The "Cosquín in Japan" festival was founded in 1975 at the initiative of Mr. Yasumitsu NAGANUMA, a resident of Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture, and a lover of Argentine folklore.

The festival is co-organized by the North Japan Association and the Kawamata government, and is sponsored by the Argentine Embassy. The Argentine Ambassador attends the festival every year, meets with the authorities, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony, and presents an award to a prominent figure for their career and contributions to the development of the event, as well as to the winning musicians of each edition.

 In 1999, the festival received official recognition from the National Folklore Festival of Cosquín as a "pre-Cosquín" event, marking significant growth in its development.

In 2019, the festival was not held due to Typhoon Hagibis. In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the in-person festival. Instead, online activities took place.

In 2023, during Ambassador Eduardo Tempone's first visit to Kawamata, both parties agreed to deepen cultural ties between Argentina and Japan, with an emphasis on folk music. And the idea arose to formalize the historical connection with Cosquín through a twinning agreement.

Throughout 2024, the text of the twinning agreement was negotiated and finally signed in December of that year.

The agreement was signed virtually, with the Japanese part taking place in a ceremony at the Argentine Embassy in Tokyo.

Subsequently, focal points were identified for each city, and they began to connect directly online to promote joint actions, especially in the educational field.

For more information: https://www.cosquin.jp/