Japan to be the Honored Country at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair - The Japanese participation will be hosted in Pavilion 13

Japan, one of the world’s leading economic powers, where tradition goes hand in hand with technology will be the Honored Country of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), which will take place from 5 to 13 September 2026. Preparations for the organization of Japan’s participation and the design of its pavilion have already begun and are progressing at an intense pace. The Honored Country’s presence will be hosted in Pavilion 13 of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition & Congress Center, and it is expected to impress visitors of the 90th TIF an anniversary edition, as this year marks 100 years since the first TIF in 1926.

The Greek and international public of the 90th TIF will have the opportunity to experience a unique Japanese “universe” through the three thematic pillars of “Takumi”: wisdom, empathy and driving force. More specifically, the Embassy of Japan in Greece, which has undertaken the coordination of Japan’s participation as Honored Country at the 90th TIF, will present a panorama of Japanese companies and organizations from the sectors of tourism, technology, innovation, automotive, energy and health. At the same time, an extensive events program will be delivered, including thematic days, educational activities, networking events and corporate presentations, along with a series of cultural events.

Japan’s presence as Honored Country at this year’s edition is inspired by the philosophy of “Takumi” (ta-ku-mi), which in Japanese means “artisan” or “master craftsman.” Takumi does not simply describe the practice of a profession, but a timeless devotion to perfecting an art, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, precision, attention to detail and human-centered design. This philosophy is a cornerstone of Japanese culture and has been internationally recognized as a model of excellence and high-quality standards.

The official announcement regarding Japan’s participation as Honored Country at the 90th TIF was made yesterday during an event hosted at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Koichi ITO, in the presence of representatives of the Japanese community, leading Japanese companies and Greek representatives of Japanese businesses. On the Greek side, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the management of TIF-HELEXPO attended the event.

During the event, ways of further informing both Japanese and Greek businesses about Japan’s participation as Honored Country at the 90th TIF were also discussed, while the significant opportunity created to strengthen and deepen Greek–Japanese political, economic, business and cultural relations was underlined.

“This year offers substantial opportunities to further strengthen Japan–Greece relations. I feel deeply honored to announce a milestone in our cooperation for 2026,” noted the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Koichi ITO.

“Japan’s participation as Honored Country, beyond being a major event in itself, also carries another dimension: Japan now ranks among the top priorities of our economic diplomacy for the next five years. The country now has a strategic five-year outward looking plan, and among the geographic priorities that have emerged, Japan is at the very top something that will be highlighted this September at TIF. It will mark the beginning of closer cooperation between our two countries,” stated the Secretary General for International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dimitris Skalkos.

“It is a great honor for our company that Japan will be the Honored Country at the 90th TIF, an anniversary edition, as this year marks 100 years since the first Thessaloniki International Fair in 1926. The Honored Country institution is extremely important for us and is inextricably linked with the technology, progress and culture that each selected country brings to the Thessaloniki International Fair. In this case, we are dealing with a fortunate coincidence, since these three words are embedded in Japan’s DNA, a pioneering country, yet deeply respectful of tradition and culture,” noted the President of TIF-HELEXPO, Mr. Christos Tsentemeidis.