Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands

08/09/2026

🌸 Japanese inspiration at Corso Zundert 2026

On 6 September, Minister and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Daisuke NAKANO attended Corso Zundert 2026, together with Mayor Joyce Vermue..

Corso Zundert is the world’s largest flower parade, bringing together the local community each year to create spectacular floats decorated with thousands of dahlias.

This year, we were especially delighted to see two floats inspired by the beauty of Japanese nature: “Sakura（桜）” (Cherry Blossoms) and “Taki no Yama（滝の山）” (Mountains with Waterfalls). It was wonderful to see these Japanese themes brought to life through the creativity, craftsmanship and dedication of the participating teams.

We extend our appreciation to the organizers, participants, volunteers and everyone involved in making Corso Zundert 2026 such a memorable celebration. Congratulations on another impressive edition of this remarkable tradition!

07/09/2026

Embassy Festival 2026 | The Hague

On 5 September, the Embassy of Japan was delighted to participate once again in the Embassy Festival at the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, where visitors had the opportunity to discover cultures from around the world.

At the Ambassadors reception where Mr. Nakano, Charge d'affaires a.i. attended, The Hague Mayor van Zanen and the municipality alderman, Mr. de Mos made some addresses.

At the Japan booth, visitors could learn more about Japan, try their hand at kendama （けん玉）, and get creative with origami （折り紙）. We greatly enjoyed meeting so many visitors and sharing different aspects of Japanese culture throughout the day. We were pleased to share the booth with Samurai Events, who displayed traditional samurai armor and equipment.

Japan was also represented on stage, where Circle Percussion brought the powerful sounds of Japanese taiko drumming to the festival with two energetic performances.

We extend our sincere thanks to the organizers, volunteers, Samurai Evants, Circle Percussion, and everyone who visited our booth. We hope to see you again next year!

03/09/2026

🇯🇵 The Embassy of Japan at the Embassy Festival 2026!

We are delighted to once again take part in the Embassy Festival in The Hague, bringing cultures from around the world together at the Lange Voorhout.

Visit us on Saturday, 5 September and discover more about Japan and Japanese culture. At our booth, you can:

• Ask us your questions about Japan
• Receive our Embassy of Japan custom stamp for in your activity passport https://www.embassyfestival.com/activitypassport
• Try your hand at kendama, the traditional Japanese skill toy
• Fold your own origami creation
• Learn more about Japan and the activities of the Embassy

And there is even more Japanese culture to experience at the festival! Circle Percussion will bring the powerful sounds of Japanese taiko drumming to the Harmony Hub, with performances at 14:00 and 15:40. https://www.embassyfestival.com/stages

We hope to see you there!

📍 Lange Voorhout, The Hague - Free entrance, EOJ’s stall location is #23
📅 Saturday, 5 September 2026 - 12:00–20:00

Festival information:
https://www.embassyfestival.com/

02/09/2026

On September 1st, Mr. NAKANO Daisuke, Chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy, attended the opening reception of the 36th European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists (EAJRS) Conference at Leiden University (LU). https://www.eajrs.net/

We highly appreciate the academia's continuous dedication to the EAJRS and LU's efforts to host this annual conference as a part of the LU’s Japan Year program as well as those involved starting from EAJRS Chair, Professor Vande Walle, LU’s President of the Executive Board, Professor Sels, Library Director de Belder, etc.

The Embassy of Japan (EOJ) wishes this conference continued success and smooth progress.

The Japan Foundation is supporting this conference this year.

01/09/2026

🇯🇵 Meeting with the 2026 MEXT Scholarship Recipients

On 31 August, three recipients of the 2026 MEXT Scholarship visited the Embassy for an orientation meeting ahead of their departure for Japan.

During the meeting with Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Nakano and members of the Cultural Section, the students shared their academic aspirations and plans for their time in Japan. They also received information and practical guidance on studying and living in Japan.

The Embassy wishes all three students every success with their studies and research in Japan and hopes they will have a rewarding experience during their time there!

The MEXT Scholarship, offered by the Government of Japan, provides opportunities to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies and research in Japan. For more information, please visit the official Study in Japan website:

https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarships/mext-scholarships/

31/08/2026

On 30 August, Ambassador MICHII visited the J-Dream Cup 2026, an annual football tournament among teams from Japan-related companies, held in Amstelveen.

