Press Releases
Ceremony for the Presentation of Letters of Appreciation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Returning Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers
July 6, 2026
On July 6, a ceremony for the presentation of letters of appreciation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to returning Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers was held at JICA Ichigaya Building, where Dr. KUNIMITSU Ayano, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, presented letters of appreciation to each of the 77 ex-volunteers who had completed their terms and returned to Japan (NB: JICA stands for Japan International Cooperation Agency).
- In her opening remarks at the ceremony, State Minister KUNIMITSU emphasized the role that the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, have played in the economic and social development of developing countries and in strengthening friendly and cooperative relations with Japan. She expressed her gratitude for the activities of each volunteer and stated her expectation that they would continue to play an active role, utilizing the international perspective and the ability to overcome challenges that they acquired during their volunteer assignment.
- On behalf of the returning volunteers, Ms. Suzuka Kobayashi expressed her gratitude for the holding of the ceremony. She also stated her conviction that the experiences gained in host country would be a great asset to support the lives of each volunteer, and expressed her intention to make efforts to give back to Japan and the world in their respective fields, utilizing their cooperation volunteer experience.