Here you can find all the events that are organised with the conference to showcase Poznan and AMU
Wednesday 26/08
9:00-16:00
The Ainu – Dances, Music and Legends exhibition
(Old Town, 84 Stary Rynek)
Exhibition of paintings by Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, 26–29 August 2026
The Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań (84 Stary Rynek) will host an exhibition of selected paintings by artist Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, inspired by Ainu dances, music and legends, including a portrait of Bronisław Piłsudski.
The exhibition is co-organized by:
+ Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska – artist and author of the exhibited works,
+ Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań and the Raczyński Library – hosts of the exhibition and opening reception,
+ Prof. Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
The exhibition accompanies the 18th International Conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS), organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies at AMU on 27–30 August 2026.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 16:00 at the Museum.
The exhibition will occupy two gallery rooms on the Museum’s first floor. A third room will present Japanese translations and artifacts of two famous Polish writers and winners of Nobel Prize in Literature, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont.
Digital promotion and exhibition poster design are prepared by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum.
Thursday 27/08
9:00-16:00
The Ainu – Dances, Music and Legends exhibition
(Old Town, 84 Stary Rynek)
Exhibition of paintings by Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, 26–29 August 2026
The Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań (84 Stary Rynek) will host an exhibition of selected paintings by artist Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, inspired by Ainu dances, music and legends, including a portrait of Bronisław Piłsudski.
The exhibition is co-organized by:
+ Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska – artist and author of the exhibited works,
+ Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań and the Raczyński Library – hosts of the exhibition and opening reception,
+ Prof. Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
The exhibition accompanies the 18th International Conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS), organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies at AMU on 27–30 August 2026.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 16:00 at the Museum.
The exhibition will occupy two gallery rooms on the Museum’s first floor. A third room will present Japanese translations and artifacts of two famous Polish writers and winners of Nobel Prize in Literature, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont.
Digital promotion and exhibition poster design are prepared by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum.
10:00-11:30
Poznań Imperial District and Old Market Square Complimentary Walking Tour (in Japanese)
Starting point: in front of the Conference opening building Collegium Minus (Adam Mickiewicz Square)
Travelling against the flow of time, we will begin in the Prussian-built Imperial District, exploring the legacy of the Hohenzollern reign in Poznań. Highlights include the Imperial Castle – the last imperial castle built in Europe, completed in 1910 – as well as the Opera House and the former Prussian Settlement Commission building, now part of Adam Mickiewicz University.
Following the traces of identity and resistance, we will continue past the 19th-century buildings of the New Theatre, the Raczyński Library, and the elegant surroundings of Liberty Square, before reaching the Old Market Square, the historic heart of the city. There, we will admire the Renaissance Town Hall and the colourful merchant houses, among Poznań’s most iconic landmarks. The tour will conclude at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Mary Magdalene, renowned for its rich Baroque architecture and interior, as well as for the exceptional sound of its 19th-century organ.
Tour will be in Japanese and is free of charge.
13:00-14:30
Poznań Imperial District and Old Market Square Complimentary Walking Tour (in English)
Starting point: in front of the Conference opening building Collegium Minus (Adam Mickiewicz Square)
Travelling against the flow of time, we will begin in the Prussian-built Imperial District, exploring the legacy of the Hohenzollern reign in Poznań. Highlights include the Imperial Castle – the last imperial castle built in Europe, completed in 1910 – as well as the Opera House and the former Prussian Settlement Commission building, now part of Adam Mickiewicz University.
Following the traces of identity and resistance, we will continue past the 19th-century buildings of the New Theatre, the Raczyński Library, and the elegant surroundings of Liberty Square, before reaching the Old Market Square, the historic heart of the city. There, we will admire the Renaissance Town Hall and the colourful merchant houses, among Poznań’s most iconic landmarks. The tour will conclude at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Mary Magdalene, renowned for its rich Baroque architecture and interior, as well as for the exceptional sound of its 19th-century organ.
Tour will be in English and is free of charge.
14:00-15:00
National Museum in Poznań visit
ul. Grobla 25 (entrance from ul. Mostowa), 61-858 Poznań
Meeting at 13:30 at Adam Mickiewicz Square in front of Collegium Minus or delegate can make their way to the museum (ul. Grobla 25 (entrance from ul. Mostowa), 61-858 Poznań) for the tour at 14:00-15:00.
Up to 15 participants, or up to 30 participants divided into two groups. One group would visit the permanent exhibition, while the other would visit the conservation studio. The groups would then switch.
To participate sign up here >>
The registration deadline is August 16
—
In the years 2022–2026, the National Museum in Poznań carried out the project “The International Project for Investigation and Conservation of Buddha Amida statue from the Collection of the National Museum of Poznań, Poland”. Within the framework of this project, funded by a grant from The Sumitomo Foundation (Grant for Projects for the Protection, Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties Outside Japan), scientific research and conservation work on the Buddha statue (MNP Ep 3658/1-10) was carried out jointly with the Kibi Conservation Studio and the Onishi Lacquer Art Restoration Studio.
The results of these complex conservation efforts will be on display in the conservation studio at the Museum of World Cultures, a branch of the National Museum. While the artifact will officially debut at an exhibition in the fall, conference participants will have a unique opportunity for a preview viewing during a special session. At this event, Joanna Kokoć, who is managing the project on behalf of the Museum, will share deeper insights into the process. Additionally, Urszula Baszczyńska-Gosz cordially invites attendees to a special guided tour of the exhibitions at the Museum of World Cultures.
