Tenri France-Japan Cultural Association recently moved to a new office, and a ceremony to mark its opening was held on April 7 with the presence of Rev. Masahiko Iburi, Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs of Tenrikyo. Approximately 270 guests were also present at the ceremony. They included representatives from the Japanese Embassy in France and from Japanese firms in the country, as well as Tenrikyo followers in Europe and students of Tenri Japanese Language School, which is run by the association.
The new location is in the first arrondissement of Paris, near the Louvre and Notre Dame. Since it was established in 1971, the association has carried out various cultural activities with its office in the 14th arrondissement. In particular, its Japanese language school has received a high reputation in the country as a distinguished institute for teaching Japanese. The association had been looking for a new office site so that it could implement a wider variety of activities.
The new office building has a total of about 1,000 m2 floor space on three stories. The basement floor will be used as an exhibition gallery; the first floor as classrooms and a library; and the second floor as the association’s business office.
In his speech during the ceremony Rev. Iburi expressed his hope that the association would further engage in a variety of activities by taking advantage of the new building for promoting mutual understanding and exchange not only between France and Japan but also among peoples worldwide.