan for 2021, however, the 24
Japanese young volunteers did not arrive.
Rather, the pandemic simply continued andeverything had to change. Just like everywhere else in the world, the usual processes
within families, offices, factories, airports andinternational exchanges once again came to a
standstill, and solutions were found and newpaths were forged.
Digital execution is not an ideal format forinternational exchange. At least not whenit comes to meeting people and cultures,
being on site and empathizing with what isstill foreign, or when the experience of others in dealing with challenges is supposed toprovide inspiration and thought-provoking
approaches for one’s own activities. Nevertheless, the ministries responsible for theexchange program, the program sponsors
and their regional partners from both nations quickly agreed that postponing or evencompletely canceling the program was outof the question. A digital alternative wasneeded! Fortunately, at this point in time, alittle naivety obscured what this would meanfor everyone involved, because no routine, no
experience, no matter how long, in carryingout real exchanges was of any use anywhere.
Even the time difference between Japan andGermany took on a relevance to the program
than it had otherwise, if at all, where formerly
it was only in the form of jet lag for one or twoparticipants.
And so it began, the “adventure of digital
youth exchange” with all its unknowns. Suddenly it was no longer a “city tour, meeting in
the lobby or streetcar ride from one project tothe other”, but “test call, breakout session or
spot and highlight”. The Japanese delegation
was asked to join with 24 screens in the early
evening after work and follow three hours ofdigital presentations, facility visits or exchange
rounds. It was clear that appealing formats
were required.

Previous experiences using all kinds of digitalplatforms suitable for young people quickly
became irrelevant in view of the technicalrequirements for simultaneous translations.
In the end, our choice was reduced to the one
large platform that met our complex requirements, precisely because it could be used
for the straightforward-pragmatic format. So
no more nice landscapes at Gather.town or
Wonder, we had to make it pretty in Zoom.
Our solutions included short films about
people, places, or sites of volunteerism.
And so drones hovered over a youth center,interviews were conducted, people wereobserved and moods were captured to give
participants an idea of daily life on the otherside of the world and thus facilitate the startof an unusual exchange.
Perhaps we succeeded, because the discussions were lively, the questions flew backand forth, and not infrequently a glance at
the clock triggered a more or less frantic“unfortunately, we have to come to the end.”
Time was short, but the format did not allow
for more as a compromise. Nevertheless, andthis is where the conclusion of the exchange
in two parts begins, it became clear, even in
the short time available, that young people
want to shape things, to get involved andto take charge. And even if one or the otheris still looking for the right place or the rightkind of commitment, our societies are welladvised to support, recognize and appreciatethem, even and especially if they fail, becausethrough their work they show an interest in
our togetherness. We heard reports about
young people being accused of wasting timethrough their voluntary work, or in somecases not even letting their volunteer work
be known, must frighten and shake us up in
both societies. These young women and men
are the shapers and bearers, but in the futurealso the protectors of our democracy. They
deserve every possible form of recognition
and appreciation.
Digital exchange formats, and this is wherepart 2 of the summary begins, are both acurse and a blessing. The Deputy Secretary
General of the JDZB, Kiyota Tokiko, accurately
described it as good fortune that people areable to exchange information despite a global
pandemic. The call for greater digitality is
becoming louder and louder. However, weshould all take a close look at where it makes
sense to take advantage of a video call andmake arrangements from our own office withcolleagues who are sitting in front of a screen
hundreds of kilometers away. But we should
also not be afraid to travel, sometimes oververy long distances, in order to really meeteach other, to perceive and experience eachother and the respective country with all oursenses. It will be the task of those responsible
to consider whether and how both formats
can be sensibly and intelligently combinedin future exchange programs. There should
be no more purely digital exchanges, if thepandemic permits, even if we now have an
idea of how it could work.
The exchange program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Womenand Youth and the Japanese Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

German participants from the Interim Program of the Young Leaders Forum 2020-22 at the Tea
House of the Museum of Asian Art, National Museums in Berlin (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin),in the Humboldt Forum on 2 October 2021. Due to the pandemic, only the group in Germany
could meet so far, the group in Japan will meet soon.

6

OTHER EVENTS

Symposium 2021 “Strategies for Coping with
Demographic Change in Germany and Japan”
on 4 and 5 November online.
Since 2016, the German Federal Ministry for
Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women andYouth and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have been exchanging ideas at
the JDZB in symposia on strategies for copingwith demographic change. Here they discussapproaches to solutions and ways of shaping
social coexistence in their aging populations.
Photo right: Webinar “Future University Development beyond Pandemic Times” online on
20 October 2021.
In collaboration with the project partners
Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK), Conférence des Présidents d‘Université (CPU), andJapan Commit-tee of Universities for International Exchange (JACUIE), the JDZB hosted thistrilateral meeting of university leaders fromJapan, France and Germany. The event provided the participating university presidents
and rectorates an opportunity to exchange
ideas with colleagues from all three coun-tries
on current perspectives in teaching, researchand internationalization, as well as on thechallenges posed by the pandemic.

