Japan-Norway Relations

Diplomatic Relations:

Established November 1905

Japanese Nationals:

1,123 (as of October, 2016)

Norwegian Nationals in Japan:

424 (as of December, 2016)

Trade with Japan (in Japanese Yen):

Export to Japan: 191 billion (2016: fish, petroleum products, nonferrous metals).
Import from Japan: 107 billion. (2016: road vehicles, iron and steel etc.)

Visitors between Japan and Norway

From Japan to Norway: 19,171 (2016)
From Japan to Norway: 61,924 (2014)

Bilateral relations

Norway and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1905. Interaction within economy and trade, in fields such as seafood, shipbuilding and petroleum, has been central in the bilateral relations between Norway and Japan over the past few years. Lately, cooperation to create peace and stability in the international society, amongst others the peacebuilding efforts in Sri Lanka, has been strengthened. Our two countries have also established cooperation agreements within the field of research and technology, and in 2012 a mutual agreement on “Working Holiday” visa was reached, giving citizens aged 18-30 the opportunity to enjoy extended stays through a combination of vacation and work.

During the new millennium, there has been a number of Norwegian high-level visits to Japan: HM King Harald V and HM Queen Sonja (2001), PM Bondevik (2003), HRH Crown Prince Haakon, (2005), PM Stoltenberg (2012), the President of the Parliament (Stortinget) Mr. Thommessen (2016) and FM Brende (2016). HM King Harald V has paid visits to Japan 6 times, including unofficial visits, most notably when he as the Crown Prince of Norway participated in the sailing competition during the Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics.

From the Japanese side, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress paid a state visit to Norway in May 2005 to mark the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Norway and Japan. In December 2008 FM Nakasone was in Oslo, signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

In 2017, PM Abe and PM Solberg had a bilateral meeting on the occasion of Hamburg G20 Summit and discussed a broad range of issues such as the rule of law at sea and Arctic policies.

In February 2018, PM Abe had a summit meeting with PM Solberg who visited Japan and they shared the view that they would continue to promote the cooperation in the areas such as woman’s empowerment, academic exchange, science and technology and innovation. Both leaders also shared the view that both countries will continue to work together closely for the international agenda including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Political Relations

Norway and Japan share fundamental values such as democracy, human rights, rule of law, and market economy. The two countries stand by side in several processes on the international arena, including in the United Nations, in cooperation for peace, stability and the environment.

Economic Relations

Since 1999, with the exception of 2006, there has been a Japanese import surplus in Norway-Japan bilateral trade. Japanese exports to Norway consist primarily of motorized vehicles (2016: approximately 43%), and iron and steel products (app. 14%). Japanese imports of Norwegian produce consist chiefly of fish and processed fish products (2016: app. 44%), in addition to petroleum products (app. 20%), and non-ferrous metals (app. 8 %).

Cultural Relations

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2005, several cultural events were arranged in both countries. Among the more striking happenings was the installation of an ice sculpture copy of the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival in February.

Japanese culture has drawn increased interest and attention over the last few decades. The number of students of the Japanese language at Norwegian higher education institutions has increased from a mere handful during the late 1990s to well over 300 in 2014. Norwegian youth has an increasing interest in, and knowledge of, Japan, especially Japanese pop culture. A rising number are reading Japanese literature and manga, watching anime, and even participating at cosplay events.

Renowned Norwegian artists such as Edvard Munch, Edvard Grieg and Henrik Ibsen are well known in Japan. The 2006 Ibsen Year was marked with staging of plays in Japan, and the same goes for the 2007 Grieg Year, and Edvard Munch’s 150th anniversary in 2013.