Credit: MCULT
From Thursday 8 to Friday 9 October 2026, Luxembourg's Minister for Culture, Eric Thill, visited Tokyo, Japan, as part of a prospecting and promotional mission organised by Film Fund Luxembourg.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Film Fund Luxembourg, accompanied by a professional delegation, the minister met with institutional representatives and stakeholders from Japan's creative industries to further develop cultural exchanges and open up new opportunities for Luxembourg's audiovisual sector.
On Thursday, Minister Thill opened a professional seminar dedicated to the prospects for audiovisual co-production between Japan and Luxembourg, as well as the development of relations between the public bodies supporting the audiovisual sector in both countries. The seminar was followed by a networking event.
Minister Thill also held discussions with Jun-Ya Tamura, a representative of Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and Kaori Ikeda, Director of UniJapan. These discussions provided an opportunity to discuss several avenues for bilateral cooperation and the functioning of public support schemes for film production.
On Friday, Minister Thill held a bilateral meeting with Shuhei Aoyama, State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Ahead of the centenary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and Japan, which will be celebrated in 2027, the meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the excellence of relations between the two countries and their shared desire to strengthen cooperation in the cultural field.
The minister discussed cultural initiatives being prepared for 2027, including Luxembourg's participation in the GREEN×EXPO 2027 horticultural exhibition in Yokohama, which will be accompanied by a diverse programme of Luxembourg cultural events.
“Japan is an important partner for Luxembourg, with which we have maintained longstanding relations. This visit contributed to strengthening our exchanges in the cultural and audiovisual fields, to better understanding our respective ecosystems and to identifying new avenues for potential cooperation,” said Minister Thill. He added: “We wish to continue this momentum and encourage meetings between professionals, institutions and artists from our two countries. Luxembourg has a dynamic and internationally oriented audiovisual sector, and I am convinced that dialogue with our Japanese partners has the potential to bear fruit.”
The Luxembourg delegation also visited Marza Animation Planet and Toho Studios, providing an opportunity to discover the facilities and exchange views on the practices and production methods of the Japanese film and animation industry.
A visit to teamLab Borderless, an immersive exhibition dedicated to digital art, offered an insight into the possibilities for artistic creation through new technologies and interactive experiences.
According to the ministry and Film Fund Luxembourg, the visit marked the first stage of a mission continuing in South Korea and aimed to promote co-productions, the circulation of works and talent, and access to new partners and markets, while deepening cultural ties between Luxembourg and Japan.
