KUCHING: Sarawak’s young creators could one day see their characters and stories embraced in Japan, said Datuk Wee Hong Seng.
The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor said the Borneo-Japan NewTrends Trade (BJNT) Expo 2026 was more than a cultural showcase, providing a platform for creators and entrepreneurs to turn their passion into opportunities.
“Japan has shown the world how stories rooted in its own culture can become global. Sarawak can learn from that,” he said when officiating the expo’s opening ceremony at The Everly Lhesson today.
Wee said Sarawak had its own cultures, languages, music, food, legends and stories that could inspire creative works with global appeal.
“Perhaps one day, instead of us cosplaying Japanese characters, somebody in Tokyo will be cosplaying a character created in Borneo,” he said.
He said cosplay, anime, manga and gaming were no longer simply hobbies but part of a growing creative economy involving artists, animators, game developers, designers, photographers, content creators and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Head of the Consular Office of Japan for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, Nakasuji Hisaki, representing Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, His Excellency Shikata Noriyuki, said the expo provided a timely platform to bring together businesses, creators and communities from Japan and Borneo.
He said Japan-Malaysia relations had expanded beyond economic ties to include tourism, culture, education, environmental cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
“Japan is consistently being Sarawak’s largest export partner in recent years, with liquified natural gas (LNG) making Sarawak an essential partner for Japan’s energy security,” he said.
Hisaki said cooperation with Japanese companies had also expanded into renewable energy fields such as hydrogen and ammonia, as well as environmental partnerships involving restoration and biodiversity conservation.
He said more than 1.05 million people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Malaysia were recorded last year, with both countries looking towards 2027, which marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
He expressed hope that the expo would generate new ideas, partnerships and opportunities while strengthening friendship between Japan, Malaysia and Borneo.
