Exhibitions, economic diplomacy and new projects for exports to Asia
A day full of events and content celebrated the National Made in Italy Day 2026 in Tokyo, confirming the central role of Japan as a strategic market and privileged interlocutor for Italian excellence.
The heart of the initiatives was, in the late afternoon, a temporary exhibition set up at the residence of the Italian ambassador, defined as a ‘house-museum’ by the magazine Interni.
A unique context that houses works by masters of informal abstraction such as Castellani, Burri, Fontana, D’Orazio, Turcato and Marotta, and which for the occasion welcomed a selection of iconic pieces from over 60 Italian brands present in Japan. The choice of the Residence, designed by architects Borghese and Murata and characterized by the fusion of Italian and Japanese architectural elements, reinforces the symbolic value of the initiative, which is part of the year of celebrations for the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan. Alongside the exhibition, there will also be space for collecting, with the display of a vintage Abarth 750 Zagato, thanks to the collaboration with private Japanese collectors and the agreements with the Mille Miglia. The day ended with an evening reception at the Residence, in the presence of representatives of Italian companies, institutions of the Italian system, Japanese importers and trading companies, designers, leading department stores such as Ginza Six, Isetan/Mitsukoshi and Matsuya, agri-food associations and Italian and Japanese media. The evening opened with the official video of Made in Italy Day and the presentation of the “Fashion Panorama 2” review, curated by Vogue Italia, dedicated to contemporary fashion and young emerging designers. A project conceived as an instrument of economic diplomacy, aimed at strengthening the international visibility of Italian creative talent and encouraging new connections with buyers, institutions and local stakeholders. The event closed with the speech of the Italian Ambassador to Japan, Mario Andrea Vattani, who underlined the evolution of the Italian presence in the country: “We take this opportunity to announce that the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, as part of the ‘Focus Asia’ strategy, is changing: the commercial office becomes the Office for Growth and Export, integrating exports, the Italian system, scientific, sporting and cultural diplomacy”.
A clear signal of how Made in Italy continues to represent not only an economic asset, but also a strategic tool for cultural and institutional dialogue. “In this way – added Vattani – we reflect abroad and in Asia, in a fundamental market like the Japanese one – which Italy knows, the Tajani reform, which aims to strengthen the country’s growth and exports”.
