On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Croatia at EXPO 2025 Osaka on Sunday, September 21, 2025, an Official Ceremony was held at the National Day Hall “Ray Garden”.
The Official Ceremony included the singing of the Croatian and Japanese national anthems and speeches by high-ranking officials, as well as performances by the Kwansei Gakuin Glee Club and the Croatian Folk Dance and Song Ensemble LADO.
In front of a packed arena, the Kwansei Gakuin Glee Club performed the Croatian and Japanese national anthems and a piece that has connected Japan and Croatia for more than a century: “U Boj, U Boj”, and today this composition is one of the most beloved compositions of Japanese male choirs, and its story testifies to cultural exchange, friendship and unity.
The Croatian Folk Dance and Song Ensemble LADO also performed at the Official Ceremony. LADO is a professional folklore ensemble founded 76 years ago with the task and goal of researching, collecting, artistically processing and staging the most beautiful examples of the rich Croatian musical and dance tradition. With its performance, LADO presented the richness and diversity of folklore expression and folk costumes of the Republic of Croatia, and with its song and dance, it presented a kind of revue of authentic Croatian traditional clothing.
