3 Cooperation with Local Governments

Regional revitalization is one of the priority issues of the Cabinet. MOFA actively works on the issue and strives to deploy measures that strengthen comprehensive diplomatic capabilities through collaboration with regions.

In Japan, as part of efforts to support regional revitalization, the Foreign Minister and respective prefectural governors invite members of diplomatic corps, foreign chambers of commerce and industry, and tourism-related parties in Japan to the Iikura Guest House, co-hosting receptions and setting up booths as means of broadly promoting the various attractive qualities of regions to audiences both in Japan and abroad. In 2020, the Foreign Minister co-hosted a reception with Iwate Prefecture. The reception was successful with approximately 250 attendees. In addition to publicizing Iwate Prefecture's tourism, food ingredients, and traditional arts and crafts, the reception also served as an opportunity to broadly convey the prefecture's diverse appeal and initiatives, including showing the course of its recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake up to now, introducing the Rugby World Cup 2019 matches, which were held at Kamaishi, outlining the Host Town Initiative in the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and presenting dance performances of Morioka Sansa Odori. It provided an opportunity to promote further exchange and collaboration between the co-hosting local governments and attendees, which included members of the diplomatic corps, foreign chambers of commerce and industry in Japan and company representatives.

Foreign Minister Motegi presenting a greeting at a reception co-hosted with the Governor of Iwate Prefecture (February 7, Iikura Guest House, MOFA, Tokyo)

In addition, MOFA cooperated with multiple local governments to host Regional Promotion Seminars in Tokyo, which have been held 26 times since 2008. Conducted for members of diplomatic corps, foreign chambers of commerce and industry, tourism-related companies and other organizations, these seminars highlight the characteristics, advantages and attractions of regions for industry, tourism, investment and business promotion. These events have been well received by attendees as valuable opportunities to directly experience the attractiveness of regional Japan while being in Tokyo. The seminars also promote networking among local governments and foreign organization members, including diplomatic corps. A seminar that had been scheduled for September was cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19.

Lacquering experience by attendees (February 7, Iikura Guest House, MOFA, Tokyo)

Furthermore, MOFA and Japanese local governments co-organized “Diplomats' Study Tours” for the diplomatic corps in Japan, with the goal of enabling them to directly experience the attractions of each region by actually visiting them. Nine individuals from diplomatic corps in Japan participated in a tour to Tawaramoto Town in Nara Prefecture in November. The diplomatic corps, including ambassadors, visited historical and cultural facilities in the community, which offered them a deeper insight into the community's industries and the local government's initiatives, and allowed them to experience the region's abundant attractions. Thus far, as a result of the tours, some local governments have started exchanges and collaborations with participating countries, while others have aimed to increase the number of visitors to such communities by utilizing connections with participating diplomatic corps.

Diplomatic corps visiting the Karako Kagi Remains History Park, Tawaramoto Town, Nara Prefecture on Diplomats' Study Tour (November 18)

Moreover, MOFA actively provides local governments with explanations of Japan's current diplomatic policies and opportunities to exchange views. As a part of such activities, MOFA held the “Local Partnership Cooperation Forum” in January. Part one of the Forum was the foreign policy briefing session, which consisted of a presentation by MOFA staff titled “Japan-Mekong Cooperation.” In part two of the forum, which featured sectional meetings, participants exchanged views on the themes of “The Environment and Climate Change: Circular Economies and What Local Governments Can Do,” “Regional Internationalization through MICE,¹” and “Entrenching the Momentum of the Olympics and Paralympics: Continuing Exchanges and Regional Development.” Additionally, at a following discussion session hosted by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nakatani Shinichi, diplomatic corps members and other participants had a lively discussion with members of local governments.

