Public Diplomacy

On September 12 and 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Kumamoto City held a Diplomats’ Study Tour under the theme of “Recovering from the Kumamoto Earthquake & Building Our Future” in Kumamoto Prefecture. 15 of ambassadors and other participants from 13 countries visited various sites and facilities, such as Kumamoto Castle. It is expected that this tour will help the participants deepen their understanding of Kumamoto’s attractiveness and efforts toward the reconstruction. We hope that the exchanges between the participants’ countries and Kumamoto will be long-lasting for a long time.

On July 6, the Embassy of Japan in Uganda held the Round Table Talk with members of the Ugandan parliament to introduce the Sister City relationship between both countries. A Diet member from Gulu City, the only city in Uganda having Sister City relationship with Japanese local government, gave a lecture on the sister city exchanges with Izumisano City in Osaka Prefecture. After the lecture, the participants exchanged their hopes for the future collaboration with Japanese local governments.

Asahi City in Chiba Prefecture, which had actively kept international exchange activities, got to know about Zambia which was looking for a pre-games training camp site in Chiba Prefecture in 2019. Asahi City then offered to invite Zambia to host the camp and it led to the Host Town exchange. Unfortunately, the pre-game training camp was cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19 though, Asahi City has continued to deepen ties with Zambia even after the Games with a view to post-pandemic, for example, through the donation of medical masks etc. from the City to Zambia or online exchanges between students of both countries.

HOST TOWN FESTIVAL ~GO TO 2025 ~ was held at Happo-en Tokyo under the theme of what we can do to build on the legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Host Town Initiatives for the future　especially for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Japanese local government officials and the counterparts from Host Town partner countries made impassioned speeches about the important legacies created thanks to the Host Town exchanges. They also presented about exchange plans in the future passionately.

This July, Two regions in Japan have been formally recognized as GIAHS by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Both regions have been interacting with other countries and regions in the fields of agricultural products, environmental protection and taking advantage of each region's unique characteristics.

Adding the value of confidence to the local brands by this designation, it is expected that the regions will further revitalize the local economy and create future leaders in the industries in the next generation.

Despite restrictions due to the spread of COVID-19, the value of exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food produced in Wakayama Prefecture has reached approximately double during the last three years. The Prefecture gives a hand to the promotion of exports of their local food products developing the sales channel and sales promotion using digital technology, introducing online business meetings or holding of Wakayama’s local products fairs overseas in cooperation with a collaborated company.

Ginza no Kanazawa (Means “Find Kanazawa’s attractiveness in Ginza, Tokyo”) is an “antenna shop” (= local products shop promoting local specialties and tourism in other than its local area) of Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Since its opening in 2014, the shop has been promoting traditional entertainments and crafts, food culture, etc. The shop has many interesting contents, not only dining restaurant but also special gallery, events, and online shops. Visitors will surely feel the attractiveness with all five senses!