Although China and Korea are in a diplomatic deadlock with Japan, touring concerts or exhibitions may offer more openings beyond cultural exchange by maintaining friendly interactions and improving cooperation.

"Despite problems with the relationship between the countries, we should not cease cultural exchanges, especially small ones between local governments and ordinary people," said Junya Nakano, director of the Office for International Cultural Exchange under the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.

High-level exchanges between the countries have been limited after Tokyo angered Beijing and Seoul over territorial and historical issues.

However, the culture ministers of all three countries have continued their annual trilateral meeting since 2007 and designated one city in each country as an East Asian "city of culture" last year in a bid to promote mutual understanding.

A number of cultural exchanges have been or will be launched this year in three cities: Quanzhou, an ancient trading port in southern Fujian province; Yokohama, a Japanese port city known for international exchanges; and South Korea's Gwangju, a city with more than 2,000 years of history.

In Quanzhou, for example, a cultural exhibition will be staged next month, local media said on Tuesday.

Fumiko Hayashi, mayor of Yokohama, said the current exchanges under the "East Asia City of Culture" focus on culture, but may be expanded to other areas.

"People in Yokohama have a friendly attitude toward Chinese as both sides share a long history of exchanges, and such a foundation would help them increase cooperation and thaw tensions," she said.

When the coastal port opened in Yokohama in 1859, many Chinese arrived and settled there as the first batch of immigrants. According to official statistics, there were more than 33,500 Chinese living in the city in 2011, accounting for 43.2 percent of all foreign residents.

"The yearlong program is not just a one-off thing," the mayor said. "It would be interesting for us to have more cooperation in areas including environmental protection, urban construction and aging population, which we are good at."

"Yokohama welcomes and supports foreign investment," she said, adding the Japanese unit of Huawei, a leading Chinese telecom company, opened a new research and development facility in Yokohama last year.

The three countries will also designate other cities as East Asia Cities of Culture from 2015.