A 400-Year-Old Tradition Deepens Otsuka and Lundbeck's Partnership

Researchers, manufacturing engineers, personnel trainers, public relations staff ... are members of the Awa Dance group, Otsuka Ren. And they were invited to perform Awa Dance, a 400-year-old traditional Japanese dance, at the Copenhagen Sakura Festival.

Click here to watch Otsuka Ren perform at the Copenhagen Sakura Festival

Why were we in Denmark?

Back in 2011, Otsuka entered into a long-term partnership with Danish pharmaceutical company, Lundbeck, in the world's largest Central Nervous System alliance.

At that time, Japanese Ambassador to Denmark Toshio Sano was seated next to Otsuka Pharmaceutical President and Representative Director, Dr. Taro Iwamoto at the inauguratory event and shared a lively conversation that inspired the ambassador to invite Otsuka's Awa Dance group to perform at the Copenhagen Sakura Festival.

That's how after over a year of planning and preparations Otsuka Ren ended up in Denmark. The Awa Dance performers participated in various activities including a dance performance at Lundbeck's headquarters, in which many Lundbeck employees enthusiastically joined in.

Apart from the dancing, Dr. Iwamoto and Mr. Wiinberg hosted a highly successful afternoon of discussions with leading media in Europe. The Copenhagen media event complimented the one held on March 7th in Tokushima, at which the two leaders met with members of the Japanese media.

Before the events at Lundbeck, families with strollers, older people and teens all gathered over the weekend for the 6th Copenhagen Sakura Festival in Langelinie Park, where Otsuka Ren performed.

Over 17,000 people attended the 2-day event and about 50 Otsuka Ren performers, an auditioned group of dancers and musicians formed in 1988, traveled all the way from Japan to Denmark to participate in the festival. The appreciation and enthusiasm of the audience was visible on every face present, perhaps most so when the Awa dancers performed amidst the crowd shown in the photo above.

The three days of lively and informative events well illustrated Otsuka Pharmaceutical's presence on the global stage, both literally and figuratively.