UNESCO Grants Echizen Coveted Craft and Folk Art Status

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has designated Echizen in Fukui Prefecture as a new member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Recognized for their commitment to championing creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development, these cities bring their proven expertise in building resilient and vibrant communities to the Network.

A Creative City is said to be suited to the early 21st Century, when globalization and the knowledge-based economy have progressed rapidly, and is rich in creativity in the areas of culture, art and industrial economy.

The award and accompanying logo were announced at a press conference attended by Mayor Kenichi Yamada, who expressed his enthusiasm for the future, “As a member city, we want to contribute to the world. We want to help revitalize industry and improve the vitality of the region.”

The logo is based on the cover design of the brand handbook and features motifs of traditional crafts, storks and nature that are characteristic of Echizen, expressed in the shape of the letter “E.”

The logo will be used as a symbol for the city’s activities as a creative city and will be utilized on a variety of occasions. The announcement is the result of Echizen’s traditional crafts and cultural arts, which have been passed down for about 1,000 years and are now recognized worldwide. “We hope to use this opportunity to foster pride in Echizen City and lead to the sustainable development of the local community,” Mayor Yamada said.

With these new designations, the network includes 408 cities in more than 100 countries. For the first time, the UCCN welcomes Creative Cities of Architecture—a new creative field in addition to the seven existing ones: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Global reach

UCCN demonstrates that culture and creative industries can be concrete drivers of development. “By welcoming 58 new cities, we are strengthening a Network where creativity supports local initiatives, attracts investments and promotes social cohesion” the press conference (pictured above) heard.

“Since its launch in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities have actively promoted human-centered urban living and governance, offering a wide range of cultural and creative activities to their citizens. From Sao Paulo’s Affirmative Network of Cinema and Audiovisual Professionals to the AlMashtal Creative Incubator in Riyadh, the 2025 cohort of Creative Cities is already making meaningful contributions to the UCCN mission, marking the beginning of their long-term dedication to the Network.”

Abuja has been designated in the creative field of Literature, in recognition of its literary assets and infrastructures, its action plan for the forthcoming period and more broadly its commitment to boosting cultural participation, developing literacy and encouraging a culture of reading. Initiatives such as the Creative Writers Empowerment Workshop organized by the Nigerian Academy of Letters, to empower writers across various genres and improve their literary skills, or the Literacy by Radio programme from the Commission for Mass Literacy are some key examples of the city’s engagement at every level. 

Following the success of MONDIACULT 2025 Conference, where countries renewed their commitment to culture-led sustainable development, the cities will respond to UNESCO’s call to establish culture as a global public good. 

Creative City Network of Japan

The Creative City Network of Japan (CCNJ) was established in 2013 to promote cooperation and exchange among creative cities in Japan and in the world, as well as to support a variety of organizations such as local governments that promote the efforts of creative cities. Its purpose is to spread and develop creative cities in Japan. CCNJ plays a role as a hub function of exchanging every information, knowledge and experience on creative cities. Its fundamental role is to maintain support for organizations that take action. It aims to be a foundation to construct a peaceful and symbiotic Asian creative city network as well as to contribute to the reconstruction and regeneration of Japanese society by spreading and developing creative cities in our country.

What does the CCNJ do?:

• Holds network conferences to support various organizations such as local governments that try to promote the efforts of creative cities and promote construction of its human network and information exchange.
• Presents seminars and training such as “The Creative City Policy Seminar” for the public awareness of creative cities and for human resources development of people who will take responsibility for creative cities. 
• Introduces lecturers of seminars and trainings and arranges them at the request of local governments.
• Transmits information to promote public awareness and the exchange of creative cities and interacts with creative cities from overseas for the development of creative cities in Japan, and promotes the efforts of creative cities in our country as an international network coordinator. 
• Provides overseas creative city officials with information and contributes to the cooperation of creative cities in East Asia.
• Collects information and conducts research studies about creative city policies inside and outside of Japan and supports local governments that will start new initiatives.
• Provides a variety of proposals as a think tank of creative cities.

Cities that joined UCCN in 2025:

• Aberystwyth, Literature
• Abuja, Literature
• Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Gastronomy
• Andenne, Crafts and Folk Art
• Bistrita, Architecture
• Bobo-Dioulasso, Crafts and Folk Art
• Celje, Literature
• Cheongju City, Crafts and Folk Art
• Conakry, Literature
• Cuenca, Gastronomy
• Daugavpils, Design
• Dumaguete City, Literature
• Echizen City, Crafts and Folk Art
• Evian, Music
• Faenza, Crafts and Folk Art
• Gdańsk, Literature
• Giza, Film
• Hebron, Crafts and Folk Art
• Ho Chi Minh City, Film
• Höhr-Grenzhausen, Crafts and Folk Art
• Kahramanmaraş, Literature
• Kashan, Architecture
• Kelowna, Gastronomy
• Kisumu, Music
• Korhogo, Music
• Kuala Lumpur, Design
• Kyiv, Music
• La Spezia, Design
• Lalitpur, Music
• Liège, Music
• Lubango, Crafts and Folk Art
• Lucknow, Gastronomy
• Lund, Literature
• Lusail, Architecture
• Malang, Media Arts
• Manizales, Gastronomy
• Masaya, Crafts and Folk Art
• Matosinhos, Gastronomy
• Nan, Crafts and Folk Art
• New Orleans, Music
• Nikšić, Music
• Ponorogo, Crafts and Folk Art
• Quanzhou, Gastronomy
• Quezon City, Film
• Quito, Architecture
• Riyadh, Design
• Rovaniemi, Architecture
• Safi, Crafts and Folk Art
• San Javier de Loncomilla, Gastronomy
• San Luis Potosí, Literature
• São Paulo, Film
• Sarchí, Crafts and Folk Art
• Sifnos, Crafts and Folk Art
• Songkhla, Gastronomy
• Tangier, Literature
• Varna, Media Arts
• Wuxi, Music
• Zaragoza, Gastronomy