​On 4 February 2026, The Japan Alumni and Researcher Assembly (JARA) was held at the University of Aarhus. JARA aims to promote networking within the Japan-related research community in Denmark, and to provide a forum for researchers, professionals and students, to meet and discuss new ideas. JARA also promotes Japan-related research and student scholarships.
 
The event began with respectively Tokai University European Center, JSPS and the Embassy of Japan giving a short presentation on their exchange and scholarship opportunities.
 
After this, opening remarks were delivered by Ms. Kobashi from the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Jakob from the Tokai University European Center, and Professor Kazuyuki Kuroda, Director of the JSPS Stockholm Office.
 
Then it was time for the two lecturers to extend their knowledge on the theme of this year’s JARA event; “Changing Sceneries: Human interaction with landscapes in Japan and Denmark”, by sharing their perspective through each their own research on the subject.
 
The first lecture was held by Dr. Masahito Fuwa of Tohoku Institute of Technology. He addressed Japan’s Sustainable Improvement Strategies for Cultural and Ecological Landscapes.
 
The next lecture was held by Dr. Stefan Darlan Boris from the Aarhus School of Architecture. His presentation examined rural transformation in Denmark, focusing on declining towns and the emerging of forest landscapes in the countryside.
 
The event was rounded off with an open discussion session on the topic involving both Lecturers and Students, and finalized through a sushi reception right after, which provided an informal setting for networking and conversation.
 
We wish to sincerely thank all speakers, organizers, and participants for making this event a success.

Tokai University European Center held its first Nordic-Japan Forensic Cardiology Understanding Symposium (NJ-FOCUS) on December the 5th 2025. It was launched by Dr. Shotaro Isozaki (Associate Professor at Tokai University, School of Medicine) who is currently a Guest Post Doctoral Fellow at the Copenhagen University Hospital’s Cardiovascular Center working as a part of the Research Unit of Sudden Cardiac Death.

The Symposium was co-organized with the Copenhagen University Hospital’s Cardiovascular Center and the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Copenhagen and supported by the JSPS Stockholm Office.

Aiming to create a network between researchers in the fields of Forensic Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine in Japan and the Nordic countries, this Symposium had presentations by researchers from Denmark, Finland and Japan. It was attended by a physical audience as well as an online audience with participants from Japan and various Nordic countries resulting in a total of around 80 attendees.
 
The event began with a welcome address from our Director Jakob Skyt Jensen, followed by an opening address from our Executive Director Seiko Oyama. In the first session, Professor Jacob Tfelt-Hansen - Isozaki's Host Professor at the Copenhagen University Hospital - gave a lecture on epidemiological research of sudden cardiac death and hereditary arrhythmias. Professor Christian Torp-Pedersen from University of Copenhagen then spoke about the Danish registry system and its use in epidemiological research. In the second session, Docent Katja Porvari from University of Oulu in Finland gave a presentation on the effects of hypothermia on the cardiovascular system, followed by a presentation on cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death by Doctor Rasmus Bork-Dinesen from the Copenhagen University Hospital.

In the third session after a lunch-break, Professor Yu Kakimoto from the Department of Forensic Medicine at Tokai University School of Medicine spoke on proteomic analysis of sudden cardiac death cases. Associate Professor Takuma Yamamoto from Hyogo Medical University then presented his genetic analysis and animal models of a RBM20 cardiomyopathy sudden cardiac death case. Finally, Professor Akira Hayakawa from Akita University talked about a sudden cardiac death case in Eosinophilic Coronary Periarteritis. In the fourth session, Associate Professor Isozaki presented his research on physical activity and sudden cardiac death during leisure time, and Doctor Deepthi Rajan from the Copenhagen University Hospital described atrial fibrillation and sudden death in young patients. Lastly, Maria Brun Nielsen, a student at the University of Copenhagen School of Medicine, presented a risk analysis of hereditary cardiac disease in first-degree relatives of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

In closing, Professor Jakob Tfelt-Hansen thanked all the speakers and concluded: “We would like to further strengthen the collaboration between Japan and the Nordic countries in Forensic Medicine, sharing knowledge and continuous support in the future.”

On the 27th of November 2026, Tokai European Center opened their doors to a lecture about the Jômon-period by Signe Tørsleff Fisker, who is currently conducting an internship at Tokai University Center. Signe studies Prehistoric Archaeology at the Saxo-Institute of the University of Copenhagen.
 
The lecture was hosted in collaboration with the Tokai Alumni Association, and it was free for anyone who wished to attend with an interest in early Japanese history. It was a hybrid event consisting of physical and online attendance.
 
