The Japanese actress, dancer and dubbing artist Jun Ichikawa, who has been rooted in the Italian artistic scene for years, has been appointed Ambassador of the Italian Pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka, scheduled to take place in the Japanese city from 13 April to 13 October 2025. With a career spanning cinema, theatre and television, Jun Ichikawa embodies the cultural dialogue between Italy and Japan, the central theme of her mission at the Universal Exposition. Born in Japan but raised between Tokyo and Italy, Jun Ichikawa has built a multifaceted career, becoming a well-known face on both the big screen and the stage. After debuts alongside theatre maestros such as Anna Maria Guarnieri and Paolo Rossi, in 2003 she won the lead role in Ermanno Olmi’s film ‘Singing Behind Screens’, which marked the beginning of a collaboration with directors of the calibre of Ridley Scott, Dario Argento and Giuseppe Tornato-re. Most recently, he joined Dustin Hoffman in the film ‘Taverna de Gaga’ by mae-stro Peter Greenaway, shot entirely in Tropea. His versatility is also reflected in television, with appearances in successful series such as ‘R.I.S. Delitti imperfet-ti’, ‘L’Allieva’ and ‘Citadel: Diana’, and in dubbing, where he has lent his voice to iconic characters from films such as Harry Potter, The Karate Kid and Eternals. Central to Jun Ichi-kawa’s work is an investigation into myth, current affairs and the language of the sacred, themes he describes as ‘bridges between different cultures’.
Currently on tour with Alessio Boni’s show ‘Iliade – Il gioco degli dei’, the actress transforms the Homeric tragedy into an experience that combines tradition and innovation. ‘I have always dreamed of being a messenger between Italy and Japan,’ said Jun Ichikawa. ‘Studying human beings in their complexity allows me to interpret their masks, finding inspiration in two cultures so close and yet so distant. Art is the ground where this dialogue becomes possible’. The Expo theme, ‘Designing future societies for our lives’, finds an ideal interpreter in Jun Ichikawa. As an Ambassador, the actress will curate projects promoting artistic exchange between the two countries, enhancing their common cultural heritage and the potential of international collaboration. ‘Jun Ichikawa’s career is an example of the deep connection between Italy and Japan,’ stressed Ambassador Mario Vattani, Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025. ‘His role is not only symbolic: it is an invitation to the new generations to approach art with curiosity, to build together a more inclusive and creative future’. Jun Ichikawa joins a shortlist of exceptional Ambassadors, including fashion designer Junko Koshino, designer Ken Okuyama, conductor Tomomi Nishimoto and illustrator Yoshitaka Amano, creator of the Final Fantasy iconography.
Representing Italy will also be figures such as entrepreneur Yuzo Yagi, patron of the restoration of the Pyramid of Caius Cestius in Rome, and sommelier Takuma Yamada, symbol of food and wine contamination. With numerous international awards as best actress, Jun Ichikawa embodies the essence of a glo-bal artist. Her appointment as Ambassador not only celebrates an extraordinary career, but also reaffirms the role of art as an instrument of diplomacy. In an increasingly interconnected world, figures like hers prove that beauty is born from the meeting of differences, not from their erasure. Expo 2025 Osaka will thus be the perfect stage for an artist who has made the fusion of East and West her signature style. A bridge between past and future, between Rome and Tokyo, ready to inspire millions of visitors.
