Public Diplomacy

On January 29, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Governor of Fukushima Prefecture co-hosted a reception “Fukushima: Winds of Happiness: Revitalising towards an Innovative Future” at the Iikura Guest House, attended by approximately 160 people, including diplomatic corps to Japan. The reception featured booths introducing local food, Japanese sake, tourism, traditional crafts such as Akabeko and recovery and reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as Koto performance on stage to promote diverse charms of Fukushima Prefecture.

On January 14 and 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan conducted a Diplomats’ Study Tour together with Okinawa Prefecture, with the participation of 18 ambassadors and their spouses from 13 countries. Under the theme of “Explore Okinawa, from the Ryukyu Kingdom to the Present,” the program introduced the diverse attractions of Okinawa to the diplomatic corps including history, culture, traditional crafts, cutting-edge academic research, and various industries.

In December last year, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, held “Nishio Matcha Moments” at the Reception Hall of the Embassy of Japan in Bangkok, Thailand. The event introduced Nishio City's tourism offerings and promoted Nishio's specialty matcha.

Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, and Napier, New Zealand marked the 45th anniversary of their sister-city relationship in 2025. This article introduces the overview of the commemoration held last November and considers a new perspective on exchange that may offer insights into shaping sister-city relationships for a changing era.

Tama City, Tokyo, has been deepening exchanges with Iceland since welcoming the Icelandic national team delegation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We will introduce the exchanges between Tama City and Iceland, which continue to work on the development of friendly relations even after the Olympics.