The year 2026 marks a key milestone for the ties between Belgium and Japan, strengthened by the recent state visit of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. ULB is celebrating these 160 years of friendship through a series of cultural events dedicated to Japanese arts, coinciding with the first anniversary of the Japanese Studies Chair and the launch of a new Master's program in Japanese languages, literatures, and civilizations.
In collaboration with Belgian, Japanese, and international partners, the university is offering encounters, conferences, performances, and activities exploring the diversity of Japanese arts, from art brut to court music, literature, and contemporary creations. The aim is to showcase the presence and evolution of Japanese artistic practices in today's world.
These events aim to reflect on the mechanisms of transmission and renewal in artistic practices, highlighting how heritage and innovation complement each other. They illustrate how skills are passed down through transformation and how experimentation enriches the transmission of traditions.
ULB thus reaffirms its commitment to an open, interdisciplinary, and international approach to Japanese studies and research. The program, bringing together researchers, artists, students, and the general public, aims to create a space for exchange and reflection, fostering the intersection of knowledge and disciplines.
Among the highlights announced, events are scheduled for September, October, November, and December. The full program is available on the website of the Faculty of Letters, Translation and Communication and on that of the East Asian Research Centre at ULB - EASt.
Professors Magali Bugne, Vanessa Frangville, and Shizuka Watanabe are behind these events dedicated to Asian languages, cultures, and literatures. Two original installations, "Nuage infini" and "Golden Rectangles E-Chain", are featured in the hall of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management on the Solbosch campus.
