The UAE Pavilion at Expo Osaka launches the Japanese Culture Center as a landmark for cultural sustainability and friendship between nations
Osaka – Japan, October 15 / WAM / The UAE Pavilion within Expo 2025 Osaka – Kansai, launched the Japanese Culture Center “JCC”, which will be developed in the Emirates to be a pioneering destination that celebrates Japanese cultural heritage and promotes the sustainability of contemporary arts.
The center was launched at the initiative of Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG), and under the supervision of His Excellency Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim, UAE Ambassador to Japan and Commissioner-General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. The center brings together the elite of Japanese architects and curators to create the largest center in the world for Japanese arts, crafts and creativity.
The idea of the project was developed in line with the UAE’s approach to cooperation and cultural diplomacy, as this project embodies the country’s firm belief in the necessity of contributing to the advancement of humanity.
The unveiling of the Japanese Culture Center came on the closing day of Expo 2025 Osaka, as a farewell gift from the UAE to Japan, and an expression of friendship, mutual respect, and a shared vision that will continue to inspire cooperation and creativity after the end of the exhibition.
The project reflects the legacy of the Emirati leadership since the era of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul,” and under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him.”
The project is a living example of the UAE’s commitment to fostering creativity and promoting cultural understanding and sustainability among nations.
The project was announced by His Excellency Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim in the presence of the project’s prominent creative figures: architect Kengo Kuma, designer Paul Tanguay, and curators Fumio Nanjo and Toshio Shimizu, in addition to Ali Al Yamahi and Noura Al Yamahi from AlAhli Holding Group.
His Excellency the Ambassador said: This initiative reflects the shared vision between the UAE and Japan in the field of cultural diplomacy, to celebrate the heritage of nations and promote dialogue between them. The Japanese Culture Center will be a living platform for cultural and economic exchange, to ensure that traditions are not only honored, but also sustained and reformulated for future generations. It is a true embodiment of the values of respect, openness and cooperation that characterize our partnership.
The Japanese Culture Center is the main focus of the “Multiverse Project” developed by Al Ahly Holding Group, which is an integrated system that celebrates the intersection between art, design, education and sustainability.
The project consists of three main elements: The Artists Building, designed by Paul Tanguay & Associates, is considered the first of its kind architecturally, as it includes more than a thousand residences for artists, forming a vertical creative cell that stimulates cooperation and turns creativity into a living canvas of innovation.
The curatorial program, conceived by Fumio Nanjo and Toshio Shimizu, is a dual framework linking modernity and Japanese tradition, to balance advanced creativity with inherited crafts.
The Japanese Culture Center “JCC”, designed by international architect Kengo Kuma, who redefined the concept of the cultural center through his use of natural materials, spatial harmony, and sustainable design, to create a village-like complex in which the concepts of work, learning and life are integrated, where culture becomes a living experience and not just a display.
Together, these components embody the UAE’s belief that true progress is based on cooperation and cultural continuity, not competition, and that preserving creativity is a service to humanity.
At its core, the JCC is a cultural haven and economic engine, providing a platform for Japanese media companies, artisans, publishers, creatives and small enterprises to showcase their skills and share their expertise with the world, creating new opportunities for professional training, residencies, creative collaborations and cross-border partnerships in the Middle East, Africa and West Asia.
From tea rituals to manga, anime, martial arts and Japanese calligraphy, to fashion, media arts, robotics and design, the center offers interdisciplinary programs that invite participation rather than viewing, so that visitors experience culture as a living and evolving dialogue that connects generations and geographies.
Mohamed Khamas, CEO of Al Ahly Holding Group, said: “I have always been captivated by the aesthetics and depth of Japanese culture – from its timeless traditions to its contemporary creative audacity. It is an honor to realize this vision in cooperation with masters such as Kengo Kuma and Paul Tanguay, whose architectural genius embodied our belief that creativity can be human and lasting, and thanks to the curatorial vision of Fumio Nanjo and Toshio Shimizu, the project transforms from a mere collection of buildings into a living bridge between our two nations. The Japanese Culture Center represents our belief that structures may disappear, but culture, art and friendship endure across generations.
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