19 January, 1996
The Japan-Croatia Friendship Society was founded in 1994.
Here are some interesting facts about this society.
Almost one year has passed since the Society was founded. Fortunately, the situation in Croatia has dramatically changed for the better. If the problem of Slovenia has been solved, there will come a perfect peace in Croatia! That means the time has come for us to be more active.
So in order for members to have a common recognition of our society, I would like to explain our organization, activities and rules.

Our organization
The Society is managed by the Board of Headquarters located in Tokyo. It consists of less than 15 members and has a president and a vice-president among them. In local cities there will be branches, each of which has a representative. In Kyoto, a branch was established with about fifty members, with Mr. Fujimura as representative. We will soon have another branch in Sendai.

The Society 's activities the Society 's main activities are to publish magazines, to support economic and cultural exchanges, open parties and etc. We are not sure what a chance makes us connected with Croatia. Please make a contact with the Society if you have encountered such a case and let's extend the circle of friendship with Croatia among us!

The rules of the Society Our society is a non profitable organization with the purpose of making friendship with Croatia. From its voluntary character we do not request any fee. Please call our staff if you have something to ask.

Establishing the Society in Kyoto
We have around 100 members right now and do hope hundreds more will enter our society. Lastly, I here ask every member to invite their friends to our friendship circle as members and would like to end up today's story.

The Establishment of Kansai Branch
The Kansai Branch of the Japan-Croatia Friendship Society was founded in Kyoto-city on Nov. 9, 1995. On the same day, the "Zagreb Soloists" had a wonderful concert in the Kyoto City Hall. Kyoto and Zagreb have been sister-cities since 1981 and are continuing cultural exchange. This time Kyoto invited the Zagreb Soloists to take part in the starting events for the brand new concert hall opened on Oct. 18. The audience enjoyed the beautiful music from Zagreb.
After the concert, the secretariat of Kyoto City Hall held a party, in which the Zagreb Soloists, Ambassador Dr. & Mrs. Simic and around fifty Kyoto citizens were invited. The Japan/Croatia Friendship Society was introduced and it was declared to establish its Kansai Branch. Most of participants understood the Society's purposes. By now we have been able to collect about fifty people who are or will be members of the Society.
The next year is the fifteenth anniversary of Kyoto's and Zagreb's sister-city relationship. In 1991, the year of its tenth anniversary, there was no memorial event because Croatia was in the hardest time for the war. However, the real peace is coming to the area of ex-Yugoslavia after the four year lasting war. Both city governments are planning to have a big celebration for the fifteenth anniversary including the unrealized tenth anniversary. We, the Kansai Branch, would like to suggest various matters for the exchange in the level of the citizens of Kyoto and Zagreb and for the closer friendship between Croatia and Japan.

For more information, please contact us at the following address:
The Japan-Croatia Friendship Society
2-8-1-101 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 153

c/o Embassy of the Republic of Croatia

Tel: 03-5478-8481
Fax: 03-5478-8491

E-mail: Susumu YASUE
General Secretary