It goes from the exhibition on Pompei to that on Caravaggio, from Venice to Renaissance, going through Siena art; and then opera, concerts, films, technology, design and nutrition. The figures of Italy in Japan are reassuring owing to the 4 thousand Italian restaurants scattered anywhere, even in the archipelagos, to the passion for Italian designer clothes, for opera and, albeit no longer last, our football championship which is followed live by millions of people.

Every year in Italy there a million Japanese tourists arrive, but in the greatest number they still stop n the cities of art, "hit and run" visits, neglecting the Italy of the "hundred cities", the enjoyment of discovering its nature and culture. One of the aims of the initiative, which takes place with the close collaboration of the Italian embassy, is precisely that of offering the Japanese a 360 degrees vision of the country to expand the tourist basin of a much more interesting market.

"The intention" - Umberto Agnelli told the Sole24Ore- "is to valorise the strong points of our Country: tourism, industry, culture, art, technology and life style. Half way through we can say that we have prepared a step-up in quality in our relations with Japan ".

A market which, as well as the tourist sector, has seen exports grow by 16% compared to the same period last year, giving new breadth to clothing, leather goods and agro-industrial sectors.

January.2002

Fondazione Italia Giappone (In Italian)
Japanese culture (In Italian)
The Japan portal