Partnerships

Project partner: The Asahi Shimbun Company

The Asahi Shimbun company and the Mauritshuis museum extended their collaboration as project partners for another four years. With a big milestone set in August 2026, when the Asahi Shimbun Company will launch an exhibition in Osaka to showcase several masterpieces from the Mauritshuis. It is a continuation of an already long standing partnership that has been cemented for another four years.

Founded in 1879, The Asahi Shimbun Company is one of Japan’s most trusted and influential news organizations. As the publisher of The Asahi Shimbun, a leading national daily newspaper, the company is widely recognized for its high quality journalism, unwavering commitment to fairness, and contributions to Japan’s cultural and intellectual life. Through an extensive network of domestic and international bureaus, the company provides comprehensive reporting across both print and digital platforms.

The Asahi Shimbun also has a tradition of more than a century of supporting philanthropic and cultural initiatives, including art exhibitions, stage performances, and sporting events. In particular, it is well known for presenting major international exhibitions on art, culture, and history in Japan, thereby contributing for many years to the advancement of global cultural understanding.

We are deeply grateful for the long-standing friendship between the Mauritshuis and The Asahi Shimbun. The Asahi Shimbun organized the exhibition ‘Masterpieces from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis’ in Tokyo and Kobe in 2012, which attracted approximately 1.2 million visitors, achieving the world's highest daily attendance figures. We were also able to contribute to the Mauritshuis’ major renovation.

Over the subsequent fourteen years since I produced that exhibition, I have visited the Netherlands regularly. Throughout these years, including the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have maintained excellent working and personal relations with the Mauritshuis, culminating in the signing of a partnership agreement to advance joint projects. It is therefore a tremendous honor for me as producer and project leader to be able to organize and realize again the exhibition showcasing Vermeer's world-renowned masterpiece, Girl with a Pearl Earring, in 2026. I am truly delighted by this “miraculous return of the Girl to Japan”.

Introducing 17th-century Dutch paintings in Japan and further strengthening the 426-year-long friendship between Japan and the Netherlands, such cultural exchanges become an invaluable asset for both nations. We earnestly hope to deepen this partnership and pass it on to future generations.

Reiko Horikoshi
Managing Director
Representative of Osaka Head Office
The Asahi Shimbun