The Centre of Japanese Art and Technology "Manggha" in Krakow was created in 1994, on Andrzej Wajda's and Krystyna Zachwatowicz's initiative. Between 1994 and 2004, the Centre was a branch of the National Museum in Krakow. As of 1 January 2005, a decision of the Polish Minister of Culture converted it into a national institution of culture. The main task of the "Manggha" Centre is to popularise knowledge about ancient and modern-day Japan and the art of the Far East. The Centre's modern building - the only museum facility built in post-war Poland - houses a collection of ancient Japanese art, part of the collection created by Feliks "Manggha" Jasieński, currently owned by the National Museum in Krakow. The Centre is also the seat of the Kyoto-Krakow Foundation set up by A. Wajda and K. Zachwatowicz to support the Centre's activities. Apart from the Department of Information and Culture at the Japanese Embassy in Warsaw, the "Manggha" Centre is the only government organisation involved in popularisation of Japanese culture in Poland and Polish culture in Japan. What is noteworthy is the fact that the Centre combines museum activities (accommodating a collection of approximately 12 thousand exhibits of ancient Japanese art) with organisation of a variety of projects typical of a modern cultural institution. The main criterion for the creation of the programme of events is - apart from a high artistic level - the attractiveness of presentation to the increasingly aware Polish public. Due to the evident cultural differences, what is of key importance is the manner in which distant and often incomprehensible specialist knowledge is presented. The methods that have been worked out over the years by the "Manggha" Centre team allow for insightful and attractive presentation of phenomena connected with ancient and modern-day Japan. Some of the events organised at the "Manggha" Centre include:

· exhibitions of old and contemporary Japanese art; exhibitions of Polish art; presentations of Japanese technological achievements;

· concerts of Japanese music; chamber music concerts; piano recitals; jazz concerts; etc.;

· stage productions (including ancient Japanese theatre shows); paratheatrical events: dance shows, art performances;

· workshops and presentations relating to Japanese tradition: kitsuke, chanoyu, shodo, ikebana, etc.

· lectures on Japan and the Orient; conferences, seminars, academic sessions organised jointly with Japanese culture study centres at universities in Poland (Krakow, Poznan, Warsaw, Torun) and in Japan.

· educational activities targeting preschoolers, primary and secondary school pupils and university level students (special sightseeing programmes; student internship programme; courses in: calligraphy, origami, Japanese language; lectures; etc.)

In collaboration with the Kyoto-Krakow Foundation, the "Manggha" centre organises and coordinates performances of Japanese artists in Poland and participates proactively in Japanese cultural events organised in other cities. The Centre also has a library with a collection of around 1500 books on Japan and history of art. Owing to the commitment and generosity of Japanese railway workers who are members of the Japan Confederation of Railway Workers Unions (JRU) or the East Japan Railway Workers Union (JREU), in 2004, the new Japanese Language School was built and inaugurated at the Centre, where - apart from language classes - courses in traditional arts and crafts or customs of Japanese culture are taught, such as the Tea Ceremony or calligraphy. During the first ten years of its operation, the "Manggha" Centre was the venue of 120 exhibitions, 105 lectures, numerous scientific and scholarly sessions and conferences, 120 concerts, 20 stage productions, and around 60 artistic workshops and presentations. Over the last ten years, the Centre of Japanese Art and Technology has become a permanent element of the cultural landscape of Krakow and one of the key Japanese studies institutions in our country. A number of projects organised by the Centre have become part of the calendar of cyclical cultural events in Krakow. These include both celebration of Japanese holidays (Japanese Children's Day; Day of Respect for the Elderly) and international level events (Krakow Festival of Documentary and Short Films; International Graphics Triennial; Photography Month in Krakow; Krakow 2000 Festival). The modern building of the "Manggha" Centre, whose design was a gift to the Kyoto-Krakow Foundation from the celebrated Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, was pronounced the best public use facility of the decade in a competition held in 1999, and it has also been voted "Krakow's Favourite" by the city's populace. In 1997, the Kyoto-Krakow Foundation received The Japan Foundation Award in recognition of its popularisation efforts. On 11 July 2003, the Centre of Japanese Art and Technology "Manggha" was host to Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during their official visit to Poland.