Japan House in Sao Paulo to Stress on Japanese Culture

A PR outpost "Japan House" the Japanese foreign ministry is building in Sao Paulo is going to be a wooden structure stressing the charms of Japan culture, it was announced February 25 in Sao Paulo.

The announcement was made in the presence of Consul-General Takahiro Nakmae and Kengo Kuma who is commissioned to design the structure.

The Japanese foreign ministry is planning to built similar houses also in London and Los Angeles to launch information on Japan's position on often-talked-about territorial and historical issues as well as on traditional cultures. Acdording to the blueprint, the Japan House in Sao Paulo features, among others, cypress-assembled wooden decorations.

Various facilities are built within the house with plenty of space for exhibits symbolizing Japan in many different ways.

The house is due to open by March next year and lively discussions are ongoing among parties involved including the members of local Japanese-Brazilian community.

The Japan House functions as the pivotal, one-stop base of information on Japan making available what are there to know about Japan, complete with an antenna-shop, cafe and restaurant, with an active participation of civilians and local products to really highlight the charms of Japan.

The foreign ministry is eyeing on winning friends of Japan from among those who have hitherto not been all that pro-Japan and making of them genuine pro-Japanese with a broader understanding of what Japan stands for.

Japan boasts a second-to-none refined culture and cutting-edge technologies and yet has never been a decent diplomat in the international community - language barriers for one; lack of efficient info-transmitters for another. The Japan House is Japan's rather belated effort to "speak up". Never too late, they say, right?

The appointment of renowned Mr. Kengo Kuma fits right into the basic concept of presenting Japan in a proper, unified perspective.