Europe

Japan and Denmark exchanged diplomatic missions on a reciprocal basis after conclusion of the "Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Denmark" in 1867. Both countries have since then enjoyed a friendly relationship for more than a century. Both countries have close ties not only in the economic and trade fields, but also in the cultural and academic areas, and their friendship is growing at a steady pace.

The contacts between Japan's Imperial Family and the Danish Royal Family also has a significant role to play for the two countries' friendship. The first official visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress to Denmark was realized in 1998 (31 May – 4 June), and Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Denmark paid the second state visit to Japan in November, 2004 since the first state visit in May 1980.

In 2004 H.I.H. the Crown Prince of Japan visited Denmark to attend the royal wedding of H.R.H. the Crown Prince and H.R.H. the Crown Princess.

In 2005 H.R.H. the Crown Prince and H.R.H. the Crown Princess visited Japan to attend Aichi Expo.

In June 2011 after the Great East Japan Earthquake H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik visited Higashimatsushima city in Miyagi prefecture suffered from the earth quake and tsunami to express sympathy. In October 2011 H.R.H. Prince Joachim and H.R.H. Princess Marie visited Japan and had an audience with Their Majesties Emperor and Empress.

In 2015 H.R.H. the Crown Prince and H.R.H. the Crown Princess visited Japan to attend Greenland Promotion, a variety of events to introduce the charms of nature, culture, tourism and products of Greenland to Japanese people.

In 2017, Japan and Denmark celebrated the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Relations between Japan and Denmark have long been friendly, and exchanges take place in a wide variety of fields involving both government and private organizations. Political dialogue is consolidated by mutual visits at the highest level, such as the visit to Denmark of Prime Minister Koizumi in 2002 and the visit to Japan of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2002 and 2006. Both countries consider it important to strengthen the bilateral relations through political dialogue at many different levels. In 2009, October and December, Prime Minister Hatoyama met with Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on the occasions of IOC Congress and UN Climate Conference COP15 respectively in Copenhagen. In 2010 March, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen visited Japan and met with Prime Minister Hatoyama to discuss the bilateral relations in business, science and technology fields.
In October 2012 Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal visited Japan, and had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba. He also visited Higashimatsushima city to express sympathy for the suffered.

In 2013 the two countries have enjoyed frequent high-level exchanges. At the ministerial level, Minister for Reconstruction Takumi Nemoto, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Akira Amari and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshitaka Shindo visited Denmark, and Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Karen Hækkerup visited Japan.

In March 2014, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt visited Japan and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. They released “Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership for Growth and Innovation Between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark” for further bilateral cooperation. In May, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida visited Denmark and had meetings with Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard, Minister for Trade and Development cooperation Mr. Mogens Jensen and Premier of the Government of Greenland Aleqa Hammond. This visit was the first time as Japanese Foreign Minister in 29 years.

　In October 2018, Mr. KONO Taro, Minister for Foreign Affairs paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark, and held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Anders Samuelsen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark, during his visit to Denmark.

　In November 2019, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Chairman of Rasmussen Global (former Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), former Prime Minister of Denmark), who was visiting Japan.

　In November 2021, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a foreign ministers’ meeting and a working lunch with H.E. Mr. Jeppe Kofod, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, who was visiting Japan.

　In October 2023, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, met with H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark, followed by a working dinner. On this occasion, the two leaders issued the Joint Leaders’ Statement on the Deepening of the Strategic Partnership between Japan and the Kingdom of Denmark.

The economic relations between Japan and Denmark are fairly well developed and stable. Denmark has enjoyed trade surplus to Japan for long time. The main export items from Japan to Denmark are passenger transport equipments, and machinery. Pig meat andpharmaceuticals, are two main products from Denmark to Japan. The three big pharmaceutical companies (Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck and Leo Pharma) have subsidiary in Japan and have formed strategic alliances with Japanese companies. Besides, welfare technology is the area where the two countries have collaborated to find practical solutions for the aging society. Also, in the area of renewable energy, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries recently started a joint venture with Vestus, the world’s leading wind turbine provider.

Lego (toy), Royal Copenhagen (pottery), George Jensen (silverware) are well known brands in Japan. As a recent addition, Flying Tiger has been very well accepted by Japanese people in line with a Scandinavian design boom in Japan.

As a response to “Scandinavia Today” held in Japan in 1987, the exhibition "Japan Today" which introduced various aspects of Japanese contemporary culture organized in cooperation with Lousiana Modern Museum in 1995 gained much popularity among Danes. "The European Cultural Capital Copenhagen '96 " was held in 1996, during which Edo fireworks from Japan as well as performance of theater plays and other Japanese cultural events were organized, thus contributing significantly to the understanding of Japanese culture in Denmark.　Furthermore, “Copenhagen Sakura Festival”, which started in 2007, has been annual event with more than 15,000 participants. Recently, exhibitions on various themes about Japan such as comics,contemporary and classical Japanese photographs, architectures, Ise Grand Shrine and so on have been held not only in Copenhagen, but also all over Denmark. In 2013, the first cultural event was held in Greenland at its capital, Nuuk. Many Greenlandic people enjoyed varieties of Japanese films and Japanese culture.

In 2015, the exhibition “Spiritual Greenland” was held in Tokyo as a part of Greenland Promotion, which provides the opportunities for Japanese people to be familiar with Greenlandic culture, rich in a variety of myths, legends. The exhibition was also held in National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka in 2014.

The year 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Denmark. To commemorate this anniversary year, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Frederik of the Kingdom of Denmark have both assumed the honorary presidency. On 18th January 2017, the opening ceremony was held at the National Gallery of Denmark, where Mr. Nobuo Kishi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Frederik of the Kingdom of Denmark, Ms. Mette Bock Minister for Culture and Ecclesiastical Affairs and many other guests attended. Throughout 2017, a wide range of events in the areas of culture, politics, economics, academic and sports took place both in Japan and Denmark.