About Us
The Public Diplomacy Section of the Australian Embassy, Tokyo is part of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has a proactive cultural program which aims to promote Australia's vibrant and diverse society in Japan.
Our key goals in Japan are to:
- promote positive perceptions and a greater understanding of contemporary Australia
- create greater awareness of, and larger audiences for, contemporary Australian arts and culture
- cultivate a long-lasting deeper understanding of Australia as a country of sophistication, diversity, creativity and innovation.
We work with relevant Australian and Japanese government agencies and arts organisations to foster strong cultural links between our two countries. Our approach is necessarily long-term - it can take many years to build close linkages, and it can take even longer for these linkages to bear fruit. We implement high quality projects aimed at making an impact and leaving a legacy.
Our major activities include:
- providing information on Australia and Japan cultural projects through the Cultural Centre on the Embassy's website and other public diplomacy tools;
- strengthening existing relationships and cultivating new networks between Australian and Japanese key cultural decision makers and arts professionals;
- consolidating Australia-Japan government-to-government partnerships that provide the foundation for bilateral cultural activities.
Some recent projects that the Embassy has initiated/collaborated on are:
- the "Australia House" at Echigo-Tsumari
- the exhibition of Australia's leading indigenous artist, Emily Kame Kngwarreye in Osaka and Tokyo in 2008;
- the tour in July 2007 by the Australian Ballet;
- a wide-ranging cultural program as part of the 2006 Australia-Japan Year-of-Exchange.