ICR Tokyo in collaboration with the Romanian Embassy in Japan and Minato City Hall, is organising, between April 6 and May 31, 2026, a series of events at Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park to promote Romania's image, culture, and millennial traditions.
The thematic exhibition "Discover Romania" will be mounted in the exhibition window - Info Point, located at the entrance to Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park and can be visited between April 6 and May 31, 2026. Two traditional Romanian costumes (from the heritage of the Romanian Embassy in Japan), traditional objects made by members of the JaponIA Stakeholders and 4 information panels in English and Japanese with general information about Romania will be exhibited: culture, art, traditions, great cultural figures and the most interesting and unique things and places in Romania.
In the context of the inauguration of the exhibition, on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 11:00, musicologist and journalist Sebastian Gheorghiu will present the public lecture "Romanian Traditional Music - Main Characteristics and Forms. Traditional Instruments. Regional Diversity". The lecture will discuss Romanian traditional music in depth as an art form deeply rooted in the history and spirituality of the people, characterised by remarkable regional diversity and unique archaic instruments.
The general public and guests of the Japanese capital will be able to attend on Saturday, April 25, 2026, between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, a meeting of the JaponIA Seaters group, which will include several activities: a workshop on making an ii with a high-pitched instrument based on the "ia with cypresses" model presented by Cornelia Sekigichi; a drawing and application workshop on Romanian themes for children and parents held by Dorothea Kogure and the "Knitting as a Romanian Tradition" workshop coordinated by Mrs. Alina Stoean.
During the same time slot, a Romanian music recital will be organised by Hiroko Yamakawa (saxophone), Miyu Uemura (keyboards) and Yusuke Hashimoto (percussion).
Sebastian Gheorghiu is a consummate professional with an impressive career in the cultural and artistic fields in Romania. With over 20 years of experience in cultural management, he has dedicated his life to the promotion and development of musical culture and art both in Romania and abroad and is one of the people who make #UCIMR cultural projects and events possible. His solid education in the field of music, together with extensive experience in the cultural field, has helped him understand and contribute significantly to the development of the artistic community. Sebastian Gheorghiu has a deep passion for music and for organising memorable cultural events. Thus, he was involved in numerous projects, from festivals and concerts to cultural shows and conferences, as a member of the jury or the organising teams, having the opportunity to collaborate with renowned personalities from the artistic world. https://www.ucimr.ro/sebastian-gheorghiu/
Hiroko Yamakawa (saxophone) is a graduate of the Showa University of Music in Japan. She was awarded the Jury Prize in the wind instrument division at the 10th Burkhardt International Music Competition and received an Encouragement Award at the 7th Romanian International Music Competition, among many other awards. In 2012, she visited Romania for the first time and gave recitals at Peleș Castle and other locations. In 2014, she gave recitals in Romania and Turkey. In May 2015, she was invited as an artist from Japan to the 10th-anniversary event of the Japanese Language Training Centre at the Romanian-American University. In 2018, she gave two concerts with the Brașov Philharmonic Orchestra, Romania, which were successful and appreciated. Currently, in addition to his solo activities, he performs classical and jazz concerts with chamber orchestras and established musicians.
Pianist Miyu Uemura is a graduate of the École Normale de Musique de Paris. She is currently pursuing an advanced studies course at the Toho Gakuen College of Music. During her studies, she gave numerous chamber music concerts in France.
In addition to her work as a concert pianist, she currently collaborates with symphony orchestras for opera, ballet, and musical productions, including work with the K-Ballet Company and Tokyo Theatre Place. She also organises and produces concerts and opera performances as a presenter and collaborating pianist. In recent years, she has written and directed original productions, giving performances in Tokyo and Hamamatsu.
Percussionist Yosuke Hashimoto, originally from Oita, Japan, is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. After returning to Japan, he has collaborated and performed with several Japanese and international artists such as Ricardo Miño, Azumi Inoue, Kiyoharu Antonio, Canales, Carmen Ledesma, and others. He currently works with the Shiki Theatre Company, providing musical arrangements for performances, and participates in international tours organised with pianist Seki Takahito and guitarist Jin Oki.
Cornelia Sekiguchi - Born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, she studied history, journalism and education at Babeș-Bolyai University, where she obtained her diploma in pre-university education. After teaching history for five years in high schools in Romania, she started a new chapter by moving to Japan, where she worked as an English and Romanian teacher in various places, including Kawamura Gakuen, Seikei University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In addition to teaching foreign languages, she has been involved in organizing and contributing to cultural programs that promote Romanian and Japanese heritage. Her volunteer work includes first organizing the “Japanese Cultural Days” in Romania and the Urasenke tea ceremonies in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, and then in Japan with the Hello Kids program and Ageo Global Association. Embroidery in particular holds a special place in her heart. It started as a hobby a few years ago and since then she can’t stop sewing, embroidery has become a part of her everyday life. Coordinates the activities of the group Şezătoare JaponIA.https://www.facebook.com/groups/1145899597604807/
Dorothea Ko - has been part of the Romanian diaspora since 2013. She has lived in Germany and Pakistan, now in Japan. She has changed 7 houses, 5 cities. She lives in Tokyo, with her 3 children. Her diploma says she is an economist, with a bachelor's and master's degree in French, at ASE. After years of searching, she returned to what she loved to do since childhood, to write and draw, and now she explores imaginary worlds with children. In 2023 she attended creative writing workshops with Iulian Tănase, Florin Iaru and Marin Mălaicu-Hondrari for adults and with Diana Geacăr and Ana-Maria Sandu, within the Revista de Povestiri, for children's literature. She graduated Musagei Art College in Tokyo. https://www.pinterest.com/undortrei/
Alina Stoean - is originally from Transylvania, Romania. She studied Computer Science at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and built her early career as an IT engineer in the financial sector, working for several companies in Romania. In 1999, she moved to Tokyo with her family, where she continued her professional journey as an IT engineer and later as an IT project manager in the financial world. Her love for knitting began in childhood, during long winter evenings spent side by side with her mother and grandmother. Together they knitted sweaters, hats, socks, and other warm pieces for the entire family—moments that quietly shaped a lifelong passion. After moving to Tokyo, she continued to knit for her two sons and her husband, carrying with her the comforting traditions of home. Since joining the Sezatoare JaponIA community, she has also rediscovered the beauty of Romanian traditions, through embroidery and making the 'ia', the traditional Romanian blouse—an art that connects her with her roots and heritage across continents.
Elena (Irina) -Teodora Ștefan - Elena Teodora (Irina) Ștefan - has been living in Japan for 11 years. She graduated from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Bucharest and followed a master's program in French linguistics, benefiting from a scholarship at the University of Valencia. She currently works in the administrative field at a Japanese language school. She is passionate about everything related to handwork, especially embroidery, and wants to take courses in Kaketsugi, an exquisite Japanese technique for invisible restoration of clothing items. She is part of the Șezătoare JaponIA group. She will be presented with polymer ceramic objects decorated with motifs inspired by Romanian traditions.
