A new chapter in Japan–Sri Lanka relations was marked with the opening of the Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka–Japan Cultural Centre in Colombo on June 11.Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya attended the ceremony as Chief Guest, alongside Yohei Sasakawa, Honorary Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, and Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata.

The new centre is expected to serve as a hub for cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Sri Lanka, further strengthening ties between the two countries.