At the initiative launched by the Tokyo-based non-governmental organization International Artist Centre, Embassy organized a presentation of Serbian slava for some forty guests on 2 October. The presentation about the history and culture of Serbia, including the slava-related customs was given by Ms. Tijana Nagato who wore the national costume from Central Serbia. The guests had the opportunity to see the customs pertaining to the food served at the table on the occasion, the grain prepared cake and the cracking of slava unleavened bread alongside Serbian traditional food: cornmeal bread, ajvar (Serbian vegetable caviar), Shopska salad, home-made biscuits, all prepared by Embassy staff with the help of Centre representatives.
Besides Centre members, presentation was also attended by the President and Vice President of Japan Serbia Society, Ambassador Mr. Tadashi Nagai and Mr. Osamu Hirashita, and other members of the Centre. General Manager of the Centre Terumi Kanaya thanked the Embassy and its staff for organizing the event, while Ambassador Nenad Glišić pointed out in particular the excellent long-time collaboration with the Centre and invited those present to visit Serbia.
Ever since it was established in 1960, the International Artist Centre has been promoting and holding cultural events in cooperation with various embassies in Tokyo, with the aim of familiarizing Japanese people with other cultures and customs. In the ten-year-long cooperation with the Serbian Embassy, the Centre helped organize in 2013 an exhibition of our painter Marijana Andjelić within the framework of the art colony "Design Fest" in Tokyo and a presentation with a cooking class of Embassy representatives in the context of the same project. In November 2015, they held on the Embassy premises a presentation of Serbia for their own members. Their magazine "Furyu" published, on several occasions, interviews with the Ambassador and other representatives of the Embassy on the subject of Serbia and its culture, and they promoted events at the Embassy and guest performances of Serbian artists and of folklore companies in Japan.