Press Releases

From June 3 to 4, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Ishikawa Prefecture and attended events as part of the fifth round of the “Local to Global” Project. The overview is as follows.

Minister Kishida was accompanied by the diplomatic corps in Japan consisting of ambassadors and other officials from eight countries for a part of the itinerary, and by Mr. Shunsuke Takei, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the entire visit.

1. Welcome luncheon with the diplomatic corps in Japan
On June 3, Minister Kishida hosted lunch at Kinjohro in Kanazawa City for the diplomatic corps in Japan, together with Mr. Masanori Tanimoto, Governor of Ishikawa Prefecture, and Mr. Yukiyoshi Yamano, Mayor of Kanazawa City. They exchanged views onoverseas marketing of the sightseeing resources of Ishikawa Prefecture and the Hokuriku region, while enjoying Kaga cuisine, local specialty of Ishikawa Prefecture.

2. Visit to the Fukumitsuya sake brewery
Following luncheon, Minister Kishida visited Fukumitsuya, a sake brewery, where he deepened his understanding of the sake brewing process and gained exposure to Kaga culture together with the diplomatic corps in Japan.

3. Viewing the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival
Subsequently, Minister Kishida, joined by Kanazawa Mayor Yamano and the diplomatic corps in Japan, visited the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival, which was held for the 66th time this year. Minister Kishida viewed the dynamic “Kaga Tobi (construction worker) Promenade,” and together with the diplomatic corps in Japan, reflected on the traditions of Kanazawa as well as Japan as they witnessed the traditional culture dating back four centuries.

4. Experiencing traditional craftsmanship at Hakukoukan in Hakuichi Main Store
Furthermore, Minister Kishida visited Hakukoukan in Hakuichi Main Store together with the diplomatic corps in Japan, where they were given a presentation on the manufacturing process for gold leaves, a traditional craft in Kanazawa, learned about the delicate technique, and together with the diplomatic corps, gained firsthand experience with traditional Japanese craftsmanship through gilding gold leaves.

5. Dinner with members of the business community in Ishikawa Prefecture
In the evening of June 3, Minister Kishida held dinner with members of the Ishikawa business community and exchanged views on further vitalizing the Hokuriku and Ishikawa economies and effectively conveying the ample attractiveness of the Hokuriku region and Ishikawa Prefecture.

6. Symposium “Dialogue with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida: Conveying Hokuriku Region and Ishikawa Prefecture’s Appeal to the World”
In the morning of June 4, Minister Kishida attended the symposium “Dialogue with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida: Conveying Hokuriku Region and Ishikawa Prefecture’s Appeal to the World” that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized at Kanazawa University’s Takaramachi Campus, where Minister Kishida delivered the keynote address and joined the panel discussion.

At the symposium, after Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takei and Dr. Koetsu Yamazaki, President of Kanazawa University, gave their remarks, Minister Kishida gave the keynote address on conveying the appeal of the Hokuriku region and Ishikawa Prefecture. In his address, Minister Kishida also referred to the importance of the efforts concerning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the situation on the Korean Peninsula as an imminent matter of urgency.

In the following panel discussion, Kanazawa Mayor Yamano, Ms. Hiromi Onuma, President and Representative Director of Hiro, Co. Ltd., Dr. Tokutaro Hiramoto, Lecturer at the College of Informatics and Human Communication, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Minister Kishida, and Parliamentary Vice-Minister Takei took the stage as panelists and held lively discussions on conveying the appeal of the Hokuriku region and Ishikawa Prefecture, among other matters.

Reference: Countries (eight in all) represented by the diplomatic corps in Japan that accompanied Minister Kishida Venezuela, Nicaragua, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Cuba, Australia, Republic of Korea