Residents of Fukuoka understand just how close we are to other Asian cities. Travelers from Fukuoka can fly to Shanghai in roughly the same amount of time it takes to Tokyo, and Seoul and Osaka are almost equidistant. That’s why I use my mileage points to visit Asian cities rather than domestic destinations. High-speed jet foils sail daily to Busan in South Korea, which signed a sister city agreement with Fukuoka City in February 2007. Fukuoka’s geographical proximity to the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese mainland have allowed the city to long serve as the entry point for Asian culture.
A staggering diversity of cultural elements has entered Japan through Fukuoka and Hakata. That was the context for Fukuoka City’s sponsorship of the Asia-Pacific Exposition at Seaside Momochi in 1989, commemorating the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a municipality. The exhibition ran for 171 days and attracted 8.23 million visitors, far surpassing the original goal of 7 million. This generated interaction on the municipal level with other countries throughout Asia.
Asian Month was created the following year to maintain and develop these ties with Asia. The primary event is the Asian-Pacific Festival that presents food, music, and traditional arts of the region. The Fukuoka Asia Culture Prize was also created to honor individuals and groups for achievements in academia, research, the arts, and culture. Further, the Focus on Asia – Fukuoka International Film Festival was launched in 1991, and uses film to showcase the cultures of Asia and enable interaction with people in the industry from throughout the continent. The Asian Month slogan was originally “30 Days to Deepen Interest in Asia”, but this was changed in 2006 to “From Exchange to Kyosei and Contribution” to give the event a new perspective. Next year’s Asian Month will be the 20th, marking a major turning point for the event. In addition, next year the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum will hold its fourth Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial. The city plans to marshal all its resources to hold these events next year. I’m looking forward to them, and I hope you are too!