Local Partnership Cooperation Forum Participants interacting at an opinion exchange (January 22, Tokyo)

With regard to projects overseas as a way to dispel international reputational damage stemming from the Great East Japan Earthquake, together with efforts to eliminate and ease import restrictions, MOFA conducted the comprehensive PR program called “Project to Support Overseas Presentations to Promote the Attractiveness of Regions” in China in December mainly in online formats. This programme shared the attractiveness of regions, promoted exports of prefectural products, and supported tourism for regional revitalization. To allow Chinese consumers to better experience the charms of Japan's local regions, including tourism, culture and cuisine during the program, short movies shot in the various Japanese locations by the 50 participating local governments were posted on the account of the Embassy of Japan in China with Chinese social media platform Weibo. Live-streamed events were also held in Beijing, and were delivered on the Weibo account of Sina Weibo (a Chinese Internet distribution platform provider). Chinese Key Opinion Leaders (influencers) introduced ways of enjoying Japanese regions, including cuisine, crafts and tourism, and close to 1.7 million viewers took part in the live broadcasting, which linked Hokkaido Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture. In addition, during the event, a lot of collaboration events were conducted such as sales activities related to Japanese cuisine and specialties promoted by retailers, e-commerce companies and Japanese restaurants based in China.

Live broadcast event held as a part of the Project to Support Overseas Presentations to Promote the Attractiveness of Regions (December 19, Beijing, China)

“Regional Promotion Projects” were also conducted on a total of two occasions in Asia and North America as measures to support local governments in promoting the development of local industries and regional economies through the attractiveness of each region by making use of Japan's diplomatic facilities overseas.

In addition, on the occasion of the receptions for celebrating the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor, which are held at diplomatic missions overseas every year, Japanese attractions such as local productions and events are presented. In 2019, a total of 50 local governments attended these occasions in 107 diplomatic facilities to offer information on their attractiveness.

Furthermore, MOFA supports international exchanges between both Japanese and foreign local governments through various initiatives such as sister-city exchanges between Japanese local governments and their counterparts overseas and the Host Town Initiative for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, which were postponed until the following year. Specifically, in order to support the international activities of local governments and municipal communities, Japanese diplomats visit sister cities of Japanese municipalities in their assigned countries or regions and share opinions with officials responsible for international and economic affairs. The heads of Japanese diplomatic missions also visit local municipalities in Japan to have dialogues on the activities related to the sister city or the Host Town Initiative or deliver lectures prior to their departure for new posts or when they temporarily return to Japan. In cases where any foreign local governmental bodies wish to newly establish sister-city relationships with any Japanese municipal communities, MOFA supports them by posting the related information on the website of “Local Partnership Cooperation” (named “Glocal (global and local) Diplomatic Network”) on MOFA's website.

MOFA utilizes Twitter to introduce various information such as the charms and attractions of Japanese local governments, from a unique perspective. Besides the presentation of the above-mentioned activities, MOFA posts various information such as “Local Cuisine,” which showcases foods rich in regional flavor, “#HostTown,” which presents the activities and exchanges between Japanese local governments and foreign teams related to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and “Local Quiz Trip,” which introduces information concerning local governments in connection with sister cities and Host-Towns.²

Additionally, as part of the overseas promotion activities for Japanese alcoholic beverages (Japanese sake, wine, shochu, awamori, etc.) produced in various parts of Japan, the diplomatic missions are actively engaged in promoting their charms, by offering tasting occasions at official dinners/lunches with government leaders of the assigned countries or foreign diplomatic corps, and by using Japanese sake on the occasion of making toasts at grand events such as the receptions for celebrating the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor.

MOFA is also working to respond to the growing demands for issues such as water treatment, waste disposal, urban transportation and anti-pollution measures caused as a result of rapid economic development in developing countries. These efforts involve making use of ODA and leveraging Japanese local governments' experience and expertise, as well as conducting development cooperation using outstanding technologies and products from local SMEs. Through these efforts, MOFA provides support for matching these countries' development needs with companies' products and technologies. These efforts not only contribute to the global outreach of Japanese local companies and the development of globally competent human resources, but also to vitalizing regional economies and the Japanese economy as a whole.