Signe presented the audience with an in-depth introduction to the Jômon-period from an archeological perspective. This included the lifestyle of the Jômon-people as one of the world’s longest-lasting prehistoric cultures. She elaborated on recent discoveries that challenges the general perception of the Jômon-society, offering new perspectives to the over-all research. Signe furthermore shared her broad knowledge of both cord-marked pottery, ritual clay figurines and large stone circles- some of the most significant relics of the period.
 
After the lecture, a Q&A took place where the audience had the opportunity to ask further questions about the Jômon-period, where Signe answered the questions in greater detail.
 
We hope the lecture was able to broaden the audiences’ knowledge about the wonders of prehistoric Japan by the great efforts of Signe’s research.

On October 28th we had the honor of hosting a Lecture event about Japanese Tea in collaboration with Dansk-Japansk Selskab (The Danish Japanese Association).

The Lecture was done by Steen Pipper who has been passionate about tea since his childhood and who is now a part of the Global Japanese Tea Association - teaching others about Japanese Tea.

The lecture began with the history of tea and insight as to how different types of teas have developed over time. After this it focused on the Japanese tea harvest and production and presented the biggest different tea types, such as Matcha, Gyokuro, Sencha and Bancha with an explanation of what distinguishes each type. Furthermore, the lecture discussed some of the challenges that the tea firms, especially small family-owned businesses, are facing today in Japan.

During the lecture all participants were also offered various tea tastings with an explanation of how to brew each tea type in the best way. The guests could enjoy both Hôjicha, and Sencha (hot and cold brewed).

We hope that the event could inspire the attendants to dive further into the Japanese Tea Culture and deepen the appreciation of both the art of making tea and drinking it - which in many ancient traditions is considered a meditative Zen practice.​

On Saturday, September 27, the Tokai University European Center in Vedbæk was transformed into a vibrant hub for Japanese pop culture. The event attracted cosplay enthusiasts, anime and manga fans, as well as curious visitors eager to experience a cultural day.

Guests could immerse themselves in Japanese pop culture through a wide range of activities. The artist alley featured talented creators showcasing and selling their work, while vendors offered unique merchandise and a booth presenting second-hand J-fashion.

Restaurant Banzai delighted attendees with freshly prepared onigiri, dorayaki, and kakigori, while Dansk Japansk Selskab served both Japanese and Western refreshments.

Throughout the day, visitors could join a beginner-friendly Japanese language workshop, attend a lecture on J-fashion, and test their knowledge in a lively pop culture-themed Jeopardy game. Upstairs, a karaoke room and gaming area invited guests to relax, compete, and have fun.

A highlight of the event was the free cosplay photo sessions with professional photographer followed by a cosplay catwalk that showcased the creativity and dedication of the participants.

Beyond the activities, the event offered a welcoming space to meet like-minded people, share experiences, and be inspired by the many imaginative expressions of Japanese pop culture.

The aim of the day was to spread awareness of Japanese pop culture while fostering community spirit. Thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of both organizers and participants, the event was a resounding success — leaving many hopeful that it will return in the future.

We are very grateful for all who attended, and we owe a big thanks to Tokai's Alumni Association as well as all other contributors who made this event possible.

On September 23rd,  a ”washoku” event was held at TUEC in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Denmark. The purpose of the event was to promote Japanese cuisine and provide a networking opportunity for culinary professionals and other industry representatives.
 
The event was attended by over 40 guests, including participants from culinary schools, school lunch businesses providing Japanese food in Denmark, wholesalers, retailers, culinary businesses and Japan-related businesses.
 
Ambassador Hideki Uyama and TUEC’s Head of Administration, Jakob Skyt Jensen, opened the event with welcome speeches, introducing the event and the program of the day. Professor Emeritus Ole G. Mouritsen, President of the Danish Gastronomical Academy and Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador, then gave a lecture about Japan’s unique fifth taste, umami. Following the lecture, the personal chef of Ambassador Uyama, Mr. Atsushi Suzuki, demonstrated how to make three basic components of Japanese cuisine: dashi, miso and onigiri. All guests were provided with freshly made samples for tasting and five select guests had the opportunity to try their hand at onigiri-making.

To round off the event, a tea ceremony was held by the tea group, Byakudan-no-kai, at TUEC’s Japanese tea house.
 
In collaboration with local businesses, booths with Japanese food products were also exhibited, promoting a variety of Japanese products.

TUEC was very pleased to be able to promote Japanese food culture in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan. The interest for Japanese cuisine has increased significantly in Denmark over the last decade, with Danes of all ages enjoying Japanese food on a regular basis. Sale and selection of Japanese food products in Danish supermarkets and online shops have also increased considerably. In addition, Japanese food culture has a lot to offer with regard to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and shifting towards use of more sustainable ingredients, and we therefore hope that participants were inspired by the event.