Public Diplomacy

From July 2024 to March 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Embassy of Japan in China, and the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong held the “Local Promotion Project Abroad” in close collaboration with Japanese local governments, organizations and private companies. The aim of this project was to showcase the diverse attractions of regions in Japan, including tourism, culture, and cuisine. The project was designed to allow local consumers in China and Hong Kong to experience the attractiveness of Japanese regions and to promote sales and boost exports of Japanese food and products.

Yokoshibahikari Town, Chiba Prefecture served as the host town for the national team of Belize, a Central American country bordering the Caribbean Sea, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. This article introduces the ongoing friendships and ties between Yokoshibahikari Town and Belize, which have continued to grow since the Olympics.

The former castle town of Oda Nobunaga and Mozambique's mysterious historical ties have developed into today’s international exchange. Taking advantage of a visit to Japan by the Minister of Transport and Communications of Mozambique, a delegation from Omihachiman crossed the sea to begin exchanges. Cooperation is being explored in various fields such as agriculture, education, and tourism, and public-private partnership initiatives are underway with a view to linking up with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

This is a written interview with Ms.TANIGAKI Hiroko, the principal of the Nara Prefectural NARA Agriculture and Food International College (NAFIC), which was one of the sites visited during the Diplomats' Study Tour, held in Nara Prefecture and Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture in January 2024. The interview explored an overview of the college, its international initiatives, and its role in regional revitalization.