Minnasan, konban wa. Kono subarashii tenrankai no kaikaishiki ni shusseki shite, Te Papa ni oide itadaki, arigatoo gozaimasu.

[Translation]
Good evening everyone. I would like to thank you for coming here this evening to Te Papa, and for participating in the opening of this magnificent exhibition.

I have been asked by the Prime Minister, who is also Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage to convey her warm greetings and sincere congratulations of the opening of this exhibition 'Splendours of Japan' and the significant cultural partnership that underpins this exhibition.

I am honoured to have been invited to open this exhibition tonight, which represents so much of Japanese culture.

Splendours of Japan spans a range of creative arts and histories, it reflects to us their landscape, their people, their stories and the markers of their culture.

This exhibit is the first fruit of a significant cultural exchange project between Te Papa and the Tokyo National Museum which, as I understand, has been nearly fives years in the making to quote Dr Billington.

In that regard I would like to particularly acknowledge here tonight, the Ambassador of Japan, His Excellency Mr Saito Taishe, from Japan, the curators of this exhibition: Harada-san; Kunigo-san; and Hidaka-san.

It is very satisfying to see ideas coming to fruition. Be they international, national or smaller community-based programmes, they speak of our identity as individuals and as a nation. And often, like this exhibition, they tell of our fascination with other peoples, their Taonga, and how those Taonga define them.

Arts, Culture and Heritage is a dimension of human experience that transcends the diversities of human existence, be it ethnicity, culture, language, customs and values

Across New Zealand we see evidence of successful strategic partnerships built between members of the wider arts community: individuals and organisations whose energy and dedication do so much to vitalise New Zealand arts and heritage facilities.

There are tremendous mutual benefits to be gained from working in partnership with other organisations and countries within the cultural sector whose goals are consistent with our own.

This exhibition is the result of such a collaborative partnership between Te Papa in New Zealand and the Tokyo National Museum in Japan. This collaborative sense is taken to another level in an international context…. which we are witnessing tonight.

Many things link us to other nations and them to us: the environment, trade, defence, and politics to name a few. To create an additional link by sharing our culture and heritage not only enhances the cultural life of both nations. It must also strengthen our existing connections as we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of one another.

Cultural exchanges bring us fresh perspectives on distant peoples and cultures; they also enable us to view ourselves anew. They allow us to identify that which sets us apart and defines us, and also to recognise the values, attitudes and beliefs that we have in common with other peoples.

This has certainly been evident at international events in which New Zealanders have participated recently, including the Expo in Aichi, Japan, last year, where the 1.8 tonne pounamu boulder in the New Zealand pavilion proved to be a huge attraction. Pounamu also had a part to play in the exhibition of New Zealand artworks that accompanied the overwhelmingly successful Toi Mâori / Eternal Thread exhibitions, ceremonies and performances in San Francisco in August last year. The cultural dimensions had a significant impact and resonance with First Nation people there.

Splendours of Japan will give New Zealanders and international visitors a feel for the creativity, industry, spirituality, ideas, and values that belong to, and define, Japan.

"Visitors will relish the insight it offers into the beauty, elegance, intricacy, and delicacy that characterise Japanese life, art, and custom", to quote Dr Billington again.

I am sure, too, that the exhibition representing Maori culture and heritage will be fascinating to curate and will be met with much interest in Tokyo.

The 2007 exhibition in Japan will provide the people of Japan with a view into Maori culture and tradition - an integral part of what we think of as New Zealand culture.

As New Zealanders, we can take pride in our cultural identity that embodies our own unique heritage and creativity. It's part of a much stronger sense of national identity that had emerged over the past few years.

The presence of these treasures tonight is the result of a great deal hard work, thought and innovation from which we all ultimately benefit.

Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in creating the cultural exchange between Te Papa and the Tokyo National Museum.

So it is due to the drawing together of a number of threads of generosity that we can now view the exhibition 'Splendours of Japan' here in the wonderful setting of Te Papa

Congratulations to the curators who have brought together the “Splendours of Japan – Treasures of the Tokyo National Museum” - Mr Harada; Mr Kunigo; and Mr Hidaka. And congratulations to those at Te Papa and the Tokyo National Museum who have brought the vital concepts of cultural partnership and cultural exchange to life.

Like all of you, I am looking forward to spending some time with the treasures that surround us. So without further ado, it is my great pleasure to declare this exhibition: “Splendours of Japan – Treasures of the Tokyo National Museum”, open.