Latin America and the Caribbean

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA visited the Mausoleum of Pioneers of Japanese Immigration located in Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo and offered prayers and flowers under the guidance of representatives from Japanese Prefectural Association of Brazil.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA also visited the authentic Japanese-style pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, and under the guidance of representatives from the Brazilian Society of-Japanese Culture and Social Assistance, she toured the monument commemorating the 100th anniversary of Japan-Brazil Friendship and the exhibition room where display cases and lighting equipment provided by Japan in 2006 through the Grassroots Cultural Grant Aid were installed.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA visited the History Museum of Japanese Immigration in Brazil operated by Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance, where she received explanations from the representatives on the history of Japanese emigration to Brazil, their life, and their role in the development of Brazilian agriculture and observed the exhibits.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA attended the welcome ceremony and luncheon hosted by the Nikkei organizations (Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance, Federation of Associations of Japanese Prefectures in Brazil, Japan-Brazil Assistance Association in Sao Paulo and Japan-Brazil Welfare Assistance Association, and Japan-Brazil Culture Alliance), and delivered remarks.
In her speech, she expressed her sincere respect for the activities of the Nikkei community and their contributions to Brazil, saying that the Nikkei community has contributed greatly to Brazil's development as it has established a strong position in the Brazilian society and served as the foundation of trust and friendship between the two countries today. She also called on the participants to encourage the Japanese-Brazil Friendship Exchange Year together, which marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, in order to promote human exchanges in various fields such as culture, tourism, and sports, while she stressed that the Nikkei community is an important partner.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA visited Japan House Sao Paulo (JHSP) and toured the exhibitions “JAPANESE PRINCIPLES: DESIGN AND RESOURCES” and “Life that unfolds,” as well as the main areas of JHSP such as shop, restaurant, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) booth.

［Reference］ JHSP original exhibition “Life that unfolds”
The exhibition is based on the interactive photo exhibition by KAWAUCHI Rinko and USHIODA Tokuko, two prominent Japanese photographers, which was well received as the main program of “KYOTOGRAPHIE Kyoto International Photography Festival 2024” and it consists of four series of works that capture ordinary, everyday scenes in the Japanese home.

［Reference] JHSP original exhibition “JAPANESE PRINCIPLES: DESIGN AND RESOURCES”
Inspired by the Japanese spirit of “mottainai”, this exhibition introduces Japanese techniques and culture of eliminating waste and maximizing the use of resources. Innovative products made from natural materials such as rice straw, agar, and lacquer, furniture made from paper tubes, and soccer balls and helmets made from recycled materials are on display.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA held strategic discussions at JHSP with senior officials headed by Mr. Carlos Rosa, President of JHSP, who was newly appointed on January 13, regarding measures for more effective communication through JHSP.
She pointed out social and educational impacts of JHSP, including the fact that a photo from a past JHSP exhibition has been carried in a Brazilian 8th grade math textbook, and that “reading club” is regularly held at JHSP to discuss Japanese literature translated into Portuguese. She also commended JHSP activities to spread engagement and movement in the Sao Paulo society, in order to promote the concepts of “healthy life expectancy” and “forest bathing,” which have been attracting attention in Japan. She also expressed her strong hope that further efforts will be made to propagate the diverse attractions of Japan.
In addition, she exchanged opinions on creative ways to convey the spirit of Japanese hospitality through the JHSP, and measures to increase the number of repeat visitors to JHSP.

［Reference] Forest Bathing Exhibit
A simulated forest was created and displayed at JHSP, and a lecture was given on the concept of “forest bathing,” where tips for improving QOL were introduced.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA attended a reception to raise awareness of JHSP, where delivered remarks.
She addressed that JHSP has become a landmark facility in Sao Paulo, with over 4 million visitors in 7 years since its establishment, expressed her hope that more people will visit JHSP with the help of influencers and others who were in attendance as guests. She also expressed her strong hope that JHSP will play an even more important role as a gateway to Japan under the leadership of new President Roza. She also expressed her gratitude to many Japanese companies as well as, in recent years, international companies for their support, noting that the number of sponsors is on the rise as global companies are paying more attention to JHSP.
The reception was attended by some influencers active in Brazil, members of the local media, representatives of the Nikkei organizations, and the winner of the 18th Japan International Manga Award Grand Prize. Sake from Ishikawa and Fukushima prefectures was served to the guests at the reception.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA visited the Japan Foundation Sao Paulo Japanese Cultural Center, where she exchanged opinions with Japanese language specialists of the Japan Foundation on the current status and issues of Japanese-Language education in Brazil, and also toured its library and other facilities.

