On 12 February 2007, the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations hosted the opening reception of the U.N. senga exhibit entitled, “In Preservation of the Beauty of Japanese Landscape: Still Standing”. Jointly sponsored by the UN Staff Recreational Council’s Japanese Book Club and the Japan Senga Association, over 100 guests attended the event at the U.N. Secretariat Lobby. The exhibit featured 18 works from the Japan Senga Association.

Senga is a highly refined and complex form of the traditional Japanese cut-paper art called kirigami. While kirigami is generally considered to be a traditional craft, senga, with its delicate combination of over-all simplicity and intricacy of lines, curves and colors, has established itself as a legitimate form of art in Japan.

Ambassador Jiro Kodera gave the opening remarks, followed by a speech by Mr. Ryosuke Ishida, Chairman of the Japan Senga Association. The event featured a senga DVD and demonstration on how to create senga.