Public Diplomacy

On January 23, a reception co-hosted by Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA and Governor HANAZUMI of Niigata Prefecture was held at Iikura House, inviting diplomatic corps to Japan and other guests. The reception featured booths introducing Niigata Prefecture's food, local sake, traditional crafts and tourism including Sado Island, as well as the "Ondeko", drum performance of Sado island to promote the diverse attractions of Niigata Prefecture.

On January 30 and 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan conducted Diplomat’s Study Tour in Nara Prefecture and Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture together with the Union of Kansai Governments with the participation of 15 ambassadors and others from 10 countries. Under the theme of “KANSAI Tour Featuring Gastronomy, History, and Culture”, the participants were introduced to the diverse charms of Nara Prefecture and Sakai City, including their history, culture, food, industry, tourism, and local products from the perspective of promoting the attractiveness of Kansai area, which will host the EXPO 2025.

In November 2023, Kobe City held the “Smart City Expo World Congress” in Barcelona to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its Sister City relationship between Kobe and Barcelona. For this event, a delegation from Kobe City and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research of Japan visited Barcelona to introduce local delicacies of Kobe and to confirm the relationship between the two cities, which share similarities in the field of technology.

Monmaya, manufacturer of traditional craft “Sendai cabinet”, held “Yamagata craft fair” at the department store and branch shop in Hong Kong to introduce and sell Yamagata’s traditional crafts in collaboration with Yamagata Prefecture. Also, the company promoted Yamagata’s traditional crafts to Hong Kong people through the tea ceremony featuring Yamagata’s tea utensils and Chinese tea.

From 13 to 14 December 2023, Ambassador NOKE of Japan to Sweden, visited Uddevalla City. The exchange between Uddevalla and Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, began in 1968 with the establishment of a Sister City relationship due to the granite produced in both cities. Since then, the two cities have interacted for more than half a century. Ambassador NOKE gave a lecture on Japan to the students of Uddevalla High School, a key player in the exchange.