American ambassadors abroad tend to be low-profile diplomats who host cocktail parties and try not to make waves in their host countries. Not here. Ambassador Rufus Gifford is an A-list celebrity — and even a reality TV star — in this nation of 5.7 million people. On the streets of the capital, the average person knows his name.

About 20 U.S. high school students enjoyed Japanese pop culture together with Japanese university students on Tuesday in Tokyo’s Harajuku area, known as a center of youth culture. The American students are the winners of the National Japan Bowl, a Japanese language competition created by the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C., in 1992. 

Culture is now in the global "war zone", the director of a major cultural summit during the Edinburgh festivals has declared. Sir Jonathan Mills, the former director of the Edinburgh International Festival, now director of the Edinburgh International Cultural Summit, said that the endangerment or destruction of cultural heritage in several areas of conflict around the world will bring an "edge" to the summit which will take place in Edinburgh from August 24.

The Italian conductor of the World Youth Orchestra, Damiano Giuranna, has said that music can help the world understand peace and brotherhood much more. “We are the same family, different brothers but really the same family. This is an important result to know that brotherhood will be the winner, not the war between us,” Giuranna told the Tehran Times in an interview held at the Rudaki Hall. 

Art has always been a great way to connect people from different countries and cultures. [...] It transcends borders, language, race, and cultures. The past week was a testament to that as 13 Filipino artists visited Malaysia through ArtDialogo, an initiative that proves to be the beginning of yet another opportunity for cultural exchange in the Southeast Asian region.

A new Confucius Classroom was inaugurated at the Universidad del Caribe (Unicaribe) by visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong on Sunday in Cancun, in the southeast Mexican state of Quintana Roo. During the inauguration ceremony, Liu said that Mexican students' fluent Chinese and great performances made her feel the charm of cultural exchange, and see the bright future of friendly ties between the two countries. 

It’s been 70 years since the Korean peninsula was divided into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). It is a story of divergence in almost every realm imaginable: political, economic, social, and of course, cultural. American University’s Katzen Arts Center’s parallel exhibitions highlight the artistic dimension of this split. 

The Founder and Executive Director of the Black Star International Film Festival Juliet Asante, made this known at a press briefing in Accra. According to her, films are a source of national pride and identity, a cultural diplomacy tool; employment creator and also attracts investments. [...] According to her, the industry in Ghana is picking up fast.