Friday 28/08
9:00-16:00
The Ainu – Dances, Music and Legends exhibition
(Old Town, 84 Stary Rynek)
Exhibition of paintings by Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, 26–29 August 2026
The Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań (84 Stary Rynek) will host an exhibition of selected paintings by artist Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, inspired by Ainu dances, music and legends, including a portrait of Bronisław Piłsudski.
The exhibition is co-organized by:
+ Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska – artist and author of the exhibited works,
+ Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań and the Raczyński Library – hosts of the exhibition and opening reception,
+ Prof. Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
The exhibition accompanies the 18th International Conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS), organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies at AMU on 27–30 August 2026.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 16:00 at the Museum.
The exhibition will occupy two gallery rooms on the Museum’s first floor. A third room will present Japanese translations and artifacts of two famous Polish writers and winners of Nobel Prize in Literature, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont.
Digital promotion and exhibition poster design are prepared by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum.
16:00-18:00
The Ainu – Dances, Music and Legends exhibition opening/vernissage – opening reception
(Old Town, 84 Stary Rynek)
Exhibition of paintings by Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, 26–29 August 2026
The Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań (84 Stary Rynek) will host an exhibition of selected paintings by artist Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, inspired by Ainu dances, music and legends, including a portrait of Bronisław Piłsudski.
The exhibition is co-organized by:
+ Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska – artist and author of the exhibited works,
+ Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań and the Raczyński Library – hosts of the exhibition and opening reception,
+ Prof. Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
The exhibition accompanies the 18th International Conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS), organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies at AMU on 27–30 August 2026.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 16:00 at the Museum.
The exhibition will occupy two gallery rooms on the Museum’s first floor. A third room will present Japanese translations and artifacts of two famous Polish writers and winners of Nobel Prize in Literature, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont.
Digital promotion and exhibition poster design are prepared by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum.
18:00-20:00
Exclusive screening ‘Carving the divine. Buddhist sculptors of Japan’ directed by Yujiro Seki
Municipal Gallery Arsenał, Stary Rynek 6, 61-772
Carving the Divine is a documentary film that offers a rare look into a 1400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition and the practitioners struggling to preserve its legacy in a rapidly changing Japan.
Screening is for free, but please register if you wish to attend as venue has limited capacity.
Saturday 29/08
9:00-16:00
The Ainu – Dances, Music and Legends exhibition
(Old Town, 84 Stary Rynek)
Exhibition of paintings by Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, 26–29 August 2026
The Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań (84 Stary Rynek) will host an exhibition of selected paintings by artist Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska, inspired by Ainu dances, music and legends, including a portrait of Bronisław Piłsudski.
The exhibition is co-organized by:
+ Urszula Bauer Wilczyńska – artist and author of the exhibited works,
+ Henryk Sienkiewicz Literary Museum in Poznań and the Raczyński Library – hosts of the exhibition and opening reception,
+ Prof. Tomasz Wicherkiewicz, Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University.
The exhibition accompanies the 18th International Conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies (EAJS), organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies at AMU on 27–30 August 2026.
The opening reception will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 16:00 at the Museum.
The exhibition will occupy two gallery rooms on the Museum’s first floor. A third room will present Japanese translations and artifacts of two famous Polish writers and winners of Nobel Prize in Literature, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Wladyslaw Reymont.
Digital promotion and exhibition poster design are prepared by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum.
Sunday 30/08
14:30-15:30
National Museum in Poznań visit
ul. Grobla 25 (entrance from ul. Mostowa), 61-858 Poznań
Meeting point will be at the conference venue (Iuridicum Novum registration desk), 30 minutes earlier, at 14:00 after lunch or delegate can make their way to the museum (ul. Grobla 25 (entrance from ul. Mostowa), 61-858 Poznań) for the tour at 14:30-15:30.
Up to 15 participants, or up to 30 participants divided into two groups. One group would visit the permanent exhibition, while the other would visit the conservation studio. The groups would then switch.
To participate sign up here >>
The registration deadline is August 16
—
In the years 2022–2026, the National Museum in Poznań carried out the project “The International Project for Investigation and Conservation of Buddha Amida statue from the Collection of the National Museum of Poznań, Poland”. Within the framework of this project, funded by a grant from The Sumitomo Foundation (Grant for Projects for the Protection, Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties Outside Japan), scientific research and conservation work on the Buddha statue (MNP Ep 3658/1-10) was carried out jointly with the Kibi Conservation Studio and the Onishi Lacquer Art Restoration Studio.
The results of these complex conservation efforts will be on display in the conservation studio at the Museum of World Cultures, a branch of the National Museum. While the artifact will officially debut at an exhibition in the fall, conference participants will have a unique opportunity for a preview viewing during a special session. At this event, Joanna Kokoć, who is managing the project on behalf of the Museum, will share deeper insights into the process. Additionally, Urszula Baszczyńska-Gosz cordially invites attendees to a special guided tour of the exhibitions at the Museum of World Cultures.
16:00-17:30
Guided Tour of the Poznań Imperial Castle
Tour starts in front of the conference venue (Collegium Iuridicum Novum)
We invite you to explore the youngest imperial castle built in Europe – the residence of Wilhelm II Hohenzollern, completed in 1910. The castle remains a monumental legacy of the Prussian presence in Poland and one of the last attempts to transform Poznań into a German city.
The tour requires an additional fee of 40 PLN and will be available in Japanese. Click on the link below to register and buy yourself a ticket.
