The Japan-Norway Society (J-NS) is a membership-based society established in 1977. The aim is to promote friendly relations, mutual understanding and cultural interchange between the people of Japan and Norway.  In order to do so, we organize various activities and events. Our members consist of individuals, families and corporations from Norway, Japan and other nationalities living in Norway. Our vision is to be a platform for all members to interact, connect and be part of the Japan-Norway community in Norway. 

Board of Directors

Ingrid Fjeldsenden (President)
A board member since 2018 and takes over as President from Per Bardalen Wiggen. Ingrid Fjeldsenden is financial manager at National Police Immigration Service in Norway since 2011. She studied Japanese in Bergen and Japan and is a graduate from the Norwegian School of Economics and Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University. Lived and studied in Nagasaki for 1 ½ years. During her years on the board, she has focused especially on developing the Business Benkyokai and cultural events, as well as organizing nature walks.

Haakon Fossum Sagbakken (Treasurer)
Business developer at Mitsubishi Corporation in Norway. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Oxford, his visits to Japan have been mainly of a holiday character except for an internship in Tokyo, also with a Mitsubishi company. Longstanding interest in Japanese history, film and modern literature.

Shiki Tesaki (Board Member)
Deputy Managing Director of INPEX IDEMITSU NORGE AS, a subsidiary of INPEX CORPORATION, which is a leading energy company. He was born in Shibuya, Tokyo and grew up in Tokyo. He plays soccer and loves his family including one Mikeneko. His favorite Japanese movies are “Seven Samurai”, “Yojinbo” and “Tsubaki Sanjyuro” by Akira Kurosawa and a series of “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” by Yoji Yamada.

Kaori Ishii (Board Member)
Former sales and taste promoter at the Europe's first Sake Brewery, Nøgne Ø. Conducts Sake Sommelier Courses. Has had extensive work experience with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Nations Developing Programme.  Worked and studied in Tokyo, Sydney, Brisbane, Yangon, Lusaka, Johannesburg, New York, Tampa, Oslo and Helsinki before moving back to Oslo in 2015. She also spent an extensive period in Windhoek during the COVID lockdown years. Considers Norway her second home. Alma Mater: Keio University and University of Witwatersrand Business School. Enjoys experimenting with sake-food pairings with seasonal Norwegian ingredients. Adores Norwegian nature. Board member since 2016.

Hajime Matsumura (Board Member)
Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Oslo. Educated in Waseda University in Tokyo and University of Oslo. Posted to the Embassy of Japan in Oslo (2 times, totally 11 years), Copenhagen, Tallinn and New Delhi. Started to work again at the Embassy of Japan in Oslo for the third time since late January 2021. Looking forward to enjoying Norwegian culture and food, driving in great nature of Norway and taking photos of breathtaking beautiful scenery. 

Ulrike Münzner (Board Member) Bioinformatician at Nykode Therapeutics in Oslo. She graduated from Linköping University in Sweden and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and has a background in systems biology. She went to Japan initially with a JSPS-fellowship and worked at Kyoto University and Osaka University for four years in total. She enjoys Japanese food, sake, and hiking in Japan and Norway. She also practices kyudo.

Yasuko Oki (Board Member)
Master florist. Lecturer of Japanese Tea Ceremony at Omotesenke. Lecturer of Mami Flower Design School. Freelancer as master florist, course holder, coordinator, writer and blogger. Graduate from Hosei University and Staatliche Fachschule fuer Blumenkunst Weihenstephan in Germany. Exchange student from Germany to Norway for 3 months in 2005. Conducted Japanese Tea Ceremony and Japanese floral design courses in Germany, Italy and Norway. Board member since 2016.

Ingrid Helene Ludvigsen (Board Member)
Holds a degree in Japanology from the University of Oxford, with a focus on modern literature. She did two stints abroad at Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo and Ochanomizu University in Tokyo. After graduating she lived in Tokyo for six years, working in digital marketing and e-commerce. Since returning to Norway in 2021 she has worked in the tech industry, holding different roles at Microsoft.

Henrik Thon Bardum (Board Member)
Henrik holds a Master's degree from the University of Oslo in East Asian Regional Studies and has been employed as an Adviser in the Information and Culture Section at the Embassy of Japan in Oslo since 2007. He also has a background in studying Japanese, having pursued language studies at Hokkaido Tokai University and Keio University. Additionally, he is a film enthusiast with a particular interest in the works of Japanese directors Takeshi Kitano, Hiroyuki Tanaka, and Hirokazu Koreeda. Henrik firmly believes in the potential of cultural synchronisation, exemplified by the emergence and growth of Norwegian manga.