The 13th International Red-White Singing Festival: A Musical Bridge of International Exchange at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai
2025/09/10 23:39
The 13th International Red-White Singing Festival: A Musical Bridge of International Exchange at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai
Japan is currently facing the important challenge of how to warmly welcome foreigners and deepen mutual exchange. In this context, the International Red-White Singing Festival（IRWS)—launched in 2011 by foreigners living in Japan together with Japanese in order to share messages of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake with the world—holds great significance as a true platform for international exchange that transcends national and cultural boundaries.
The 13th IRWS will be held on September 19 at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
This event embodies the Expo’s key message of “diversity and coexistence, and co-creation for the future.”
The festival is a unique international exchange through music where foreign participants sing in Japanese, while Japanese participants sing in foreign languages. It has received support from organizations including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the ASEAN-Japan Centre, the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad, and the Consortium of Universities in Osaka for International Students. This year, a representative from Brazil will also join.
IRWS began in 2011, inspired by the wish to share messages of recovery following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Since then, it has become a significant stage for genuine cross-cultural exchange, bringing together people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds through the power of song.
A highlight of past performances includes an Asian male vocal group singing “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” in both Japanese and English for the grand finale. The distinctive style of this event allows performers to step into another culture’s language and voice, creating a powerful bridge of understanding and friendship.
The festival resonates deeply with the Expo’s mission to create a society of multicultural coexistence and a future where nations walk forward together hand in hand. Hosting this event inside the Expo venue makes it an ideal platform to amplify its message to the world.
In the past, preliminary contests have been held in the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, and other countries and regions, sending representatives to Japan. International editions of the festival overseas also play a role in increasing the number of Japanese-language learners and cultural enthusiasts.
In 2025, marking the 130th anniversary of Japan-Brazil diplomatic relations, a representative from São Paulo will take the stage.
On September 19, at the Expo’s “Festival Station,” the event will culminate in an inspiring chorus uniting all participants and volunteers.
This year’s special guest is Shinji Harada, who, in his teens, became the first artist to hold a solo concert at the Nippon Budokan. Currently serving as Hiroshima Peace Cultural Ambassador, he will bring another layer of meaning to the event.
Please look forward to the 13th International Red-White Singing Festival, where borders are transcended and hope and friendship for the future are woven together through the power of music.
Event Information
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Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
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Venue: Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, “Festival Station”
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Program: The 13th International Red-White Singing Festival
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Supported by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, ASEAN-Japan Centre, Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad, Consortium of Universities in Osaka for International Students
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Performers: Japanese and overseas representatives, with special guest Shinji Harada
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Official Website: https://irws.org[*1]
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Contact: International Red-White Singing Festival Executive Committee
Email: info@yokosojapan.net (Attn: Miyazaki)