BJA New Year Cocktail Celebration

Monday 27 January 2025

The Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce is honored to invite you to an exquisite evening of celebration as we usher in the New Year 2025 at the iconic Library of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven), a world-renowned symbol of knowledge and heritage.

Let us gather to welcome the Year of the Snake, a timeless emblem of wisdom, eternal youth, and longevity. Join us in raising a toast to fresh beginnings, enduring relationships, and a future filled with prosperity and promise for all.

Program

17:30	Registration
18:00	Start of Celebration
18:15	Opening words by Professor Gilbert Declerck, Member of the Board of imec International and BJA President
	Welcome address by Professor Peter Lievens, Vice-Rector International Policy, Interculturality, Alumni Policy, KU Leuven
	New Year greetings by H.E. Ambassador Masahiro Mikami, Japanese Ambassador to Belgium
18:30	Kagamiwari Ceremony: Traditional Japanese sake barrel-breaking
	Reception featuring exquisite sushi and canapés, kindly offered by ANA, Fujitsu, and Nippon Gases
19:45	Evening adjourns

There will be an opportunity to join guided tours of the East-Asia Reading Room by Arjan van der Werf, Resource Specialist Japan and Korea, KU Leuven before the start of Cocktail reception or after the Kagamiwari ceremony.

Venue

KU Leuven Library, Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein 21, 3000 Leuven

Participation fee

BJA 2025 members: 45 €
Non-members: 125 €

This event is sponsored by:

Please make your reservation latest by 16 January 2025.
Registrations are made automatically upon completion of the online form, on a first come, first served basis, with limited capacity.
Cancellations are accepted until 20 January 2025. After this date, the fees will be charged and not refunded.