On October 2, 2025, Mr. Ferdinand Nagy, Commissioner General of Romania for Expo 2025 Osaka, presented, on behalf of the Romania Pavilion, a special book donation to the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library.
The event took place in the presence of Mr. Takashi Saito, Director General, Mr. Koichiro Oga, Director, Mr. Sonzo Tanishita, Deputy Director, and Mr. Hideaki Shibata, Chief Librarian, as well as Professor Carmen Tămaș, lecturer in Japanese culture at Hyogo University.
The donation includes volumes dedicated to Romanian monuments and sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List – from the painted churches of Northern Moldova to the Dacian fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains and the wooden churches of Maramureș.
These testimonies of history highlight Romania’s contribution to the universal cultural heritage and reflect the power of knowledge as a bridge between civilizations.
Among the donated works are illustrated albums dedicated to the traditional Romanian costume, a true visual language of rural communities, carefully preserved across generations.
The collection also features a comparative album on Japanese and Romanian traditional clothing – a work that celebrates the cultural dialogue between the two nations through symbols, colors, and artistic expression.
These volumes are more than printed pages – they become a meeting point between two worlds which, although geographically distant, share common values: care and respect for cultural heritage, a love of beauty, and the appreciation of national identity.
“Cultural diplomacy is the most beautiful and lasting language of friendship between nations. Through this donation, we wish to offer Japanese readers a window into the Romanian spirit and to strengthen the cultural ties between Romania and Japan,” said Ferdinand Nagy, Commissioner General of Romania for Expo 2025 Osaka.
The presence of representatives of the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library added a special note to the event, emphasizing the appreciation and openness of Japanese institutions towards the cultural cooperation initiatives promoted by the Romania Pavilion.
They also noted that Romania is the only country to have made such a donation, thus enriching the international book collection of the Osaka Prefectural Library and further consolidating the cultural dialogue between Japan and Romania.
Through this gesture, Romania reaffirms its active role in promoting cultural diplomacy, demonstrating—through its Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka—that art and tradition can serve as powerful instruments of dialogue, education, and mutual understanding.
The Romania Pavilion thus stands as a true ambassador of culture and universal values, embodying the belief that through culture, nations can know, respect, and connect with each other in lasting ways.