Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin

Address
Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin Map
Hours
Mon–Thu 10 am–5 pm, Fri 10 am–3:30 pm
E-Mail

At the instigation of the then heads of government of the Federal Republic of Germany and Japan, Helmut KOHL(†) and NAKASONE Yasuhiro, the non-profit foundation Japanese-German Center Berlin (Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin, JDZB) was established in 1985. It was a time when the interests of the two states began to grow strongly for each other, and the JDZB was entrusted with the task,“to promote and deepen Japanese-German and international cooperation in the fields of science and culture…in particular by supporting German-Japanese mutual understanding at all levels of economic life to improve cooperation in science, research and culture.”
(Extract from the Foundation Deed)

Politics, the economy and society have changed since the founding period, both in the individual countries as well as in Europe and Asia as a whole. Bilateral exchange was prioritized at the beginning, whereas multilateral exchange has increasingly gained in importance over time. Global networks have grown and the JDZB is incorporating these changes in its activities by bringing together experts and committed individuals from all different fields, and working strategically with cooperative partners within an international network. In addition to the two foreign ministries of Japan and Germany, the City State of Berlin has also been a strong supporter of the JDZB from the start, and today the JDZB occupies a firm place in German-Japanese relations - with academic and scientific conferences, cultural events, Japanese language courses, exchange programs, a library and regular publications. The growing importance of the JDZB as a unique institution within German-Japanese relations was honored on the occasion of its 30th anniversary by former Federal President Christian WULFF, Federal Chancellor Angela MERKEL and Prime Minister ABE Shinzō.