Japan-Guatemala Relations

September 2009

Basic Data

Diplomatic Relations:

Established in February 1935.

Japanese Nationals:

294 (as of October 2008)

Trade with Japan (2008):

Export: 15.51 billion yen (coffee, sesame, cardamom)

Import: 29.23 billion yen (automotive products, steal and electronic apparatus)

Direct Investment from Japan:

Cumulative total from 1951 to 2004: 2.5 billion yen (16 cases)

Japan's Economic Cooperation:

List of Exchange of Notes

Loans: 26.84 billion yen (up to 2007)

Grants: 40.21 billion yen (up to 2007)

Technical cooperation: 23.96 billion yen (up to 2007)

VIP Visits

From Japan to Guatemala:

Year	Name
1997	Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Hitachi
2000	Mikio Omi, Special Envoy
2001	Taimei Yamaguchi, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs
2004	Mayumi Moriyama, Special Envoy
2005	Itsunori Onodera, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs
2006	Shinako Tuchiya, Member of the House of Representatives
2007	Kazunori Tanaka, Senior Vice Minister of Finance
	Takahiro Yokomichi, Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives
2008	Taimei Yamaguchi, Special Envoy

From Guatemala to Japan:

Year	Name
1998	Gabriel Peralta, Vice-Minister of Foreign Relations
2001	Alfonso Portillo, President
	Gabriel Orellana, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2002	Juan Francisco Reyes, Vice-president
	Eduardo Weyman, Minister of Public Finance
	Flora de Ramos, Minister of Communication, Infrastructure and Housing
	Raúl Archila, Minister of Energy and Mining
2003	Juan Francisco Reyes, Vice-president
	Otilia Lux de Coti, Minister of Culture and Sports
	Carlos Cáceres, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources
	Luis Felipe Miranda, Secretary of Tourism
	Carlos Roberto Sett, Minister of Agriculture and Food
2004	Mario Dari, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources
	Víctor Dionisio Montejo, Secretary of Peace
2005	María Antonieta Del Cid de Bonilla, Minister of Public Finance
	Óscar Berger, President
	Jorge Briz, Minister of Foreign Affairs
2006	Jorge Briz, Minister of Foreign Affairs
	Norma Quixtán, Secretary of Peace
	Maria del Carmen Aceña, Minister of Education
2007	Enrique Matheu, Minister of Culture and Sports
	Maria del Carmen Aceña, Minister of Education

Cultural Grant (cumulative total fiscal 1975-2007)

870 million yen (Cultural Grant Aid)
29.6 million yen (Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects)

• Dispatch of Election Monitoring Mission for Presidential and General Elections in Guatemala (August 2007)
• Grant Aid to the Republic of Guatemala (August 2006)
• Visit to Japan of Mr. Jorge Briz Abularach, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala (February 2006)
• Humanitarian Assistance for Guatemala through United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) (November 2005)
• Emergency Grant Aid to the Republic of Guatemala in response to Tropical Depression "Stan" (October 2005)
• Announcement by the Press Secretary on the Visit to Japan by the Heads of State and Others of SICA (System of Central American Integration) Member and Associate Member Countries (August 2005)
• Support to "Empowerment of women and adolescents in social risks in Central America - protection from sexual exploitation and promotion of human rights" in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala (June 2005)
• Dispatch of Election Observers for the Presidential, Parliamentary and Other Elections in Guatemala (October 2003)
• Emergency Grant Aid for the Presidential, Parliamentary and Other Elections in Guatemala (October 2003)
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Territorial Dispute between Belize and Guatemala (September 2002)

Press Secretary's Press Conference on Guatemala

• Embassy of Japan in Guatemala Web Site (Spanish and Japanese Only)
• Embassy of Republic of Guatemala in Japan Web Site