“Miło mi” – Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival in the heart of Osaka, Japan

Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival is a two-day alternative music event that will bring together Polish and Japanese artists in a unique musical dialogue under the slogan “Miło mi”. On 4 and 5 October 2025, the open space of Namba Square in Osaka will resound with premiere projects prepared especially for this occasion. The performances will combine jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, experimental music, and reinterpretations of classics. The event forms part of the Po!land ポ！ランド cultural programme, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute to accompany Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, Kansai.

Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival “Miło mi” – unique musical projects and sounds from Poland and Japan

The Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival “Miło mi” is a space for shared Polish–Japanese musical experiences. Held at Namba Square in central Osaka, the festival will feature four artistic projects from Poland’s avant-garde music scene. Polish artists will perform alongside representatives of the Japanese jazz scene. Concerts on a specially constructed stage will take place on Saturday and Sunday, running until 9:00 pm.

The title of the music festival is “Miło mi” (Japanese: ミヲミ, mi-wo-mi). It symbolises an encounter full of new experiences – in Polish, these words appear in the expression “Miło mi cię poznać” (Nice to meet you). In Japanese, the sound “Mi” carries many meanings, including reality (実), charm (魅), unknown (未), self (身), fullness (満), and beauty (美). Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival invites listeners to let the melodies of both countries guide them, allowing them to experience the extraordinary energy at the event venue and encouraging the discovery of, and building of, bonds between Poland and Japan.

Polish and Japanese artists sharing the stage at Namba Square – concerts that combine jazz, funk, and hip-hop

The autumn programme includes concerts of Polish jazz and alternative music, featuring a blend of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, experimental music, and reinterpretations of classics. Polish artists will perform alongside renowned Japanese musicians invited to collaborate with them as part of the Sound Culture festival at the bustling Namba Square. Bands from the Land of the Rising Sun have also prepared their own concert sets – Tomoaki Baba, Zakino, Fuki Kitamura, and 4Aces will appear on stage. Each day of concerts will conclude with a joint improvisation by Polish and Japanese musicians, creating a unique artistic dialogue. Sound Culture. Poland × Japan Music Festival “Miło mi” highlights the strength of Polish–Japanese cooperation and celebrates openness to experimentation, new sounds, and creative encounters across borders.

Polish performers include:

• Mitch & Mitch, who will present a project inspired by the work of Ennio Morricone and premiere material prepared in collaboration with Japanese pianist Takeo Toyama.

• Małe Instrumenty, who will surprise the audience with innovative interpretations of Fryderyk Chopin’s works performed on miniature instruments.

• Kinga Głyk, a Polish bassist of the younger generation, who will perform with Japanese saxophonist Kohei Ando from the band 4Aces and take part in a jam session with Tomoaki Baba.

• Klawo, a Tri-City band combining jazz, funk, and hip-hop, who will play two premiere songs prepared with Japanese vocalists and perform in a jam session with the band 4Aces.

Polish bands have also prepared events accompanying the festival in Osaka. On 3 October 2025, at 5:00 pm, at the Knowledge Capital, the band Małe Instrumenty will perform at the opening of the exhibition “The Amazing Land of Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi”. Meanwhile, the band Klawo, together with the Coastline Northern Cuts label and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, has prepared an EP entitled “Osaka Cuts” to mark their performance at the Sound Culture: Poland × Japan festival. The release features three tracks highlighting the meeting of different musical experiences, from funk and hip-hop beats, through jazz moods, to bass electronics. Polish artists Klawo feat. Miły ATZ, Odme, and Japanese rapper peko have created a shared narrative exploring the city, travel, and the creative process. The collectible 7-inch vinyl record will be available for order from 4 October 2025.

Po!land ポ！ランド – Polish cultural programme accompanying participation in EXPO 2025

Sound Culture. Poland x Japan Music Festival “Miło mi” forms part of the Po!land ポ！ランド cultural programme, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute to accompany Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, Kansai. During the six-month EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, more than 160 countries and regions will showcase their offer in the fields of economy, tourism, and culture. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency is responsible for Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025. The main venue for Poland’s presentation is the national pavilion, covering nearly 1,000 m², with promotional activities carried out under the slogan “Heritage that drives the future”. Poland’s participation in the Exhibition is accompanied by a cultural programme organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Osaka, under the name Po!land ポ！ランド. The slogan is inspired by the Japanese onomatopoeia “Po!”, used to express epiphany and pleasant surprise. This joyful “Po!” also alludes to polonium – a chemical element discovered by Maria Skłodowska-Curie and symbolising innovativeness, science, and transgressing borders. Juxtaposed with “ランド” (rando), borrowed from the English “land”, Po!land becomes a space for exchanging ideas, meeting of cultures, and mutual inspirations. 

In addition to the festival at Namba Square, the Po!land ポ！ランド cultural programme in October will include other artistic events. From 3 to 23 October 2025, the Knowledge Capital will host the exhibition The Amazing Land of Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi. From 4 to 12 October, the renowned Sinfonia Varsovia will embark on a concert tour of Japan, performing in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto as part of a series of concerts showcasing Polish classical music in a unique setting. More information is available at the website https://iam.pl/en.

Music Festival in Osaka, Japan: Sound Culture – Poland × Japan Music Festival

• When: 

  • 4 October 2025, 2:30 pm – 9:00 pm

  • 5 October 2025, 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm

• Where: Namba Square Osaka, 5 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka City

• Performers:

  • Day 1: Klawo, Kinga Głyk, Mitch & Mitch, ZAKINO, Tomoaki Baba

  • Day 2: Klawo, Kinga Głyk, Mitch & Mitch, Małe Instrumenty, Fuki Kitamura, 4Aces

• Tickets: free admission

• The project is a part of the series of events entitled Po!land ポ！ランド, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the cultural programme accompanying Poland’s participation in the EXPO 2025 World Exposition, which has been made possible by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.