（日本語はビョルク164号に掲載）
Dear Friends of Sweden in Tobetsu,
As we welcome 2026, I would like to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy New Year and express my gratitude for your continued support in strengthening the ties between Sweden and Japan.
The year 2025 has been an extraordinary year for our bilateral relations. The Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2024 is already delivering results, with new initiatives in politics, defense, science, and culture. At Expo 2025 Osaka, the Nordic Pavilion hosted numerous activities showcasing sustainability, innovation, and artistic excellence. Our pavilion was visited by 1,6 million visitors!
We were honored with two royal visits: In May, His Majesty the King came to Expo Osaka and Tokyo, where he attended events on sustainable architecture and met with Japanese leaders to discuss innovation and green transition. In October, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess also visited Expo Osaka and then continued to Naoshima, Teshima, Hiroshima, and Tokyo together with H.R.H. Prince Daniel, participating in programs on art, peace, and climate action, including a moving visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and engagements with contemporary art projects. The King and the Crown Princes were both kindly received by the Emperor of Japan.
For the first time, a Swedish artist participated in the Setouchi Triennale, an important international art hub, marking the beginning of continuous collaborations that will further strengthen art exchange between Sweden and Japan. We also celebrated vibrant literary exchange between Japanese and Swedish authors, publishers, and translators.
A number of high-level visits further strengthened cooperation, including: Mr. Johan Forssell, Minister for Migration, who advanced dialogue on talent attraction and labor mobility; Mr. Erik Slottner, Minister for Public Administration, who focused on digitalization, and AI; and Ms. Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs, who engaged on defense and security cooperation, attended a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima, met her Japanese counterpart for strategic talks, and visited the National Defense Academy of Japan to deepen collaboration in security and green transition. We were also honored by visits of Swedish astronauts, musicians, scientists and large high level business delegations.
Science and research cooperation remains a cornerstone of our relationship. This year, we celebrated the achievements of two Japanese Nobel laureates – in Physiology or Medicine: Professor Shimon Sakaguchi, and in Chemistry: Professor Susumu Kitagawa. These achievements underscore the importance of academic excellence and we look forward to broadening and deepening this cooperation. Looking ahead, 2026 will be “The Embassy Year of Cultural and Scientific Cooperation in Japan 2026”, a year dedicated to showcasing how culture and art can enrich each other and inspire new forms of creativity. We will start the year with the travelling exhibition “Masters of Swedish Paintings 1880–1915” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum from January 27.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to working with you to make 2026 a year of even deeper cooperation and shared achievements. Warmest wishes for a Happy New Year!
Viktoria Li
Ambassador