Sachiko Nakajima Appointed PR Ambassador for Japan Pavilion at Expo 2027 Belgrade / Yamamoto Noh Theater and KURAGE Band to Perform Joint Concert in Belgrade, Serbia in June 2026

steAm Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Toshima City, Tokyo) announces that its CEO, Sachiko Nakajima, has been appointed as the 'PR Ambassador' for the Japan Pavilion at the 2027 Belgrade International Exposition (EXPO 2027 Belgrade), promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

The theme of the Japan Pavilion at the Belgrade Expo is 'Play Together, Connect: Japan’s Spirit of Play.' Drawing on her experience as producer of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo's Signature Pavilion 'Jellyfish Pavilion: A Playground for Life,' Nakajima will promote international co-creation in the fields of culture, play, education, art, and STEAM, connecting Japan, Serbia, and the world.

Toward a Future Society Connected Through 'Play'

The theme of the 2027 Belgrade Expo is 'Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All,' rooted in the belief that 'play' is a fundamental activity that fosters creativity and connects people and societies.

At the Osaka-Kansai Expo's Signature Pavilion 'Jellyfish Pavilion: A Playground for Life,' Nakajima worked with many people to create a space where diverse individuals meet, learn from each other, and co-create new values through 'play.'

At the Belgrade Expo Japan Pavilion, leveraging the Expo's power to connect people, various initiatives are being planned to promote cross-sectoral exchanges in culture, art, science, and technology, creating opportunities for international dialogue and co-creation toward shaping future societies. As PR Ambassador for the Japan Pavilion and as a legacy bearer of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo Theme Project Producer, Nakajima will advance these initiatives, promote the charm of Japanese culture, connect the world, and contribute to realizing international co-creation.

Cultural Exchange Program in Belgrade, Serbia in June 2026

KURAGE Band (Jellyfish Band), the multicultural ensemble symbolizing the Jellyfish Pavilion and led by Nakajima, which served as a vibrant hub for international exchange at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, will join the June 2026 performance in Serbia by the nonprofit Yamamoto Noh Theater (supported by The Japan Foundation, Osaka City, and Sojitz International Cultural Foundation). Following the announcement on June 11, 2026, of Nakajima’s appointment as PR Ambassador for the Belgrade Expo Japan Pavilion, a commemorative event will be held on June 15 to engage with the Serbian people and build momentum for next year’s Expo. Building on the legacy of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, we aim to comprehensively expand cultural and educational exchange and co-creation initiatives between Japan and Serbia, uniting the world through 'play.'

[Special Cultural Performance at the National Theatre of Serbia: Yamamoto Noh Theater x KURAGE Band]

Date: June 16 (Tue) and 17 (Wed), 2026

Venue: National Theatre in Belgrade (Serbia)

Program (tentative)

Demonstration of Noh instrumental music (flute, small drum, large drum, and taiko)

Noh play 'Kiyonaga'

Shite: Akihiro Yamamoto

Tsure: Kazuo Imamura

Waki: Noboru Yasuda

Flute: Ryo Noguchi, Small Drum: Tomohide Furuta, Large Drum: Toshiya Yamamoto

Kōken: Yūgi Meiwa

Jiutai (chorus): Reiku Onishi, Ryosuke Ido, Rikō Yamamoto

· KURAGE Band Performance

Piano: Sachiko Nakajima, Changgo: Che Jo-chel

Saxophone: Hiroshi Suzuki

Lighting: Takayuki Fujimoto (KINSEI R&D)

Stage Director: Tadaki Kurotobi (Shiawase Kōmuchō)

[Commemorative Event for the Appointment as PR Ambassador for the Japan Pavilion at Expo Belgrade]

Date: June 15 (Mon), 2026, 11:00–13:00

Venue: Within Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

Program (tentative)

· Sachiko Nakajima: Commemorative speech on her appointment as PR Ambassador

· Choral performance of 'Kamiuta' (Song of the Gods)

Performers: Akihiro Yamamoto, Reiku Onishi, Yūgi Meiwa, Kazuo Imamura, Ryosuke Ido, Rikō Yamamoto, and others

· Noh Workshop

· KURAGE Band Mini-Live and Workshop

Through collaboration with Yamamoto Noh Theater, we will pursue a new form of cultural harmony, fusing Japan’s proud traditional Noh theater with KURAGE Band’s multicultural and improvisational music.

* After the Serbia performances, participation in the Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania and the 'Opera Festival' at the National Opera House in Bucharest is planned.

KURAGE Band at the Life Park, Osaka-Kansai Expo

Carrying the Legacy of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo to Expo 2027 Belgrade

The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo created new international networks and possibilities for co-creation through encounters with many countries and regions.

steAm believes it is a crucial mission not to let the Expo end as a one-time event, but to create a 'legacy' that carries its outcomes into the future.

The exchange with Serbia and co-creation initiatives at the next Expo (Belgrade Expo, a Recognized Expo) are symbolic examples of this effort. In 2027, Nakajima and KURAGE Band will visit Serbia several times together with Yamamoto Noh Theater, connecting Japan, Serbia, and the world through various forms of 'play.'

While crossing diverse fields such as culture, education, science, technology, and regional revitalization, we aim to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and Serbia and build a model for international co-creation to shape future societies together.

Osaka-Kansai Expo 'Jellyfish Pavilion: A Playground for Life'

Comment by Sachiko Nakajima

The 'Jellyfish Pavilion' was born as a symbol of the belief that life and creativity require 'play with fluctuation.' At the Belgrade Expo—the first in Expo history to take 'play' as its theme—we aim to nurture spaces where diverse people meet and co-create the future through Japanese music, performing arts, crafts, mathematics, technology, and the 'play' found in learning and daily life, carrying forward the global bonds formed at the Osaka-Kansai Expo into the future. See you in Serbia!

Profile of Sachiko Nakajima

Musician (pianist, composer), mathematician, and STEAM educator. Representative Director of steAm Co., Ltd., and Representative Director of the nonprofit steAm BAND.

Producer of the Osaka-Kansai Expo Signature Pavilion 'Jellyfish Pavilion: A Playground for Life.' PR Ambassador for the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2027 Belgrade.

Graduated from the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo. Master’s degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (Media Art). Advocating 'democratization of creativity,' she promotes STEAM education and co-creative spaces internationally, bridging music, mathematics, art, and technology. Gold medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Cabinet Office STEM Girls Ambassador. Leader of KURAGE Band, conducting diverse global musical collaborations.

About steAm Co., Ltd.

steAm Co., Ltd. promotes 'democratization of creativity' and implements collaborative projects across education, cultural arts, regional revitalization, and international exchange, centered on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).

Osaka-Kansai Expo Signature Pavilion 'Jellyfish Pavilion: A Playground for Life'