Photo left:
Online symposium “Artificial Intelligence and
Health Care” French-German Dialog on Japan
II on 16 and 17 September 2021.
In collaboration with the Fondation FranceJapon of the École des Hautes Études en
Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris.

“Dialogs on Nature: Japan – Germany” Concert with the Ensemble
Horizonte conducted by Jörg-Peter Mittmann on 2 September 2021
at the JDZB. A recording of this concert is still available on the JDZBYouTube channel.

Reading and author talk with the Akutagawa Prize winner MURATA
Sayaka: “The Shopkeeper” (original Japanese title: Konbini Ningen) on 9
September at the JDZB. Moderation: Prof. Ronald Saladin (Japanology,
University of Trier), German text read by Stella Sticher.

77

P R E V I E W O F E V E N T S 1ST Q U A R T E R 2 0 2 2

Conferences and Culture Projects
Symposium: Connectivity, Future Communication, and the Role of the Humanities.
C: The Japan Foundation, Tōkyō.
Date: 4 February 2022, online
Exhibition: Der Satz / The Sentence / 文Sound and installations by Nico and Kyoco
Taniyama.
Opening: 10 February 2022, 7 pm
Duration: 11 February until 28 May 2022
Free admittance, opening hours:
Mon - Thursday 10 am to 0.30 pm and 1 pm to 5
pm, Fri 10 am to 0.30 pm and 1 pm to 3.30 pm

Future Communication Technologies: Beyond 5G and 6G – Opportunities for JapaneseGerman Collaboration
C: Embassy of Japan in Germany, Berlin
Date: 17 February 2022, hybrid
Symposium: The Future of Democracy II
C: Duisburg-Essen Univ., Friedrich Ebert Foundation
Date: 3 March 2022, online
Diversity as an Innovative Force – Innovative Promotion of Diversity.
C: German House of Science and Innovation(DWIH), Tōkyō
Date: 24 March 2022, online

Courses
All Japanese language courses will continue to beheld online. In case of new registration, the registration form can be ordered at fsekikawa@jdzb.de
Calligraphy courses are being held in person at
the JDZB as well as online.

Exchange Programs- Junior Experts Exchange Program- German-Japanese Young Leaders Forum- Youth Group Leaders Exchange Program- Study Program for Youth Work Specialists- Exchange Program for Young Em­ployees- JDZB ScienceYouth Program

C: in cooperation with. Events in chronological order, preliminary planning as of December 2021, please verify each on the website. Venue is JDZB, if notstated other­wise. More information on the website: https://jdzb.de
Photo left:
Exhibition: „Der Satz / The Sentence/ 文“(Sound and Installations)
The German-Japanese Berlin artist duo Nicoand Kyoco Taniyama deal with the themeof language as a means of communication
and as a possible cause of misguided communication.

Exhibition „Theory of Everything” Installations, Prints and Collages – Opening on 16 June 2022, Duration 17 June until 7 October 2022.
Bremen-based artists Kornelia Hoffmann and Yamamoto Noriko explore the relationship between the inner and outer worlds in their spatial andinstallation works.
Picture left: Weltformel 01 © Noriko Yamamoto; Picture right: scent rubbing © Kornelia Hoffmann / Photo © Lukas Klose

22

8

JDZB OPEN WEEK, 1-8 OCTOBER 2021

(1)

During the first week of October, the future of the JDZB was reimag-(2)

ined within the framework of an “Open Week” with experimental
formats - an expression of a new strategic orientation with increased
opening of the building as a place of encounter and exchange.
The first highlight was the opening of the “Sake Week Berlin” (1); thiswas followed by a “pretotyping” event for future networking salons(2)+(3), and concluded with a matinee during which a collaboration with our new partner Mitsubishi Electric was announced: The
German subsidiary opened a capital city representative office as acollaboration space on the premises of the JDZB (4)+(5). In addition,a Sushi Cooking Class for the participants of the Young Leaders Forum, an international Spoken Word Night with young Berlin authors
and an internal networking event took place. A symposium of theGerman-Japanese Business Network and the hybrid Japan-related
startup event as part of the AsiaBerlin Summit were broadcast live

(3)in the redesigned library (6); there is a new stage that will be usedin the future for various formats such as readings, karaoke, films,
and event streaming.
Open Week was an experiment at an early stage of planning togather feedback and engage in dialogue with (potential) partners
to better understand expectations and needs, identify potential,and explore opportunities for collaboration. We invite you to join
our discussions and actively participate in shaping the future of theJDZB and the future of Japanese-German relations!
(see also article by Secretary General Julia Münch in the blog ECHO+on the JDZB website).
© Photos: 1,3 JDZB; 2,4-6 Grand Visions
(4)

(6)

(5)