For more than twenty years, Alsace has been a land of welcome and has favoured contacts with Japan, a country with which it maintains strong ties in areas such as economy, culture, science or technology.

In order to go further into these Franco-Japanese relations, the Alsacian communities (in particular the Region of Alsace, the Department of Haut-Rhin and the City of Colmar) have founded the European Centre for Japanese Studies in Alsace (in French : CEEJA).

Also funded by companies and in partnership with French, European and Japanese universities, the Centre’s missions are to support research related to Japanese studies, to facilitate the access to this culture and to support Japan’s economic presence in Alsace.

The premises of the association, which has over one hundred members, are located in Kientzheim, near Colmar. They are not only used for organizing cultural events, but they are also a place opened to the general public, researchers, students and firms.