Japan-Czech Republic Relations 
September 2011
Historical overview of bilateral relations
- Japan and then-Czechoslovakia established diplomatic relations in 1919, when the latter gained its independence with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. Overcoming a lengthy period of diplomatic relations suspension since 1939, Japan resumed its ties with Czechoslovakia in 1957.
When the Czech Republic declared independence in 1993, Japan was among the first countries to welcome the new state by giving it diplomatic recognition. In 2007, both countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. - Traditionally Japan and the Czech Republic (including the Czechoslovakia era) had enjoyed good relations with no significant pending issues between them, though the differences in political and economic systems kept their relations to a limited extent until the wave of democratization swept over Central and Eastern Europe in 1989. Recently, relations have become much closer in a variety of fields, including political, economic, and cultural areas.
Number of Residents
- Number of Japanese Nationals residing in Czech: 1,530 (Oct. 2009)
- Number of Czech Nationals residing in Japan: 241 (Dec. 2004)
Economic Relations
Economic relations between Japan and the Czech Republic are developing steadily with the rapid growth of large-scale direct investment from Japan in the Czech Republic. Japan's trade figures with the Czech Republic for 2009 show that Japan exported goods worth 158.5 billion yen to the country, with electrical machinery being the main items; imports, mainly mechanical component, reached 39.8 billion yen.
Economic Cooperation
With the view that the shift in Central and Eastern European countries to democracy and the market economy will contribute to the peace and stability of the entire European region, Japan has been extending assistance, focusing on technical cooperation, to the Czech Republic for these systemic changes. But recently, because the reforms being carried out by the Czech Republic, which joined the OECD, are progressing favorably, the scale of Japanese cooperation has tended to be decreased in scale.
- List of Exchange of Notes
- Loans: None
- Grants: 382 million yen
- Technical Assistance: 712 million yen
Cultural Exchanges
Cultural exchanges between the two countries, particularly from 1989, have become more active at both the government and private-sector levels. Besides inviting students, media people, teachers, diplomats, and others to Japan, Japan has also been organizing cultural events, such as concerts, exhibitions, and demonstrations, to promote cultural understanding between the Czech and Japanese peoples.
In addition, various private groups have been organizing cultural events. Both countries have their own respective friendship societies that are active in promoting goodwill and friendship between the Japanese and Czech peoples.
Exchanges are also increasing at a regional level, with Takasaki and Pilsen, Kusatsu and Karlovy Vary, Kyoto and Prague, and Tsukiyono (Minakami) and Uhersky Brod having recently formed sister city relationships.
VIP Visits
- From Japan to the Czech Republic
-
Year Name 1996 Her Imperial Highness Princess Sayako 1997 Minister for Foreign Affairs Yukihiko Ikeda
President of the House of Councilors Juro Saito2000 Minister of Finance Kiichi Miyazawa 2001 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Atsuko Toyama
Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka2002 Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress 2003 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi 2005 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa 2008 Vice-Speaker of the House of Representative Takahiro Yokomichi 2009 Prime Minister Taro Aso - From the Czech Republic and Japan
-
Year Name 1996 Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus 1997 President of the Senate Petr Pithart 1999 Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kavan 2002 Minister of Finance Jiri Rusnok 2005 Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek 2007 President Vaclav Klaus 2008 President Vaclav Klaus 2009 President of the Senate Premysl Sobotka
- Courtesy Call on Mr. Ryuji Yamane, Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, by Political Directors of Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Ambassadors of the V4 countries (December 19, 2011)
- Japan-Czech Republic Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Working Dinner (Outline)(October 7, 2011)
- Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. Karel SCHWARZENBERG, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (September 2011)
- Statement by Mr. Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the signing by Czech President for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty (November 2009)
- V4+Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Joint Press Statement (May 2009)
- Prime Minister Taro Aso's Visit to Europe (May 2009)
- Signing of the Japan-Czech Republic Social Security Agreement (February 2008) [PDF]
- First Negotiations for the Japan-Czech Republic Social Security Agreement (June 2007)
- Visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso to Germany, Poland and Spain (May 27-June 1, 2007)
- Visit to Japan of His Excellency Prof. Ing. Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, and Mrs. Klausova (Announcement by the Press Secretary) (January 2007)
- Mr. Shotaro Yachi, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit Europe (May 2006)
- Mr. Katsutoshi KANEDA, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit the Czech Republic and the Republic of Hungary and to Attend the Second Meeting of the "Forum for the Future" to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, together with the First Meeting of the "Task Force on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)" (November 2005)
- Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Visegrad Four and Japan (V4+1) (Visegrad Four Countries: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) (June 2005)
- Visit of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Czech Republic (Summit Meeting: Summary) (August 2003)
- Japan-Czech Republic Summit Meeting (Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet Official Web Site) (August 2003)
- Joint Statement Towards Strategic Partnership between Japan and the Czech Republic (August 2003)
- Emergency Aid for Flood Disaster in the Czech Republic (August 2002)
- Ms. Makiko Tanaka, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and to Attend the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (July 2001)
- The Second Japan-Czech Republic Consultations on Economy and Trade (December 1999)
- Visit to Japan of Mr. Jan Kavan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (May 1999)
Press Secretary's Press Conference on Czech Republic
| Year | Month | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | February | 5 |
| 1999 | May | 14 |
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