• 1 MICE ─ A term coined from Meeting (corporate and other meetings), Incentive Travel (reward or training travels undertaken by companies and others), Convention (held by international institutions, groups, academic societies and so on) and Exhibition/Event (exhibitions, trade shows and events), which is used as a general term for all such business events.
• 2 Local partnership MOFA JAPAN Twitter https://twitter.com/localmofa
  

“We feel the same as you do. Let's overcome this difficult time together!”

As COVID-19 swept across the world in mid-March, the Boccia national team of Thailand sent an encouraging video message via social media to the people of Odate City and Akita Prefecture. Odate City, which has been designated as a “Leading Host Town of a Harmonious and Inclusive Society,”* hosted the Thai team in 2019 for its pre-Games training camp, and at the same time, held exchanges between the athletes and the local citizens. This message of support had been sent from Thailand, a long distance away, at the start of 2020, in the midst of widespread fear over the spread of COVID-19 around the world and concern among governments about the spread of the disease within their own countries. After receiving this video message, Odate citizens of all ages and genders, from the Mayor to elementary school students, conveyed their expressions of support and gratitude also via social media to the people of Thailand in a video message that incorporated the Thai language and music.

Sending messages expressing concern for people in a country far away across the seas─the expression of such warm relationships, conveyed through social media before the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Tokyo 2020) scheduled to be held in 2021, is not only a sign of the deepening bonds developed through the Host Town exchanges, but can also be regarded as proof that such ties can also be developed without physical visits between countries as a result of the immediacy of social media. Amidst the increasing difficulty of physical socializing between people around the world and the renewed search for ways of interacting, this was an event that brought us new hope.

Triggered by this, the sight of Host Towns and sister cities sending messages of encouragement and support to one another such as “Let's overcome the COVID-19 pandemic!” has become a common sight on social media. Support is actually shown in various ways. Fujieda City in Shizuoka Prefecture showed its support for its Host Town partner, Italy, by lighting up a bridge in the colors of the Italian national flag. Zermatt in Switzerland illuminated the Matterhorn with the national flag of Japan as a dynamic way of showing its support to its sister cities of Myoko City in Niigata Prefecture and Fujikawaguchiko Town in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Exchanges taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic are not limited to such exchanges of support. Tsuruoka City of Yamagata Prefecture held an online friendly match, “Japan-Moldova Remote Archery Match KAKEHASHI 2020,” with its partner country Moldova across a six-hour time difference. Undaunted by the physical distance of 8,400 km, a heated match was held for about two hours in real time. This exchange through a competition highlighted the great future potential of the online medium.

To begin with, Japan is a country that is surrounded by oceans, and is physically separated from its partner countries and regions by some distance. However, a new form of exchange that takes place online has emerged, overcoming this physical distance in an instant. Information and communications technology (ICT) is making remarkable advancements today. It is likely that Host Towns across Japan will carve out a new era of exchanges further ahead in the future with their desire to overcome distances and other barriers.

We are finally approaching the date for the opening day of Tokyo 2020. Many “bridges” of bonds built through the Host Town exchanges have sprung up across the overflowing rivers of emotion and inspiration. There are also new “bridges” of bonds that will be built now through Tokyo 2020, connecting Japan with countries and regions as the legacy of Tokyo 2020. We hope that these will become thicker and stronger, and look forward to a future of “hybrid” international exchanges that combine online and real-life exchanges even after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.

Show of support from Thailand
Show of support from Odate City, Akita Prefecture
(March 13, Photo: Odate City, Akita Prefecture)

Archery friendly match between Chișinău, Moldova and Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
(September 12, Photo: Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture)

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• *“Host Towns of a Harmonious and Inclusive Society” refer to Host Towns that have implemented initiatives such as a barrier-free mindset and urban planning based on universal design, with the aim of realizing a harmonious and inclusive society through exchanges with Paralympians, and will continue with these initiatives as a legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Odate City is a Leading Host Town of a Harmonious and Inclusive Society that comprehensively implements leading and advanced initiatives related to a barrier-free mindset and urban planning based on universal design. For example, it has set up a Boccia court at the station in cooperation with a private company, and become the first municipality in Akita Prefecture to enforce an ordinance on sign language.