The Lithuanian National Museum will open a major exhibition on Lithuanian history and culture in Nagoya, Japan, in the autumn of 2026, the museum announced Monday.
Titled “Lithuania – Songs Echo in the Baltic Forests”, the exhibition will run from September 5 to November 1, 2026, at the Nagoya City Museum’s Special Exhibitions Hall. It will be the first large-scale exhibition in Japan to present Lithuania through two of its defining cultural elements – forest and song.
“At the heart of the exhibition are the images of the forest and song – deeply rooted in Lithuanian culture and transformed into symbols of resistance and freedom,” the museum said in a press release, referencing the country’s armed partisan struggle against Soviet occupation, the Singing Revolution, and the Baltic Way.
The exhibit will explore key turning points in Lithuanian history and the deep bond between people and nature, as well as the role of traditional music and dance in shaping national identity and the pursuit of independence.
Artefacts will include archaeological finds, household items, folk woodcarvings, and colourful national costumes. A special focus will highlight Lithuania’s Song Festival – a UNESCO-listed tradition – and the work of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who helped thousands of Jews escape Nazi persecution while serving in Kaunas in 1939–1940.
Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa noted that Lithuania remains unfamiliar to many Japanese and welcomed the exhibition as an opportunity for cultural connection.
The display will also spotlight modern Lithuania, featuring its innovations in technology, renewable energy, and sports, while emphasising how the country continues to protect and celebrate its cultural heritage.
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