DIMAPUR — Nagaland will welcome Japan as a partner country for the 25th Hornbill Festival, officials announced following a meeting between Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and representatives from the Japanese Embassy in India.
According to a press release from the PRO New Delhi, Japan’s participation will encompass “cultural performances, capacity building and workshops in handicrafts and bamboo products through Japanese resource persons and master craft persons and world famous musicians.”
Chief Minister Rio, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed his happiness at the partnership, stating, “Japan will participate in cultural & musical performances, & conduct workshops on handicrafts. I hope this will further strengthen ties.”
The meeting between the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, and senior government officials with Takashi Ariyoshi, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), and Mayumi Tsubakimoto, First Secretary, of the Japanese Embassy, also highlighted the participation of Toyota, a Japanese corporation, collaborating with the Nagaland Task Force for Music & Arts (TaFMA).
The press release noted that both sides “exchanged courtesies and extended appreciation at the partnership and hoped that the rich legacy and long term relationship will further get strengthened and contribute towards closer cooperation between the two countries.”
The United Kingdom, specifically Wales, has already been announced as another partner country for the festival.
