News & Updates
Expo 2027 Belgrade Japan Pavilion Announces Official Participation Contract Signed / Two Promotional Ambassadors Appointed
Jun 11, 2026
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) are jointly advancing preparations for Japan’s Pavilion Exhibition at Expo 2027 Belgrade, to be held in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, from May 15 (Saturday) to August 15(Sunday), 2027.
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, METI and JETRO signed the official participation contract at the Signing Ceremony held in Belgrade. On the same day, it was also announced that Mr. SHIMURA Kenichi (conductor) and Ms. NAKAJIMA Sachiko (musician, mathematician, and STEAM educator) were appointed as Promotional Ambassadors for the Japan Pavilion.
Signed the official Participation for Expo 2027 Belgrade
The Signing Ceremony took place at 14:00 (local time) on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at the EXPO 2027 Playground in Belgrade.
Ms. YOSHIMURA Sachiko, Commissioner of the Japanese Section, Expo 2027 Belgrade, signed the official participation contract with the organizer, EXPO 2027 BELGRADE d.o.o., in the presence of H.E. Mr. Lazar Radević, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Serbia, and H.E. Mr. Takahiro Tsutsumi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Serbia.
Comment from Commissioner of the Japanese Section, YOSHIMURA Sachiko
- Comment from Commissioner of the Japanese Section, YOSHIMURA Sachiko
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Inspired by the Expo theme, “Play for Humanity,” the Japan Pavilion will feature the theme:
“Play and Connect, Together – The Playful Spirit of Japan”
We hope that the Japan pavilion will be a place where diverse forms of Japanese “play” allow visitors from Serbia and around the world to connect, meet new people, and make new discoveries.
Mr. SHIMURA Kenichi and Ms. NAKAJIMA Sachiko were appointed as Promotional Ambassadors for the Japan Pavilion
The Japan Pavilion’s theme at Expo 2027 Belgrade is: “Play and Connect, Together – Playful Spirit of Japan.” To promote this theme globally, the Japan pavilion will appoint Promotional Ambassadors who are able to connect Japan and Serbia—and the world—through sports, music, and culture.
To this end, the Japan Pavilion has appointed the following as the first group of ambassadors:
- Mr. SHIMURA Kenichi (Conductor)
- Ms. NAKAJIMA Sachiko (Musician, Mathematician, STEAM Educator)
Mr. Shimura performed concerts at the Serbia Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai and has recently been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Serbian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2026. Renowned for conducting concerts featuring music from Japanese animation and video games, Mr. Shimura has gained popularity in Serbia as well.
Ms. Nakajima served as the producer of the thematic project “Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion” at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. Even before the Expo, she has been leading life-enhancing co-creation initiatives through play, learning, sports, and the arts to help people experience the joy and thrill of living. Recently, she has been actively engaged in Japan-Serbia cultural exchanges. She will be performing with traditional Japanese Noh ensembles in Serbia.
Mr. SHIMURA Kenichi
- Comments from the Ambassadors
- Over the years, anime and game music have allowed me to engage and build meaningful connections with many Serbian musicians and audiences. I am truly honored to serve as a Promotional Ambassador for the Japan Pavilion at the upcoming Expo in Belgrade, a place with which I share a personal connection. I hope to turn music into a platform for Japan, Serbia, and the world to connect, where I can also express myself. I look forward to seeing you in Belgrade!
- Profiles
- Mr. Shimura has performed with orchestras both in Japan and internationally, including Serbia.
Since 2013, he has focused on conducting and producing concerts featuring music from Japan’s media arts, including animation and video games, with over 300 performances in 52 cities worldwide.
In 2026, he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the Serbian Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ms. NAKAJIMA Sachiko
- Comments from the Ambassadors
- The “Jellyfish Pavilion” at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai embodied the idea that having a spirit of “play following your inner flow” is essential to life and creativity. We wish to carry forward the bonds of friendship created at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai into the future at Expo 2027 Belgrade — the first World Expo centered on “play.” Here, we seek to cultivate a space where various forms of play in everyday life in Japan — music, performing arts, crafts, mathematics, technology and learning—attract and inspire people from diverse backgrounds to gather and co-create the future together. See you in Serbia
- Profiles
- While still in high school, Ms. Nakajima became the first Japanese female gold medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from the Department of Mathematics of the School of Science at the University of Tokyo, she has been active on the world stage, performing as a jazz pianist, composer, mathematician, educator, and media artist.
In 2017, she founded steAm Inc., promoting STEAM education both in Japan and abroad.
She has served on various educational committees in Japan, including those of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Agency for Cultural Affairs, METI, and local governments.
At Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, she served as the theme project producer and produced the signature pavilion, “Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion.”
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Media Inquiries
Japan Pavilion PR Office for Expo 2027 Belgrade (Material Inc.)
Tel: +81-3-5459-5490
Fax: +81-3-5459-5491
E-mail: jppavilion_pr@materialpr.jp
Contact: Ms. Kobayashi / Ms. YamashitaGeneral Inquiries about Japan Pavilion
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, International Exhibitions Office
Tel: +81-3-3501-0289Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
International Expos Division
Tel: +81-3-3582-4688
