About Centre "Ikuo Hirayama"

* The Centre “Ikuo Hirayama” in Sofia, Bulgaria succeeded the Organizing Committee “Ikuo Hirayama” established in January 2003 for organizing the First Exhibition of Professor Ikuo Hirayama “Cultural Exchange between East and West”, held in Sofia National Gallery of Foreign Arts in May-June 2003, under the Patronage of the Bulgarian President, Mr. Georgi Parvanov”.

* In May 2002 Professor Donka Angelova visited the Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art at the Japanese Seto-Naikai island, Setoda-cho, the birthplace of Professor Ikuo Hirayama. There she met the Director of the Museum, Mr. Yoshio Hirayama who was the older brother of Professor Ikuo Hirayama.

That Meeting became the symbolical birth of the Centre “Ikuo Hirayama”, established later in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Setoda-cho – its birthplace.

* In May 2003 Professor Ikuo Hirayama came to Sofia, Bulgaria for the opening of his exhibition. He was accompanied by his brother, Mr. Yoshio Hirayama and his wife, Mrs. Michico Hirayama.

During his visit in Bulgaria Professor Ikuo Hirayama had:

· Meeting with the President of Bulgaria;

· Meeting with the Minister of Culture;

· Meeting with the Rector of Sofia University “Kl. Ohridski”, where gave a lecture about his Mission of preserving cultural heritage and world peace, and about his extraordinary life and outstanding achievements in Fine Arts. The honorary degree Doctor Honoris Causa of Sofia University “Kl. Ohridski” was conferred on Professor Ikuo Hirayama;

· Meeting with the Director of the Centre of Eastern Cultures and Languages at the Sofia University “Kl. Ohridski”;

· Meeting with the Rector of the Bulgarian Academy of Fine Arts and Academicians-Contemporary Bulgarian painters, visiting the different Faculties and Ateliers of the Academy;

· Meeting with the Director and the young painters from the Gymnasiums of Fine Arts in Sofia, where he opened the Children Festival of painting “My message for Peace” held at the same time in the Gymnasiums of Fine Arts in Sofia and the Gymnasiums of Fine Arts in Kazanluk. The prize-won paintings from both Gymnasiums were exhibited in Tokyo and Hiroshima after the arrangements made by Professor Ikuo Hirayama;

· Meeting with representatives of Cultural Society in Kazanluk and giving a speech to them. Also he visited the Exhibition of the modern Bulgarian painter Nikola Manev and The Festival of the Bulgarian Rose in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk;

As UNESCO Ambassador of Good Will, Professor Ikuo Hirayama visited ones of the most valuable cultural heritages in Bulgaria:

· Thracian Tomb in Kazanluk Valley;

· Old Town in Plovdiv, followed by rising some UNESCO Funds for its restoration;

· Rila Monastery;

· National Historical and Archeological Museums in Sofia and the Medieval Icon Treasury of Sofia Cathedral “Aleksander Nevski”;

* The Exhibition and visit of Professor Ikuo Hirayama were organized with the kind co-operation of the Japanese Embassy in Sofia.

* In October 2005 an Exposition of posters The Japanese Painter Ikuo Hirayama: A Transformation of Atomic Bomb Tragedy in Hiroshima into a Mission of Preserving Cultural Heritage and World Peace was held during the Days of the Japanese Culture in the Bulgarian National Philharmonic Hall “Bulgaria”, dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Ikuo Hirayama. The Exposition was opened by His Excellency, the Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria, and Professor Donka Angelova, Head of The Organizing Committee “Ikuo Hirayama”.

The Exposition was organized with the kind co-operation of the Japanese Embassy in Sofia.

* In May 2006 Professor Ikuo Hirayama invited Professor Donka Angelova to Kamakura, Tokyo for some talks about the Bulgarian Initiative for institutionalization of The Organizing Committee “Ikuo Hirayama” as an NGO named “Centre Ikuo Hirayama”.

Professor Angelova visited Ikuo Hirayama’s Foundation of Cultural Heritage and Institute “The Silk Road”, Tokyo National Academy of Fine Arts and Music, under the Presidency of Professor Ikuo Hirayama, and Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum at Hokuto City, near Tokyo, the Yakushi-ji Temple, around Nara, with the famous fresco-paintings by Master Ikuo Hirayama.

* After the Meeting between Professor Ikuo Hirayama and Professor Donka Angelova in Kamakura, Tokyo, some organization activity in Bulgaria took place, including many meetings between The Organizing Committee “Ikuo Hirayama” and the followers of Professor Ikuo Hirayama’s Mission For World Peace through “The Red Cross Spirit for Cultural Heritage”. Among those followers were representatives of Sofia School “Vasil Zlatarski”, Gymnasiums of Fine Arts in Sofia and Kazanluk, The National Academy of Fine Arts, The Centre for Eastern Languages and Cultures at Sofia University “Kliment Ohridski”, The Archeological Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

* In January-April 2009 The Centre “Ikuo Hirayama” had some discussions with Professor Ikuo Hirayama about his next Exhibition in Sofia, Bulgaria and the Centre Activities stressing on establishment of Schools for Arts and Cultural Dialog “Ikuo Hirayama” in Bulgaria, opened to children and students from Bulgaria and Japan on exchange base.

* Now, Professor Ikuo Hirayama is the Honorary President of the Centre “Ikuo Hirayama” and Mr. Yoshio Hirayama – its Honorary Member.