Press Releases
Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs SHIMADA’s attendance at the “Completion Ceremony and Farewell Party for the Japanese-Language Program for Foreign Service Officers and Public Officials”
On May 21, Mr. SHIMADA Tomoaki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs attended the “Completion Ceremony and Farewell Party for the Japanese-Language Program for Foreign Service Officers and Public Officials” held at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai (Tajiri-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka Prefecture), and delivered a speech on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to 32 graduates of the 2025-2026 Japanese-Language Program for Foreign Service Officers and Public Officials. The event was attended by diplomatic corps from 8 countries, including H.E. Mr. Moi Lemoshira, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to Japan, who had previously completed this program, as well as Mr. KUROSAWA Shinya, President of the Japan Foundation, Mr. YAMAMOTO Kazuo, Mayor of Tajiri Town, and Mr. MISAWA Yasushi, Ambassador in charge of Kansai.
- At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Shimada congratulated the 26 diplomats and 6 Public Officials from 32 countries and regions on completing their eight-month Japanese Language Program in Japan. He stated that the "living experiences" gained through exchanges in Osaka and study in regional areas would be a great support for the future careers of the graduates, and expressed his hope that the knowledge and experience gained through the study in Japan would be widely shared in their home countries.
- Parliamentary Vice-Minister Shimada also mentioned that 24 ambassadors to Japan, including Ambassador Lemoshira, have been appointed from among past program graduates. He expressed his expectation that future ambassadors to Japan would also emerge from this graduating cohort, and strongly hoped that each graduate would play an active role as a "bridge" between Japan and their respective countries in the future.
- In response, Mr. Masila John Mutiso, a diplomat from Kenya, and Mr. Muhammad Teuku Khalif Rafi, a public official from Indonesia, representing the program graduates, expressed their gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation for this program. Both also stated that through this program, they learned not only Japanese but also Japanese history, culture, and ways of thinking, and were able to foster friendships, expressing strong expectations for future work in Japan.
(Reference)32 participating countries and regions
Argentina, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Palestine, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Yemen