Mr. Shuji Kogi, Secretary General of EU- Japan Fest Japan Committee, Tokyo, was a guest of the city of Novi Sad and the Foundation Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital of Culture. Mr. Kogi is an experienced professional with a 24 year-old experience of cooperation with cities that have worn the title of European Capital of Culture, during which the continuous support to more than 40 ECoC across the European continent was established.

Novi Sad was the first destination that Mr. Kogi visited during this year’s European tour during which he will visit this year’s European Capitals of Culture Arhus and Pafos, as well as cities that will bear the title in the coming years, such as Timisoara, Rijeka and Plovdiv.

Vuk Radulović, Manager of International Cooperation of Novi Sad 2021, was a host to Mr. Kogi One of the first meetings of the Secretary General of the Japanese Committee EU – Japan Fest, Shuji Kogi had with the President of the Steering Committee of the Foundation, Tijana Palkovljević – Bugarski, Director of the Foundation, Nemanja Milenković, and members of the team – Milica Rašković, Darko Polić, Lazar Jovanov, Dusan Vuković and Tamara Zelenović. It was an opportunity to team members to learn about the work of the EU – Japan Fest and see the potentials for possible future cooperation.

As Mr. Kogi explained during the meeting, Japanese Committee EU – Japan fest support connecting local and Japanese cultural workers and artists and encourage all cultural exchange till the year of the realization of the project, and during the year of realization it will support specific projects that are associated with the promotion of Japanese culture and art in Serbia. After the members of the team Novi Sad 2021 introduced the concept of planned projects in the coming years and the potential programs of joint cooperation with Japanese cultural workers, Mr. Kogi expressed satisfaction with the organization and planned programs, saying that he hoped the intensification of cooperation and linking the Novi Sad cultural scene with Japanese artists in a significant extent in the future. The meeting was a great opportunity for the members of the Foundation Novi Sad 2021, which will implement the project European Capital Culture gain large number of useful suggestions and advices from his practice during many years of cooperation with the European Capitals of Culture, but also an opportunity to begin future cooperation with the EU Committee – Japan Fest.

Members of the team Novi Sad 2021 organized an extensive and comprehensive program for Mr. Kogi with the main objective of presenting the cultural offer of Novi Sad and potential partners for joint projects.

Among others, Mr. Kogi met with member of the City Council of Novi Sad in charge of culture Dalibor Rožić, and visited the EU info center where he met with Snežana Pupovac.

Of course, numerous meetings with representatives of the cultural scene of Novi Sad were organized. Mr. Kogi also spoke to Natali Beljanski, Director of the Street Musicians Festival and the Director of Gallery Bel Art, Vesna Latinović. He also visited the Small Art Gallery of the Cultural Center of Novi Sad, where he held a meeting with Đorđe Kaćanski , editor of the film program. During the visit to the Campus Mr. Kogi held meetings with Nemanja Vuković and Marija Popović from the Student Cultural Center, and with Vukašin Grozdanović, Project Coordinator of Novi Sad – European Youth Capital 2019.

Meeting with the young artist Tijana Ambrišak who practices Manga art for many years, or Japanese comics, and visit to Aikido Club Seiunkan Aikido Dojo Novi Sad were also interesting. President of Serbian Aikido Federation, Milan Vesović, had a chance to talk to Mr.Kogi about possible future cooperation.

Foundation Novi Sad 2021 – European Capital Culture uses this opportunity to thank Mr. Kogi for the visit and unselfish presentation of experience and knowledge, as well as to representatives of all institutions, cultural organizations and artists who have participated in the program of the visit and thus contributed that the cultural scene and cultural offer of Novi Sad present in the best possible way.