The 2022 China-Japan Youth Calligraphy, Painting, and Photography Art Exchange Exhibition opened on Dec. 12 at the Multicultural Center in Tokyo. The exhibition was jointly hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the Japan-China Joint Project Committee of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Japan. CSCLF Vice Chairman Yu Qun spoke via video link, and Mutsuko Inoue, the representative director of the Japan-China Joint Project Committee, delivered a speech. Delegations and guests from the Chinese Embassy in Japan and some Japanese friendly groups also attended the opening ceremony.
Yu Qun recalled Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching Ling's profound connections with Japan, emphasizing that China and Japan are friendly neighbors with a long history of amicable exchanges. He noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, with the two sides ready to continue building a constructive and stable relationship. Yu highlighted the event's significance under the theme of "peace, friendship and the future" as part of the anniversary celebrations. Despite the reduction in face-to-face communication due to COVID-19, young people from both countries actively participated in the exchange exhibition, expressing their desire for peace and friendship, according to Yu. He also expressed hope for more activities to amplify the friendly relations between the two countries, which he said rests with the young generation.
Yu Qun thanked the Japan-China Joint Project Committee of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Japan for their congratulatory letter sent on the CSCLF's 40th anniversary. He pledged that the CSCLF would collaborate with domestic and foreign partners to deepen and expand youth exchanges and cooperation and encourage young people to strengthen Sino-Japanese friendship.
Mutsuko Inoue noted the rapid development in China-Japan exchanges and the deepened understanding and friendship since the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement. The exhibition, featuring creative works by young people from both countries, aimed to maintain and pass on peace and friendship. Inoue mentioned Soong Ching Ling's contributions to China's modernization and world peace, especially for children. She said that the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Japan will continue to spread peace and friendship. She also expressed gratitude for the support of the CSCLF, the Cultural Office of the Chinese Embassy in Japan and other organizations.
The event, aimed at Chinese and Japanese youth aged 7 to 22, collected and evaluated their original works under the theme of "peace, friendship, and the future." A total of 215 pieces, including calligraphy, painting, and photography, were displayed, including 100 works from Chinese participants and 115 submissions from Japanese youth. Young Japanese people viewing the exhibition were happy to see their Chinese peers' artworks and noted cultural similarities. They said they looked forward to traveling to China next year to collaborate and interact face-to-face.
The exchange exhibition was held from Dec. 12 to 16.
Background information:
The China-Japan Youth Calligraphy, Painting and Photography Art Exchange Exhibition is co-sponsored by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Japan-China Joint Project Committee of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Japan. The 2022 exchange exhibition is held in Tokyo, Japan. The event is part of a series of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan.
The CSCLF is set to host the 2023 exchange exhibition in China.
(Source: International Cooperation and Exchange Department of the CSCLF)
