Press Releases
Appointment of Ms. AIKAWA Nanase as "Goodwill Ambassador for Japan-Brazil Friendship Exchange Year"
On May 26, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, appointed Ms. AIKAWA Nanase, a singer and artist, as "Goodwill Ambassador for Japan-Brazil Friendship Exchange Year" from June 1 to December 31 this year, with the aim of further promoting exchanges between the two countries, as this year marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil, the "Japan-Brazil Friendship Exchange Year."
- Minister Iwaya stated that he would like Ms. Aikawa to play a role of a bridge between the two peoples and contribute to promoting cultural exchange so that mutual understanding between Japan and Brazil would deepen on the 130th anniversary.
- In accepting the appointment, Ms. Aikawa expressed her aspirations to contribute to the dissemination of Japanese and Brazilian festival cultures and to cultural exchanges between the two countries.
(Reference) Ms. AIKAWA Nanase and Brazil
Ms. Aikawa made her debut in 1995. Her debut song, "Yumemiru Shoujo ja Irarenai," is used as a song for "Matsuri Dance" (an original dance performed with J-POP hits and Japanese traditional drums) at Japanese festivals held mainly by the Nikkei (Japanese and its descendants) communities in Brazil, and is widely popular in the country. Ms. Aikawa visited Brazil in October 2024, where she exchanged views with local Nikkei group, etc., and was deeply impressed by the existence of the Nikkei communities in Brazil and the festival culture that they have inherited. In September this year, she is scheduled to visit Brazil again and participate in the "Londrina Festival" in Paraná State.