On January 18th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA attended a working dinner with local representative of Japanese companies and exchanged views on the utilization of JHSP.
She expressed her appreciation for their cooperation and support of JHSP activities, expressing her desire to further deepen cooperation with them in order to strengthen external communications through JHSP, and encouraged local Japanese companies to utilize JHSP more actively.

On January 19th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA visited the National Botanical Garden of Viña del Mar. The botanical garden, housing a ginkgo tree grown from a seed that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and a cherry tree, has had a close relationship with Japan and been a favorite place of relaxation for many Chileans, but it was severely damaged by the massive fire in February last year. In the presence of Mr. Chauan, President of the Japan-Chile Senate Friendship Parliamentary Union, Mr. Baldini, Secretary of the National Forestry Corporation, Mr. Peirano, Director of the Peirano Botanical Garden, Mr. Salvador, Director of the Valparaiso Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of the Valparaiso Nikkei Association, and others who are all making efforts to restore the botanical garden, she planted a memorial tree with them in the hope of further promoting the garden's restoration.
She made a speech there, expressing her hope that the trees planted this time will grow steadily as a bridge of friendship between Japan and Chile along with the further development of bilateral relations, and that the Viña del Mar National Botanical Garden will continue to be a place of relaxation for the Chilean people.

On January 20th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA paid a courtesy call on Ms. Gloria DE LA FUENTE González, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile.
She expressed that Chile is an important “strategic partner” that shares values and principles with Japan, that bilateral relations have made steady progress through active exchanges of views and visits between dignitaries and that she would like to promote cultural and personal exchanges to further strengthen the relationship of trust and friendship between the two countries, while both sides confirmed that they would boost people-to-people exchanges including visits among dignitaries, taking advantage of the Osaka-Kansai Expo scheduled this year.
Both sides agreed to further deepen bilateral relations in a wide range of areas, including mining, defense, disaster prevention, science and technology, and to cooperate in international arenas as well.

On January 20th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA paid a courtesy call on Ms. Carolina Paz Libertad ARREDONDO Marzán, Minister of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage of the Republic of Chile.
She congratulated on winning of the Excellence Award by a Chilean applicant for the 18th Japan International Manga Awards and expressed her delight that a wide range of Japanese culture, from traditional culture such as calligraphy and martial arts to J-pop culture such as manga and anime, as well as Japanese food, is well accepted by many Chileans, and thanked Ms. ARREDONDO for her ongoing cooperation in Japanese cultural projects in Chile. In response, Mr. Arredondo expressed her desire to continue to cooperate in many areas, including cultural projects, to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

On January 20th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA attended a working lunch with members of the Chile-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association in Chile, which consists of both houses of the Chilean National Assembly.
She expressed her desire to cooperate in further deepening the diverse bilateral relations as well as in maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law. In response, the Chile-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association side expressed their gratitude for Japan's cooperation in Chile and their desire to further strengthen the cooperative relationship.
She also congratulated Mr. Chauhan, President of the Chile-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Association, on his receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in the autumn of 2024, for his longstanding contribution to the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

On January 20th, Parliamentary Secretary IKUINA received a briefing from Japanese language educators on the current status and challenges of Japanese language education in Chile and exchanged opinions for further improvement of the Japanese language education environment in Chile. Afterwards, she exchanged views with members of “Monbu Chile”, an association of former Japanese government-sponsored Chilean students, who explained their experiences studying in Japan and their activities after returning to Chile, to which she expressed her appreciation for their ongoing efforts to strengthen the friendly relations between Japan and Chile.