This year marked the 19th edition of the tournament with 24 teams. The event features a unique rule: in every match, all teams are required to include both Japanese and non-Japanese players (Dutch players and/or players from other countries) on the field. This rule aims to promote communication and strengthen connections between Japanese and local staff within participating companies.

This year, Alderman Floor Gordon also visited the tournament. Both the ambassador and the alderman highlighted the power of sport to bring people together, while celebrating the tournament as a wonderful example of multicultural exchange through sport.

Football is one of the most popular sports in both Japan and the Netherlands, and a number of Japanese footballers now compete in the Eredivisie and the Vrouwen Eredivisie. We are delighted that the J-Dream Cup has been strengthening ties between our two countries through sports for the past 19 years.

Congratulations to all the prize-winning teams!
We also commend all the teams for their outstanding efforts!
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the organizers, staff, and Japanese female footballers who supported the event.

31/08/2026

🇯🇵🇳🇱 A memorable Hockey World Cup for Japan and the Netherlands

After two exciting weeks of international hockey, the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium Netherlands 2026 has come to an end. We look back with great appreciation on the efforts of the Japanese and Dutch men’s and women’s national teams throughout the tournament.

Final results:
🇯🇵 Sakura Japan (Women): 11th place
🇯🇵 Samurai Japan (Men): 14th place
🇳🇱 Oranje Dames (Women): 2nd place
🇳🇱 Oranje Heren (Men): 4th place

It was particularly special to see Japan and the Netherlands face each other here in Amstelveen in both the women’s and men’s competitions. We commend all four teams for their determination and sportsmanship, and for the many memorable moments they gave hockey fans throughout the tournament.

A special recognition goes to the Oranje Dames, who reached the World Cup final and finished the tournament with a silver medal. 🥈🇳🇱

For Japan, the focus now turns to the next international challenge. We wish Sakura Japan and Samurai Japan every success at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games this September and look forward to seeing them back in action! 🇯🇵

Thank you to all four teams for a memorable World Cup!

More about the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium Netherlands 2026:
https://www.fih.hockey/events/fih-hockey-worldcup-belgium-netherlands-2026

FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium Netherlands 2026

26/08/2026

📚 New addition to our Cultural Library!
100 Manga Artists – 45th Ed. by Masanao Amano and Julius Wiedemann is now available to borrow.

This richly illustrated volume explores the diverse and imaginative world of Japanese manga through the work of 100 artists. From influential masters to contemporary creators, the book showcases a wide range of artistic styles, genres, and stories that demonstrate the creativity and global appeal of manga.

Visit the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Japan to discover this and many other fascinating publications about Japan. 🇯🇵

21/08/2026

🇯🇵🇳🇱 Another great match between Japan and the Netherlands!

Samurai Japan (Japan Men’s Hockey Team) and Oranje Heren (Netherlands Men’s Hockey Team) faced each other on 20 August at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, following the women’s Japan–Netherlands encounter the day before.

We warmly congratulate both teams on a great performance and their determination and sportsmanship throughout the match. It was especially wonderful to see the men’s and women’s teams of Japan and the Netherlands meet on consecutive days in Amstelveen, creating two memorable sporting encounters between our countries.

Samurai Japan’s World Cup journey continues, and we wish them every success in their next match on 22/8 at 13:00!

Follow the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium Netherlands 2026:
https://www.fih.hockey/events/fih-hockey-worldcup-belgium-netherlands-2026

20/08/2026

🇯🇵🇳🇱 A great match between Japan and the Netherlands!

Sakura Japan (Japan Women’s Hockey Team) and Oranje Dames (Netherlands Women’s Hockey Team) faced each other on 19 August at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, with both women’s teams giving their all on the world stage.

We warmly congratulate both teams on a great performance and their determination and sportsmanship throughout the match. It was especially wonderful to see Japan and the Netherlands meet here in Amstelveen and add another memorable sporting encounter to the close ties between our two countries.

Sakura Japan’s World Cup journey continues!
Next match will be held at 9:30 on 21 August in Amstelveen.
We wish the Sakura Japan every success in their next match!

Follow the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium Netherlands 2026:
https://www.fih.hockey/events/fih-hockey-worldcup-belgium-netherlands-2026