Sunday, November 10, 2024 Zhejiang took the spotlight in Tokyo on November 9, 2024, as the China Cultural Center debuted “Rice Cultivation and Oriental Civilization,” an exhibition celebrating the enduring legacy of rice farming that unites Chinese and Japanese cultures. Over 60 prominent cultural figures from China and Japan gathered to witness this homage to rice’s pivotal role in shaping Oriental civilizations. This unique showcase, co-hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism; the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology; the People’s Government of Pujiang County; and the Shangshan Cultural Heritage Management Center of Jinhua, offers a journey through rice farming’s historical roots in the lower Yangtze River.
Through an impressive array of artifacts, detailed replicas, and vibrant visuals, the exhibition immerses visitors in the story of rice as an agricultural bedrock and a shared cultural bond between China and Japan. Attendees took part in a symbolic rice planting ritual, celebrating this rich heritage and the cultural harmony that rice farming represents. The exhibition’s reach extended online with the launch of “Multifaceted World from a Grain of Rice,” allowing global audiences to explore Zhejiang’s contribution to rice civilization.
Adding depth to the experience, Professor Shinichi Nakamura, Vice President of Kanazawa University and a specialist in Neolithic archaeology, join.