Welcome to JACCU

What is JACCU?

JACCU is the short name of the Stichting Japanese Art & Culture Centre of Utrecht. The main objective of the foundation is to represent and disseminate Japanese art and culture in their broadest sense. It is also a community to share and gain knowledge and experience through a wide array of activities, courses and different initiatives in the field of Japanese art, culture and traditions.

JACCU in Neude

Last winter, JACCU has co-organised many events during the Manga and Japanese Culture Week at Bibliotheek Utrecht in Neude, from calligraphy workshops to demonstrations, from artists meetings to haiku workshops.

As a result of this collaboration, the Neude library is now the home to our Artistic Research & Exhibition Project KOKO NI IRU between October 1 and November 11 2022!

KOKO NI IRU is an art exhibition with an assemblage of Japanese memorabilia in Utrecht that is the result of an extensive social and artistic research project created by the artistic directors of JACCU.

This project opens the doors to the small but rich community of Japanese people in Utrecht, with their own values and cultural heritage. By exploring the fragments of memories and unique perspectives of individuals, we hope that the audience can also reflect on their connection with the neighbourhood, the city and the province of Utrecht. The exhibition shows an archive of personal experiences and sensations that are hidden behind the walls, with an intention to reveal a genuine story of Japanese life in connection to Utrecht.

What we do

Utrecht is well organised, lively and it’s conveniently located at the centre of the Netherlands, in its busiest region. JACCU is active in the artistic and cultural scene of Utrecht with its dedicated platform for Japanese art and culture. In supporting quality contemporary and traditional arts and cultural activities, we go beyond pop-culture and reveal the genuine values and traditions of Japan.

JACCU’s mission is to enrich the cultural scene of Utrecht with an appealing spectrum of cultural activities and artistically significant projects in collaboration with other parties around Japanese culture for Utrecht people to experience, participate and enjoy. The extent of JACCU’s plans and activities are ambitiously broad for that purpose.

On one hand it aims at providing a networking hub and endorsement opportunities to individual artists, cultural organisations and specific projects with a focus on Japanese culture. The organisation is thus open to partnerships and collaborations with single artists, museums, consulates, cultural institutions, arts schools and universities, martial arts schools, applied arts organisations specialised in Japanese techniques, organisers of artists in residency programs etc.

On the other hand JACCU is an arts centre for all those who would like to learn more about a specific discipline, art form or Japanese tradition and just wish to be part of a community of amateurs of the Land of the Rising Sun. By offering an inspiring place for learning, creating and sharing, we want to give the possibility of being immersed into the Japanese spirit, feeling culturally enriched and included as part of a great community with similar interests and ultimately feeling at home.

Central Hub

JACCU is committed to becoming a central hub dedicated to fostering high-quality, authentic Japanese initiatives with an artistic and cultural common thread and everybody is welcome to join and enjoy practising, researching and keep on with continuous learning of all things Japanese.

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宜しくお願いします!

Stichting Japanese Art & Culture Centre of Utrecht
日本芸術文化センターユトレヒト